Dog Fences

Four Things to Look For When Selecting a Dog Fence

Dog Fences are a training aid than condition your dog to stay inside your property boundaries.

Your dog wears a special collar that warns them when they get too close to the fence boundary and corrects them if they get any closer. With instruction, your dog learns that they need to turn back from the boundary whenever they hear the beep. Here are a four basic things you need to look for when selecting your dog fence system.

Wireless vs. In-Ground Fences

Wireless dog fences, create a circular boundary around them. They are quick and easy to set up, just plug them in and you are ready to go. The main disadvantage of these systems is obstacles like walls and trees can limit their effectiveness. There are two wireless dog fences available today; the PetSafe Wireless Fence which contains 0.5 acres, and the new larger ranged Perimeter Technologies Wifi Fence which contains 2.5 acres.

[google_ad:DOTR_CMS_468x60_InArticle1]

In-ground systems use a buried boundary wire that goes around your property. They take a little more work to set up than a wireless dog fence system, but give you a lot more flexibility as you can create any shape boundary, not just a circle. In-ground systems are much more reliable and can do up to 100 acres. But, they will take a full day to set up. The leading in-ground brands are PetSafe, Innotek, SportDog, and Perimeter Technologies.

Rechargeable vs. Disposable Batteries

Most systems use a disposable battery. This means every three months or so you need to change the collar battery to keep the fence in operation. Buying replacement batteries, especially if they are proprietary batteries available only from the fence manufacturer can get quite expensive.

Rechargeable systems add the convenience and cost savings of being able to recharge the dog fence collar, but you will usually pay more for these systems up-front. The most popular rechargeable dog fence systems are the Innotek IUC-5100 and IUC-4100.

Dog Fence - Correction Levels

Different dogs require different levels of correction to capture their attention. You want to find a system that has correction levels appropriate for your dog. For example, toy dog owners will find the lower correction levels on the PetSafe Little Dog a good match for their dogs.

Also look for a system where the correction level can be changed to allow you to adjust the level to your dog's individual temperament. More advanced system have a computer that increases the correction level as the dog gets closer to the boundary. This is a nice feature to have, and is on the upper echelon systems from Innotek and Perimeter Technologies.

A Committed Trainer

The most important feature with any dog fence system is the trainer. If you commit to training your dog twice a day for two weeks, you should achieve great results. If you don't, no system, however expensive or sophisticated is going to simply do the job for you. Training is easy, just be consistent and you will have your dog happily contained before you know it, and you won't be able to remember what life was like before the dog fence.

Robert Holmes is a trainer for Dog Fence DIY, a website that shows dog owners how select a dog fence, install the system, and train their dogs in using the system. If you're planning to install your own fence I'd highly recommend you go and check out Robert's website - www.dogfencediy.com

For a great range of quality dog collars please visit dogsupplies.com. You'll find a wide variety of collars including training collars, leather collars and even trendy collars - something for every dog!

---