Dog Fence Review – Dog Fence Training Do’s and Don’ts

This is another installment on our Dog Fence Review articles we have started.

Buying the best dog fence system that is being offered in your location is one of the easier steps to do if you do your homework. However; the responsibility does not stop with choosing which dog fence system to buy..

To prevent psychological damage to your dog and to ensure your dog’s safety on the dog fence system, I would urge that you find a professional dog trainer that has used these type of dog fence systems or the electric dog collar in general. Very few dog containment companies have real dog trainers in their workforce. If your local dog fence company does not have a professional dog trainer, hire a trainer locally who is familiar with training dogs on electronic dog collars. You will be glad you did.

Personality, temperament and drive is what makes each dog who he is. Like humans, each dog is a little different. This is why we recommend you have a professional trainer to assist with dog training on the fence.

This is what happens in the training process AFTER the dog evaluation occurs (Do not follow these guidelines for your dog unless you have seen or have been advised by a professional trainer. This is just a general review of what happens during training.):

The first step in training before you leave your dog unleashed on the dog fence system is to acquaint him to the boundaries of your property. You could use flags to mark the boundaries. (Your Contain-A-Pet dealer/trainer may also recommend a string and flag fence if your dog is of a certain temperament.) Once you start using the electric dog fence it is these boundaries that the dog would have to learn in order to keep the electronic dog collar from beeping. You have to teach your pet the boundaries of the dog containment system. You have to teach your dog that when it hears the tone it must run away from the boundaries towards the center of the yard. This will teach him that he needs to be within the boundary in order to avoid the beeping sound and correction. This process usually lasts approximately 5 to 7 days.

The next step would be to attach a long leash line to your dog and have someone walk towards the boundary and see if your dog would follow. If he tries to cross the boundary then it may mean that you will have to repeat the first step again. If your dog does stop at the boundary, he has learned the first lesson correctly.  Now you can increase testing to ensure he does not cross the boundary.

Use bigger distractions like balls, Frisbees, etc thrown outside the boundary and watch whether your dog will get them. If he does, go back to step one. If he adheres to the boundaries, praise him tremendously. It is now time to leave your dog unleashed but always under constant supervision until you’re completely satisfied that he will not test the boundary.

Be patient and be sure your dog has adjusted to the dog fence system before you allow him to run unsupervised. You can begin removing flags when you’re sure that the dog has learned the boundary limits. Always ask your trainer first.

This is a general guide to the proper training on the dog fence system. Only the ill-informed or uncaring dog owner would turn their dog out on the dog fence without training. Remember, to always ask a professional trainer the proper way to train your particular dog before you get started.

Dog Fence Review – How Do You Choose?

Dog Fence Review.  How do you choose the dog fence that is right for you?

I am biased; but, I believe in most cases (not all) that the best dog fence is from Contain-A-Pet.  This is going to be a series of dog fence review articles that may help you to decide if a electric dog fence is right for you.

Should I buy a dog fence via a retail store, catalog or the internet?

As a master dog trainer and a electric dog fence owner, I would emphatically say No to purchasing via this route!

Why?

First and foremost, it is very easy to psychologically damage your dog if the proper dog training and dog conditioning is not done.

Most people  just put the electronic dog fence collar on their dog, spend one to two days training and shock the heck out of their dog.  Some dogs (depending on the dog personality or dog temperament) do learn this way; but you terrify them doing it.  You can scar a dog doing this especially if this occurs during one of the two fear imprint stages a dog progresses through during their early years.

The correction is not the reason most dogs stay in their yards! Proper training and conditioning is the reason dogs stay in their yard.  I often hear people tell me about the dogs they see running down the street that are on these store bought dog fence systems.  Training, conditioning and system reliability may very well be the reason this occurring.

Other dogs (the more dominant or stubborn) tend to think this sensation they are receiving around their neck (correction) is just a part of life.  They learn to ignore it.  If they see something outside the dog fence they want, they go.

The only way I would buy one of these electric dog fence systems (via the method mentioned above) is if I knew a professional dog trainer that could help me.

This is true with a full service dog fence company as well.  I would just not assume that the person working with my dog is qualified to train.  I would make sure!  And, in most cases I would make sure my trainer is a real dog trainer capable of reading my dog’s personality and temperament.

As a caring dog owner, this would be one of the primary criteria I look at when performing a dog fence review.  Would you like to read more on choosing the right dog fence for you?  Feel free to click Dog Fence Review for a series of articles on this subject.