# Electric fence?



## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

Ok my next big ?. I have a fenced back yard about 1/2 acr. But! My front yard is not fenced and has a busy street about 150yrds out. My experince with my mutt Lucy. Has been all good, she listens and does not have any recall problems, and so far Rojo my 15 week old Vizsla has responded well to my comands. As much as I hope this will continue I will not be surprised when he gets a bit older, to not listen so well. So my question is about an electric fence for the front yard. Do you have one? What is the brand you use? What are the general cost? IYOP is it worth it. Thanks so much for this great forum. And yes I tryed the search function


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Okay, you asked for opinions, so here's mine: I don't like them. They might work just fine with smaller, less intense breeds, but I've heard stories. There is this professional baseball player (wish I could remember his name) who has two Vizslas. Remember, they are strong hunting dogs with high prey drive.

Well, they both ran right through the electric fence at the same time, and were both hit by the same car. They lived, but had to have numerous surgeries and long recoveries. This is just one of the many stories I've heard. So there's my opinion. I wouldn't trust an electric fence. I'm sure others will offer their opinions, as well.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Oh, and another thing I don't like about electric fences is that while they MIGHT keep your dog in the yard, they can't keep other critters OUT of the yard. We have coyote packs around where I live. 

So you let your dog out into the yard after dark, just before bed, for the last potty break of the day. A pack of coyotes enters the yard... Packs have been known to bring down adult dogs if they are very hungry. Smaller dogs are easier pickin's -- but larger dogs are also targets. A traditional fence eliminates this worry.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

The fences work with 99% of the dogs if they are trained properly. The costs will run you $1200 - 2000 installed. The better the fence the more reliable of course. I don't use one. I use an e-collar and always have an eye on the dog. I would be real concerned if I lived where you do. I think I would put the e-fence in and still be out with the dog when he was out. I don't know why the fences are not made like an e-collar. :


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## Cavedog (Oct 21, 2010)

My neighborhood does not allow physical fences. So when we moved here 25 years ago we got an e-fence (relatively new product at the time) for our Weimaraner. It worked great. I am now using it with my fourth dog. Over the years I have upgraded the collars as the technology has improved, but still have the original transmitter. 

The brand I have is "Invisible Fence". I had them come out and help me train my V last year and I couldn't be happier.

http://www.invisiblefence.com/


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I use the Innotek Contrain and Train system. It works just fine for keeping my two in the yard. 
Despite all the distractions, neither of them have even come close to challenging the fence. Gunnr will take it right to the limit, but Tika won't get within 20' of where her collar will go off.
Now though, that said, I live on a relatively quiet road in a somewhat rural area. We still have dairy farms and crop farms all around us. It is however becoming more suburban, and I will put up a nice fence to present a physical barrier about 80' back from the road, to the dogs, in addition to the invisible fence. 
It's safe to let the dogs out at night. Generally all of the Flood lamps are on and I'm out there. 
There's also the Remington, and Bow for any unwanted predators. I actually worry more about Gunnr getting too curious about the Beavers in the river, and the Fishers.


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

Cavedog thanks so much for the link. I plan on giving that company a call, I'm kinda a do it yourself guy. So hopefully they will have that option. Guner I like the name choice Tika. I wish I could live in a less populated area like yourself. For now close to work is priority maybe someday.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Gunnr said:


> I use the Innotek Contrain and Train system.


I had that system. I returned it. I found that collars don't hold a charge that long and the batteries would go dead in short order. Have you had it a long time? Any problems keeping it charged?


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

I had problem with the collars that came with the system, but they were replaced by Innotek. The replacement collars are much better.
They'll hold their charge for a couple of weeks, maybe a month or more.
Tika has had her same collar since we got her.
Gunnr is on her third collar, replaced under warranty, she's hard on those collars.

Neither of the dogs challenge the fence at all, and I don't use the remote "zapper", so that probably has a big effect on the success I've had.

Invisible Fence and Tri-Tronics probably make the "Cadillacs" of collars. The Innotek represents a good value though.


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## goodharborLuna (Oct 18, 2011)

It depends on where you live. I live on a on a busy 55mph road with the back yard being Lake Mich. I don't trust it to keep her in with her strong chase instinct and living on a beach setting. I have a neighbor 3 doors down with a German Shorthair that has escaped 3 times this past summer from an invisible fence and was found on the busy road! Lucky to be alive thank goodness! We don't want a physical fence either because of the way they look. She is always on a leash or very long line at this time. I have just added a remote e-collar to training and have been using that to give her freedom to run under my control and it's working great. My feeling for the setting I live, I must stay with her/watching at all times without a physical fence to keep her safe. I have 2 kids and I wouldn't want them letting her out and next thing you know she's hit at the road or running down the beach for miles then up to the road. I know they do work very well for most people but I feel my setting is way to risky.


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

This is really great info, I apreciate all the responses. It seems like the consensus is about 50/50 on the e fence effectiveness. I'm thinking that a E fence that the dog encounters alot is more reliabule due to the fact that it resonates as a training tool. However my frnt yard is not going to be a place where the dog would normaly be off leash and not under my control. With 2 kids 3-5yrs It's more of a last line of defence if the door was left open and rojo went on the chase. As others have mentioned a front yard fence would just not look or function properly in my neighborhood. So I'm looking into every option. Thanks again great forum.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Again. The main difference in experiences here is due mostly to proper training. If done correctly an electric fence can be very effective. Those innoteks are certainly priced right. I wish mine had held a better charge from the get go. Copper is now on the Tritronics and it has been absolutely bullet proof! Water, snow cold and stay charged for a real long time. Matter of fact it has never gone dead. I just put in on the charger monthly, or prior to a weekend away, and it does the trick.


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## Snavely2 (Mar 3, 2011)

We installed an "Invisible Fence" for Dory at months. They were so friendly and she does great with the fence. The collar "Micro Light" is so small and light. She never tests the fence. If someone is walking a dog or there is wild life around she just sits there and stairs. It is the best thing we have done.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

One more thought

We used to have two males ,at the same time, both on eCollars.
Everyday Silkcut would test that fence to see if it was working. He'd walk up, listen for the tone and then back up. He'd only do it once, but he tested it at the driveway every morning.
He also "learned" that if he did his "Vizsla Commando crawl", slinking on his belly and using his back leg like a frog, the box on the collar would roll back and he could drawl right over the wire with it going off. I gotta say it was funny to let him get close enough to hear the beeping, then call his name. He'd lift his head to acknowledge the voice and, well lets just say he was moving pretty fast in the correct direction.

One other Vizsla I know of learned that there was a "Hole in the fence" at the dock. He'd run out onto the dock, jump in the river and swim to other side of the wire. He'd then sit and wait for his owner to notice. That was fixed by floating the wire inside a garden hose on top of the water.

Point being; some Vizsla's will purposely test that fence.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

I can picture Silkcut in Camo and Blackface seeking out an escape route. 8) They are smart!


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