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Are you asking about invisible fence or about electric fence?
Electric fence will keep any dog confined. I suggest the vinyl rope "wire" called rabbit fence. It is a mesh, so the dog can't limbo between the wires of regular electric fence. It's made to keep rabbits out of the garden.
Big dogs need an electric fence that is tall enough so that they won't jump over, although the majority of dogs won't go anywhere near it, even if it isn't very tall.
I think they can hear the power going through the wire, because most dogs will never touch it. They don't need that first shock to tell them to keep back.
There are solar fence chargers available that work well and are useful for fencing away from buildings when there is no place to plug teh charger in.
If you are talking about invisible fence, it works for some dogs and doesn't work for others. There isn't any health danger because the dogs stay away from it. The only health danger is that other dogs that are not wearing the collar can walk right into your yard and attack.
Dog pounds all over the country get in dogs with invisible fence collars on 4th of July. Frightened dogs will run right through it.
I purchased a High Tech on EBAY and need wire for approx. 2 acres. Can I purchase standard 18 ga wire from electrical supply house or is there a special wire.
Thanks,
Do not make my mistake. I wired in a little over 2 acres and used the wire and splicers that came with the unit. The wire was too light and after about 5 years it began to deteriorate. The problem was the wire would break down but it would not be a clean break that would set off the alarm. Instead it made the signal weak from that point on and we found our dog up the road on Super Bowl Sunday. The splicers were also described as "fuses" by the local guy who made a good living coming to homes and fixing breaks in the line. We got to know each other pretty well.
To answer your question you can, and should, use a heavier gauge. The electrical supply store will hook you up with the right wire and splices.
One word of caution: not sure where you live but these units will not work with big snow. We are in MD and in 2010 we had 2 huge storms and the dog kept getting out.
For all these reasons I won't have another electric fence, just never felt they were totally secure. But 2 acres is too much to fence so we cut the lot in half with split rail and wire fencing.
Dogs in the country will run for miles and it doesn't take a dog long to cover 35 acres (less than a minute if running). If using a dog electric fence, you would probably would need it on the inside perimeter of a regular fence. The dog would slow down when reaching the perimeter fence and the invisible fence would then shock. Something clearly visible is needed to slow the dog down. After conditioning, could probably remove the perimeter fence, but, still, I would think they would go through it occasionally.
I don't know if anything visual actually stops a high pray dog on a mission. My dog tried to go thru a chain link fence to chase a cat. He landed on his back and never did it again.
We've had an Invisible Fence for over 15 years and ALL except one of our dogs were or are considered high prey drive breeds. A pair of basenjis and bluetick coonhound when we lived in WV and now we have 1 Basenji and 2 German Shorthaired Pointers in Montana.
I've only had one jailbreak in that time frame. One.
They work and work very well if you, the owner, invest the time and energy to properly train your dogs.
My German shorthairs are hunting dogs. BIG ranging hunting dogs. When out in the field I want to them to range out as far as they can see me to search for pheasant or grouse (as long as they will hold a point). It's not uncommon for my dog to go out 500 yards or more on a search but at home on our 5 acres I want them to respect their boundaries and they do.
You have to put the time in with them and pretty soon you you will have a good citizen on your property. Please, take the advice from the pro's when they show you how to train them on the system- it works!
My neighbor has a male lab that they said would never stay in an invisible fence. I said ha! He paid for the wire and I tied him into my system, put my spare collar on him in and in took 2 trips up to the flags and that dude refused to go near that flag again, even with my two GSP's standing on the other side looking right at him. In less than a week that stubborn lab was fence broke and has not run away at all in a year since we got it up and running.
When I hear naysayers rabble about these fences I usually stop and ponder who is really at fault- The dog or the owner?
Do not make my mistake. I wired in a little over 2 acres and used the wire and splicers that came with the unit. The wire was too light and after about 5 years it began to deteriorate. The problem was the wire would break down but it would not be a clean break that would set off the alarm. Instead it made the signal weak from that point on and we found our dog up the road on Super Bowl Sunday. The splicers were also described as "fuses" by the local guy who made a good living coming to homes and fixing breaks in the line. We got to know each other pretty well.
To answer your question you can, and should, use a heavier gauge. The electrical supply store will hook you up with the right wire and splices.
One word of caution: not sure where you live but these units will not work with big snow. We are in MD and in 2010 we had 2 huge storms and the dog kept getting out.
For all these reasons I won't have another electric fence, just never felt they were totally secure. But 2 acres is too much to fence so we cut the lot in half with split rail and wire fencing.
Did you turn the transmitter and gain up? I keep the field set to 'low' in most seasons, then turn it 'up' in the winter (which widens the transitter field).
The one jailbreak I had was in when 3' of heavy snow was on the ground. Figured it out, turned the gain up and problem was solved.
Apart from all other concerns, my main concern would be theft. You have a desirable dog and there is nothing to stop anyone from taking your dog.
Many, many years ago we had a 'Fido Shocker' that was put about 6 inches above the ground around the fence to stop one of our dogs from digging out. It solved the problem (and zapped the cable guy!).
I have used electric fencing when I had my high prey drive JRT and it worked quite well, I have over 10 acres and not the funds to fence, I wanted to have my dog out with me and be hands free to do chores around the barn. It worked like a charm and the only jail break was due to the battery in the collar going dead. I will tell you that my dog was never just turned loose outside, I was out there with him. The deer even knew where the fence ended and would graze 5' out of range, Gator would go down and bark at them and they wouldn't run knowing he couldn't get to them and Gator would look back at me and say I hope no one's watching that he couldn't run off a measly deer.
I now have my arena fenced in with 3' chicken wire for my really high prey drive Swedish Vallhund but I'd still never leave him out alone, it just an opportunity for him to run off leash.
We've had an Invisible Fence for over 15 years and ALL except one of our dogs were or are considered high prey drive breeds. A pair of basenjis and bluetick coonhound when we lived in WV and now we have 1 Basenji and 2 German Shorthaired Pointers in Montana.
I've only had one jailbreak in that time frame. One.
They work and work very well if you, the owner, invest the time and energy to properly train your dogs.
My German shorthairs are hunting dogs. BIG ranging hunting dogs. When out in the field I want to them to range out as far as they can see me to search for pheasant or grouse (as long as they will hold a point). It's not uncommon for my dog to go out 500 yards or more on a search but at home on our 5 acres I want them to respect their boundaries and they do.
You have to put the time in with them and pretty soon you you will have a good citizen on your property. Please, take the advice from the pro's when they show you how to train them on the system- it works!
My neighbor has a male lab that they said would never stay in an invisible fence. I said ha! He paid for the wire and I tied him into my system, put my spare collar on him in and in took 2 trips up to the flags and that dude refused to go near that flag again, even with my two GSP's standing on the other side looking right at him. In less than a week that stubborn lab was fence broke and has not run away at all in a year since we got it up and running.
When I hear naysayers rabble about these fences I usually stop and ponder who is really at fault- The dog or the owner?
Wow, you used Invisible Fence with a Basenji? I wouldn't have thought it was possible given how obstinate they are and their strong prey drive. One of mine tries to bite at cars coming the opposite way when we drive by and the way he lunges at the window, I have no doubt he would jump out of the car if there was a way to.
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