Since we're on dogs...

I'd inquired in the NBTT forums a while back on training collars. We have a kennel in the back to keep the boys in during the day. Sometimes they bolt when we let them out. Deer, armadillos, raccoons, dogs, cats, who knows what they're after but they would stay gone a long time and worry us to death. I'd been threatening to get a training collars for some time but never did. Well they finally ran off one time too many and I had every intention of getting one. While we were at Bass Pro Shops looking at dog training stuff I saw the invisible dog fences. I got to thinking while the training collar might give me a moments satisfaction when the dogs bolt and ignore my call, the fence might actually solve the problem.

It took a few days to get the wire buried then it was dog training time. Both dogs learned the boundary and which way to run when they heard the beeps in about 3 days (instead of about 3 weeks per the instructions). Now we can come home from work and just let them run free and play with them outside without worrying about them running off. It's great. Sometimes we don't put the collars on and they still stay in the yard.

If you're willing to take a little time and train them I'd highly recommend one.

Re: Since we're on dogs...

A friend of mine has an invisible fence for his Lab. It worked until the dog chased a cat out of the yard one day. Now the dog will get close enough to hear the beeping collier then back up about ten feet. Then he takes off like you lit a fire under him, headed out of the yard. By the time he gets out of range of the shock his back feet are actually about to pass his front feet and his head is turned looking back. I'm guessing he's looking back to see how much further he has to go before the shocking stops. Once he's out, he won't come back into the yard but he will lay around close.

Re: Since we're on dogs...

RP, I've heard of that problem with the bigger dogs. Some dogs will endure the pain just to head after what they want to chase. Once they are done, its not worth the pain for them to run back into the yard. I have a 350' cable that runs from my house to the back of my yard. On the cable is a 25' chain that I hook to his collar. It gives him a very large area to run in. When I put him out at night I go out with him and hold his chain. He has the tendancy to run the whole length chasing something out of my sight. We have coyotes in the area and I don't want him dealing with them. Neighbors up the road lost two newfies to the coyotes back in May.

About 3 weeks ago my wife got a new collar for him. I put him out wearing his new collar. While he was out I was taking care of business inside the house. I got done and went to let him in. I looked out in the yard and there is the chain hanging from the cable with the new collar on the other end without the dog. Last time this happened, we didn't get him back for a day or two. I went to the back door and there he was laying on the back door stoop. Maybe doggie jail the first time was enough for him.

Friends that have smaller dogs have had good luck using the invisable fence.