For over 20 years I have had the pleasure of working with many people and their dogs installing over 400 invisible fences and even more training sessions. I have seen how it is a safe and effective solution to keep your dog safe and happy while giving you peace of mind as an owner.
In fact, I have made it my mission to help as many people as possible learn about how safe and effective they are at keeping their pet safe. For me it is personal, having my dog get out and get critically hurt by a vehicle even though we had a traditional fence was both frustrating and scary. Since then I have used an invisible fence with all of my dogs knowing that I don’t have to worry about my dog getting out again.
Unfortunately there are myths surrounding invisible fences, mostly due to assumptions, misinformation and bad experiences with installers that were not qualified to install and train your dog. In this article I would like to discuss the most common misunderstandings and offer professional knowledge and expertise so that the fear of these fences can be removed. I am a dog lover and would never install a product that hurt a dog in any way.
Myth 1: Invisible Fences are an Electric Fence.
The invisible fence is not electric and does not send a charge through the line or collar. The transmitter uses a radio signal that talks with the collar and does administer a static correction if the dog does get into the boundary zone. Just like if you shuffle your feet on the carpet and touch someone it is harmless and isn’t painful.
Myth2: We Use Fear to Train the Dogs.
There are some trainers and companies that unfortunately do use fear. We do not want the dog to be afraid of the yard or fence. However, we do want to teach the dog to respect the boundary.
Dog Pro uses a unique proprietary training formula that has been developed over 20 years. We use a visual boundary during the initial phase as well as an audible cue from the collar. We use lots of positive reinforcement to teach the dog to use the visual and audio cues to let the dog know it is getting close to the boundary. This prevents dogs from continuing to the point of getting a correction and has a very high success rate. In fact a successful 2 week training period will be effective at teaching the dog to know where the boundary is and to respect it. Nearly all of our owners report their dogs never receiving corrections which is what we truly strive for.
Myth 3: I Can’t Use and Invisible Fence With a Traditional Fence.
We install plenty of fences in conjunction with existing fences. Dogs are great escape artists and will find any way out they can, under, over or through I have seen it all! If you have neighbor dogs this can be a problem too. I have seen dogs that have injured their faces or paws clawing and fighting through the fence. An invisible fence can be placed on or slightly in front of a traditional fence eliminating digging, jumping, fighting or escaping.
Myth 4: I Can Just Buy Cheap Store Bought Fence and Do It Myself.
You know the saying, you get what you pay for? In this case do you really want to hedge your pets safety on a DYI system? If not trained correctly your dog will not respect the boundary and can even grow scared to go outside. Will you know how to adjust the collar and invisible fence to match your pets personality? There is a lot that goes into the installation, training, quality of product and more. You want to be 100% sure when your fence is installed your dog does not get hurt or get out. To do that, invest in a professional that has a passion for dogs and has years experience installing and training. You don’t want to wish you had.
Myth 5: Invisible Fences Are Cruel and Inhumane.
This again lends itself to a couple of different factors. Invisible fences are safe and effective when they are installed properly and dogs are effectively trained. If they are installed and trained improperly it can harm your dog. With successful training the fence is just there for insurance. Every dog lays scent and knows where its boundary is. Over time its just as if a traditional fence is there and the dog doesn’t go near it. Most dogs that have been on our system won’t even get out if there is a break in the line and it takes a day or two to get it repaired. This is the power of proper training.
In the end invisible fences can be a very safe and effective product. Just like anything else there are good trainers and installers and there are some that use improper practices. Maybe they are new and just learning or the franchise they work for hasn’t developed a good training system. At Dog Pro, we have successfully developed a quality product from start to finish that is safe for your dog, effective at keeping them contained and has a high success rate which gives you peace of mind.
If you are in the market for an invisible fence you can hope you get a company that you can trust with your dog’s safety or you can go with a pro, Dog Pro. Contact us today for a FREE estimate.
Sometimes our underground fences are mistakenly called “invisible fences” Invisible Fence® and Invisible Fencing® are actually registered trademarks of Radio Systems, Inc. Dog Pro chooses to install a system that is Made in the USA because of it’s quality and feature set.
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