You need some type of fence to contain your pet when he’s outdoors. The question is, what type should you get?
There are the conventional wood and metal types, and there are electric fences.
Electric fences use a wire that is buried underground, connected to a home box that is connected to the home’s electrical system. This wire acts as a barrier, preventing the animal from wandering beyond your property line.
When the animal crosses the invisible barrier set up by the wire, he gets a shock from the electrical current. Initially, flags are set up to mark the barrier location so the animal knows where it is. Also, when the dog approaches the barrier, a beep is emitted, warning the animal that it needs to go back.
We see electric dog fences everywhere but some questions arise: are they safe? Are they effective?
Take a look below for the pros and cons of electric dog fences.
There are several advantages to these systems:
Cost
They are generally affordable. They can be expensive, but often less than you might have to pay to put up conventional fencing.
Environment
Electric fences can be used where the terrain is not suitable for conventional fencing. It also does not block views or break up green space. They also can be installed more quickly than conventional fencing.
Coverage area
Electric fences can cover an area as large as 25 acres, which gives your dog plenty of area in which to run.
Effectiveness
These fences are effective most of the time. The dog learns quickly to avoid the shock and so stays in the area.
But there are some drawbacks to electric fences:
The shock
Some dog owners are wary of these types of fences because of the experience the dog goes through when it gets shocked. This may depend to a large extent on your particular pet. Some dogs will only need a slight jolt before they retreat, but others may require something more intense to stop them. For these animals, the shock needs to be severe enough and painful enough to act as a deterrent. It has to really startle the animal.
Punishment
Plus, the fence shocks are a form of punishment, which some people dislike because they don’t like to train their pets by punishing them. The fence can also have unintended consequences in that the animal can begin to associate the shock with other events. For example, the dog receives the shock when it approaches red flags set up to mark the property line. As a result, the dog becomes fearful of any red flags because the animal associates it with the shock.
Other animals get in
In addition, these types of devices do nothing to keep other animals out of your yard. Any other dogs or feral animals can still wander in. Your pet is essentially a captive in these situations because it cannot get out.
Not foolproof
Finally, there is no guarantee that these electric fences will work all the time. For example, if your dog is extremely frightened by something, he or she may simply run through the barrier, heedless of the shock.
We know you love your pet and want to treat him as a member of your family. So when you’re away from home for a period of time that will see your pet not get the outdoor exercise he needs, bring him to Barney’s Ranch for day or overnight boarding: he’ll be able to run in our 4,000-square-foot outdoor dog run!
For more information about our boarding services, give us a call at 469-450-7040 or send us a message at info@BarneysRanch.com.