Best training tips for our new invisible fence???

[Julie Mison]

Well we got our invisible fence installed and got a bit delayed since Chewie came down with some kind of stomache bug the next day or two. He is on the mend so we need to get going with his training. The company recommended "gentle steps" and he seemed to "kinda" get it at first. ALthough today, after taking him up to the flags a few times...he wanted no part of it at all. I didn't think we should force him. Should we use treats? Right now, it is only on a "2" setting and the "shock" is VERY minor as we have all tried it. The company said we will probably end up on an "8" setting.

So, after Labor Day, we will get back to some serious training. Your best suggestions and advice is welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[CaseyDoodle]

We just got the invisible fence a few months ago. They told us not to use treats to get Casey to the fence. For her, after she was shocked one time, she'd stop when she heard the warning beep. Doodles are so smart, they pick it up very quickly. When we first started (before the fence was turned on) we walked her by the flags and when she tried to go sniff them, we'd give a quick correction and say "bad flag". Now if she's headed that way, all she needs to hear is "bad flag" and she'll reverse direction! Plus, if she's out there by herself, she definitely will turn around if she hears the warning beep. It only took the first-time shock to train her. Good luck!
Colleen & CaseyDoodle

[3jjyubejf81l5]

When we had our invisible fence installed the company provided the first 2 weeks of training. The trainer walked the dogs around the perimeter of the fence, whenever the tone would sound on the collar he would say, "what's that noise, back, back" and pull them back. He let them get shocked a time or two the first couple days. We did this on leash twice a day for one week, (they never went anywhere close to the flags after the 2nd day). The second week was off leash but supervised, if they would get close to the fence I would tell them "back, back" and they would immediately turn around. Do not force him to go to the flags, but do walk him around the perimeter so he knows where the OK zone is, otherwise you will end up with a dog that won't go out into the yard. I am surprised that the company that installed the fence isn't providing the training??

[Sally, Echo and Emmi]

This is exactly how our Invsible Fence people trained Echo. He got one shock the first day (and it was set on puppy level) and he has NEVER tried to cross the boundary. We have squirrels that will run along the boundary (I have no idea how they know the boundary but they do) to tease Echo and he will stand on his side and quiver he wants them so badly. But he will NOT cross the line! He learned really, really fast! But I always put the collar on him!

[Diane Dolphin Rocker]

Our dogs went through a stage where they just kind of went off the steps and then they were afraid to move around....it was pretty pathetic for a while, but they eventually got it and became comfortable with their boundaries. Years later when we moved, as soon as we put out the flags, they knew exactly what it was and didn't go near them. The only thing I would suggest to you is to make sure they ALWAYS have the collar on when they go out (and that it is charged or has batteries). It is easy to get lazy when they get really good with the fence, but if they go through it one time without the collar it can lead to problems later (which is why we have a physical fence now!). Good luck!

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

why do some of these invisible fence places install them and not teach the dog owner the proper way to train a dog to use these EF's. if not used right they can seriously harm your dog, scare your dog that it will never go into a yard again, and to me it makes it 10xs easier for someone to come in your yard, remove the collar and bye bye Rover.

[Karen & Lucy]

Denise, I know you do not like the invisable fences, BUT......... we live in the country and have property that I can not afford to put a physical fence up the whole way around it. The next best thing for me was the invisable fence, no burying a wire, just the unit itself and the collar. It is wonderful for me and it is portable. I do not leave Lucy out by herself when we are not at home for someone to take or another animal to come in and harm her. If she is out and we are not at home, my DD lives right next door and keeps an eye on her. It is all in the name of safety. For me, I would have nothing else. I love it. I bought mine on line and had no one to come and teach Lucy or me about how to use it. I read the instructions that came with it and did what it told me to do. Yes, Lucy did get corrected, but that is how she learned. I'd rather that then her get hit by a car or run away and I can not find her. Just my point of view on the invisable fence vs physical fence.

[Lorraine Bromley]

We put the flags up and with it off we walked the perimeter on leash saying no to any border crossing. It is difficult for him as the old dog can go past this boundry but not Neely. But it helped in training as he knew he couldn't go as far as the other one and knew if wasn't allowed. We did the bad flags thing too. Then we introduced the collar and did the perimeter with the leash ( We also marked the wire and the perimeter edge of the collar reaction so we knew for sure when he would be getting a reaction) We played with the settings as he reacted to the settings. We walked the perimeter and used the verbal cues as well. He seemed to smell the wire and knew it wasn't good even before the collar was introduced. After he learned the perimeter with the collar on and he was easily directed away from the line we then started to add temptation on the other side. We used various temptations, the car door open to go, the other dog leaving for a walk, people coming in the lane to visit, then us walking outside the line. He crossed once and weent about a foot straight in the air. That was pretty much it. He doesn't have the flags up at all anymore and he will not go near the edge. Even going for a walk he won't cross with the collar off we had to carry him over the line. He won't get in the car if its over the line we have to back up to get him in.

[Richard Crowe]

How far away from the buried wire does the dog stop? We have a row of shrubbery which keeps our Maltese from running to the back of our property but, Holly just jumps the shrubs with ease. I suspect that if she were hit with the correction while she was in mid-air, it wouldn't do much good.

I am thinking about installing the invisible fence to keep Holly from the back of our property, There are a couple of dogs that live on the other side of our fence and they like to have barking contests with Holly. She also gets her feet dirty because the ground back there is wet in the morning.

We have a six-foot chain link around our acre of property. We couldn't use an invisible fence for our entire property because we have multiple dogs but, mostly because the fence is as much to keep intruders (human and animal) off our property as it is to keep our dogs inside our boundaries.

The invisible fence would work because of line of shrubbery which prevents our Maltese from venturing to the back of the property and thus, they would not need collars. However, the shrubbery doesn't deter Holly who jumps it with ease.