Wireless containments/Invisible Fences

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Hi everyone, so Jace recently started this new thing of bolting when we take him outside to do his business.Living on base we have neighbors very close on all sides of us and also roads all around us which are pretty buse. So, we tried putting the leash on him which just led to more pure stuborness and also we tried putting up barriers with repellant spray.. he ignored those completely.. so we decided we were going to try the invisible fence/wireless containment... well, today we did a little bit of the training in the manual and turned it on the 2nd level for him to figure out a little on his own.. well. Now he is scared to go in the yard at all... I wasn't 100% comfortable with this in the first place, but now I'm really not.. needless to say this thing is going back tomorrow and I'm going to try something else.... maybe a remote vibration collar.. I dont know. I'm seriously confused and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for us.. should we continue to try and work with the fence we have or should I try a new route.

[BG and Gavin]

I think the wireless system can be good and effective (I use one at the cottage) HOWEVER training is everything.  It must be done carefully and properly.  Did you put flags up around the yard first for visual cues?  Many people use a trainer that specializes in this sort of thing.  That is what I would advise in your situation.  Also how old is Jace?  Boundary training should start in the home.  Make one room off limits and consistently reinforce with a certain command and correction.  Teach him what you want him to learn. Once he knows that command means do not cross this line, you can start taking it to different situations.  Once he starts catching on, add distractions (like food on the floor in the off limits room).  It is a process of you communicating what you want/expect from him.  It takes a while, but they are smart and will catch on if you are consistent.  Also start training the STOP command.  It is super handy.  Run with the dog on leash and suddenly stop and yell stop - when he stops and looks at you give him a treat.  Progress to a longer line and then to off leash in a controlled setting then add distractions etc. 

[Adina P]

My only concern is you possibly didn't do the training correctly or slowly enough based on what you said.  I would try again, but follow the instructions EXACTLY or get a trainer out to help you do it if the company provides that.

[Julie and Charlie]

IMO, if this dog has a habit of bolting, you need to re-think using a leash and provide supervision at all times when outside. It seems like that is the safest thing. Jace is quite young, right?

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I have to agree that it doesn't sound like you did enough training and that possibly you had it set too high if he now won't even go in the backyard at all.  We had to train for two weeks with the flags and walking the perimeter boundaries for the girls to get used to them before they were allowed on their own.  We also had to walk them into it the first time as well.  I would also keep him on leash until you get some sort of a solution figured out, just for his safety.  It sounds to me like you need to get him into training classes as he is being allowed to be in charge, not you.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

We have an efence and it takes weeks of training - for hours a day.  Literally!  You start by not having the vibration on the collars - only a beeping noise.  They are on leash the first 3-5 days and you teach them that they cannot get near the flags/border.  Then you put them on a longer leash and add in the vibration.  Then you add in distractions (still on leash).  Then you take them off leash around day 10-14.  Then you add distractions while off leash, etc... Then you take down flags around 1 MONTH.  It is a very, very time consuming process that must be followed to a T.  (we used invisible fence brand).  My husband and I spent 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour at night for about 3-4 weeks training the dogs and it was WORTH THE WORK.  Dogs can get very fearful on the efence if not trained correctly.  We have had the fence for 8 months now and the dogs never get shocked.They respect the boundaries and love being outside.

[Ginny Nightingale]

The fence training takes WEEKS not days. This has already been described by others in their responses and I totally agree--but I would start with NO Collar or SIGNALS, BEEPS etc---just flags and you with him on a leash--walking around the yard quietly. This will help with the fear--bring lots of treats and reward him when he is walking IN the yard with you. If he crosses the flags, pull him back sharply and say NO! Do this for a week at least--then the leash and collar with beeps and say NO if the collar beeps for a few weeks. Finally, the collar, the leash and the fence on--let him walk around and get a "zap" when he crosses the line on his own--do not pull him over the line. With all three of my dogs, it took one zap and they never got another--they connected the zap, the flags and the line. I left the flags up for another week, then took every other one down for another few weeks, then more and finally removed them all. I left the ones where the dog was most likely to follow me out of the yard near the driveway up for quite a while as a reminder. 

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

We had to get an e-fence for our community in Fl.  We hired a company that installs and then does the initial training.  Did you put up the flags to mark the boundry?  It is a must as it gives the dog a visual to where the boundry is. 

Did you let your dog get a shock?  It was horrid - the trainer did it by walking the dog around the flags and then letting the dog walk past the flags.  ZAP     Rooney was so upset that we had to carry outside for a couple of days, he eventually got comfortable and he has NEVER crossed the line since that day - training over. 

Stuart did cross a couple of times but when the shock was high enough - he stopped.  As time went on we slowly took more and more flags down.  I HATE to say it but I think a very serious shock gets the training done very quickly.  I cried but as we live on a corner of a busy street - I would have cried for the rest of my life over a dog hit and killed by a car.

At first to take the dogs for a walk out the drive way they had us lay a towel down, like a magic bridge - a visual to the dogs that they could leave on leash without a zap.  After a while we stopped using the towel but even still - both dogs stop at the end of the drive and wait for us to double check that the e collars are off.

I would never use this method of containment if there was ANY other option.

[Diana Erhart]

Jane, I am in the same situation as you and am currently investigating which company to use.  Can you tell me which company you used, if you would use them again, and if you look at any other companies?  Thanks!

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

We used Dog Watch of S.W. Florida      They did their jobs - installed and the dogs trained.  Do NOT watch your dog get the shock.  

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri was only shocked once and it upset her but it was NOT unwatchable.  Taquito's setting is so low it really didn't even bother him...but obviously it irked him enough to not go through the barrier. 

 

I just didn't think it was that bad at all.  We used INvisible Fence Brand.  They help teach you how to train, but we did the main training and it took a month, like I stated above.

 

For us, the real fence was not an option due to cost. I didn't want a chain link fence and the wooden quotes were $10K+ and with a baby on the way, that was just not feasible. 

 

EMILY:  See if you can at least buy the training video - check out ebay or something and use keyword "Invisible Fence Training DVD" or something.  IT is really helpful.

[BG and Gavin]

Not only did we both watch, but we each took a shock ourselves first to know what it would feel like.  I thought that was important to understand.  It was startling, but not painful.  I felt better knowing that.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney's was set to a 2 and it did hurt/scare him badly.  He was jerking and jumping - and I was so mad.  We now have his set to a 1 - the lowest setting.  Stuart had already been done so I did not see his reaction but we did shock ourselves and it HURT. 

The neighbors told us later that they were watching us and laughing as we shocked ourselves.  Lol  I hate to say it but the fear of the shock (pain) is what makes the fence work.  I dream of the day when I have a yard I can fence for the boys and those shock collars are going to get the wrong end of a hammer.