Electric Fences

tl_ashmore

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#1
Okay, I would like your opinion on electric fences...I may have to put one up for my dogs, and I want to know the pros and cons....
 
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#2
Well, they usually work well, not only at keeping your dogs in but also at keeping other things out. I'm guessing you need this for Bula, not for Dixie, in which case I'd suggest running two lines with two different currents. Run a low one on a dog current about 6 inches from the higher one. This will keep Dixie from getting into the higher one, and will keep Bula from figuring out how to shinny under the fence on her belly. Set the higher one - and you may actually need two strands on this one, one at about the level of Bula's front legs at about the elbow and another at her neck, back from the lowest one, and go to a farm supply store where you can get a charger that is solar powered. They don't carry quite the jolt of one that runs on AC current, but will still be a deterrent for Bula - which a dog charger probably wouldn't - and solar power is free. It's a strange phenomenon, but most dogs won't jump over an electric fence. Even Bimmer, who can easily clear ours, will walk all the way down the drive, through the gate and around the barn to avoid it. In a pinch, he'll hunker down and zoom underneath a high spot, but typically avoids the thing altogether. You should see Shiva and Kharma get those big butts low to get underneath!
 

Debi

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#3
I think it depends on the dog. My neighbor's one German shepard doesn't 'touch' a fence when jumping, like most dogs do. They have an 8 foot fence, electric wiring tipped in at an angle on top. She doesn't even need a run for it......she just does one smooth jump and flies over the top. She isn't even very large......just the most agile dog I've ever seen. The first time I witnessed this, I couldn't believe my eyes! We call her 'Houdini'. They tried putting a harness on her, the thought was that she then couldn't 'lift off'.......she was somehow out of that harness in a matter of hours. They've tried tying her (a last resort if they have to go out).......found her collar and chain lying on the ground and her waiting at the door. They've tried electric shock collar........she isn't the least bit fazed by it. She is not the norm, tho. I bet for most dogs it would do the job. (she is Hammie's mom......boy, do I cringe when I see him jump as high as the top of the gate!!) They also tried an electric fence.........a total joke to a larger dog I think. They may get a buzz.......but they know it will be over in seconds, so a dog like her just keeps going. It's odd to me how some dogs will do this. This dog has an acre to run and play in the fenced area. Hammie's dad is HUGE, I swear he could almost walk over........and he never would even try. Just for the sake of this story.....they are now building her a large pen that will be covered....the last hope.
 
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tl_ashmore

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#4
Well, Bula and Dixie just moved into their new big yard. (I just bought a house and we put up a privacy fence.) It's a really big yard, and I figured they would love being able to run around back there...Well, first, I had to go buy a lock to put on the gate, because Bula knows how to open it. The house that I bought is on blocks, so the people I had bought it from, put a plastic lattice around the back. Well, Bula pushed right through that. And of course, Dixie followed. As soon as I got to work, I got a phone call. Someone had dixie and saw my phone number on her tags so they called. I went to pick her up and take her back home, and Bula was sitting on the porch, just waiting for me. I think I am going to have to run an electric fence along the bottom, so they don't try to get out anymore....
 

Debi

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#5
I swear...don't you sometimes think our pups are as much work as children???!!!! Maybe more........in my case anyway. :eek: But, like our sweet children, whom we couldn't live without..............our pups and pets fill our world with such happiness...it's all worth it in the end. Especially when they are curled up at our feet....feeling so secure, making us so secure.

Hoping that electric fence does the job. Your dogs sound like they have great zest......love that. :D
 

flyndog

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#6
You have to wonder sometimes why dogs would want to leave nice a big yard. Just too many interesting smells on the "outside", I guess. I remember accidentally getting into electric fence as a kid on the farm. It worked for me. Never climbed THAT fence again!
Kit
 

tl_ashmore

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#7
I'm not really worried about Bula touching it because she's a big dog. But, I am kinda worried about Dixie. She's really small. It won't really hurt her will it?
 
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#8
Ti, that's why I suggested the lower wire with a dog fence charger on it to stop Dixie. Then put the higher one - or two strands about 4 - 6 inches behind it with the solar powered charger from the farm store. That should make Bula decide that INSIDE the fence is far preferable to outside the fence. And, if Dixie happens to get past the lower one and hits the one with the more powerful charge, there's really very little chance of any lasting effects . . . other than making her not want to leave the yard again!

It sounds like Bula learned something from her last adventure!

The solar ones don't have quite as much juice as the AC ones, plus solar power is free! It should run about $70 - $80.
 

tl_ashmore

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#9
I think Bula has learned a lot from her weekend out on her own. I was really surprised when she got out the other day. She would not leave the house. She sat on the steps at the back door and wouldn't leave until I got there and put her in the house. Dixie on the other hand, is not scared at all. She was at the neighbors house playing with their puppy. They have a puppy pit chained up to a tree in their back yard, and he just absolutely loves Dixie. I am going to be working on the fence this weekend, so I will let you know how it works out.
 
I

iluvmydogs4ever04

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#10
Ekectric fencces

tl_ashmore said:
Okay, I would like your opinion on electric fences...I may have to put one up for my dogs, and I want to know the pros and cons....
Hey,
We were going to put one up but we decided not to because we were trying to train ours to stay in the yard.
But I have friends who have them and they dont get loose they work good on keeping the dog in the yard and the shock doesnt hurt them.
I've never ehard anything bad about them!
 

Debi

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#11
Forgot to say this prior, but even with an electric fence....and usually you get a video to help you......there is patient training involved for it to be successful. The 'shock' is really just a training help....won't hurt the dog, but won't keep a bold dog in either.
 
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#12
LOL ~ Debi, for the big dogs, the solar fencer that you get at the farm store I'm talking about is for cattle. Trust me, you won't get a video with it. ;)

On the other hand, it's the only way you'll have a chance at keeping a larger or bolder dog contained, unless, of course, they'll jump over. The strange thing is, though, that most of the time, once they've gotten zapped, most dogs won't jump over it. They may go under it if it's high enough, but I guess they're afraid to expose their "vitals" to that nasty biting fence.

There is, however, always the exception . . . I hope Hammie takes after his father instead of his mother! :D
 

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#13
we too might be considering an electric fence, can they actually hurt a dog or does it just surprise them? would it keep a manchester terrier inside the yard???
 
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#14
With a Manchester you might get by with a dog fencer. It's worth a try. I don't really like those underground fences because although they can do a good job of keeping your dog in, they do nothing to keep other dogs from coming in on your dog. That's just not fair! However, if you live in one of those neo-fascist developments that tell you that you can't have a good fence around your own yard, it's better than nothing.

I agree wholeheartedly with Robert Frost, "Good fences make good neighbors." (Mending Wall)
 

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#15
Is it at all cruel to tether a dog we were just thinking about getting a tether(long) for the dog
 
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#16
I really hate to see a dog tied; there are just too many things that can happen. It's better for the dog - and you - to go for long walks once a day, and a shorter one in the morning and have some supervised play in the yard than it is to leave a dog tied in the yard.

A tethered dog is at the mercy of any idiot that wants to torment it, and a small dog, like a Manchester, can be in real danger from other animals as well as people.
 

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#17
Hi,there, Interested to read all of the above as we have a paddock adjoining our front garden where we keepour two goats. Our Yorkie ,Golly,has learned how to get under the fence,and he is also low enough to go under the electric fencing,yesterday,however,he hit the wire,let out an almighty yelp and bolted for the house, 24 hours later he is none the worse for wear,but I don't think he'll be going into the goats paddock for a while!
 
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#18
Yep, that zap seems to teach them pretty quickly! It was funny - but kind of awful - when Kharma got zapped the first time. She was 10 weeks old, it was wet, and she hit that cattle fence (the super hot one) with her tail. Oh, she reacted. She turned around and bit the fence - twice! I knew right them I had a fearless dog. She's learned to duck her butt and tail and to go under the highest part of the fence since then, though!
 
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#20
I'm not sure how much the dog chargers are, probably $30 or so. The wire's not that expensive, just figure out how much you're going to need.

If you're thinking about getting one of the underground systems with the collar my best advice is to do some looking on the net to get an idea of what you're going to need and what it's going to cost.
 

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