The
Mildly Shocking Truth About Pooch Containment
By Philip Elliot
Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
As home gardeners spruce up their flower beds
this spring, many hope Fido will minimize his rummaging this season--in
their yard or their neighbors' yards. Homeowners long have been
pestered by the family dog's burrowing through the freshly planted
flowers, but electronic pet containment systems could be a solution
to the uprooted seedlings.
Electronic pet containment units help condition
dogs to stay in--or out of--a marked area by providing a shock to
those would-be car chasers or plant killers, said Duncan Clark,
vice president of Clark Distributors, the mid-Atlantic distributor
for Invisible Fence.
Installers slit the ground and lay a piece of wire just under the
surface, up to six inches underground, he said. The wire does not
carry electricity, but rather radio waves that communicate with
the dog's collar. When the dog approaches too close to the perimeter,
a sound from the collar alerts the dog. If the dog continues to
approach the border, it receives a shock about as strong as a static
electricity shock.
"The dog gets to the area, a light bulb goes off in his head
and he realizes he needs to get back into the yard," said Marc
Street, national director of training and behavior for Invisible
Fencing. "It doesn't hurt, but it's startling enough for the
dog not to touch the same spot again."
Sometimes the dog actually enjoys the shock if the settings are
too low, Street said. "I've seen dogs stand there with their
necks turned and their necks twitching," he said. "The
dogs says, 'Oh, this is good.'"
But if the setting is correct, the dog will be reminded of the
mistake. "The dog will yelp a little bit, shake its head and
come back into the yard," he said.
The shock is supposed to be included in a comprehensive conditioning
program, said Stephen Neary, vice president of Miltronics, the parent
company of another pet containment system. Shocks without reinforcement
are useless, he said.
Installers place flags along the perimeter of the property or
the flower bed to serve as a visual aid for the pet. Owners then
walk the dog around the edges, letting the dog feel the barriers.
"Training is crucial," Neary said. "That initial
five minutes of training is 90 percent of the training."
The whole process takes about a month to condition the dog, Street
said.
Smaller dogs often are surprised by the systems.
"A lot of people who have these small dogs really baby them,
spoil them," Clark said. "You try to put limitations on
a baby that has been spoiled for a couple years, I've seen dogs
go neurotic for a couple weeks. There are all kinds of bizarre little
animals."
Like smaller dogs, vicious dogs with a history of aggressive behavior
may not benefit from the containment systems. "It's not that
the fence won't work but that the dog has some behavioral problems
that need to be addressed," Clark said.
The installation process takes three to six hours and can be done
by some homeowners, Neary said. "A true handyman, do-it-yourselfer
will be darned if they let someone else retile their bathroom, let
alone make a slit in their yard," he said. "The ultimate
decision lies with the pet owner. "If the homeowner believes
the dog to be overzealous, has bitten in the past, don't do it,"
Neary said. "The shock could push a dog over the edge."
The installation process takes three to six hours and can be done
by some homeowners, Neary said. "A true handyman, do-it-yourselfer
will be darned if they let someone else retile their bathroom, let
alone make a slit in their yard," he said. "The do-it-yourselfer
would enjoy the process. It's quite simple. It depends on the homeowner."
“If I'm spending $400 on the whole kit, I'd just as soon
call a dealer, who will spend a little time training the dog, teach
me about the system," Neary said. "If you want it done
right, you call a professional."
Freedom Fence's deluxe system equipment costs $389, he said. An
installed system can range from $700 to $1500. Invisible Fencing
can cost as little as $200, but each job requires an estimate, Clark
said. Additionally, more than one dog can use the same underground
wiring, Street said. The collars are programmed with the strength
of the shock so each pet can be corrected at an appropriate level.
Unlike visible fences, Invisible Fence systems have the flexibility
to go around trees, through gardens, over steep hills, across rough
terrain and even under water. All at a fraction of the cost of traditional
fencing.
Electronic containment systems also alleviate the blocked views
traditional above-ground fences provide. Gardeners who spend so
much time preparing their outdoor plantings can show them to others
without having to worry about keeping the family pet in the yard.
"A lot of people don't want their property enclosed with
a traditional fence because of the landscape," Street said.
"They want to still have a view." And dogs can escape
traditional fences easily, he said. "Dogs can easily find weaknesses
in the fence and dig underneath," he said. "If you have
a dog that's very athletic, a lot of dogs can get over a six-foot
fence."