# Question for Invisible Fence Users



## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

I am thinking of installing an Invisible Fence so that Roxie will have a place to run and play off leash. (We can't have traditional fences in our neighborhood, against neighborhood regulations.) I asked the sales rep if the contacts on the collar would work through her adult coat without shaving a spot on her neck and he said yes. But some of the reviews I've read say the collars don't work on thick coated breeds. Can someone who has this system let me know if it they had to shave a spot on their dogs?


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## Trish (Jan 15, 2008)

Hi Ann..We are an invisible fence family who are very happy with their fence. I purchased the 4 training sessions for my Happy and Lucky and my new addtion Ricky will get his training in two weeks. We have had the fencing for over 2 months and we love it. The coat on Happy is medium to thick and he has received one correction in training..so it does work on double coats. My Ricky's coat is thick but the neck area I have kept on the trimmed side for easy coat mangaing... If you have had the opportunity to look at the collar you will see that it should not be a problem..trust ME. What a difference in play with the open yard concept. They very quickly understood their boundaries, but it did require homework. I would definitely recommend their training..very professional. We chose to go around the perimeter of our home to cover all four doors. There is an area on each side of the house where they need to stop so they are controlled for back yard separately from the front yard. It is not a baby sitter and we are always out there with them because we will be ever vigilant about critters coming in to injure or take our babies. They would only be an appetizer for the bear or other wild animals that have been known to wander around New England. Did someone recommend the fence to you?? Would love to hear your final decision is and , of course, if you have any questions I am here usually on the forum everyday!! Trish


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Ann, I'm sure you are aware of the extra precautions needed with invisible fencing, but since we get lurkers and new people all the time, I wanted to add them here.

Make sure you do get involved in training with invisible fencing. You want your dog to learn the boundaries and be secure in not crossing them. (Some dogs that bolt through the barrier in a moment of focus on something on the other side or run through it out of fear.)

Also, remember that invisible fencing doesn't keep anything _out_ of the yard. People, other dogs, and predators can still enter the yard without any hindrance, so it is important to not let dogs into a yard with invisible fencing unsupervised.


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## isshinryu_mom (Mar 23, 2008)

Thank you for your opinion about the fence, Trish. I am fairly certain we will do this... the package I am looking at goes around the whole yard encompassing all exits, but "pinches" in at the sides so Roxie couldn't go from frontyard to backyard. Sounds like thats what you decided on also. I chose the three training sessions. Do you think that is enough? 

And, Kim, yes... a good reminder for all. I doubt Roxie willl even stay in the yard alone anyway... when I've put her outside on a tether or in an expen and run in for something (like the phone) she immediately made it clear she didn't want to be out by herself! Afterall, as a princess she DESERVES to have a lady-in-waiting, right!! But after our playdate with Jill and the other SE MI havs and seeing how much she loved running and exploring, I really want to give her that freedom. (My DH thinks the cost is a bit much just so the dog can have a bit of room to run... but.... she's my baby, you know?)


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## JanB (Oct 26, 2007)

Ann, we used to live on several acres and had an invisible fence for our Sheltie for the reasons you mentioned.

Shelties have very thick manes and we had no problems with contact w/the collar. No trimming or shaving. Actually, once she knew the perimeters we didn't even have to use the collar. (I don't actually recommend this though - she was just an unusually obedient dog).

As Kimberly said, it doesn't keep dogs out of your yard so you still can't leave them unattended. It's not a perfect solution, nothing is, but the joy she got from running around our property was worth it.

Another word of caution: If you live on a busy road or street I wouldn't recommend an invisible fence. There was a Boxer in my agility class who recently was hit by a car and died when he ran through his fence. This is usually more of a problem with the larger breeds but the possibility always exists.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

Several months ago I was asking the same questions. We installed 2 acres of the PetSafe System for Little Dogs. We were ask to participate in their Gateway research, which would allow Smarty to go the barn and pastures without getting shocked. 

I could not be happier with the easy of the system and the people with PetSafe. None of the normal collars would hang properly on her neck, so they exchanged the one in our system for a cat collar and it is perfect. 

Smarty wears her collar from morning to night. I have noticed the hair is now shorter on her neck than before, this would probably happen with any collar.


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## Trish (Jan 15, 2008)

Hi Ann..The first training session in the pack of 4 started with training in the house with a very soft correction..more a sound than a touch. The other three lessons gave them longer practice in understanding of the boundaries and the pups trained not to be enticed to go past the boundaries even if they see you over the invisible line, a ball or favorite toy thrown over the line, and a neighbor or a neighbor's dog. These were their testing tools and we spent time with each of my dogs separately and together. I am not sure what three includes, but this could be OK for you. Their experience with the first and maybe only correction is so important to be gentle with all the right words being used. My Happy needed two corrections and my Lucky only needed one (and we are not sure even had one..he saw Happy's first correction and figured it out by himself.)!! I learned a lot about this training that I never would have done I am sure on my own. I did not want this to be a bad experience right out of the gate..it would really be tough to erase this experience if not done properly from the start. Keep us posted on how things are going. My hubby thought a fence would have been cheaper..it is an expensive fencing, but fencing a half acre to cover all doors would be impossible and UGLY!!! My pups are priceless and I feel their safety is very important to both of us... He likes it, but is still whining about the price!! Trish


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## Barney's Mom (Nov 24, 2006)

We have had our Invisible Fence for over 6 years...first used for our golden and now being used for our wee Hav...Barney. We used the training program offered by the company and it was a complete success. Barney never tries to leave the yard and the collar hasn't bothered his neck at all. I recommend it most highly.

Marge and Barney in MN


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Ann, we have had the invisible fence for 5 years now, and each time we got a new pup, we trained them ourselves. I LOVE the system. I do not live in a neighborhood where there are loose dogs, so have never had a problem with another dog coming on the property. The best part for us is that my girlfriend, who has three Havs as well, is on the same system and frequency. So we have taught them each the boundries at each others house, so they go there, and her guys come here with no problems. All 6 of the dogs, has had long, and short coats, depending on the season, and we have never had a problem with the prongs. Good luck with the system, I hope you are as happy with it as we are!
Laurie


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## Chocomoto (Jan 1, 2012)

I'm new here and reading up on the invisible fence option. Can anyone recommend a brand? I was looking at the Petsafe Little Dog, but I don't like the collar because of the battery. If any of you have a recommendation I would really appreciate it. 
We'll be bringing home our puppy the end of February.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

As posted before we have the invisible fence brand and although we now have a fenced in back yard, it is a comfort to know that my older three still follow the fence line even though they do not wear the collars anymore.
Keep in kind that they do not recommend training a dog until they are at least 6 months old. It is best to wait till then!


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## Chocomoto (Jan 1, 2012)

Sorry I didn't notice the capital letters for Invisible Fence...now I see that it is the brand name 
We're not in the US, so I'm not sure that brand will be an option. Thanks for sharing your experiences!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

We have used Dog Watch for the last 11 years -two Border Collie/Aussie mixes and Jack, our Hav. The BC/Aussies caught on really quickly. We got reliable results at 3 months. Jack was definitely much slower to learn. He didn't really catch on until he was around 7 months. The flags were up for months.

A nice thing about the fencing is that you can move it around pretty easily. We have changed our configuration several times. We run it through our flower beds under the mulch. It used to go right up to the sidewalk but Nessie charged the sidewalk to scare the cars going by. We had to pull it back several feet. 

The wire and waterproof wirecaps are available at local Home Depots, Lowes, and hardware stores. (They don't tell you that until after you have been with them for several years.)

Oh yeah, we never had to shave any of the dogs' necks. The collar is tighter than the normal collar. When the BC/Aussies got older, we loosen them up, the beep was the preventative signal. Jack isn't there yet. Also, my beasties are ALWAYS testing the system. If you forget to put the collar on, Nessie will notice and go on "walkabout". Always have spare batteries.

Lightning strikes will kill the system. We are on the 2nd box and 3rd power supply. Thank goodness for that lifetime warranty. Very important to have a lifetime warranty.


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## Chocomoto (Jan 1, 2012)

Thanks for the tip on the Dog Watch brand. I like that you can switch it over to beep only, and that it operates on FM frequency. 
Does the same collar fit Jack, or did you have to buy a smaller one for him?


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

You can't switch it over. The beep is a warning that if you go any further, you will get zapped. It is just that Nessie's collar is loose so she probably wouldn't get much of a zap. 

You can chose 4 different zap levels. You also can adjust the warning beep range up to 0-10 feet from the wire. I think I have mine set around 3 feet.

Jack has a smaller collar. Dogwatch swapped the big collar from my dog who passed away for Jack's smaller collar at no extra cost. The rep is really nice. Very responsive and fast service. They don't want your furbabies to escape or get hurt.

The only thing we would have done differently is that we wouldn't have buried the wire in the wooded section of our property. I should have gotten hard plastic tubing, run the wire through it and left the tubing above ground. The only breaks that we didn't accidently caused was in the wooded section. Evil chipmunks or something. We had to have Dogwatch come and walk the line to find the break. $90 per visit. Yikes!


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## Chocomoto (Jan 1, 2012)

This is what I read on the DogWatch website: "DogWatch includes a unique feature that allows you to correct your dog with an audible-only reminder when he approaches the electric fence. Invisible Fence® does not offer this pet-friendly™ feature."

Don't all the fences give an audible reminder? I guess maybe I misunderstood.

Looks like we'll be installing it ourselves because there is no one here in Switzerland who is doing it. Will keep the tubing suggestion in mind!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Maybe the newer stuff does and I missed it. We also use the indoor system. It is little plug-in boxes that keeps the beasts out of areas you don't want them to go. Kit was a horrid counter-surfer. Now we use it to keep them away from the office area. Too many wires and papers.


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