"Electrified" pet barriers, do you think they work?

Several years ago a grade schooler named Joey made front page news when he was badly mauled by his neighbor's large dog. A picture of Joey showed hundreds of stitches and a face swollen so badly you could'nt tell there was a child beneath it.

In all fairness to the dog and neighbor, Joey and his friends had gone on to the property and teased the dog. Joey had gone to his friend's rescue when the dog took after him.

The people had an underground electrified fence.
The dog, a large Rottweiler had a special collar on that is used in conjunction with the barrier to give him a shock when he gets close to it.

There was much debate about the true effectiveness of the fence. The manufacturers admitted that in some cases and especially with larger dogs these fences aren't reccommended. The shock is not enough to stop a larger dog. Once he's through that barrier there is nothing else to stop it.

At one time here in my development people who had these electrified fences were sent letters by our association cautioning them that they still need to make sure their dog is properly restrained. Now I see small markers on many of the homeowners lawns advertising the fact that a "barrier" is in place or stating "Dog in Training, electrified barrier."

Have these electrified fences been improved and have you had any experience with them yourself?

[ November 22, 2005, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: ladybug ]

I had an English Mastiff that weighed 215 lbs. I would watch her stand at the barrier, thinking whether it was worth the shock or not to take off. She would start running and merely shook off the shock. It depends on the dog. My IG is too fast for an electric fence.

As much as I hate to admit it, we have an electric fence for our dog. I saw her get shocked once and it was horrible. But she learned quickly. She goes to the very edge of the yard, but will never get too close again. It reminds me of Dianne's motto...If it doesn't feel good, don't do it twice.

Too bad these electrified collars and fences don't work on straying husbands. LOL

Chatty, boy what a brain storm.

And boy can I ever think of a great place to put the shock collar.

Whooeeee!

smile
Couldn't help it. The devil made me do it.

Quick interjection here !

Tooooooo funny! Oh yeah, just a perfect idea, Chat. What do you think we could get for such a device? I'm thinkin'............a few thousand anyway....

Smile - whose devil? I'm thinking we must have the very same one !

Working 2 jobs lately, girls, won't be conversing with you as often - booo hoooo for me - but will check in as often as I can.........

Searcher

PS Happy Turkey Day!!!! Sam and I are going skiing - ok. well, Sam's skiing, I'm reading and taking pictures of him when I get to see him. I'll have a hot toddy tho'!

Searcher,

Have the bestest of time with your Son and your hot toddy. Have one for me!

warm thankful boomer hugs,
danita

Chatty and smile are at it again! Where's the queen? I'm sure she might have something to say on this subject.

Searcher, enjoy yourself and your son's company. Sounds delightful.

I think it depends on the breed of dog, too. I had electric fencing, which gave I expect a higher jolt than the inground type. But the dogs I had got shocked once, as puppies and I hated doing it to them poor little yipes!!!!, but they never forgot.

Given the attitude toward dogs today, I don't think I'd rely on the underground fence. But then I never let my dog run loose anyway. Too dangerous.

Mosspatch,

I think the electric fence for wayward husbands works on the same system.

See if they try to breed outside the marriage, they get a huge shock in a very important place and thereafter, they are not inclined to breed outside the marriage again.

We'd hate doing it to the men too, but one thing's for sure they'll never forget. And I never let my dog... Err, I mean husband, run loose either. Too dangerous.

And boy is he ever afraid of that electric collar.

I'm thinking Chatty should patent this new invention. It's a money maker for sure.

smile

JJ, JJ, JJ, Where are YOU?? I need help!! Things are getting semi serious around here!!! Help!!

I had an underground fence for my Jack Russell Terriers. The old lady one wouldn't go through it, but the little 10 pounder would get a running start and take off and jump over the area where the fence was. Then she wouldn't come back because the shock wasn't worth coming back in for. It worked for a while, but once she saw something she really wanted, it was all over.

The shock is not that horrible. I've been shocked by it many times. Sometime she would slip out of her collar and I would pick it up and get shocked. We even used the one that had the stronger shock on Ladybug and it did no good.

Underground fences are different than electric fences. Ladybug could climb anything, too. So after we put the pen up that would contain her because the underground fence couldn't...we had to put an electric fence for horses across the top to keep her in. Then we had to move it to the ground to keep her from digging out. THAT shocks hard. It's not fun. But after she got shocked once with the horse fence, she never tried to climb or dig out, as long as that wire was there. We turned it off after the first time and she never got out of the pen again.

(By the way, it was a big, big pen, and she and the old lady dog had their own room with a doggie door into the sunroom and could get in the house if they weren't muddy. I like for my animals to have lots of freedom. Unfortunately, we lived temporarily out in the country for a while and Ladybug got out and was eaten by a coyote. She probably picked the fight herself.

She was a white hot light, that one, and all of us know that white hot lights don't burn for very long.

NMY

My friend has two adorable Jack Russells and they are so active and feisty! Their noses turn bright pink when they get over-heated and exhausted.

I had the funniest visual image of your dog taking off and jumping that fence.

Believe it or not, we've got coyotes in our back woods right here in North Ridgeville, Ohio. I sometimes think it's why we hardly ever see homeless cats around here. Almost everyone else in this town complains about homeless cats, got none here.

[ November 23, 2005, 08:38 PM: Message edited by: ladybug ]

Chatty and Smile, you are TOOOO funny!

We have an underground fence, and I love it. The dogs hear a ticking sound from their collar when they start to get too close, and they back off. My son tried it to see what the dogs felt, and he said it wasn't pleasant, but not really painful. Enough to make you not want to try it again.

My little six pound poodle (that died recently) was the worst to test the fence. She'd go out almost every day, and walk the perimeter trying to find a place to get through. It was funny. The owners before us had some acreage, and I think she always thought our yard was too confining.

We have a big labradoodle puppy now, and she learned very quickly. I'd recommend one.

I think they are okay for smaller dogs, but not for larger ones. My Golden Retriever figured it out real fast, that if she took a little shock, she was on the other side in no time. We had to put up wire fencing, we live in the country, as we are not far from a busy road, and couldn't risk her getting out.

We had the "Invisible Fence" a few years back when we owned a home on a golf course. We needed to keep Holly, our Chesapeake Bay retriever, from chasing the golf carts and from swimming in the water hazard. It worked great for Holly but the golfers didn't know it was there though and kept swerving into the water hazard!!!

I guess this means I have a false sense of security when walking past these electrified fences when a larger dog is behind it?