Which brand of radio fence/shock collar to buy?

Sigma Force

Some people find the elec fence system works but if a cat strays in and doesnt run fast enough the dog could still get it.

A little shock until a dog learns their boundaries is less painful that being hit by a car this is why I wouldnt totally rule out this kind of system if there were no other options saying that they would be a last resort and also a temporary one. The dog also needs to be trained with this system so that takes time.

Dogs do also run out of the elec fence area if say the battery goes or if something they see they really want to get at they will put up with the shock they get and keep going esp if they are hyper like the op dog sounds like.

Other options are a dog run like a cill dara run they are excellent, you can keep your dog safe but also extend the run to as large as you like over time. A dog like that may also leap over fencing if you put it in so the cill dara can be bought with a roof panel.

Keeping the dog active plenty of walks and kong toys etc will helps also. Also check that his diet isnt too high in protein I believe this can cause a dog to be more hyper than normal.

A small shock to a dog is better than some poor cat getting ripped apart or the dog getting run over but it is not the most ideal method thats just my opinion.

FRS (farm relief services) also do fencing

boomerang

You don't need to enclose your entire property - building a run for the dog and ensuring it also gets plenty of exercise and quality time with you is a much safer and more humane alternative to an electric containment system.

Two years ago I took in a collie that had been contained by such a system. He was terrified of having his neck touched and he dreaded having a collar put on or removed. He got a great new home in the UK, where he now wears a harness and is contained by a good ol' garden fence.

Besides, if such august and respected groups as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust (UK's largest canine charity) the UK Kennel Club, the British Veterinary Assocation and the APDT all have a negative view of these devices - that's more than good enough to swing the argument for me.

Jimkel

Boggles wrote: »

What wise opinions would that be? You havn't given one practical alternative to the electric fence system. I'm Listening?

Ill give you one alternative to the electric fence system, have your dog professionally trained. Or maybe even spend some time with it and train it yourself, I had my dog trained to a point where it knew where it could and couldnt go I could let it outside in the front garden all day with only a small garden wall (This was a pointer who could easily scale it) and the garden gate open without it wondering off. I trained my dog without the use of violence, and lets face it SHOCKING AN ANIMAL IS A VOILENT ASSAULT.

To train an animal you must ignore the negative and reward the positive, its called positive reenforcement, the old fashioned pavlovian techniques of punish the negative ignor the positive can only lead to an unhappy, stressed and mentally crippled animal.

bottom line, If you think its ok to hurt your animal and ignore all the associations who condemn shock training then you should not have a dog.

hadook

If your dog is a cat chaser chances are he's either

a) going to run through the fence and the shock in the heat of the moment and then be stuck *outside* the fence unable to get back in because he's getting shocked when he tries to.

or

b) he's going to testing the limits of the fence so often getting close after those cats that he'll run down the batteries and one day he'll not be in the garden

or

c) he'll learn and you won't have a problem but that's not as likely because he's a dog spaniel and they're a bit thick when it comes to things like this :rolleyes:

Cat chasing and a radio fence is a bit of a worry - cats will wander in and his hardwired instinct to chase them will bypass the "I'm gonna get a shock" thoughts. I think one of the wardens for a Dublin pound remarked once that there's an awful lot of un-neutered male dogs with radio fence collars turning up in the pound. They assume they're going after bitches in heat and they smells/instincts are overriding the fear of the shock Then they can't get back into their gardens.

I've used a Petsafe fence about 3 years ago & it was very reliable while it was in use (in fact I think it might still work). You can buy replacement batteries on ebay etc for the collars. Before putting it on my dogs I tried it on myself and the shock at max was unpleasant. I think we used it for about 4 months in total - there was a spate of dogs worrying sheep in the area at the time and our fencing was just going in and we wanted to be absolutely sure it was secure. We used the radio fence along with a proper fence too though so our experience of it wouldn't be a useful guide I don't think.

lurchin along

step out of character here,NONE OF THEM!THEY'RE NOT RELIABLE!PUT UP A REAL FENCE!What is it about the Irish and fences?Why don't u like them?lt's not just that you're cheap?there's something else going on.

carwash_2006

I have spoken with many people who have used them. If there is a permanent barrier of some kind they can be quite successful, but never entirely reliable. If there is no permanent barrier they have a very high fail rate. Even a small part where there is no barrier can bring the succes rate way down, especially in certain breeds.

I actually installed one just under 3 years ago and started the training, I never actually used it though as I realised that I just was not going to feel secure myself about it. I have a fenced area of about 200 sq metres that keeps them very happy and then they get lots of walks and mental stimulation. I found putting things inside the fence that kept them entertained helped too, I have a very secure rabbit pen in there with them and they spend ages staring at them and the rabbits out in the field.

One point I just thought of is, the training is extremely important if anyone does decide to use one. If you do the training correctly the chances of the dog ever getting a shock are reduced by a huge amount and the potential for it to work successfully for you are increased by an even greater amount.

lurchin along

food water companionship containment.The absolute basics 4 animal care.Had a dog once had to put the yard fence up to l3' to stop her jumping out.No prob,thats wot it took,thats wot l did.NEVER DREAM of painful constraint methods.

lurchin along

Boggles wrote: »

So you had 19 seperate dogs, 16 rta and 3 mauled. What if all 19 were enclosed in electric fences. What about all the dogs that are killed by rta's and don't make it to the vets. Would the electric fence system not save more hardship than it causes? I live in the real world, where surrounding your property with 7 foot high walls is not an option.

why is that not an option?

GA361

I have a Gordon Setter myself and to keep her in I got the petsafe model....
DO NOT use an electric fence to keep a Setter or a pointer in your garden.Use fences only.
Luckely I didnt install.These electric fences screw up there hunting instincts!
It also makes dogs of all breeds nervous!!!!

BlackCat2008

I think Hadooks points are worth a second read as he has hit some nails on the head. I recently nearly hit a lab on the kildare roads that ran out infront of the truck in front of my car and ran back again between use he was very luckie not to have been killed. I managed to catch up with him about an hour later although he came across as very friendly he was shaking when i went to put a rope (all I had at the time ) around his neck he began to act very nervouse so I tuck of the shock color which seemed to calm him down and he even got ito the car with no problem after that.I drove round and found a house using the same sysrem but it wasn't his home. They had a jackie (and i know the jackie breeds well) and it was a nervouse rack But the lady at the house a very pleasent and helpful lady rang round the niegbhours to find were he had come from and found his home we were able to lock him into his kennel until the owners returned home.When they rang me they didn't seem to care that he could have been killed on the road or shoot by a farmer.I told her she needed to neuter the dog to stop it straying but I got the impression she did'nt really care because she was convinced the fence would keep him in. They had a big house with lots of land and ran a land scaping bussiness If they can't keep their dog safe then I give up. I got the impression he was just a weekend dog to keep the kids amused left on his own all week to be attacked by stray dogs. WHAT would you choose a shock from a color to get away or to be attacked. I do not see any benafit to these colors.

whitser

build a dog pen for him.

Jimkel

Heres another reason not to use shock barriers, If a dog escapes from the garden despite the barrier it would not be able to return without being shocked. I found a stray the other day wearing a shock coller, I think this dog would of returned to it's home if it only could without being Flippin Electricuted.

BlackCat2008

For those who don't understahd the effect of shock colors try looking at it this way you wouldn't use a cattle prod to train your dog to sit or in close him in a mine field till he learned to go toilet in the same place. The dogs only respond to the pain and fear it causes and I wouldn't dream of putting such fear into one of my dogs. To stop your dog digging under fences dig a tranch around the boarder and attach some cheap chicken wire to the fench and drop it into the trach and cover it again. Solutions are easy if you really want to care for your dog properly. Also don't go getting a dog until u have sorted your fencing probloms first.

BlackCat2008

whitser wrote: »

build a dog pen for him.

Sorry Whitser U must have misunderstood me I just tuck the lab of the road and found his home.It's a sad story really the owner wasn't willing to take anything I said into account. The lab just sits all day every day waiting for someone to play with.I make a point of calling in and playing with him any time I am passing by and have still never met the owners with all the money and land they have somepeople just don't want to listen.

By the way for everyones interst I could easly just remove the color and walk away with him just another reason your dog is not safe with just these colors.

Rodney Trotter

Jimkel wrote: »

.............. and lets face it SHOCKING AN ANIMAL IS A VOILENT [sic] ASSAULT.
[...................

It is not a violent assault, it's a mild correction.
It's the very same as any electric fence used to contain livestock. It does no harm whatsoever to the dog and teaches him/her the boundaries.

Jimkel

I've put one of these on my neck on low, and let me tell you It's not mild

luckat

Jimkel wrote: »

I've put one of these on my neck on low, and let me tell you It's not mild

Well! At last, someone who's actually tried one out!

Shock collars seem to me to be the sign of a lazy dog-owner. You can buy good dog runs to contain your dog safely and happily when you're not there. You can bring your dog for a long walk when you are there.

Shock collars are cruel. They are rejected by every animal cruelty body. Why would a loving dog owner want to use them?

riccol1966

Hi Monkstownman, in case the original poster has not yet decided, I have experience of 2 systems, one is from hitecpet (EUR150, not available in Ire) and the other is Forcefield (EUR250, Ire and UK). Both systems are made in China, and I suspect Petsafe and Innotek are also.

In my experience pet containement is necessary if you are unable to secure your property in other ways. Usually these systems are required in large gardens and rural settings where it is not possible to secure a site in other ways.

The collars are the weak point in all systems. I have now gone through 5 collars on the hitechpet system and am now trying the forcefield system. Salient points are:

1) if the collar gets wet/damaged/lost then you are stuck, so you usually need a backup collar at all times. Try to get a system with 2 collars.
2) if you do not go for a system with rechargeable batteries then costs can mount up over the year. Usually the cheaper systems come with replaceable 6volt batteries.
3) Some of the so called rechargeable systems have an inbuilt NiMH battery which cannot itself be replaced, so after 500-600 charges the collar needs to be replaced! Go figure...
4) large steel/metal structures, even large 4x4s, can sometimes induce a detection and thus cause the collar to stimulate, efven though the fence wire is nowhere near.
5) you need to monitor that the system is working regularly. That means getting a shock now by placing your fingers on the contacts, and at the very least checking that the collar beeps when moving close to the boundary wire.
6) the older the dog the longer it takes. Use the collar and bounday flags at the start. They do learn and despite the previous posts most systems enforce the boundary concept and dogs do learn. Unlike humans, a dog in heat forgets and thus requires a stimuli reminder sometimes.
7) If one system fails you just replace the receiver and collar with another brand. These's no need to re-lay the fence wire again.

BTW: the forcefield system can use either a rechargeable 4.8V or non rechargeable 6V battery. I wish I knew this earlier as I would have bought a 4.8V rechargeable for my older system and saved myself a bit.

It would be nice if the 'ethical' questions were left to another specific thread, after all the original poster simply asked for experience of the systems. Hopefully the above will help you.

Sigma Force

Not sure what the packaging says but wouldn't a shock be dangerous towards any dog that has a heart condition, many dogs do and some are undetected.

I have about 3/4 of an acre. Now I have tried various methods and also bought a elec. fence system years ago but never took it out of the box and got rid of it it just wasn't practical for our needs and just wouldn't of worked.

In the end I have a combination of things..mind you we are never finished with fencing having done some work on the house in the past year we now need to buy some new gates and build up a small wall.
However sections of the garden are fenced off in different ways.

I have found the best method for keeping dogs in and also keeping other dogs out is the timber post and chainlink wire put in by FRS fencing.
I got them to put in 8 foot posts which are 2 feet into the ground so that leaves me with a 6 foot fence, only the most bonkers of dogs would try and get over that..if so then you have real problems with a dog and they need to be taken to a behaviourist.
It's expensive but not as expensive as the full on metal railings.

If a dog is a digger then concrete can be poured along the base or the wire buried and the dog also given perhaps a sand pit for digging and more quality time as some dogs dig out of boredom.

The 6ft fencing keeps all dogs out and all our dogs in, best of all it keeps kids out too lol.

There are a few companies that do dog runs and I see nothing wrong with them.

If I connect my two dog runs together it would be the size of your average town garden they are not small unless you buy the smallest one available.

The panels are around the 11 feet range the gate panel is 5 foot but you can get double the size or add panels on to it and make is massive if you like.

Dog runs are not as ideal as keeping a dog in your house while you are out but for those of you who don't for whatever reason they are the safest way to keep your dog safe from the road and safe from dog thieves.

They can be bolted into concrete, you can add a secure roof, you can attached them very very easily to a shed of any size. You can padlock them.

CQ

I have a Gordon Setter who is a bit of a houdini, i tried the electric fence, but he managed to over come it,the wires were wrapped round the top of the fence to stop him jumping over, he just used his paws to pull them down & snap them & then made his run for freedom. Even having a put boards up at 6ft doesn't keep him in, he will find a way to get out.

miss_shadow

why people so lazy.