Options for dog fences

If you have a yard and would like to let your companion animal enjoy the great outdoors with you, there are several options for you to consider when it comes to fencing. First you will need to determine your needs. How much of your yard would you like to make available to your dog? Do you want to keep your dog out of landscaping, gardens or a pool? Do you want your fence to serve multiple needs such as keeping your children safely in your yard as well as your pet? Is privacy important? Does your housing development restrict fencing?

Dog fencing options

Chain link and wood fences

Depending on your situation, chain link fencing is one option. It comes in a variety of different heights and can be color customized. It solves multiple needs of keeping your children and dogs in the yard while keeping other people and animals out. Wooden stockade fences work in a similar fashion. In either case you will need to make sure that your dog does not jump over or dig under the fence or run through an open gate to escape. Both chain link and stockade fences can be quite expensive to install and maintain and may detract from the overall appearance of your home.

Electronic fences

Another option are the increasingly popular electronic containment systems. With the invention of the first electronic pet containment system called Stay-Put in 1973, pet owners could keep their pets effectively contained in their yards without detracting from the natural beauty of the outdoors. Today, with the development of more sophisticated electronics and a better understanding of behavior and reward-based training techniques, shaping the proper behavior has become a pleasant experience for the pets and their people Electronic pet containment systems have the added advantage and flexibility to go around trees, over steep hills, across rough terrain and even underground and underwater. They enable you to section off parts of your property such as a pool, garden or landscaping, keeping your pet safe and out of trouble.

Wireless fences

Generally the transmitter is installed in the garage or basement. An antennae wire is buried in the area that you define as the safe area, or the area that you want your pet to stay within. Your pet wears a special lightweight receiver collar that gives a warning tone when he approaches the edge of his safe area. Through training and rewarding the proper response, your pet learns that when he hears this warning tone he needs to retreat to his safe area. The consequence for not returning to his safe area is a harmless correction much like you might receive when walking across the carpet and touching a doorknob. When trained properly, most pets learn to avoid the sensation within a few days, and experience this feeling only a few times.

The training your pet receives, and the proper design and installation of the system itself are critical to the overall success of your electronic pet containment system. Call your local pet containment professional for a consultation.