hi

we have 2 large golden retreivers that are running wild in our neighborhood eating people's trash. i have tried everything and now i am thinking about putting in one of those electric fences.

we had a guy come out from invisible fence and they quoted us a really high price.

i looked on the internet and found a nice unit by innotek. the only thing is i don't know if it is as good as the other.

are they all the same?

 

Before investing in an invisible fence, realize some dogs have such a huge escapee drive, so they will take the shock and keep running. Also the invisible fences do not keep other critters from *entering* your yard. We live in the foothills where there are lots of distractors (those darn squirrels) that our dogs will chase no matter what, and plenty of wildlife wander our property (even the dog-eating kind), so it wasn't a viable option for us. We just invested in the 6-ft chain link fence and called it a day.

 

Nothing beats a fence.

 

i have done the fence thing and they dig out under. i know i can put in chicken wire underneath or something but it is hard to keep them in.

they do seem to take direction well though so i am thinking that if we train them to avoid the perimeter and they get a little shock everyonce in a while, they might stay.

i don't know.....

i only know my neighbors have had it with destroyed garbage cans.

 

I had the same problem with my 2 Labs they think that they do not have enough land (10 acres), they need to see the other neighbors property 40 acres.
An electric fence is too expensive, fencing them in an area with chain link is not an option for me. I purchased an electronic collar by Sportdog, I have a 3/4 mile range and has the options I wanted, tone button, momentary "nick" and continuiuos up to 8 seconds and controls both dogs.
It has worked great for me, but I do not let my dogs out unattended, I just do not think that is right.

Mark_ms

 

so, the collar you have is like a training collar? i have seen those and i think they would work.

but, we don't have a problem with them running away when we are out with them, it is only when we aren't out there (the yard i mean). you don't let them alone like that but when we get busy and don't have time to be out with them, i feel bad and we let them run for a few minutes. that is when they get into the neighbor's trash.

i might like to go with a fence but i don't know how to construct one that they can't get out of.

 

Hi Robert,

One of the major reasons dogs run off to explore is because they are bored. The yard and the house are just one big kennel to them. If you were to walk them at least once a day for 30 minutes that would stimulate their minds and noses and help to keep them in the yard. They would be less likely to run off. If the walk doesn't do it, you could add a doggie backpack with a liter of water on each side. This will give them something to concentrate on and tire them out quicker. The walk should be done in the morning, especially if everyone leaves for the day. They need exercise, stimulation and a change of scenery. I realize it may be difficult to change your schedule, but goldens are retrievers after all and are looking for the stimulation.

A sturdy wooden fence backed up with one of the electric fences might also work. Your dogs will still be bored and need stimulation. Consider playing some type of retrieving game with them once a day to stimulate their minds.

Newt

 

I must have my say here...eletronic training collars work for hardcore cases, and in my opinion should only be used by a trained person, within specific boundaries. It is too easy for them to be abused by someone inexperienced with how to properly use one.

Having said that, the best option I can suggest in this situation is to build a reasonably tall fence, with corrugated metal set below ground, so that the dogs are unable to dig out. Spendy yes a bit, worth it in saved lives of pets we love, yes.

When you have a dog that insists on digging out, the corrugated metal will stop them dead in their tracks. It is much easier to place than the chicken wire and though more expensive, is much more durable and less likely to have to be replaced. This is a method I have used over the years with dogs such as some terriers that insist on trying to escape by digging.

Hope this helps.