DogWatch Hidden Fence

[HelloChum]

Good Morning,

Does anyone have a DogWatch Hidden fence? Are you happy with it...interested in hearing any pros/cons regarding the system.

Also, same questions for Canine Fence/Invisible Fence Company....thanks!

How "budget-friendly" were the costs?

We are in a "historic" neighborhood and by-laws prohibit us from installing traditional fencing...so these are our only options.

Any info would be appreciated!

 

[daisax]

I'd save your money and just walk the dog on a leash, or at minimum never leave him unattended with the invisible fence. Keep in mind that it will keep nothing OUT -- other dogs will be able to come in and bother your dog, and your dog will not be able to run from them. Also, should the dog be tempted by a cat/squirrel and run out and be shocked, he will NOT want to come back in and get shocked a second time.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

We reluctantly put in an underground fence because Hudini dog managed to get out of the house without us knowing often. We did the training. He got shocked once on the lowest setting the first day that we let him out by himself. He turned around quickly and came back in the yard. The second day he crossed the "fence" to chase another dog and ran up the street. Never again did he cross the "fence."

That is better than worrying about him all the time.

 

[eclairemom]

We have a pet safe instant fence and I love it, neither of my dogs will cross the line even if there is a deer looking at them in the back yard. Our older dog always loved to escape so I think he tests the line often so we have to make sure his batteries are always good. The younger dog won't even try if the battery has been dead for a week. I like that there is no wire to burry, you just plug it in and your ready to go and if you need to reduce the area no problem. It's also portable if you want to take it with you.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...71_TGP&parentType=index&indexId=cat20871&rid=

 

[leahjade]

We have an Invisible Fence and it worked great on our dog for 4 years, then last year he ran out after another dog and now we can't get him to stay in again. We've retrained him, had the fence shock made stronger and the field longer, but now he knows that it's worth the shock to run really fast and run out, I'm afraid there's no going back. Now after spending all that money, we're stuck walking him on a leash 4 times a day.

 

[mudman]

We have the PetSafe invisable fence. We purchased it at Home Depot for around $250.00

We followed the training video and it worked out great. Our dog (golden retriever) responds to the warning beeps when she's getting too close to the barrier.

It took one good day to install (just my husband and I) we have a big area (about an acre) so we needed to purchase more wire separately to get the job done.

Hope this helps. Any questions I can answer feel free to ask me.

 

[kcancelmo]

DogWatch differentiates itself by using an FM frequency rather than Invisible Fence who uses an AM Frequency. FM is actually not nearly as good as AM(that’s why ambler alerts and emergency messages go out over AM not FM because it is much stronger signal and will not get interrupted). Pricing is very similar between the two and the best bet for your money is Invisible Fence. They have lifetime warranties on all their equipment and the quality of the product is far superior. There new series is digital and reacts 3x faster than anything else out there.

 

[Kate and Pete]

We have two VERY stubborn boxers who are big knuckle heads. That all said, the PetSafe fence works like a charm. They will stop in their tracks while chasing a bunny once it crosses their line (I've seen it happen!). Like another poster, we do have to check the batteries often because we have one that also tests the line! I do not leave them in the yard when we're not home, but when we're home, they're in and out all day!

 

[HelloChum]

I had been curiuos about the FM frequency being potentially better.

After looking into the various options and getting some quotes, it seems that a DIY fence will be easier on our wallet (big time). DH is very handy and good at electrical issues...so hopefully all will go well...he's had some offers of extra help from my brother-in-law, too.

We have a golden retriever puppy...and don't intend to leave her unattended while in the yard. Our property backs to the woods and the occassional wild turkey, deer, etc. may mosey on through our yard (very rarely, but ya never know). It would just make playing fetch and games with her so much more enjoyable with her to know there is some "barrier" to prevent/warn her not to bolt. I fully realize she may at some point do just that with the right incentive.

Mudman...we too have about an acre...and plan to upgrade to 18 gauge wire and get extra wire/splicers/flags should we go the DIY route. Did you use an edger to slice your lawn to lay the wire? Did you have any issues with running the wire parallel to existing UG wire/cable lines in your yard? How wide of a "field" does your dog have before the wire signals the dog's collar...could you adjust it?

Anyone ever look into Innotek brand hidden fence? Anyone's hidden fence system include a remote trainer? How do you like that feature?

Again...many thanks...any info is helpful!!

 

[crisi]

Our invisible fence works great. Dog knows his boundries - doesn't cross them for other dogs, rabbits, kids, deer (he sat, right at the edge of his limit - watching six deer watch him for half an hour). We did go for the full package with the training - and training was a fairly involved process.

It doesn't work for all dogs - but neither do fences - our neighbors just extended their six foot privacy fence to eight feet to keep their little dog who can JUMP in. The other neighbor had chain link and a digger - that didn't work either.

Things to know about an invisible fence - it won't keep other animals or kids OUT - so if your dog is aggressive or if other dogs in your neighborhood are agressive, they may not be a good choice.

They do work by shocking the dog. Some people find this to be inhumane. Most dogs will learn after a very few shocks (it isn't a constant deal).

The line is buried fairly shallow - you may never aereate your lawn again.

 

[rottiemom]

We have a golden retriever puppy...and don't intend to leave her unattended while in the yard. Our property backs to the woods and the occassional wild turkey, deer, etc. may mosey on through our yard (very rarely, but ya never know). It would just make playing fetch and games with her so much more enjoyable with her to know there is some "barrier" to prevent/warn her not to bolt. I fully realize she may at some point do just that with the right incentive.

As a complete aside, if this is the main reason that you're thinking of a fence then obedience training will be the perfect solution (hey, you did say ANY information would be helpful ).

Fetch can be used as a training tool for recall & you'll have the bonus of knowing that this will work with your dog anywhere & at any time (including when a wild animal happens to wander past...or if your dog ever decides that it needs to run into the street). With obedience training the "barrier" is in the dog's own head & their own learned behavior...so it's always with them, regardless of location.

I know that you're asking about invisible fencing but if you don't plan on leaving your dog outside unattended then obedience training is another, excellent option that both you & your dog will enjoy.

I can't tell you how much easier a well trained dog makes things!

 

[mousehouselover]

I'd save your money and just walk the dog on a leash, or at minimum never leave him unattended with the invisible fence. Keep in mind that it will keep nothing OUT -- other dogs will be able to come in and bother your dog, and your dog will not be able to run from them. Also, should the dog be tempted by a cat/squirrel and run out and be shocked, he will NOT want to come back in and get shocked a second time.

We have an Invisible Fence and it worked great on our dog for 4 years, then last year he ran out after another dog and now we can't get him to stay in again. We've retrained him, had the fence shock made stronger and the field longer, but now he knows that it's worth the shock to run really fast and run out, I'm afraid there's no going back. Now after spending all that money, we're stuck walking him on a leash 4 times a day.

I would not get the fence for these reasons alone. I worked for vets for more than 5 yrs and have seen the after affects of invisable fences gone wrong. Sometimes it was heartbreaking. I lost count of the number of dogs that came in with nasty oozing wounds from the prongs on the collars, where the dog had gotten wet and it didn't dry. I talked to one family that lost their dog when a sudden thunderstorm came up and the dog paniced. The dog had never went through the fence before but she was scared and ran out, right into traffic.

I know there are a ton of positive outcomes but I have also seen the negative ones, so as far as I'm concerned, the risk is not worth it.

 

[pixiewings71]

I'm looking into one as well, my yard is fenced but my dogs have ruined the backyard grass. I am thinking of using it keep them out of the grass and in the concrete patio/dog run area. There is more than enough space for them to run and have fun and when we are home they are allowed free run of the back and the house (we have a doggie door that they are quite proficient at using lol), when we are gone they are in the dog run with access to the garage. Has anyone used one of these fences for this reason or is this just a bad idea?

Congrats on your new puppy OP, I hope you can find a good solution. I could never let my dogs out with no fence, they are both runners and would be gone in an instant.

 

[HelloChum]

I could not agree more! As I write, I am waiting for a trainer to return my call. Now that our pooch has all of her shots, I'm more comfortable taking her to puppy classes and we're also looking into some private training at home...my 3 ds's need some 'training' as do DH and I!!

I've been teaching her some fetch games over the past couple of weeks to keep her mind and body exercised...lots of energy to burn off and I know she will only get more energetic as she gets older...they are great dogs and also a lot of dog to handle sometimes...

We aren't in the market for a 'quick fix'...she was a big investment herself...we took the time to find a good breeder to get a healthy dog and intend to be responsible in training and caring for her...just like to weigh all of our options, pros/cons, will listen to any opinions, etc...that's why I like the Disboards!!

thanks!

 

[mudman]

I had been curiuos about the FM frequency being potentially better.

After looking into the various options and getting some quotes, it seems that a DIY fence will be easier on our wallet (big time). DH is very handy and good at electrical issues...so hopefully all will go well...he's had some offers of extra help from my brother-in-law, too.

We have a golden retriever puppy...and don't intend to leave her unattended while in the yard. Our property backs to the woods and the occassional wild turkey, deer, etc. may mosey on through our yard (very rarely, but ya never know). It would just make playing fetch and games with her so much more enjoyable with her to know there is some "barrier" to prevent/warn her not to bolt. I fully realize she may at some point do just that with the right incentive.

Mudman...we too have about an acre...and plan to upgrade to 18 gauge wire and get extra wire/splicers/flags should we go the DIY route. Did you use an edger to slice your lawn to lay the wire? Did you have any issues with running the wire parallel to existing UG wire/cable lines in your yard? How wide of a "field" does your dog have before the wire signals the dog's collar...could you adjust it?

Anyone ever look into Innotek brand hidden fence? Anyone's hidden fence system include a remote trainer? How do you like that feature?

Again...many thanks...any info is helpful!!

To answer your questions....

1....At first we used just a straight edge tool to make the cut in the lawn for the wire to be dropped in and we stepped back on the grass to "seal it up again". This worked well, but then a neighbor stopped by with a heavy duty edger (it even went through the driveway) and that speeded things up tremendously. Either system works but one if definitely faster than the other.

2....As far as esisting cables or wires, we do have underground utilities and we did stay away from them, but the fence signal is definilty weaker and a bit more inconsistant in that area of our underground cable and telephone. This has never been a problem with the dog unless there is snow on the ground. The signal seems to be a bit weaker in all areas when we have several inches of snow.

3....We gave our dog the run of the yard with the exception of a few flower beds that I didn't want her digging in. So she has about an acre to roam. The warning beep occurs about 3-4 feet from the buried wire. It can be adjusted at the unit though to either increase or decrease this. You also have the option to increase or decrease the correction (this is done on the colar itself)

We also have the petsafe indoor fence system(purchased on eBay). It is a unit the size of a frisbee that you plug in and it sends a radio signal barrier. It can be moved to wherever you need it. We use it in the garage as our golden is always stealing my husbands sponges, tools etc... Its not consistant with it's borders at all but does work. After using this I am glad we didn't go with the pet safe RADIO fence system for outside as the buried wire method is far superior to the radio signal systems.

Hope this helps you, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[mudman]

I just also wanted to mention that it was our trainer that recommended an invisible fence for our dog and we could not be happier with it.

 

[Karenj2]

Our entire neighborhood has the Invisible Fence! It started with us - we have two goldens, and they are 99% good with the fence... My female loves to chase squirrels, but will not go through the fence. Our male barely even tries. There are only one or two instances when they do "test" the fence: If the battery has been dead for a LONG time they have wandered into our neighbors yard, but they won't go any farther, in heavy snow our male likes to run crazy in our street 'cause it's plowed (we are a dead end street, so we don't get traffic.)

Our next-door neighbor, their backdoor neighbor, and 4 houses in a row across the street all have IF too. (They used two different frequencies and alternated them, otherwise they'd cancel each other out in the middle.)

There are concerns for other dogs coming into our property, but I'd rather have the IF and know if my dogs get out of the house by accident they're most likely not going anywhere, than to not have anything and take my chances.

Also, DH actually tested the shock collar both in his hand and on his neck and although it was shocking (duh) it wasn't painful.

I think a combo of IF and training will be perfect for your golden.

Congrats, btw - goldens are such loveable puppies!

 

[pednurse]

A note from the perspective of "the other side of the fence" to consider.....our neighbors are no longer allowed to let their dog loose in their front yard even though they installed an invisible fence. He is now required by the county to be in the fenced back yard. This after I had to call animal control 3 times within the first 2 months after moving in to this house because the dog would aggressively come after my kids & I while we were in our own front yard (our driveway separates the yards and we were on the far side of the driveway, so it wasn't like we were right up against their property line). Their dog had no qualms about coming across the line of the invisible fence. He would also run out into the street after cars, kids on bikes, etc. The last straw was when he got into my backyard (the gate latch had broken in a windstorm and the dog crossed his invisible fence line and pushed open the gate...so I looked out back to see him running around in my back yard). Luckily I saw him before I let my kids out into the yard. I have no trust for so-called invisible fences (my FIL also installed one for his 2 dogs to keep them contained to a certain area within his fenced back yard.....one dog stays within that area, the other never does). So if your goal is to actually keep your dog contained, then use something that will truly work all the time.

 

[ckrum]

OP, I think it depends a lot on the type of dog you have. We have a Beagle/Boston Terrier mix that did great during all of her training, but if she sees someone walking/riding a bike on our street; she is off like lightening. She breaks through the fence w/out flinching. Doesn't matter what it's set on. We only wanted to use it so she could play in the yard w/us (fetch, exploring, digging, etc). I had no intention of ever leaving her unattended. Unfortunately, she is destined to be on a lead at all times. She won't run away, she will just run circles around me & laugh when I try to catch her. The neighbors do love to watch me try to catch her. And yes, she (or shall I say we) have done 2 series of training. But, she is part Beagle & when she wants to run, she will.
BTW, you can rent a cable burier from your local tool rental center. It works great & will be done in a very short time. It cuts the ground & buries the wire. You just put the spool of wire on the machine & walk behind it. Definitely worth the $.
Good luck w/whatever you choose.

 

[rottiemom]

Also, DH actually tested the shock collar both in his hand and on his neck and although it was shocking (duh) it wasn't painful.

Hey, I tested the prong collar on myself before I got one for my dog! I think that it's only fair (btw- they pinch). Of course I did it in the middle of the pet store and did get some odd looks...

OP- I'm so glad that you're looking into training, esp for the whole family! I always hesitate to get on my training soapbox but I see the difference that it's made with my rescue girl and what an awesome dog she is. She'll even obey commands from my 4yo. Having a trained dog is wonderful, especially one that listens to the whole family but that means that the whole family has to be involved in the dog's training.

I want to give you (and anyone else that's interested) a tip on how "fetch" can help you train for "come". I've only done this with adult rescues who already had their own set of ingrained bad habits but I don't see why it shouldn't work with a pup.

First, get some yummy treat that your dog never ordinarily gets...something like chicken, bologna, cheese. We call these high value treats. Next, cut the treat up really small, like tip of your pinky small. Put some pieces in a baggie & put the baggie in your pocket (I like to use a sirt picket so the dog gets used to looking up at my face but any pocket is fine.

Now go outside with your pup. Throw the ball. When the dog grabs that ball say "(dog's name) come!" Of course the dog will bring the ball back to you & when she does give her a treat, saying "good come!" in a happy voice. Repeat. The dog will start to associate hearing the command "come" and racing back to you as a good thing. It helps that your dog likes to fetch. We actually used this method to teach our girl to fetch because she's never want to give the ball up (so she'd grab it, bring it back and when she got to us we'd tell her "give"...it didn't take long before she'd spit the ball out fast so that she coulg get her treat).

Sorry if I went on to long or went off topic. But this can help you in the eventh that the IF fails .