OT: Chain link vs Invisible Fence?

[ceecee]

I just had an estimate for an Invisible Fence....$1500.00!!! Talk about a budget buster. We have a $300.00 do it yourself electric fence that didn't work mainly we didn't train the dog. I don't know how much a chain link fence would cost for 3/4 acre. I also like the fact that we could let the dogs out the front doors as well as the back and not have to mow around a fence. I have heard pros and cons but never from anyone with the "real" Invisible Fence brand. Any ideas on how much a chain link would cost?

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

We had an Invisable Fence installed last summer. We also have had diy brands as well. I can say that the IF is so worth it. My dogs (a Shepherd Mix @60 lbs and a lab @ 85 lbs) never get through it. We did look at buying a IF system off of ebay and told our sales rep that and he took about $200 off of our fence system. It is so nice to have a reliable fence for the "Boys" so they can play outside when ever they want!

 

[Colinsmom]

For us, chain link was 4-5x as expensive as Invisible Fence (we started with IF and got chain link a few years later). Why not spend a small amount of money hiring a dog trainer to come to your house and work with your dogs on the invisible fence that you already have? The IF brand probably isn't going to be any better - it still requires training on your part.

 

[minie_meese]

My sister has Invisible Fence around her half acre yard. She really likes it a lot and loves being able to let the dog come and go through a dog door. The Invisible Fence people spent a lot of time training their dog, a large lab/shepard mix as part of the installation. They took a lot of time to make sure the settings on the fence were not too strong or too weak for their dog. They have had their fence for about a year. When their dog gets a few feet from the perimeter he hears a sound that gets louder as he appraoches the "fence". He doesn't get zapped unless he gets really close to the "fence" so he knows that he needs to back off as soon as he hears the noise. He is so conditioned now that even if the battery runs down in his collar tag he won't go into the noise border. The only time they had a problem with the dog getting out was when they didn't replace the battery in his collar tag when they should have because the dog stayed within the noise boarder but one day he chased after a squirrel and didn't realize he went past his noise border. One cost savings my sister discovered was that she could replace just the battery in the dog's tag at Radio Shack for a few dollars. Invisible Fence replaces the entire tag and charges a lot to do so.

Invisible Fence does a good job at keeping your dog in your yard but obviously won't keep other animals out. My sister has been a little worried the past 6 months because they have spotted cayotes in the farmer's field behind her. A cayote could likely jomp a chain link fence though.

I would be really surprised if you could get a chain link fence for less than double the cost of Invisible fence. I think my sister got an estimate of about $5 a linear foot.

Hope this helps.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Not sure about a chain link but we are getting one of those white plastic picket type fences for a 1/2 acre and its going to cost a couple grand. Though chain links are alot less expensive.

Electric fences work for most. I don't like them because they don't keep other animals out. Even if you get an "invisible fence" installed, which my cousin did, she paid about $1500.00 for 1/4 acre, alot of training is involved. My cousins lab did very good in regards to training and the fence and a trainer still came to her house I believe 3 or 4 times.

 

[ceecee]

Not sure about a chain link but we are getting one of those white plastic picket type fences for a 1/2 acre and its going to cost a couple grand. Though chain links are alot less expensive.

Electric fences work for most. I don't like them because they don't keep other animals out. Even if you get an "invisible fence" installed, which my cousin did, she paid about $1500.00 for 1/4 acre, alot of training is involved. My cousins lab did very good in regards to training and the fence and a trainer still came to her house I believe 3 or 4 times.

I thought the plastic types were very expensive....$2000.00 for 1/2 sounds pretty good. My mom paid $3500.00 just to get her patio fenced in. It does have the ornamental things on it which were more. I'll have to have an estimate.

 

[Kimmumum]

We have a retriever/lab mix who is about 75 lbs. We put in an invisible fence (not of official one) that doesn't bury the cable. It has a transponder in the house and you make the radius of his "roaming" to the size you want (and you can change it easily). We had to train the dog, it only took a couple of days. It beeps as you get closer to the "fence". As you get closer it beeps faster and faster. We have had it for about 3 years. For a while we could just leave his collar on with dead batteries and he would know where he couldn't go. Now he doesn't wear his collar and he still stays where he needs to. It works for us.

We bought it from Home Depot for around $300.