[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Veronica

How do most TV'rs contain their dogs if they live in a Designer Home where you can't build a fence? Linda

We lived in a Courtyard Villa (purchased for our dogs) for a few years before Fireboy decided he needed a big garage. Since I relucantly agreed we needed a larger house, we moved. I was very reluctant to consider invisible fencing. I always thought it was cruel and inhumane. But that is because I totally misunderstood the system and how it worked. At least the Dog Watch System, I'm not sure how other systems work. I used to think that invisible fences were cruel. But I made a call to Dog Watch of Ocala, and they visited our home and explained the system. I asked them to bring collars for both our big dog and our small dog, so I could try them on my arm and satisfy myself that the system wouldn't be painful for my dogs. As Bluedog explained, it is more of a tingle that gets their attention, than a shock. He explained the system and how it works in his post. As Bluedog said, the fence surrounds the front yard as well as the back yard.

The most important part of the system is the training process which takes about a week, and trains the dogs to react to a warning beep. You do have to have patience with the training cycle. Evan from Dog Watch visited as often as he wanted to assist us and make sure we were doing the training properly. The dogs are trained on a leash to react to the beep, and the correction part of the system isn't even turned on for the training week! The dogs are rewarded for responding to the beep.

When the dogs are finally unleashed and free to roam, if they ignore the beep, and try to go past the boundary, they get a correction, which is a tingle. It works amazing well for my 10 lb dog and my 70 lb dog. Both my dogs only ever required one correction before they got it! We back on a golf course and ducks will actually waddle up the hill from their little pond and tease LolliPop, my 70 lb dog. Lolli would just love to chase them back down the hill, but she will not chase the ducks through the boundary of the invisible fence.

Even if we are away from TV for a few months, and even without a collar, if the dogs go into the back yard, they keep within the boundaries. As I said, I am a huge fan of the Dog Watch system, and Evan was an amazing help in training our dogs. But it isn't a substitute for a fence. You still need to supervise your dogs when they are outside. Predators can still come on your property.

I also think off leash running and play are essential for dogs. And in TV, the back yards aren't huge. So every day we take our dogs to Doggie Doo Run Run for socialization and play. I love that dog park.

I would be happy to show our system to anyone who is considering invisible fencing. Just send me a PM and we'll arrange a time.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Just a note that Invisible Fences do NOT work for all breeds. I am thinking of greyhounds and other sighthounds who will go through an invisible fence but not return through it. Just an observation from someone with sighthounds. They cannot be trusted with that kind of fencing and I know that most greyhound rescue groups I am aware of will not adopt to people who use that type of fencing. Also they cannot be tied out. They get to 45 mph in 3 strides and will snap their necks at the end of the tether so they need a true fence. Therefore WE have a CYV and only a CYV although, like Fireboy, my husband longs for a 2 car garage. We looked at a CYV with a 2 car but it was 40,000 more and out of the question for us to pay that much for an extra garage. Who knows, by the time we are ready to move down full time there may be something else available and we may be one of the people that says they moved for one reason or another. We plan to become very popular at the dog parks -ALL the dog parks!

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by lovsthosebigdogs

Just a note that Invisible Fences do NOT work for all breeds. I am thinking of greyhounds and other sighthounds who will go through an invisible fence but not return through it. Just an observation from someone with sighthounds. They cannot be trusted with that kind of fencing and I know that most greyhound rescue groups I am aware of will not adopt to people who use that type of fencing. Also they cannot be tied out. They get to 45 mph in 3 strides and will snap their necks at the end of the tether so they need a true fence. Therefore WE have a CYV and only a CYV although, like Fireboy, my husband longs for a 2 car garage. We looked at a CYV with a 2 car but it was 40,000 more and out of the question for us to pay that much for an extra garage. Who knows, by the time we are ready to move down full time there may be something else available and we may be one of the people that says they moved for one reason or another. We plan to become very popular at the dog parks -ALL the dog parks!

Thanks for clarifying that, it's important information. I wasn't aware of the mindset of sighthounds. But I truly wasn't recommending it for all breeds, and I know for some dogs it just wouldn't be the solution. I guess I was just so delighted to find out that it wasn't the inhumane fencing solution I had imagined. I thought dogs were continually being subject to shocks. And the whole idea is to train them to the beep, so they never get a correction! And Evan at Dog Watch was with us almost daily to reinforce to us that we were doing the training in the right way!

My little dog, Biggins, is a 10 lb poodle mix. And my big dog, LolliPop, is a 70 lb Portugese Water Dog. These are probably both breeds that adapt well to the invisible fencing, as they would both rather please us than chase ducks. For us it was easy peasy, and a wonderful solution.

By the way, I'm really looking forward to spending time with you at the Dog Park!

[lovsthosebigdogs]

Oh,Barefoot, I hope you weren't thinking I was talking to you. I think invisible fencing is a great idea. I'm a bit jealous of all of you that can use it. It's such a great idea if you can have a dog that respects it. I have felt the shock it gives the dog before and I don't think it's more impressive than a static shock that you could get walking across a carpet. I had ScatMat's in my doorways to train my dogs to stay out of the carpet covered areas (living room/dining room) and my hounds would NEVER think of stepping on it after the first time. I would walk over it in my bare feet and it was unpleasant like a static shock, but not painful. My Great Pyrenees would walk over it any time he felt like he needed to remind me he could. He never did it if I was around, but when I left for the day he would on occasion just walk over it and walk around the table, just for the heck of it. I would come home and find footprints around the dining room table. He was proving a point. He could if he wanted to, but he CHOOSE not to most of the time he was telling me. Pyrs are like that. Great Pyrenees are another breed that won't respect the fence- too bull headed and don't really care if the shock comes or not. I used to say "What's wrong with MY personality that I'm so attracted to such a difficult breed?" I still can't be without a real fence, but oh well, I do love my pups and I totally approve of the fencing if you're lucky enough to be able to use it. I think it's a REMARKABLE tool and would use it myself if I could. For now I'll just drool over all the models of homes I can't have that are fenceless. I'm really looking forward to all the new doggy friends also and we can play in my tiny yard from time to time.