Invisible Fences = Safety Nets for Dogs

[CBarkley]

I noticed the UPS trucks are rolling and it reminded me of a close call last year we had. We had a little issue with our dog who loves to go for rides in anything...cars/carts and now UPS trucks. One day we received a package from our friendly carrier, I opened the door and whoosh out he ran across the street jumping into the truck. Our street at the time was pretty busy, and the way contractors speed their trucks up and down it was a miracle he wasn't flattened. I knew I had to do something about this so I called Dog Watch Hidden Fences (352-351-3642) from an advertisement in the Daily Sun. They came out and gave us a quote which was surprisingly reasonable. They installed the invisible fence around our yard, explained how it worked, stayed to start training and within a few weeks our little free-rider was stopping without any verbal warnings within his "zone".
I highly recommend this company, they are very prompt when you call, offer to assist in the trainings, and make any repairs for times the line gets cut because of...well accidents MAY happen while gardening.
So if you have ever wondered if an invisible fence was for you, we HIGHLY recommend installing and using DogWatch Hidden Fences for the safety of your pets.

[Barefoot]

I noticed the UPS trucks are rolling and it reminded me of a close call last year we had. We had a little issue with our dog who loves to go for rides in anything...cars/carts and now UPS trucks. One day we received a package from our friendly carrier, I opened the door and whoosh out he ran across the street jumping into the truck. Our street at the time was pretty busy, and the way contractors speed their trucks up and down it was a miracle he wasn't flattened. I knew I had to do something about this so I called Dog Watch Hidden Fences (352-351-3642) from an advertisement in the Daily Sun. They came out and gave us a quote which was surprisingly reasonable. They installed the invisible fence around our yard, explained how it worked, stayed to start training and within a few weeks our little free-rider was stopping without any verbal warnings within his "zone".
I highly recommend this company, they are very prompt when you call, offer to assist in the trainings, and make any repairs for times the line gets cut because of...well accidents MAY happen while gardening.
So if you have ever wondered if an invisible fence was for you, we HIGHLY recommend installing and using DogWatch Hidden Fences for the safety of your pets.

I totally agree with your recommendation. Dog Watch is a great company. In 2010 we moved from our CYV to a house. We had an invisible fence installed to contain our 10 lb dog and our 70 lb dog. Prior to speaking to Dog Watch, I thought invisible fences were inhumane. But I quickly learned that the secret is all in the training ... if properly trained, dogs will never experience a correction. Training was made easy with frequent visits from Dog Watch. Even the ducks that waddle up from the pond to tease my 70 lb dog are now safe.

Here is something I find really amazing. After six months away, when we return to The Villages, we don't even have to put collars on the dogs so that they get a warning beep to stay away from the lot line. Without collars, they still remember the boundaries! (Although I do Definitely recommend collars at all times ... that was just a little experiment).

But please remember, if you have an invisible fence, dogs still need to be supervised when outside!! Predators can still come onto the property.

[ugotme]

Question please.

I realize the dogs are trained with the limits of the fence and the collars. However, if they really wan to run, say after another animal, the fence will not stop them.

Have you found this to be a problem at all?

[bike42]

Question please. I realize the dogs are trained with the limits of the fence and the collars. However, if they really wan to run, say after another animal, the fence will not stop them. Have you found this to be a problem at all?

I was told when I got my Weimaraner that the breed is never to be trusted with an invisible fence because their instinct for chasing birds and game is so strong. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to train him to respect the fence. He never goes near the boundary no matter what the temptation.

However, I always supervise my dogs when they are outside. The invisible fence allows me to have them off-leash in our yard, but they are never left alone there.

[gomoho]

Could someone post an idea of price? Have had invisible fences before and know how great they are,but cost may be an issue - so what did you pay? I remember the bulk of the charge for the collars so I don't think lot size would make too much of a differnence. Any info would be appreciated. I learned early on with our Great Dane if we went somewhere else for a vacation or whatever all I had to do was put up the flags and he got it. They are really an incredible training tool to keep your dog in the yard with you.

[Barefoot]

Question please. I realize the dogs are trained with the limits of the fence and the collars. However, if they really wan to run, say after another animal, the fence will not stop them. Have you found this to be a problem at all?


I was told when I got my Weimaraner that the breed is never to be trusted with an invisible fence because their instinct for chasing birds and game is so strong. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to train him to respect the fence. He never goes near the boundary no matter what the temptation. However, I always supervise my dogs when they are outside. The invisible fence allows me to have them off-leash in our yard, but they are never left alone there.

I have exactly the same comments as Bike42. We've never found that our dogs have the slightest desire to go through the invisible fence. And of course, dogs must be supervised at all times. Our dogs were easily trained. Before training, our big dog would chase ducks that came up the hill. After training, it was like the ducks were suddenly invisible.

I do believe that some dogs, like greyhounds, may be more difficult to train. Of course, there are no guarantees. There may well be some independent hunting-type dogs that might venture through the fence if a temptation becomes irrestible. But I believe if enough time is spent on the training process, the dog totally gets the idea of the boundary.

By the way, the current to the fence is not activated until after the training is completed. The dogs are not trained by punishment.They are trained to avoid the boundaries when they hear a warning beep.

[DonH57]

Our experiences with our past and present dogs with the invisible fence have been great. Both our dogs being chocolate lab and chocolate lab / german shorthair mix both respected their boundaries even though the neighbors cats torment them by sitting just outside the zone. The only time our present dog has went thru the zone was when I failed to replace the battery in his collar. He just stood in the street confused and came back in the yard when I called him. Lesson learned about that.We definately will be installing ours when we make the move to TV.

[CBarkley]

Question please.

I realize the dogs are trained with the limits of the fence and the collars. However, if they really wan to run, say after another animal, the fence will not stop them.

Have you found this to be a problem at all?

I have not and many dogs have walked by even with people talking to him as they pass. During our training he once ran through it, I called DogWatch and they upped the level of correction in the collar, and we did more training. This was all early in the training process and we haven't had any regressions. Now there is no guarantee or anything to prevent a dog from charging through the fence, which is why you should never leave them outside without supervision. If I am out and see something really tempting for him to want to run after, all I have to say is "be careful" in a warning voice and he stops, I guess because I made him "remember" that there is a boundary.

[gomoho]

Cost???

[CBarkley]

About the prices, I price compared and DogWatch was a good price, if you call them they will give you a free quote. If it is too high, there are DIY kits at PetSmart, but you won't get the excellent training, and upkeep that they provide. The number is: 352-351-3642.

[DonH57]

Anytime our dog is out I'm out there with him too. He is usually with me when I'm out doing yard work or tinkering in the garage.

[Joaniesmom]

I just had Dog Watch install an invisible fence along the back of our golf-course-backing CYV. (No wall there, just a low picket fence.)They arrived quickly and did a very nice job. You would never have know they had been here. I was amazed at how quickly my tiny dog adjusted to the fence. It only took about three days and she never got "tingled." All it took was the audible signal and she stopped. We never let her out unsupervised, but it is nice to be able to take my eyes off her for a few minutes. I was very nervous about this whole thing, but now I'm a believer.

[Barefoot]

I just had Dog Watch install an invisible fence along the back of our golf-course-backing CYV. (No wall there, just a low picket fence.)They arrived quickly and did a very nice job. You would never have know they had been here. I was amazed at how quickly my tiny dog adjusted to the fence. It only took about three days and she never got "tingled." All it took was the audible signal and she stopped. We never let her out unsupervised, but it is nice to be able to take my eyes off her for a few minutes. I was very nervous about this whole thing, but now I'm a believer.

I'm so glad that you and your little dog had a positive experience with Dogwatch. I was also very nervous when I considered an invisible fence. I actually tried the unit on my wrist before I put it on the dogs. It was a surprise "tingle" as opposed to a horrible punishment.

The training is so important! Yes, there are units you can purchase cheaper. But the training is designed to prevent them from ever needing a correction. I fear that the cheaper versions rely on shocking the dog into submission. I hope I'm wrong.

[tommy steam]

I noticed the UPS trucks are rolling and it reminded me of a close call last year we had. We had a little issue with our dog who loves to go for rides in anything...cars/carts and now UPS trucks. One day we received a package from our friendly carrier, I opened the door and whoosh out he ran across the street jumping into the truck. Our street at the time was pretty busy, and the way contractors speed their trucks up and down it was a miracle he wasn't flattened. I knew I had to do something about this so I called Dog Watch Hidden Fences (352-351-3642) from an advertisement in the Daily Sun. They came out and gave us a quote which was surprisingly reasonable. They installed the invisible fence around our yard, explained how it worked, stayed to start training and within a few weeks our little free-rider was stopping without any verbal warnings within his "zone".
I highly recommend this company, they are very prompt when you call, offer to assist in the trainings, and make any repairs for times the line gets cut because of...well accidents MAY happen while gardening.
So if you have ever wondered if an invisible fence was for you, we HIGHLY recommend installing and using DogWatch Hidden Fences for the safety of your pets.
Just a little story. a couple of years ago my neighbors little dog some how got out of his yard. It was a nice little pup. I saw this happen. I did not know the dog was out.While working in my front yard, a UPS truck came down the street and the dog ran after it and was killed. I would get a fence installed if I owned a dog.

[bike42]

I also like having the little DogWatch Fence sign that they installed on the edge of my driveway. It lets walkers and people driving by in golf carts know that my dogs are not going to lunge out at them.

[JackieandCharlie]

Does anyone know if this works with cats?

[buggyone]

It still is a very good idea to put an ID tag on the dog's collar just in case he does escape the invisible fence. My wife and I found a miniature pincher with the invisible fence collar on but no ID tag. We went to houses in that neighborhood with the dog until we found someone who knew where the dog belonged. His owners did not know he was even gone from the yard!

I was a little apprehensive when I first walked up to the dog to see it's collar and picked him up. Lucky for me he was a very friendly dog.

[Toms River T&D]

I have some reservations about invisible fences. As one who likes to go for walks, I would not feel comfortable seeing a dog not leashed and wondering if that dog will run out at me. No guarantee I will see the sign, or if the dog will not charge through the fence. One of the features I love about TV is that they are strict as far as keeping pets leashed. Many years ago I read meters and have had my share of dogs charging out of yards and dog bites, and it is not a nice feeling. My husband was bit by a dog on the job 1 week before he retired and the owner always says the same thing, it is a good dog, never hurt anyone. Bottom line, I don't want to have to scrutinize every yard to see if a dog is loose, or will come charging around from the back yard or from inside the garage. That is my opinion. BTW I love dogs!

[bluedog103]

We had a Dogwatch invisible fence installed when we first brought our two dogs to TV 2 1/2 years ago. This system works. Like Barefoot, we're seasonal residents and when we return to TV in the fall, the dogs know exactly where their boundries are, even before we put the collars on them. We never leave our dogs out alone but neither the shih-tzu nor the german shepherd has ever made any attempt to pass through their barriers. Ours is set up with two zones, one in the rear and along the side yards, which is where they normally play and take care of business. The other zone in front is for those occasions where we might have the dogs out with us when we're working in front or if they happen to go out the front or garage doors. Walkers are never bothered by the dogs and the dogs aren't bothered by walkers either since they're mainly in the back, away from the streets.
Like Barefoot, before I put the correction collars on the dogs I buckled them around my arm and walked through the barriers. The correction isn't a shock, more of a tingle. It doesn't cause any pain but it will get the dog's attention. As Barefoot said, the training is extremely important. They train you and the dogs and will return to continue training as often as necessary. Our shepherd learned very quickly but the shih-tzu took a week or so longer and Evan, the trainer, was always there when we needed him. I can't say enough good things about this company and system. It works better than we had ever hoped. Our northern home has a very large back yard surrounded by a chain link fence. Our dogs had never been confined to a small area such as the TV lots and I was concerned that they would try to test the limits but that has never happened. We were pleased with this invisible fence right from the start and wouldn't be with out it.

[janmcn]

The problem I see with invisible fences is they keep your dogs in, but don't keep other animals out. This is fine for those that constantly watch their dogs, but for anyone who would leave their pets unattended, another dog could attack them, or worse yet, a coyote.

[Barefoot]

Does anyone know if this works with cats?

I highly doubt it would be effective for a cat. I sure wouldn't consider invisible fencing for a cat. Not for a second. Cats are so smart, so devious, so creative, so sneaky, so unpredictable! I can imagine a cat might climb a tree, leap on the roof, and be gone. Or they might stroll through the barrier and get the collar caught up somewhere. I love cats, but as a rule, they are way more independent than a dog, much harder to train, and they long to roam free.

[Barefoot]

We had a Dogwatch invisible fence installed when we first brought our two dogs to TV 2 1/2 years ago. This system works. Like Barefoot, we're seasonal residents and when we return to TV in the fall, the dogs know exactly where their boundries are, even before we put the collars on them. We never leave our dogs out alone but neither the shih-tzu nor the german shepherd has ever made any attempt to pass through their barriers. Ours is set up with two zones, one in the rear and along the side yards, which is where they normally play and take care of business. The other zone in front is for those occasions where we might have the dogs out with us when we're working in front or if they happen to go out the front or garage doors. Walkers are never bothered by the dogs and the dogs aren't bothered by walkers either since they're mainly in the back, away from the streets.
Like Barefoot, before I put the correction collars on the dogs I buckled them around my arm and walked through the barriers. The correction isn't a shock, more of a tingle. It doesn't cause any pain but it will get the dog's attention. As Barefoot said, the training is extremely important. They train you and the dogs and will return to continue training as often as necessary. Our shepherd learned very quickly but the shih-tzu took a week or so longer and Evan, the trainer, was always there when we needed him. I can't say enough good things about this company and system. It works better than we had ever hoped. Our northern home has a very large back yard surrounded by a chain link fence. Our dogs had never been confined to a small area such as the TV lots and I was concerned that they would try to test the limits but that has never happened. We were pleased with this invisible fence right from the start and wouldn't be with out it.

We had exactly the same experiences as Bluedog. We were apprehensive before talking to Dogwatch, but we've had excellent results for our small dog and our 70 pound dog. Proper training is critical. Of course we always supervise them when they're outside. If anyone wants a demo of how our invisible fence works, please send me a PM.

[Toms River T&D]

I think the point is being missed. All will work if the dog is properly trained, if the batteries in the collar are operable and if the dog does not run through. Now consider the walker who is always going to be questioning if the training and batteries are good. I do not think that I, or any walker, should have that fear factor, and have to look over their shoulder when out for a relaxing walk.

[bluedog103]

I'm pretty sure I get your point but there's not much that can be done about your fears by anyone but you. What if you walk into a sink hole, what if there's a python lurking in the commons area, what if a gator lurks in the pool, what if.........

[Toms River T&D]

Your analogies are not compatible with the reality of the topic we are discussing.

[Barefoot]

I think the point is being missed. All will work if the dog is properly trained, if the batteries in the collar are operable and if the dog does not run through. Now consider the walker who is always going to be questioning if the training and batteries are good. I do not think that I, or any walker, should have that fear factor, and have to look over their shoulder when out for a relaxing walk.

I'm honestly trying to understand your point. I don't know what you're proposing as an alternative. There are two dogs allowed per household, and "real" fences aren't allowed. The only alternative seems to be invisible fencing. If you don't approve of invisible fencing, do you feel dogs should be kept indoors 100% of the time?

[CFrance]

[QUOTE=janmcn;621753]The problem I see with invisible fences is they keep your dogs in, but don't keep other animals out. This is fine for those that constantly watch their dogs, but for anyone who would leave their pets unattended, another dog could attack them, or worse yet, a coyote.[/QUOTE

Just my opinion, but I'm thinking folks that go to the expense and training time to make this system work are not going to leave their dogs unattended for very long in any event, especially around here where there are coyotes and gators. What about the guy who had to jump into a pond and fight an alligator to get his little dog out of the gator's mouth? My guess is if he had an invisible fence, the dog would never have gotten down to that pond.

We had an electronic fence for our first golden, in Michigan. We also had a domestic turkey that escaped from a farm and showed up in the woods behind our house, stayed in the neighborhood from November harassing everyone, till someone finally cornered it in their garage, closed the door and called Critter Catchers to have it removed, in May. Everyone had tried to chase it of,f including me by letting the dog out the back door. The turkey (don't ever let anyone tell you they're stupid) figured out where the invisible fence line was up in the woods and would skirt along the fence while the dog chased him. But the dog never ran through the fence.

I'm a believer.

[Barefoot]

When we were considering an invisible fence for our dogs, I called references that Dogwatch provided. However I would have liked to have seen dogs actually using a fenced yard. If anyone is considering an invisible fence for their dog, and you want to see our fence in action, please send me a PM.

[Parker]

We recently got the invisible fence thru Dog Watch, because of how highly they were spoken of here on TOTV. Even with the high praise, we were concerned about spending so much for a 'maybe it'll work' product. But our little dog was going to get hurt or killed in the busy street nearby, as despite every effort on our part, she still got loose several times. Like when guests come over and open the door without thinking and off she'd go, or the garage door wasn't completely latched and she'd nose it open, etc. We figured the cost of the fence was still cheaper than one vet visit for getting hit by a golfcart or car. So we got the fence even though we had serious reservations that ANYTHING would contain our highly excitable and motivated runner.

Well, this fence has been a Godsend! During the first week of training she ran through it two different times and we thought maybe we had wasted our money, that some dogs are just too apt to run no matter what. But Dog Watch came right back out when we called them, bumped up her collar one notch, and now she won't go near that fence no matter the temptation. It's like magic! She never gets a "correction" from the fence because she stays strictly in the boundaries. She now spends a lot of time out there with us wondering around the yard to her heart's content and playing. She seems to have entirely relaxed because she isn't always looking for a way to get free. She loves it out there and we love knowing she's safe and happy.

Of course, we never let her out by herself, but it isn't because we think she'll run anymore, but because you never know what creature might come into the yard. This fence is amazing. We are total believers now and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

[gomoho]

So nice to hear from such loving, caring, responsible dog owners. Your pup is lucky to have you.

[DonH57]

Other than watching out for other animals I am outside with our dog because since this is a new enviornment for him he will bark at people walking by because he feels he has to meet them and I've been trying to correct him. Most people who are confrotable around animals will speak to him and he quiets down. I'm aware some people have a fear of dogs and that is why I'm out with him so they know he is some loose stray. He basically stays in the garage with me.