aholter |
12-10-2023 08:10 AM |
We had two golden retrievers and had an invisible fence installed for them when we moved to The Villages eleven years ago. At that time, they were both puppies. When the fence was installed, the installer recommended making the fence in the shape of a figure 8, where our house would be in the middle. That way we could let the dog out the front door or the back door, but they would not pass between sections. This allowed us to watch over them more easily. We rarely let them out the front door.
Over the years we have had the cable cut twice – once when a neighbor was installing new grass between our houses where it isn't obvious where one lot ends and the other begins. Another when we were having some landscaping beds redone. Here locating where the cable approached the house was an issue. When you have construction done, the installer should be willing to come out and redo the flags – for a fee.
Later, we added a doggie door from the bird cage to the outside. That way we can let them out of the house, and they can pass in and out from the lanai to the yard – seeking the cooler floor or letting us know they want in by standing at the sliding door.
I know people do doggie doors from the house, but I am less inclined to do that because of the critters mentioned by others (We have gotten a snake or two in the lanai which I blame on the doggie door). We also once went house hunting to a house that had an absentee owner with a doggie door outside from their laundry room. The laundry room had two rat traps near the door. It kind of turned us off.
You’ve done the training before, so you understand the flag thing. You’ll have to do that training again here. When we trained our two puppies one was immediately good with the fence. The other was tempted early on by squirrels and sand hill cranes but got the idea. We lost our original female this past spring and had to train a new puppy. I had retained the flags and put them back out and walked the area with her. She learned in no time, and while we still don’t fully trust her, she has not tried to pass through.
My message is: (1) an invisible fence is fine, (2) give some thought to a doggie door – not into the house – but through your lanai, and (3) give thought to the figure eight shape for your invisible fence.
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