Pet owners who really love their animals know they have to keep them safe. They take them to the vet, brush their hair and care for their teeth and nails, get them micro chipped in case they get lost and they even build fences to keep their dogs from wandering away and getting hurt.
However, some dog owners hesitate when it comes to getting an electric dog fence for their dogs. They wonder if it’s inhumane and going too far. To decide whether an electric dog fence is a good idea, you should consider its advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, you need to understand how an electric dog fence works; which is by buring a wire across the desired perimeter of the fence. A device is placed in the dog’s collar (sometimes the fence comes with the collar) which is activated whenever the dog tries to cross the perimeter.
An advantage of an electronic dog fence is that it doesn’t block the view of your yard, like a wooden fence would do. You also don’t have to deal with things like zoning laws since you don’t have to get permits as you aren’t actually building anything. Therefore, it’s a great way to keep a dog in without altering your property.
The cons list is more extensive. An electronic fence will keep your dog in, but it won’t keep other dogs out, like a regular fence would. Regular fences present a small obstacle for thieves who want to break into your house. There are some fences that actually improve the look of certain houses. Electric dog fences are also not fool-proof – for some dogs, the shock they get when crossing the barrier isn’t enough to actually keep them from crossing it. In addition, your dog might be “locked out,” since crossing the perimeter back will again shock it.
An electric dog fence is a good idea for keeping your dog inside. Unlike other fences, it doesn’t block the way or view of your yard. However, if your dog manages to get to the other side of the electronic dog fence, it’ll have problems coming back.
