in ground dog fence

justjeepin86

justjeepin86

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Anyone have experiences to share with it? Namely, moving dogs that are fenced into one? We are probably moving and would like to avoid installing a real fence. The dogs are used to being let out in the dog lot. Anyone ever have a dog that it would not work for? I do realize that it will take a few weeks of training.
 
I've had pretty good luck w/ the PetSafe Stubborn Dog invincible fence with two dogs now (both black labs). I think I bought off Amazon when we bought our house about six years ago and I installed it with a flat blade shovel. I've got about a half acre lot and it took some time but wasn't hard work. Basically bury the line a few inches in the ground (careful when/if you aerate, etc.). I used the wire that came with the kit; however, my dad got the same kit but upgraded to a larger gauge wire since he's got a few acres and he's like it so far too (probably had about 2 years now).
 
Nothing more to add other than upgrade the wire. Less likely to break. My g/f has 2 acres. We ran it through the yard under the ground and the rest, through the woods, is just laid on top. She used to get breaks every year or so. Now it's going strong for the past 3 w/o problems
 
You can use landscaping flags to help cue the dogs as to where the boundary is. After some time you can pull them up.

Aside from that, good fences make better neighbors.
 
Yes the larger wire is best. If laid on top of the ground it is pretty easy to find breaks, if it is buried, good luck...

I have an electric edger I used to install mine, $20 and it's yours. Don't try it when it hasn't rained in a month you will be hating life.

Best to train as puppies, but you really won't know how your dogs will accept it without trying. My 100 lb Great Pyrenees hears a beep and turns around and heads to the house, I really don't think it would even shock him through all his hair. Most of the time he doesn't even wear his collar. The blue heeler pretty much heeds the line, but he will REALLY test it. I hear his collar beeping quite often and he doesn't even care.
 
i want to try a range collar on the next dog. Base station and portable. Lets em know they went to far but mobile to like camping or such. Got a buddy who uses one. Would be great for my shop and house.
 
With neighborhood where some are known to shoot others dogs, I used to have an underground fence. My Dog Semi, a 110 pound Chocolate lab, would walk through the zap line with a regular collar. Got the "stubborn dog upgrade, and she'd walk through it, shaking, just to get to us. Added a 2nd suborn dog collar, and nothing would get her to walk through it. But she didn't mind the audible at all. She's lay at that line and run the batteries down, every three or four weeks.
 
Easiest way to install is mow grass really short use landscape spikes to anchor it on top of the ground let the grass grow long and cut long a time or to then it’s fine


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I bought one when we first moved into this house. Spent the weekend laying out and burying the wire, putting out the flags, etc. Tested the collars, put them on my dogs and took them outside. After spending about 30 mins getting them to learn the boundaries, hear the beep and get a little zap, I let them off the leashes. My JRT walked right through it and disappeared for a couple hrs. My APBT ran through it, then sat on the other side. Took the collars back to PetSmart, got the stubborn dog version, turned up the electricity and let the dogs back out. My JRT literally looked me in the eye as he walked through it again (on his tiptoes as he was getting lit up) and was gone over night that time. My APBT tried to follow but couldn’t bring himself to go through it. I called PetSmart, told them everything and they let me bring back the controller and collars for a full refund.

Long story short, they work when the dogs let them work. If there is something that is interesting enough on the other side, they are not a deterrent and, as said upstream, they do nothing to keep other animals out. I will never buy another UG fence again.
 
Tacoma747 said:
Yes the larger wire is best. If laid on top of the ground it is pretty easy to find breaks, if it is buried, good luck...

I have an electric edger I used to install mine, $20 and it's yours. Don't try it when it hasn't rained in a month you will be hating life.

Best to train as puppies, but you really won't know how your dogs will accept it without trying. My 100 lb Great Pyrenees hears a beep and turns around and heads to the house, I really don't think it would even shock him through all his hair. Most of the time he doesn't even wear his collar. The blue heeler pretty much heeds the line, but he will REALLY test it. I hear his collar beeping quite often and he doesn't even care.
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Glad to hear it works for your Pyrenees. We are planning to use one with ours but had mostly heard that they don't work well for Pyrs.
 
Off leash training! And or a lot of time personal training without the aide of snacks! All dogs have a job make yours obeying orders and reward is toys/attention/whatever it likes! After they obey a order exaggerate the reward to make them excited to play with you or tug of war which leads to better obeying in long run! Consistency is very important
 
Jody Treadway said:
I am not a fan of them.
They may keep your dogs in, but they will not keep other dogs out.
I've never met a dog that wouldn't bust through if something was "worth the hit".
Then they're afraid to come back in.
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This is true but....
You need to come drink beer on my porch when my neighbors German Shepard is out sometime. Jed’s box died in a big storm we had a few weeks back and I was worried he would take off when he figured it out(this happens). German Shepard would come within 15’ of him on OUR property but on the other side of the line and he never crossed it. Shocked the hell out of me as he was making it very evident at the time he wanted nothing more than to inflict serious physical harm on the Shepard. I’ve warned my neighbors but one day that dog is going to get caught.

We’ve had around 1800ft of wire now for the last 7yrs. Most of ours is above the ground now and I’m keeping it that way.
 
Thanks for the responses. I understand the thing about not keeping animals out. I'm not really worried about that. It seems, in the end, it really depends on the dog. I think we will get one, with heavy line, and run it above ground to see where we get with it. If it doesn't work, we will put up a fence. I just really don't want to.
 
You think we would be ahead getting it for the old house now? Maybe start working with the dogs about the boundries with the flags? It could be confusing going to a new place, but they would know what the beeps and the colored flags meant.
 
C.Berry said:
Off leash training! And or a lot of time personal training without the aide of snacks! All dogs have a job make yours obeying orders and reward is toys/attention/whatever it likes! After they obey a order exaggerate the reward to make them excited to play with you or tug of war which leads to better obeying in long run! Consistency is very important
Click to expand...
I think this is a big part of it. Likely depends on the breed of dog, but put those flags out and walk the dog up while on a lease to hear the collar start beeping and then the slight shock (if I remember correctly, there's two levels it will hit them with...the first is like a little warning shock, next step from the beeps...and then the next level is a full on hit). Once my dogs understood what was happening after beeps they wouldn't even come close on the lease (literally would lay down and dig in with their paws pulling against the leash when I tried to take them closer to the flags). I had some treats and would walk the dogs up to the flags to start hearing the beep and then over exaggerated the "GET BACK, GET BACK, GET BACK..." while pulling them back on the leash and then gave them a treat for doing so. Once they understand what those flags represent, start taking them away (first it's like every 5th flag or something)...I took flags out like once a week until there were no more in the yard. She's to the point now where she hardly wears the collar at all anymore. If there are people out walking she will run the boundary back and forth but never cross. Again, likely depends on the breed and stubbornness of the dog, but I found this to work pretty well. Just take the time to train them on it and I think you'll have pretty good luck w/ it.
 
justjeepin86 said:
You think we would be ahead getting it for the old house now? Maybe start working with the dogs about the boundries with the flags? It could be confusing going to a new place, but they would know what the beeps and the colored flags meant.
Click to expand...
Yes. They’ll learn That after the beep and vibration they’re going to get popped. If you could watch my dog when he figures out it isn’t beeping, take 2 more slow steps and no vibration, he thinks it’s free time to go exploring. Funny to watch when I’ve cut the line on purpose or know it’s out for some reason.
 
Something of note, along with the stubborn dog collars (the shocking box) you can also get longer probes for the dogs with more furrier, thicker coats.
 
I used one of the wireless systems with my dogs, great product. The Petsafe tower is the one I used, you can adjust the range it. It does depend a lot on the dog. My aussi would constantly test (power setting "light your ass up" with the long prongs), my other dog a hound mix was set on beep only no shock. The only disadvantage that I've seen to the wired system (other than stated above) my uncle had about 3 acres buried and the system got hit by lightning. Fried the heavy wire, control unit, and his new flat screen! He gave up on it, built a fence around his garden.
 
We use one (don't recall the brand) for a single 90# blonde mutt around a 3 acres perimeter... she ran thru it a couple times until we turned it up and will absolutely stop 6'-8' from the wire.
Strategically placed, keeps her out of the garden/from chasing deer on the other side of the creek and let's her go anywhere else needed.

Anything else (neighbors dogs, 2 legged varmints) inside "HER" space had better hope we're around to call her off...
 
Another vote for the wireless system. Worked great on my dog but she's pretty timid (unless she sees a squirrel or rabbit).
We moved to a fenced yard last month though. If I can find what box it's in I'll be selling the wireless system.
 
Just ordered one last night for 3 dogs with a short amount of the cheaper wire. Gonna try it while we are still living at this house. If it works, I will buy the heavy duty wire in a longer length to bury at the new place. Thanks for all the input
 
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