In-Ground Containment Fence for home use.

[ubatch]

Can anyone suggest a good containment fence for use at home to train a new puppy on boundaries of my yard? My wife and I are looking at getting a puppy soon and we don't have a fenced in yard, so I was wondering if I could train them to stay within the bounds of my back/front yard.

My home sits on about 3/4 of an acre flat land for the most part except for the transition from front to back there's a small hill leading down to my back yard.

I've been considering the "SportDOG Brand™ In-Ground Pet Containment Fence" but had just read a question about the SportDOG 800 and the individual said the brand is basically junk. What are your thoughts/comments?

Any help would be appreciated. Also, where would be a good place to start reading up on how to use the fence to train the dog to stay...I know it sounds silly, but I don't even know where to start.

Thank you,

ubatch

[Rider]

I use the Innotek Contain and Train IUC-5100. It works great and very easy to install. It comes with a training remote and a rechargeable collar. I can PM you a link to their site if you want to know more. Otherwise just Google it.

[citori]

Most of the containment fences are very similarly made, the cost difference is mostly advertising and some minor shielding on the collar against radio wave interference. I have used a coulpe of different systems and have found a kennel run is by far the best means of keeping the dog in the yard followed by a 6' high fence. The problem with these elecronic fences is the wires WILL break and then the fence is useless until one finds the break and repairs it. This can be quite a chore when the fence is buried. Until it is repaired, the dog is free to come and go as it pleases and an inquisitive dog will test the fence every day and those that won't test the system will likely stay put on their own. It is also possible that the dog will run through the fence at some point if the temptation is great enough, then you have the problems of the dog outside the fence needing to come back in and that the dog has learned the fence is not impenetratable. You may also find that the fence is inoperable the hard way; with a knock on the door with either the dog catcher handing you a ticket or someone apologizing for running your dog over. these units are also very susceptable to lightning strikes in the general area and are easily "fried" in this manner. The wireless units are only marginally better in that they seem to be fairly lightning proof but they have a more limited range and are less able to conform to the shape of an area. Another problem with them is that the seem to work almost on the line of sight principle and if there is much of a drop in part of the yard, the dog may be able to slip through the gap. I have a fairly steep gully on one side of my yard where the radio beam skips over and the dogs can escape through there.
If you insist on one of the wired fences, here are a couple of hnts. First off, buy a couple of the cheap models as you will be replacing the transmitter at some point in time. That way you will have at least one spare for when the unit goes out. Secondly, save the wire they supply to hang pictures and go out and buy a spool of 12 ga insulated wire. This will resist breakage much better. Third, do not bury the wire in the ground, run it across the lawn on top of the grass. Use tent stakes to hold it against the grass. In a couple of weeks the grass will grow up over the wire and hold it down so you can mow over it without a problem. Next, buy a second spool of wire long enough to cover the area you are using. This way when a break occurs, you just run the new wire around the area and then reconnect to the transmitter. Pull out the old one, find the break or short (and it may not be totally through, just some insulation that is missing, a great habit of ground squirrels and moles), repair it, and then wrap it up and store for the next short or break.
The companies that make these and also e-collars typically have better success with the fences as there is little movement of the systems once installed unlike a dog collar. Also, the fences are pretty well immobile once installed so one can shield them from outside interference unlike with a dog where the nearby environment can change greatly.

[ROVERT]

I have an Innotek system and really like it. I have had absolutely no problems with the fence. The collars are another story. I've found that the waterproof collars are not. Once I moved the wire to keep the lab out of the goldfish pond, they began to last a lot longer.

The only times I've broken the wire is when I've dug it up with the backhoe. My wire goes through lawn, woods, down the edge of stone lane and it's never broken. Maybe I've just been lucky.

To install the fence, I used a pressure washer to cut a shallow groove and then pushed the wire to the bottom of the slurry. I was a muddy mess, but it worked really well.

I should say that my dogs are not nearly as inquisitive as Citori's. They have developed a great respect for their boundary and can go for a couple of weeks with out collars before they get brave enough to stray over the line.

The system has its flaws, as Citori outlined. I would have prefered to enclose my yard it fencing, but the expense would have been many times that of the underground fence.

Overall, I'm very pleased with how it has worked for me.

P.S. I found Innotek to be very good about replacing collars that did not survive my Labrador.

[kennym]

We have the Innotek fence, easy to install. We used a weedeater to cut the grass down low, then used an edger to get a get the line into the ground. Laying the wire on the grass may have a draw back with the mower depending on the type of grass you have. If you have a lawn with blue grass, rye grass, st augustine, or fescue it "may" get sucked into the mower if your height of cut is low, that's due to the grass grown vertically. Grasses such as bermuda (aka. wire grass, common bermuda), paspalum, bent grass, or zoysia. They grow horizontally and their roots system will grow over the wire and keep it down.

But The dogs for the most part would stay in the yard, but they would go through it. Lab is older not to much of a problem, chessie more of a problem, but understandable they'd rather run through something then around it at 110 lbs. Endure the shock to get their freedom. It really depends on the dogs free spirit. Any animal they are trained to retreive will get them to run through the fence.

The collars do eventually go as with most electrical products, I do test them to make sure they work.
Palms down points on top of 2 fingers, don't try it palms up on 2 fingers, your muscles will contact and you might be holding it longer than you want LOL.