This is the second finalist in our new college scholarship program. The theme this year is how to be a better pet owner.

Nearly everyone can remember being that bright-eyed child looking longingly in a pet store window, and begging their mom or dad to allow the animal to become the new family pet. However, Mom and Dad knew better, and knew that being a pet-owner is more than just petting a cute fuzzy animal. They knew that being a pet-owner comes with responsibilities! In this essay I will try to share some advice on how everyone can be a better pet owner, and how to go above and beyond for your furry family member.

Even a child who desperately wants a new puppy or kitty, probably realizes that the pet needs to be fed. However, there is more to just putting out food and water. Depending on your type of pet, it may be better to have food and water available all day everyday, a method called free-feeding, or in some cases it may be better to just provide water all day, and only provide food at intervals throughout the day. This leads me to my first piece of advice, which is always do some research on your pet before you bring him/her home! For example, a cat may be fairly low maintenance and free feed, whereas a horse may need to be fed several times per day depending on the climate you live in.
In terms of the type of food, it is also better to not just buy whatever is cheapest from the shelf. Just like humans, animals have specific nutritional requirements, and if you want your pet to live a long, happy, life, a little bit of care should be taken when choosing a food. It is always best to seek the advice of a veterinarian as to what to look for in a food. Also always seek the recommendations of a veterinarian in terms of human food “treats”. Some veterinarians will tell you to avoid human food altogether, however there are certain human food treats that if given in moderation, can be considered a healthy treat. An example is an apple, so long as it is cut into an appropriate size for your pet.

One thing I always recommend for pets too is a vitamin. This can come in the form of a water additive or a chewy treat. Again, depending on the type of pet you own, different nutrients may be more important. For example, you have probably heard of glucosamine/chondroitin for human joint problems. Well did you know that this may be available for your pet too? Some dogs with genetic predisposition to arthritis and joint problems may especially benefit from this. Just remember to check that the nutrient supplement is made for your species of pet, as some nutrients can’t be taken by all species. Also, never try to give a pet a human vitamin, as humans and animals have different nutritional needs.

My next piece of advice would be exercise. Yes, we all know that puppies love to run and play, while cats tend to be known as the more laid back members of the household. But all animals can benefit from exercise! If you have a dog, several walks per day, or in colder climates, a designated play time will help keep your dog physically fit, as well as mentally stimulated. How about Mr. Cat though, wouldn’t he prefer to just sit and relax? Well maybe and maybe not. There are actually numerous inventions that many cats love, one such example is a cat running wheel (think a hamster wheel made for cats). Pocket pets of course love running wheels and exercise too. If you can’t afford a bunch of equipment, keeping your pet active doesn’t have to be expensive. Many pets can be just as content with a homemade toy; such as a tennis ball to play fetch with a dog, a laser pointer that a cat can chase around the room for exercise, or even something fun for both you and your pet like dog agility.

My third piece of advice is preventative care. Many pet owners think they can save money by avoiding certain vaccines or other preventative care such as heartworm prevention, or routine dental cleanings. It is easy to fall into the “it won’t happen to my dog” mindset. If this is you don’t worry; it’s usually not too late, and typically a fairly inexpensive fix to get your pet up to date on any preventatives they may need. I always advise speaking to a local veterinarian, as recommendations may change depending on where you live. For example, did you know that there is a rattlesnake vaccine for dogs? This is highly recommended in areas with a large rattlesnake population, but probably unheard of in other states. When asking your vet if your pet “really” needs a certain preventative treatment, I would advise you to think about putting yourself into your pet’s situation. For example, would you never brush your teeth, never go to the dentist, and still feel like your teeth are healthy?! A great example of how easy preventative care can be is heartworm prevention. Heartworms are a serious, and potentially fatal disease that are transmitted by mosquito bites in certain areas. The prevention is a chewy treat that pets typically love and is given once a month. On top of preventing heartworms, it also typically contains another dewormer to treat for all those other nasty creepy crawlies that your pet may pick up in the yard and then bring into the house. This once a month chewy treat is typically a few hundred dollars or less per year. However, if your pet gets heartworms the treatment is a long involved process, which has many risks to your pet, and can end up costing thousands of dollars! I would rather take the prevention any day, and I’m sure your pet would too!

What if you already do all of the things already mentioned? You already researched your pet, and took all of your veterinarian’s advice on medical care and food, and your pet loves exercise. Well you are off to a great start, but let’s talk about training now. Training gets to be a much more involved topic, as there are many different methods to training your pet, and many of them work great. However, there are also many common mistakes that pet owners make that can cause a lot of headache and confusion for both the owner and the pet. Let’s say you have a new puppy in the house, and he had an accident on the carpet. You discover it probably hours after it happened. According to many sources, scolding your pet at this time will not help, because it has been too long since the incident for the pet to associate the scolding with the bad behavior (in this case wetting inside the house). A better way is to help your pet associate good behaviors with positive reward. For example, when housetraining a pet you should take them out at least every few hours to where you would like them to go to the bathroom. When they do what you want, they should be given a treat. After a few weeks you can start only giving a treat some of the time, until you can taper off to perhaps just a “good dog” statement.

Another way to use positive reinforcement is for socializing. Socializing should be done at a young age to avoid future headaches when you have to be in a public scenario around other people or pets. Exposing them to these circumstances as a baby will eliminate fear. Your pet may also be given positive reinforcement during these exposures to make it even more of a happy event. A good place to practice socializing is at the vet. Future veterinary visits will be much less of a problem for everyone if your pet has a happy experience the first few times. Of course your pet will still probably get some unpleasant vaccines, but giving lots of treats and positive voice reinforcement, and lots of petting, will help ease any anxiety. Many vets even advocate a visit without vaccines just to get them acclimated to the environment before any scary vaccinations occur. There are many variations of positive reinforcement training (for example clicker training), that can be read about in books or through classes. Similar training can be used for many scenarios, from teaching your pet tricks, to introducing them to a new area, or training them to use a hidden dog containment fence. The most important take away from this though is that you don’t want to give your pet inconsistent messages, and you don’t want to scold them unless you actually see the bad behavior happen, otherwise it may backfire and the pet may associate a totally different behavior as being bad. Taking some time and learning about proper training techniques will not only make you a better pet owner, but will make both you and your pet happier, as all those “bad” behaviors can be eliminated.

Along those same lines as training, another tip that will not only make your pet happier, but will make you happier as well is to “pet proof” your home. This is especially important during the training phase above. Some examples include furniture covers, to protect from unwanted scratches, keeping items that may be eaten out of reach, and providing your pet a separate area where they can go. This is especially important for cats, who often feel more comfortable having their litter box in a separate quiet area, although dogs often like to have a bed or crate that is their own space as well. This will make your pet more comfortable, but will also avoid unnecessary scolding that could potentially arise from your pet getting into unwanted things. It will also keep your pet safe, and save your pocketbook, as many things that are not toxic to humans, may be toxic to pets if ingested, and may require a fairly expensive treatment to save your pet.

Overall, owning a pet is definitely a responsibility, and requires some research to keep your pet happy and healthy. However, having a pet, whether it be a dog, cat, horse, pocket pet, or even something more exotic, can be one of the best experiences in the world, and will provide you with a loyal companion. With a little extra care, you can easily become a better pet owner, which will provide you and your new family member with years of fun and enjoyment!

J. Czerny

We will be publishing some essays from finalists into our new Veterinary College Scholarship. The topic this year is: How to Be a Better Pet Owner: Advice from a Veterinary Student.

Pets are a source of great joy to a large slice of the world’s population. We love our pets and do everything we can for them – for many people, their pet is the closest friend they have. Companion animals of any species, however, come with responsibility. Almost all of us can remember our first dog or cat and those scary words “Big Responsibility” as a life was bequeathed to us. In the veterinary profession, we most often see animals when they are feeling less than optimal. The following are some tips to prevent that need for intervention, leaving you, your animals, your budget, and the world a happier place.

There are many ways people first acquire their pet, but though they sometimes feel emotionally held to a position – we rescued him, we’ll just keep the kittens, etc. – deciding to adopt or keep a pet is an important choice requiring the participation of the full household. When considering a pet, evaluate the terms of the relationship and the practical realities – especially for low income families or apartment dwellers. You might be a fan of Australian cattle dogs, but your new job and 10 sq ft yard may be better suited to a low energy breed (or fish!). Talk to people with the type of pet you’re considering and discuss both the behavioral and health proclivities that crop up in that animal. Choose an animal you will love, without having it then break your heart due to behavioral or genetic health issues.

Have you chosen a pet, or are you reading this article already owning one? The best medicine is that which predates a problem. Joint heath supplements are great for dogs with early signs of hip dysplasia but do little to alleviate an existing arthritis. Ferrets make great pets, but once they’ve decided that every corner of the house is a socially acceptable litter box there’s no stopping them. These and most problems that animals are brought to the vet for can be prevented or, at the very least, mitigated from an early stage. We all get lazy or busy, but the need to notice and correct problems before they’re problematic is efficient for both the owner and better for the pet. We’ve all waited to the last possible moment to service the car at least once… and no mechanic has ever said, “You should have brought her in next summer!”

The first step in care is taking your new pet to the veterinarian for an initial physical exam, vaccinations, and any other preventatives the clinician recommends. This has several immediate benefits and at minimal cost to the owner. Common preventatives – relevant to the region you live in and the pet you have – are put in place that will keep your animal from tick burdens, gingivitis, kennel cough, etc. Some of these measures are solely for the health and happiness of the animal. Others will have a physical or emotional impact on you (nobody likes a flea infestation), and still others – such as rabies – are downright illegal to avoid. Veterinarians tend to see a high quantity of animals every day, so preventive solutions they suggest are truly in the long-term interest of pets and their owners, not for the short-term increase in hospital revenue.

Taking your healthy pet to the veterinarian for a prophylactic visit has the added effect of acclimating him or her to the medical environment. There are those dogs that love the attention of vet and staff and couldn’t care less about a few fear pheromones wafting down the hall. Many more animals, however, learn the deep terror of those scary fluorescent lights, slippery floors, and nosy strangers at the V-E-T. This includes most cats. Your cat will probably hate us, no matter how vet-socialized they are! In general, however, an animal who learns that the veterinary office is associated with attention, pats, and treats more than needles and cold tables will not only have a better experience but give veterinary professionals a better indication of their condition. You, the owner, will also enjoy not hunting under the bed for Roscoe, who is pretty sure he knows where he’s going.

Some tips on acclimating your non-feline pet to the veterinary office are to bring a familiar, comfortable item such as a towel for him or her to stand on and to reassure your pet that the situation is not fearful. Pets pick up on body language very well; your nervousness over your pet’s health may rub off, or the opposite may be true! Most clinics have treats for happy pets. Make good use of them, if they’re food-motivated animals. Dr. Temple Grandin describes the core emotions beneath pet behavior as primarily seeking (friendly, at ease, play behavior), fear, separation anxiety, and rage. The two primarily at play in the veterinary clinic, where an animal is present for typically short periods of time and is not in a state of territorial dominance or rage (we hope) are seeking and fear. Dr. Grandin describes these states as a switch-like modality between curiosity and worry. If your pet is becoming fearful, often the best means of control is to leave the animal solidly alone until it calms down. If the animal has nothing further to wind it up, it will often relax over time and, in many cases, respond less frightfully to an identical stimulus in the future.

That takes care of your routine exam. Now you’re home with your new little guy, who looks like he’ll totter into one behavioral problem or another within the hour. Young cats and dogs need to know their boundaries immediately and without confusion – and pets coming into the home in a rescue or adoption scenario may already have a clear (potentially incorrect) set of rules in their own heads. This can be tricky, when your own family and friends differ with you in what you find acceptable. It isn’t rude to explain to someone that your pets do not eat table scraps or sit on the sofa, as long as you find an appropriate way to tell them. Everyone is on the same page, and the house doesn’t feel like a totalitarian régime, either.

Pets are pets, however, and they do make mistakes. Take the scenario of an older puppy who defecates indoors. His behavior may be due to you the owner’s negligence, if you went out or did not interpret his restlessness in time. Perhaps he’s eaten something out of the ordinary. These sort of scenarios do not require punishment. Most dogs will pick up on your disappointment and understand the “wrongness” of poop on the floor – whether they connect the causality that brought that poop to the floor is questionable. The other alternative is that the pet either did not care to follow a rule or intentionally acted out (which may be appropriate or inappropriate, what did you do first?). Understanding the motive behind a misbehavior is crucial to preventing it in the future.

Many vets recommend behavior training via the model of positive reinforcement. While punishment seeks to limit a behavior from repeating, positive reinforcement is an encouraging feedback to the pet who does something preferable. In this example, the dog who poops inside will receive no feedback: simply not granting positive or negative attention to your pet is plenty of punishment, as many pets live and breathe to please their masters. The dog who scratches or whimpers when the urge arises will receive the positive stimulus of going outside into the yard or on a walk followed by attention, praise, and food rewards.

On the subjects of walks and misbehavior, dogs are naturally high energy animals who need substantial exercise on a daily basis. One of the top causes of problem behaviors in canines is under-stimulation. The extreme case of the leashed pit bull terrier in someone’s front yard is the cause of not only countless territorial behavior problems but a stigma surrounding an entire set of breeds. Likewise, the habitually indoor dog may develop anxiety problems – including separation anxiety – as a manifestation of boredom and under-exercise.

Exercise maintains a healthy weight in terms of limiting fat as well as building muscle. Depending on breed, either (or more likely both) of these measures is critical to limit health problems the pet may be prone to. In addition to physical health, there are few better ways of bonding with your pet then by playing with him or her. It may sound like a detail to some, but healthy exercise is possibly the #1 differential between the genetically fit animal in peak health and the one in poor. The nature of the exercise you perform with your pets depends on breed and species, of course, but it’s often wise to get an animal into fun and stimulating habits – like morning walks or runs.

The above discussion is really focused on our canine friends, but cats and pocket pets deserve exercise and play in their own ways. If your cat likes playing with laser lights or dangle toys, make sure you keep their interest up! Middle aged or older cats often enjoy playtime if it’s been a normal part of their lives, but an old and frighteningly obese kitty is not going to take up the ball track to lose a few pounds. Most rodents are hard-wired to both run and chew in a way that, should these means be deprived of them, they will simply go insane. Under-socialized or exercised birds are prone to stress barbering and inappropriate (from the landlord’s perspective) screeching.

Just because you’re exercising your pets, however, does not forgive buying generic dog chow every week at the store. Though it is tempting, the difference in quality between a low and high end diet is worth more than the price tag. Not only do premium foods make your pets feel better, they prevent health problems that inevitably cost more in the long run. If you’ve made the commitment to take care of a pet, do so with healthy food that suits their breed and lifestyle. As a previous technician with a great deal of dentistry experience, I can also testify to the value of a hard chow with abrasive, scrubbing ability. Soft foods have two functions: they tend to be more delicious, but more importantly they tend to be perceived by owners as such. Gravy in cat food, for example, looks quite delicious to a human but is not what the feline prefers most in the can.

The owner will have to make the call on which foods are acceptable for their pet, be it a strict all dry-food diet (which is probably the healthiest) or one where the occasional table scrap or leftover is acceptable to a level that does not incite thieving behaviors. The best person to ask regarding brands of high quality pet food is the veterinarian – not the store clerk, the neighbor, or answer forums on the Internet.

Many of my suggestions are aimed towards the dog or cat owner, but all apply to any species. Many pet owners in the US and abroad enjoy pocket pets or birds for companionship. Others have pets that cross over into the large animal and food animal worlds, such as horses or pet pigs and goats. The same basic rules for success apply: learn about the species, the breed, and the animal you’ve taken responsibility of. Treat him as you would yourself or a new child – take him to the doctor for his shots and physical exams on a regular basis. Keep him healthy in both body and mind with exercise and diet, and have a plan to teach him proper behaviors and attitude.

You’ve given your pet everything it needs to be happy, and wild species will thrive on this formula (pet reptiles, for example). The one element still necessary for our domestic pets is the most important, and the one that brings it all together: time and love. Even those animals here for a job – service dogs for the handicapped or working dogs on the farm – still need to take off the backpack and be a pet. Give your animal attention, and he or she will pay it back in spades. The fun and stress release associated with a strong human-animal bond is worth all the time it requires a hundredfold and will make both you and your animals happier and more productive. That’s why you’ve chosen to take home a pet and why we’re here to help you.

G. Ehrensing

Greg asks how to retrain a dog that has started to break through their Invisible Fence.

We have an “Invisible Fence” system – wired in a rectangle 100’ x 300’ including a patch of evergreen forest in one corner. We have board fences running part way along two long sides of the rectangle. Two dogs; one a mellow malamute/border collie cross (Bella) who is reliably contained by the Invisible fence and two, Jingles, a short haired border collie too smart for his own good. Both were staying in the yard unless we let the batteries get weak, then Jingles would bolt for freedom. Invisible fence set up the shock level and it seemed to cure the problem for several months. Last week my wife went out of town, and Jingles starting running through the barrier to get to his buddy dogs down the street a couple of houses. (He was bored without anyone home except Bella- who is not interested in playing…) I went back to Invisible Fence and they gave me a stronger collar with the setting on its maximum! They told me that Jingles would have to get shocked once to learn about the new collar. 10 minutes after I got home with the new collar, he learned the felt the new higher shock level. I immediately went and picked him back up from the neighbors. I brought him home and he stayed around all evening – he did seem subdued from his larger shock treatment. The next day I left in the morning and 4:00 pm he had run through the Invisible Fence again! Our neighbor put him on our temporary chain until I got home at 7:00 pm. I took him off the chain and put his collar back on. Within 1 minute of my turning my back he took off down the driveway and through the Invisible Fence like a bullet. The fence is set wide—about 10’ overall. He did not slow up until he was 20 feet past the Invisible Fence which is about the same time he yelped out loud from the pain. Then he took off toward his buddy dogs again!

QUESTIONS:
I am wondering about using a wireless system set to a circle larger than the hard board fences so we end up with an effective oval shape. How far would the system penetrate into the forest or would it stop near its edge? I am thinking that the wireless system that would continue to shock for 30 seconds after he left the safe area might work? How would we train him to turnaround to go back to stop the shock – just the opposite of what he does now? I read somewhere about some systems that look at how fast the dog is running toward the fence to determine when to turn on the shock. Are there such systems? What are your recommendations?

Hi Greg,

I think we can get Jingles contained on your current Invisible Fence system, using your existing equipment. There are stronger collars, and collars that take into account when the dog is running, but for a smart dog like a Border Collie, I think all he needs is a bit of remedial training.

That he is not yelping until passing the boundary makes me think that either the fence is not properly working, or more likely that the collar is not properly fitted. You can test the fence by taking the collar to the boundary and making sure it promptly triggers when you get to the boundary zone. If it doesn’t there is something wrong with the transmitter and you will need invisible fence to come out and fix it. Also test that the collar prongs are contacting the dog’s skin – this is the most common cause of the dog not getting the correction reliably.

When we are confident that everything is working properly, time to do a bit of remedial training. Starting at Step 2 of our training protocol, but the dog on a long leash and let him wander past the boundary, wait till he gets the correction, then say No No No and pull him back into the safe zone. This way he will learn that the correct response to the correction is to retreat rather than keep running.

After about a week, start to introduce temptations on the other side of the boundary. A family member walking by. The neighbor’s dogs. Food. Again, if he stops at the boundary praise him. If he goes through, let him get the correction, say No No No, and pull him back into the safe zone with the leash.

You will need to keep him otherwise contained during the retraining period, the more he goes through the fence the longer it will take to reestablish the boundary.

When you do the retraining, I would at first turn the collar level down or use a weaker collar. Using a very high strength correction on a smaller more pain sensitive dog like a Collie is very rarely necessary and will overwhelm the dog making learning harder.

The wireless systems do indeed have a boundary that continues indefinitely (i.e. you can’t run through), but the signal starts to become unpredictable once he gets to the forest line.

I wouldn’t encourage you to get a new system either wireless or inground. I think what is going on is most likely due to the collar not being fitted correctly and the need for a bit of retraining, both of which can be fixed. If we don’t fix those two issues, you would continue to have problems irrespective of what system you had.

Keep us updates, I would love to know how it turns out.

Best Regards,

Wesley Riojas
General Manager

Reader, Tiffany has questions about installing a dog fence for a new rescue dog.

I’m thinking of installing a system around our property before getting our next dog–we recently lost our last baby to truck-chasing on the busy road out front–and I have several questions about it, even after reading the existing comments…

I think the main trunk line for local phone service is buried across the front of our yard; will this also experience signal induction from the fencing line? I don’t think the neighbors would be too thrilled with the interference, in our rural area most services are already shades of crappy…

Also, would putting the line in a shallow trench around the perimeter of our 3-acre property, covered over by a line of bricks and/or cinderblocks, create a problem as far as signal is concerned? I’d like to try and keep the bricks/blocks level to the ground to facilitate mowing, but with our heavy clay soil and large number of moles, I’d prefer easy access for repair purposes. I understand that it might mean adjusting the boundary width accordingly, but I’d be taking that into account with the initial layout. (nothing left to chance, I only wish I’d realized the relative cost savings and installed a system sooner…)

Lastly, I’m not sure yet what size or type of dog we’ll have next, though it’s likely it’ll be a rescue of some sort. Which systems would be able to accommodate several different collars suited to different sizes of dogs? I know if we were to get a puppy, I’d be starting with a PetSafe Little Dog, and knowing my luck I’d end up with a PetSafe Stubborn at some point (I like a dog with brains, but it has its downsides…) I’m trying to keep my options open, but still plan for all comers. And is there a limit to the number of collars a system can reasonably support? Not like 20 dogs, but to have a spare or 2 for visiting family (all previously trained to this sort of fence, thankfully, as our dog was at their houses…)

Thanks!
Tiffany

Hi Tiffany,

Sorry to hear about your loss.

(1) You want to avoid running the wire both close and parallel to the telephone wire. You are unlikley to get interference with the phone, but in rare circumstances the dog fence signal when there are long parallel runs can get induced in the phone wire, and everywhere the phone wire runs will act like dog fence.

(2) No, keeping a row of bricks on top of the wire is not going to cause any problems.

(3) I would hold off on getting the system until you have decided on your dog. That way you can get a system that is perfectly suited to the dog. If you want to put the wire in now, just purchase the wire.

When you do get a system, I would get either the PetSafe Inground, PetSafe Little Dog, or PetSafe Stubborn. Those three systems let you mix and match collars between them, so you could accommodate any dog that comes your way.

(4) With the wired systems, there is no limit to the number of collars you can use on the system.

FYI – we generally don’t start puppies until they are about 6 months old, before that they are too goofy to be responsive to the training. With a rescue, I try and wait about a month before I do the training, so the dog has the chance to develop a good bond and settle into their new home. Introducing too many new things at once can be overwhelming.

A customer reports strange symptoms from their transmitter.  We suggest a short loop test, for diagnosing whether the problem is due to the transmitter or due to a break in the boundary wire.

I have a Petsafe Inground Stubborn Dog Fence PIG00-10777. I walked in my house last week to find a loud alarm sounding from the room where my transmitter is plugged in. I went to see what the problem was and my power light was flashing. I can’t seem to find anyone else with this problem. I changed the batteries in the collar and moved it to a different outlet but still nothing has changed.

Hi Kaylen,

The alarm suggests there is a break in the wire, although usually the loop light would go off (and the power light would not flash). To diagnose the problems, start by attaching a short length of wire to the transmitter terminals and seeing if that makes the alarm and flashing stop. If it did, that would tell us the problem is likely due to a wire break. If it didn’t it would suggest the problem is with the transmitter and that needs replacing.

Steve asks some questions about running an underwater line on the dog fence.

Stu,

I have a rambunctious cocker that is 10 months old and obviously needs your help. He is 20lbs and probably full grown at this point. We live on an acre situated on a lake. The dogs (10 yr old cocker) love to play in the lake as well as chase rabbits and anything that moves.

I noticed in some of the drawings I can submerge the wiring without concern. How effective is the signal at various depths, in that they will swim a distance into the lake?

What collar will work best for this application?

Some of your plans show the wiring in a way to suggest that there are two layers of defense at work, how far apart do they need to be kept if we would desire the added layer of protection?

I have an inground sprinkler system as well, will there be any cross talk between these systems, if so how do we eliminate this?

Are these systems only sold as kits or can they be purchased ala carte?

Finally, what would you recommend!?

Thanks for your assistance in advance!

Hi Steve,

(1) You can submerge the wiring. I try and strategically place the wire so that there are no splices in the underwater section. You can get it to be effective submerged to around three feet. I would however caution against underwater installation, they are more prone to breaks and it is harder to train the dogs in water because turning and retreating is much slower when they are swimming

(2) Any of the fully waterproof systems will do well. You would also want something on the smaller side since he is not going to be a big dog. Two good options would be the PetSafe Ultrasmart, and the PetSafe Inground. The SportDog Fence also has excellent waterproofing, but I think it is going to be a bit bigger than is ideal on a cocker spaniel.

(3) The double loops (large U-shaped loops), are designed for situations where you only want to fence in 3-sides of a yard, but still need a complete loop to make the system work. They so also give you a second layer of defense, but you can get this same effect with only one wire by turning up the boundary width setting on the fence. You want the wires to be around 6 feet apart or more.

(4) There isn’t any interference with sprinkler systems. Neighboring dog fence systems are really the only significant source of interference.

(5) Most of the systems can be purchase ala carte if you call in. But, most people opt for the basic kits (since most people inevitably need the base station, collar, and wire).

A reader has a question about whether to use a training collar or a dog fence system.

I am moving to an apartment next month and have 2 dogs, both Cocker Spaniels and about 20-25 pounds. With the new apartment we have a small area just around our apartment that is open for the dogs to go out and use the potty. Also we have a 150 acre off leash dog park within walking distance that I have taken them to once. The dog park is only partially fenced so the dogs could get out to the street, or venture into farther into the 2500 acre park.

My dilema is that I want to let the dogs out of the apartment to potty without having to leash them up, but they don’t always listen when they are distracted by birds or kids running by, and I don’t want them to run into the road. I was thinking of getting a wireless fence because I don’t think my apartment complex is going to let me go digging trenches in the yard. Would this work, and if so, would I be able to shrink the range to a small enough area to allow them to venture outside, without going into the road?

Or possibly, could I lay the wire by hand around the edges of the concrete sidewalks just deep enough that I wouldn’t need a trencher but still protect the wire from being exposed or cut?

Lastly, I was thinking of getting manual shock collars that I could control when we went to the big dog park so that if they start to venture I am able to stop them for their own safety. Should I save the money on buying the fence and just get manual collars and buy some of the flags and just train them not to pass the flags and manually shock them if they challenge the flag boundary as I only let them out to potty when I’m with them and never when I’m not.

Thanks for all your help in advance and sorry for throwing so many questions your way at once.

-Tyson

Hi Tyson,

We usually don’t recommend using a manual training collar as a substitute for a dog fence. Most people aren’t consistent enough in applying the correction and so usually only end up teaching the dog not to escape while they are looking.

In your case, I think the training collar would actually be the better choice. Since you will always be out with the dogs when they are in the apartment yard or the dog park, you will always be able to keep an eye on them. Although, instead of using flags, I would just teach them the ‘come’ command with the training collar and use that to establish the safe area of play.

I don’t think a wireless system is going to work well in your situation. They work best in big open areas where small variations in the boundary location don’t matter. They do poorly when operating over a small range, where even small movements in the boundary are significant, and where the dogs need to be able to reliably get near the boundary otherwise they effectively have no play area.

Reader Heather asks what she should do when her underground fence stops working for two of her dogs.

I have 2 large Rottweilers and a German Shepherd Mix with extremely thick double under coats about 90 lbs and 1 small terrier about 15 lbs, undercoat is not a problem with her. We have an underground fence and the 3 collars. When we first got the 2 large pups, they were fine, we introduced the fencing to them at about 4 mos old when they started to leave the yard. They did great for about 4 mos, then for some reason they would just run through the boundary and it wouldn’t phase them at all, so we turned up the box from 4 to 8, but then noticed that the little dog wasn’t able to tolerate it at all. In the past, we used the fence above ground as we had a 4 ft no climb fence around our yard, and instead of burring the wire we just attached it to the existing fence to keep our German Shepherd in and it worked great with her thick coat.

The dogs have since dug up the wire and snapped it, and the snow accumulation is over 5 ft this winter and I wonder if that would have interfered as well with the productivity.

The skepticism I have with the productivity of a wireless fence is that, we also have a metal (aluminum) roof, that at times our cell phones don’t work well indoors because of it, and not to mention the thick double undercoats of the 2 large dogs and the greater sensitivity of the 3rd small dog. Also we live on a “lot” (perhaps 1/2 acre?) the house and garage takes up most of it and we have neighbors with fences on either side. I want to be able to keep the dogs from running down the street and to the park across the street from our house, but still be able to be in the yard with out feeling confined to close quarters so to speak.

I am doing this research quickly before the summer hits as that is when they are most active, and people are at the park all summer long. Our pups are not aggressive, but they could cause a raucous if they steal someones tri-tip off the grill……. YIKES!

Need to find something that is going to be easy on the pocket as well, we are a family of 4 and in California no doubt. Oh that can expand as well when needed, as we are renters, and my goal is to find a home with quite a larger yard! (and less neighbors….. ….. )

Thank you for your advice.

Heather

Hi Heather,

From the symptoms that you describe, that the dogs would run through without a reaction, the system has either stopped working or the collars aren’t fitted properly and the dog’s aren’t getting the correction. Start by testing the two collars, and seeing if they are still shocking when you take them to the boundary line.

The snow does block the signal and that could also explain why your dogs were able to go past the boundary without getting the correction. During winter, when the snow accumulates on the ground, you need to turn up the power at the base station (usually a knob labelled Boundary Width or something similar) to get the signal to penetrate all that snow. You will then turn it back down when the snow melts in spring.

If they are still shocking, the issue is most likely that the collars aren’t getting good contact through that thick undercoat. Thin out the fur a little with some scissors, and when putting on the collars, use your fingers to move fur out of the way so you can actually feel the collar prongs touching skin. You also want to fasten the collar tightly enough that you can only slip in 2 fingers, between the collar and the dog’s neck. If they have been getting out, you will also want to repeat the last week of the training.

If the system you currently have works, then stick with it. If the system is defective or otherwise needs replacing, the PetSafe Stubborn would be a good choice. You could use the PetSafe Stubborn collars (plus the optional long-prongs) with the two bigger dogs, then add a milder PetSafe Deluxe collar for the smaller Terrier. If you wanted something rechargeable, the Dogtek EF-6000 would also be a good choice (and has small enough collars that it could be used with all three dogs).

A customer asks what the difference is between an Invisible Fence Brand system and a DIY system?

I got a quote from Invisible Fence for well over 1000 dollars today but during the consultation I was told that any DIY systems are a bad choice because
1) They use radio signals to power the fence and because we live in the city there may be a lot of interference that could create dead spots (invisible fence uses “all digital”
2) Most DIY systems have only 3-5 settings while invisible fence has over 1000
3) The quality of the wire is not as good
4) The wire is NOT omnidirectional, meaning if snow piles up 6 inches the fence would not be usable

Is any of this true? What disadvantages are there to the DIY systems compared to Invisible Fence?

Thanks for any advice!

Greg

Hi Greg,

Thanks for the question. I think most people that are looking at getting a fence look at both the DIY and professional installation options such as Invisible Fence Brand.

The hardware with DIY systems and professionally installed systems is very similar. The same parent company of Invisible Fence makes most of the DIY brands. You often see shared components on the systems.

The big difference as I’m sure you realize is that with Invisible Fence they will come out and do the installation for you and will get you started on the training in person. The tradeoff for that extra convenience is that a professional installer will be more expensive – both upfront and with the required battery plan down the road. The DIY systems require you to do all the work, but in return are cheaper and many of the systems are rechargeable so don’t require any ongoing expense.

Sometimes professional installers try and mislead customers about the systems being different. I think that is a shame, they don’t need to do that – Invisible Fence has a great offering that I would have no hesitation recommending to my friends, just as I think we have a great (but difference) offering. The issues you mention are all non-factors. In case it is helpful – I will go through them.

(1) This one is nonsense. All systems use radio wave to communicate with the fence. Interference never happens in practice – because the dog fence receiver (the collar) is so near the dog fence transmitter (the boundary wire), the dog fence signal dominates any competing signal in the immediate vicinity. You will notice if you drive your car over a dog fence with the radio on – the dog fence signal overpowers all the radio stations.

(2) This one is true. Most DIY systems do have 3-5 settings and Invisible Fence has many more. In practice you don’t need many settings to train the dog, just a low, medium and high. The better DIY systems all have progressive correction, so the closer the dog gets to the fence the more the system ratchets up the correction level – the system is effectively adapting on the fly.

(3) This one is kinda true. The standard wire that comes with dog fence systems is 20 gauge, and most Invisible Fence Brand systems use thicker 14 gauge wire that is more durable. But, with all the DIY systems you can upgrade to the thicker wire for a small supplement. So if you want the thicker wire you can have it – and if you want to save a little and deal with the occasional break the choice is yours.

(4) I have never heard this one before, but it sounds made up. All wire is omnidirectional (it is a basically a long tube of copper in a insulating sheath). I am not sure what directional wire would look like. All systems can deal with a little snow – up to about 1 foot – then they all start to run into trouble.

The good news is that we don’t think you have any bad choices. Invisible Fence will get your dog contained, and DIY will get your dog contained. For me the only difference is convenience vs. cost. Hope that helps.

Robert Holmes
DogFenceDIY.com

*Invisible Fence is a trademark of Radio Systems Corporation and not affiliated with this site.

A reader asks, for advice containing a strong willed dog:

We have a 9 year old Boxer mix that we rescued from the SPCA 9 years ago. We have been told that this dog is part Boxer and part Sheltie………but others think part Boxer part Pit Bull. This dog is 100% energy, as she loves to run up and down the hill in our back yard (85 ft wide by 250 feet deep lot in a subdivision)……fetching frisbees and balls. This dog is solid muscle and likes to play hard. This dog is a 100% people dog…..she ALWAYS has to be around people and is perfect with children and other people…………a very loveable companion. However, this dog does have one downfall………..she does not get along with other dogs and is territorial to other animals. When this dog was a puppy, we sent her off for doggie boot camp for training to correct her obedience issues……..and she came back a different animal, as we now could control the dog with the basic commands. She is however a very smart dog, and realized what she could get away with before she got a correction. That is when we purchased an Innotek ADV-1000P training collar. This collar allowed us to correct the dog before the dog would correct herself (ie. get back on her PLACE). This collar had variable intensity setting……….and it seemed like the maximum 15 setting was the one that you really noticed got her attention, as she would let out a little yelp with the correction. We stopped using the collar about 7 years ago, as we really had no issues with obedience that we could not handle without the collar (she knows when she is in trouble…..and she will sit and shake like a leaf). However, we were still concerned about aggressive behavior towards other dogs, and we dealt with this by only allowing her to socialize with dogs that she knows and has been around often. We have always been able to keep our dog contained within our ~1/2 acre lot to avoid contact with other animals……..mainly because we never let this dog outside unattended and because this dog WANTS to be around people and will not go outside unless there is a person with her. We also do not take the dog out to the front of the house, as we just do not want the possibility of a passer-bye walking their dog become a distraction to my dog.

We currently DO NOT have an inground fence to contain our dog……..but as our children get older and more kids are in and out of our home leaving doors open, we feel it is the right time to purchase an inground fencing system to ensure we keep our dog contained within our property. My biggest concern with any inground system is that the boundary zone in our backyard will be reduced by the inground fence, and the dog will not have the space it is used to for chasing frisbees and balls………….so I would want to adjust the setting down to maximize the area for the dog. However, in the front yard…………I want Fort Knox………..as I do not want my dog close to the sidewalk where other dogs may be AND I do not want it to be easy for my dog to run through the boundary in the front yard. We do not routinely allow our pet in the front yard…………so familiarization with where the boundary is would concern me (I guess we would be forced to train the dog in the front yard….even though we don’t want her in the front yard). Any help in selecting a system for this dog and any installation tips to address our boundary concerns would be appreciated. I have already done some research, and it looks like either the Innotek IUC-4100 (PetSafe Ultrasmart) or the PetSafe Stubborn Dog systems may be good for this dog. I really like the Innotek system, as it is proven reliability and has a rechargeable battery, along with a durable slender collar design. The Stubborn Dog has a much higher intensity level…which my dog may need, but not sure if it would be overkill. I am not sure about the Stubborn Dog reliability….but I don’t like the fact that the battery is not rechargeable and the collar aesthetics. One other thing that could be a factor………….we have a bit of a problem with this smart dog…..she likes to lay on the couch when we are not at home (never when we are home, just when we leave). We would like a system that would allow us to place wireless pods within the house to take care of the couch issue.

Sorry for being long winded……….just trying to get some history, behaviors, needs, etc out there to help with any recommendations you may have. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ty

Hi Ty,

With your experience with her needing the highest setting on a remote trainer to get a response, I would play it safe and get the PetSafe Stubborn. You may well find you don’t need those higher levels, but it is good to have them there in case you do need them. The PetSafe uses a generic 9 volt battery, so you can effectively make the Stubborn rechargeable, if you get a couple of rechargeable 9V batteries and a charger.

The PetSafe fence has indoor wireless pods, that you can use indoors, but they do need to be plugged in, so hopefully there is an outlet nearby.

To get a bigger boundary in the back, you could have three passes of the wire instead of the regular one pass – separating each run of the wire by 6 feet. The other option, is that if you have a fence in the back yard, you could run the wire along the top of the backyard fence which would effectively reduce the boundary width in the back yard.

In this situation, I would take extra care to work with the dog in the training period, Step Three, with confederate pedestrians – preferably with a dog on leash. We know that is a trigger for the dog and want to be absolutely sure that they are contained, no matter what.