Hi Mike,

You can use pretty much any copper wire that is insulated. I would not use steel or aluminum they are not great conductors compared to copper. Stranded and solid core wire both work. Solid is slightly better than stranded because it will not corrode as fast if the insulation gets compromised .. but the difference is not enough to justify getting the solid core if you already have stranded.

The PetSafe Stubborn is good to 10 acres, but when you are close to the limit, I like to go up to a higher capacity system. Consider the SportDog SDF-100, it is good to 100 acres and is effectively the same price when you factor in the extra wire it contains. It is also compatible with the PetSafe Stubborn collars if you need them for some of your dogs.

ADMIN – Hi Chris,

You need to add in the lightning protection module, to protect the system if lightning strikes the boundary wire. The module acts like a fuse and protects the system in case a surge of electricity comes back through the wire.

This video shows you how to hook up the lightning protection: http://www.dogfencediy.com/installation/mounting-box/

This is where you can get the module: http://dogfencediy.com/store/accessories/lightning-protection.html

ADMIN – Hi Rick,

Definitely the PetSafe Stubborn. With that weight and breed, you are likely to need the higher strength correction levels of the Stubborn.

Avoid the wireless dog fence systems, they really aren’t very reliable. The wired systems are a bit more work for the installation but you will be glad you did it.

ADMIN – Hi Sandy,

I would run the containment fence wire along the chain link fence (you can either weave if through the chain links, or zip tie it in place). The PetSafe Stubborn is a good choice for a German Shepherd / Great Dane Mix, the size and low pain sensitivity of the German make it useful to have the higher correction levels of the Stubborn (although you may find you don’t need it). If you do the training regularly I think you will be pleased with your results.

ADMIN – Hi Tamara,

The PetSafe stubborn is a good choice for a boxer. They can be less sensitive to the correction, but are otherwise easy to train. The climbing will not be an issue, because we are going to stop her from getting too close to the fence, and she certainly won’t have time to attempt an ascent of Mount Fencistan. Installation is easy if you already have a fence in place. Just attach the wire to the existing fence using staples, or zip ties, then get right into training.

ADMIN – Hi Mary,

The stubborn dog system is the best choice for an Anatolian, many of them need a strong correction to refocus their attention back to the boundary once they have something else (like the neighbour’s puppy) in their heads. They are definately harder to train than say a lab, but it is very doable. Just be consistent with your training, and you should get good results.

ADMIN – Hi Craig,

You can have some sections above ground and other sections below ground. It is not a big deal. The only thing to watch out for is that it makes the boundary a little thinner in the areas you bury it compared to the unburied section, so set your boundary width accordingly. The Stubborn is the better choice for your situation because of the ability to mix in the other PetSafe collars. The stubborn collar would work well on the retriever (but you should keep it on the low settings and get the long prongs); and you can use either a PetSafe Little Dog collar on the cockapoo. A SportDog SDF-100 collar would be too big for the cockapoo.

ADMIN – Hi JJ,

Two likely culprits. The first and most common reason is that we start to be less careful when we put on the collar so we are not getting contact with the dog’s skin, and thus the dog is no longer getting the correction. It takes a while for the dog to notice there is no correction but now that he has learned he basically ignores the beeping and vibrating. The second reason, is that the collar is not working any longer or the correction is not properly set. You can test this for yourself by using the tester that came with the system to make sure the correction is still working.

ADMIN – Hi Larry,

Hi Larry,

I strongly suspect problem is the dog not getting the correction because the prongs are not making contact with the skin. Both the malamute and husky are very sensitive to the correction, even on low they will not like it and will let you know. However, with that thick coat and undercoat you need to be careful in fitting the collar to make sure you actually do get contact between the probes and the skin. If you don’t have the long probes, you should get them. Then, trim a little fur with scissors (just a little), put the collar on, and use your fingers to move the fur so you are getting contact. It will be tricky the first few times. The collar also needs to be tight enough that it stays in place, a good rule of thumb is that you should be able to slip in two fingers, but not three.

FOLLOW UP QUESTION – will the stronger petsafe stubborn shock collar help?

ADMIN – Using a higher strength collar will not help if there is no contact. It will also be completely necessary for a husky. You really want to keep it on medium or low for them. They have a reputation for stubbornness, but they are very pain sensitive critters.

ADMIN – Hi Zack,

The PetSafe Stubborn dog is the best choice for a pitbull. I would not assume however that they need the high settings, and would start low. With the training, you should be able to get them contained, but as always you are going to want to test them and make sure they are compliant even when there are strong temptations.

All the in-ground fences only correct the dog for a set width on either side of the wire and will not correct the dog indefinitely, hence the importance of training.

A properly trained dog thinks the only way to escape the correction is to turn and retreat. Cost is $186 for the system and $70 for an extra collar.