Invisible Dog Fence

Love it and could not live without it!!!So much easier just opening the door and letting the dog out.

I have a weimeraner which if you are not familiar with them very high strung and active. My advice for you is to go to Tractor Supply (or Home Depot) and get the petsafe wireless fence. It has a collar, a base and no wires. You can move the base as needed and adjust the size of the area you want the dog to be in. The only time I have had her cross the line was the very first time I put it on her and when the battery in the collar goes dead. She respects her boundary very well and have been pleased with it. Have been using it for 2 years. It is around $300 to buy but well worth it.

We have it for our 2 labs, love it! My recommendation would be go with the actual Invisible Fence brand and have them help you train your dogs. They will come out and evaluate your dogs to see what settings each collar needs to be one. For example my old lady lab (14) needs to be on the strongest because she can tolerate alot...the puppy (5) is on a low setting cause she is a baby. They have never broken through. We dont leave them in the yard alone unless we are home inside or outside in the neighborhood. It is less cruel than chanining them up or letting them get loose and hit by a car. They CHOOSE to get shocked. They get a warning and if they choose to not listen then they can get shocked. Every type of dog can be trained on the fence.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

Hmm. I'm not sure it would work so well with a boxer... lol. I bred them for a couple years, and they generally have VERY stubborn attitudes. There have been times when my dogs would come home after getting into a porcupine... The dalmation/lab would only have one mouthful's worth of quills, wheras the boxers would be covered in quills. It's like the lab will feel the pain, and think 'ouch that sucks! Not doing that again!' while the boxers seem to think 'Oh, you SOB!! You did NOT just stick me!!! I'm gonna get you good this time... OUCH! you did it again! OOOH you are soo going down!!!' Lol. This has happened on several occasions with at least 3 different boxers, until we finally just put in a dog run. (Not a full fence... the run was only for while we weren't home.) I imagine the invisible fence wouldn't hamper a boxer that much. We had a couple hundred acres for the dogs to run on, which included a decent section of woods (where the offending porcupines lived), or we would have put up a real fence... Boxers are pretty decent jumpers too. I have seen them jump/climb over a 6 foot fence! I think that a combination of training/a real fence would be your best bet. If you are able to train well enough, and don't have strict leash laws in your area, you may be able to get away with just a run (you can put a 'roof' on it easily enough). You just have to be outside to call the dog back if you are going to let it play loose in the yard.

We have a very rambunctious, high energy (mischievous!) Airedale terrier, and we love our Invisible Fence. It allows us to play fetch without worries, the dog can chase the kids/squirrels/birds to her heart's content, and because she's loose, I know that if anyone came in the yard when my son was out there, she'd be on them like a shot. We wanted a dog as a companion/protection for our son, as we have a large lot near an intersection, and we love that she is able to follow him all over the yard. While our breeder had concerns because Airedales are quite headstrong, she was trained in two days and we've had no problems at al. She knows exactly where the line is and stays back. I would recommend going with the name brand Invisible Fence, rather than a do-it-yourself kit. My neighbor tried that and it did not work out. Additional plus: if it's raining/snowing all you have to do is open the door. I do suggest that you spend time training the puppy to do his/her business in a select spot. If you do this, you won't have to go all over the yard for cleanup. :-)

I have 3 dogs: an older lab, a 6yo boxer/shepherd mix & a 6 o beagle/basset mix; we also have 2 horses. We live on almost 3 acres that back up to woods and LOVE our underground fence. We had it professionally installed & the dogs (and us) professionally trained. It gives them freedom and us peace of mind. "Testing" the fence hasn't been an issue for us. The beagle will chase anything & is stubborn when on a scent -- until he hears that warning beep. The fence is terrific at keeping the dogs away from the barn (& the horses) too.

We've found the ability to set the loudness of the warning and the distance of the warning sound to the fence "zap" to be helpful -- it gives our bunny chasers time to put on the brakes!

Yes, it's more expensive than tying them up to a rope. Yes, there's the potential for a quick zap (the intensity of which we can set by the way). Yes, it keeps them safe and allows freedom -- both of which are important to me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

We had an invisible fence from Lowes (150 dollars). Worked great, We really had to walk the dogs ALOT the first 3 days to a week to get them to see where the boundaries were. We even put up L. buckets around where it was for the first L. bit so they could see where exactly the line was. After about a month they had walked a path around it, so they knew exactly where the line started and ended and did not test it.It worked out well for everyone. Our dogs were fully grown, so I'm not sure how long it will take a puppy to get trained to figure out his boundaries. Just make sure you put the L. white flags up where the fence is, and walk the puppy around it alot for the first few wks, so it doesn't get confused. When the collar gets close to the fence it will give a warning tick (sound) so they know they have gotten too close. good luck!

I just installed an invisible fence last weekend! The installation was a LOT easier than I thought it would be (took 3 of us about 2 hrs, total), and I am doing the training myself. The Installation kit included directions for training. It is SO nice to not have to worry about the dogs (we have 2) escaping! You can also drill holes in a regular collar and attach the collar shocker thing to it...one of my dogs already figured out that the collar was his problem and chewed it off of his neck, lol

i would definitely recommend an underground fence! i will say (from experience) that the Invisible Fence brand is a great product, BUT their customer service....SUCKS!!!! they are a horrible company to deal with! if you're thinking of having one installed i'd go with PetSafe or DogWatch.

i would also recommend NOT listening to those who have said their dogs have crossed the line, are too "stubborn" to be trained on the fence or have developed "scar tissue" from being "zapped" too often. I have one of the most stubborn breed of dogs, an english bulldog, along with an american bulldog and a mastiff, who with the proper training have NEVER crossed the line! my english bullie was trained at 3 years old, american bullie at 6 months and mastiff at 2 years and i have never had an issue with them! they are trained so good that they won't even "break the line" when we take their collars off unless we have them leashed and walk them over ourselves!

i hope this helps out, at least a L. bit, but remember the most important part of the invisible fencing is PROPER and CONSISTENT training.

good luck!

We moved to a rural property with over 3 acres. We installed an invisible fence for our two mutts. We had "critters" dig up the wire! Crazy. We also learned that the pain of shock was worth pursuing the chase of rabbit, squirrel, groundhog....it ended up being wasted money. I think it depends on the personality of the dog. My older, very "old lady" dog wouldn't go through it, but our lab mix would in a hearbeat.

We had to cable them, which broke my heart, but we had no idea what to do. We ended up getting them trained, professionally. That was money well spent!! They are very well behaved and we can, now, take them outside to play or walk to the barn - without worrying about them running off. We haven't done a boundary, but will probably try that this summer.(we are to put flags around a certain area. We walk them closer and closer to the flags, jiggling them, and giving commands. It's more complicated than that, but that's the basics.)
If we end up getting another dog in the future, we will take him/her to training right off the bat. I think it would be worth the money and I now think training is much more reliable than the fence, itself. I wish you luck with whatever you do!

I put an invisible dog fence, plus a cattle fence, on my 5 acres and it didn't work worth a darn. My dogs would race through the 100 yard "zap zone" we put in front of our main gate! One dog had scar tissue on his neck from all the zaps he ignored.

The only thing that ended the "break through the fence" phase (for two houses) was my dogs getting too old to leave the yard. Yes, we walked them, played with them, trained them, but I guess we didn't do a good job. The lure of freedom and a splash session in the river was too much. But, on their last great escape, one of our dogs couldn't make it back and collapsed in a field. We saved him, thanks to our second dog and a kind neighbor, but that was the last time they broke through the fence for a runabout.

Good luck.

I have a boxer and the Invisible Fence brand fence. I love it. Yes, boxers can be stubborn, head strong breeds and he does occasionally get zapped from challenging the fence line. If another dog is walking by, sometimes he will run up to the line and get zapped. He always backs up though; he's never actually run through the fence line. Most dogs will get shocked once and stay 30 ft back from the line. Not boxers!
Another thing you might want to think about: we enclosed our property but did not give the dog access to the driveway or walkway/front porch. This way, I don't have to be out there with him constantly; if the mail carrier or UPS comes, they can deliver packages while the dog is barking in the yard :) Also, I don't have to worry about him getting hit by a car in the driveway or him jumping on guests. The other good thing is because the area by the front porch is not part of the fence, that's the door we always go out with him for a walk. Some dogs will NEVER cross the fence line, even when on a leash with their owners. In our situation, our dog has never associated the front of the house with the fence so he has no anxiety walking out the front door and into the driveway. My sister has an invisible fence and when she wants to take her dog for a walk, she has to put the dog in the car and drive to the end of the driveway.
Good luck and enjoy your boxer. They are great family pets!

We have a springer spaniel mutt that escapes out of our traditional fence every chance she gets. WE added an invisible fence and now she rarely sneaks out.
You should know that it only works when the fence is ON. If you have a power failure or short, the dog can escape. If the wire gets loose from the box or gets cut somewhere, the dog can escape. A landscaper cut the wire once while leveling the front yard. My husband cut the line while plowing the driveway one year. And the line in the woods broke more than once, but I'm not sure how that happened. Overall, we love the system. It is a necessity for us & I do recommend it. I just also recommend that you check to make sure its working periodically. I think you can check the box, but I'm not sure. Our box is located in our shed, so that's not so convient. I recommend putting it on your house or in your garage. Someplace you can check easily.

My issue with the invisible fences is that they keep your dog in, but don't keep other dogs or kids out. So your dog could end up in the yard with a dog fighting it, and no way for your dog to escape. Likewise, your dog could be out in the yard and a child come in and bother the dog-- and, of course, you would be responsible for what happened. Just something to think about. Would there be a way to build a smaller fence for when you couldn't be supervising the dog?

We've had an invisible fence for 13y and love it!! The fence gives off a high beep that warns them that they are getting close to the line and they only get zapped when they cross.
http://www.invisiblefence.com/index.asp

My one dog was on it from 6m to 12y when he passed. He was only shocked 1 time, during training, and only escaped 1 time because the battery in the collar had died.

I had a Border Collie/Shephard on it for 2y. That dog was super smart and figured out how to jump high enough to get over the the signal onto an outcropping. So we added more fencing over there. problem solved.

We just got a coonhound 6m ago, and he's taken to it like a charm.

If you ever move, you can take the wall unit with you and then just have them reinstall the wire at a new house for minimal cost.

I follow a forum, that just had a conversation about this. Personally, I would never put one in. I find it incredibly cruel and inhumane. There are people who have, and they give their opinions. Here is the link.

http://theblogfrog.com/104191/forum/91687/invisible-fence...

Before investing in an electric fence, you might want to see if you can borrow or buy a beep/shock collar.
My dogs have been testing their limits since our most recent baby was born, and I bought collars out of frustration. Technically, I don't believe in shocking dogs, so I figured I'd just use the beep feature. Didn't work. Eventually, I tested the shock feature, and they didn't care about that, either. No way would an electric fence bother them, and I'm glad I saved the money.

Our yard is private and surrounded by woods. What we finally did do was grab a couple of rolls of 3' chicken wire for about $60 and posted it through the woods. It's "invisible" in that it's completely unnoticeable unless you walk right up to it (mostly thanks to the trees). A determined, unattended dog could certainly jump it, dig under it, or even push it down, but we never leave our dogs unattended.
It's been a great alternative to leash-only play for us!

I LOVE my invisible fence. The dogs learn very quickly. The person that installs it will tell you how to train the dog, walking the dog around the perimeter, etc. You don't need a trainer. The dogs are warned by a beeping sound and back off right away. The collars can be expensive so don't lose them. The wire on the fence can break if you garden and accidentally cut it but you can get it repaired quite easily. In fact, my husband just does it himself b/c it is just a simple wire. Most dogs do not run through it, just make sure the battery is always working...

Hi! I just ordered the PetSafe brand through Amazon. They have the best price, $279 I think. We are trying to figure it out, so I don't have advice yet, but it does come with a training manual, and detailed instruction booklet. You can take it with you once you train your dog, so your dog will stay with you wherever you are. I am excited about it! We just got a 4 month old puppy and I can't wait until I can let her out without me going with a leash! The program takes about 14 days to train.

We had 2 Boxers. Our boy Winston was 13 when he passed and our Zoe was 12.We were heartbroken when we had to put them down. They are wonderful dogs and so great with children. They were both trained with an underground fence and they NEVER crossed it.We did not use the collar that came with the Pet Safe fence; we spent the extra money and bought the Stubborn dog collar.We never had a problem.

We don't have an electric fence, rather we bought a "hunting collar" that we trained our dog with to keep her in the yard. If she strays, I can press the button on the remote to audibly "ding" her, and if she doesn't respond than I can "buzz" her (can control the level of stimulation buzz she gets).

Pro: No significant investment ($150?) and we could "take it with us" when we moved. This collar is also great because I also take it on walks with us.

Cons: Unfortunately, you need to be with him/her a lot in the beginning as she learns the limits or "your boundaries" of the yard. (does work from inside the house though) I don't know how good boxers are at that type of training? We have a golden retriever. Also, you need to periodically keep it charged (like a cell phone), and once a year or so replace the battery in the remote.

We got it at Cabella's (though we're not "Cabella's shoppers"...meaning we're not camping/hunting type people).

This is similar to the one we got 4 years ago:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Dog-Supplies/Elect...

Other collars/containment fences:
http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/hunting-dog-supplie...

A neighbor mentioned they might get a "wireless electric fence," where you keep the unit in your house and it projects a "fence" about 90 feet (?) radius around your house...

Another neighbor installed their own containment fence and trained their dog themselves (English Spaniel or something).

Lastly, my parents have an electric fence and their terrier is terrified now of the collar and won't go out side when the collar is on. Additionally, via yard work they've mistakenly "cut" their fence and had to pay to have it repaired.