[Marley]

Apparently I was very lucky to have a fenced in back yard at my last house. I just got my master's and am relocating to be closer to my family. I'm living with my parents until I find a job and place to live. Their house is only fenced on two sides. One of the sides borders the neighbors house and my dog likes to go into her yard. I've never worried about it before because he's not destructive, and I've only been home for a weekend at a time a couple of times a year. He also has access to the road, even though he's been trained to stay out of it.

I don't have the option of a real fence. And I will not shock my dog under any circumstances. He is far to well behaved to deserve that.

So... my questions:
Are their any invisible or hidden fences that do not use an electric shock?

What are some other options that people use when they can't fence their yard?

One of my main concerns is that my family will be letting Marley outside as well as myself, and they won't always have the time to walk him.

[opokki]

Originally Posted by Marley

Are their any invisible or hidden fences that do not use an electric shock?

Yes, there is an invisible fence that uses a citronella collar rather than an e-collar. I have no clue how effective they are but I believe they are much cheaper than electronic fences.

What are some other options that people use when they can't fence their yard?

- tie outs
- cheaper self-installed fences (such as: http://bestfriendfence.com/)
- temperary make-shift fence (latus, chicken wire, ect.)
- invisible fences (electronic, citronella)

Of course, some of these might not be a safe, secure option if the dog is left outside unattended. Depending on your situation, one of the above might work.

[zimandtakandgrrandmimi]

a zip line and a stout harness might be a bit safer than a tie out...less tangling and choking risk if done right. put one up with a nice ventilated doggie house off the ground with a big bucket of water, a ball and a nice chew or two. you could also fix him up a kennel or a run...cheaper than a whole fenced in yard...you could combine the run with a zipline/harness set up fairly safely with a little thought...

[lovemygreys]

If only someone could invent something that would somehow, in some way, keep the dog attached to the human via some sort of long line.

Oh wait, I think they're called leashes.

I don't see the problem just keeping your dog on a leash. Before you let your dog roam onto other people's yard, I'd get their permission if you haven't already done so.

One of my main concerns is that my family will be letting Marley outside as well as myself, and they won't always have the time to walk him.

This baffles me. Do you mean they would just open the door and let him outside to roam unsupervised? If they can't be bothered to take the time to walk him safely on a leash, then why bother. It's YOUR dog anyway, so that responsibility should fall to you - esp if you have a family that wont' have time to keep him safely on a leash.

[melgrj7]

I would get a trolley dog tie out. You run a cable over head, and it has a wheel thing on it, which you attach the dog to with an appropriate length tie (I think its usually 10 foot, but would depend on how high up the cable is).

[Marley]

I have not been able to find an invisible or hidden fence that uses a citronella collar. Does anyone know if they actually make one, or if the citronella is just for bark collars?