Underground Dog Fences Help!

tacotanker27 · 05-26-2008, 07:04 PM

I own a chow-mastif mix that is about a year and a half old. He's very territorial and likes to wonder so we purchased a Guardian Underground Dog Fence to try to keep him in our yard, but he's having some problems. I set up the fence and gave him about an acre of yard to roam in and put the collar on him and let him loose and first thing he did was run straight through the shock. Well I brought him back and this time he just got close to it and then I showed him that if he turned back he wouldn't get shocked any more. It worked well when I was walking him around the yard, but now all he does is sit in one spot afraid to move. Anyone know a way to get him moving? I've tried throwing tennis balls and putting treats in the yard and he just doesn't move. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TooneyDogs · 05-26-2008, 08:10 PM

He's not moving because he has no idea where the safe zones are and the hot zones are. He might know that at your side is safe but, when you're not at his side he doesn't have a clue. Didn't Guardian include instructions on the perimeter training, flags, etc?

zimandtakandgrrandmimi · 05-26-2008, 08:25 PM

IMO and experience, underground fences are an iffy thing.

it depends on the dog.

for instance an underground fence will not stop a high drive dog. there is a lab named moose in my neighborhood who repeatedly runs out of the fence past the point where the collar is effective.

and you wouldn't believe the number of dogs that get picked up by AC wearing the underground fence collars..

i've met one dog who wouldn't respond to perimeter training and so on and became so terrified of moving around in the yard even after the U fence was gone that they had to move.

I pick up a stray named levi wearing a U fence collar. turns out everytime there is a loud noise like thunder or whatever, he tears out of the yard and doesn't stop running till he collapses. you think they would get the picture but izve picked him up six times....

i've met dogs that it worked for but i've met more that it did not work for.

be careful.

Pai · 05-26-2008, 08:48 PM

Maybe putting up a visual line (like a brightly colored cord) along the borders will help him learn the boundaries?

tacotanker27 · 05-26-2008, 10:20 PM

I bought the kit second hand and it didn't come with the training DVD or flags. I can pick up some of the flags, but the wire is bright red and he should be able to see it. The unit came with a dial to change the distance from the wire it should start shocking. What strength should I use for a 60 pound dog? He's already ran through it at seven, but at ten it cuts his running room in half.

Durbkat · 05-26-2008, 10:35 PM

How about you install a real fence or put him on a tie out when he is outside?

TooneyDogs · 05-26-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacotanker27

He's already ran through it at seven, but at ten it cuts his running room in half.

Now I'm getting confused....I thought he wasn't moving at all....was just sitting in one spot and that was what you were trying to fix. I got the impression he was scared to death to move. At that level of fear you could have the unit turned off and just the sight of the red wire would make him immobile. Which, BTW, explains his extreme fear...the shock must have been tremendous...the wire is supposed to be buried below ground.

IslandMutts · 05-27-2008, 01:23 AM

please stop using it until you've *at least* read the instructions.

you could be creating all kinds of issues for your dog. if he won't move, even for his favorite things, he is really stressed.

can you contact the manufacturer for a guide on how to use their product? sometimes you can even find user manuals for things online. you definitely need a visual barrier, something raised from the ground. it would be best if you had a dog trainer come to your house to help you set it up and implement it.

tacotanker27 · 05-27-2008, 10:38 AM

Ill set up some flags for him and see if that helps. Last night he saw a cat and ran straight through the fence at level 7 so I'm starting to think he's too stubborn for this to work...

IslandMutts · 05-27-2008, 11:28 AM

your dog isn't "too stubborn". he just doesn't understand it. using electric fences requires that you train the dog. it's not something that you can just throw down in your yard, put the shock collar on, and let him figure it out for himself.

i searched for "guardian underground dog fence" and was directed here: http://www.petsafeprofessional.com/home/ not sure if it's the same as what you have...

Be careful if you insist on continuing to use this product without consulting a professional. Electric shock is a powerful stimulus when it comes to learning... Unfortunately, it seems like your dog is not learning to stay in the yard, but to have fears, which could quickly turn into aggression or anxiety if you don't stop right now.

zimandtakandgrrandmimi · 05-27-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacotanker27

Ill set up some flags for him and see if that helps. Last night he saw a cat and ran straight through the fence at level 7 so I'm starting to think he's too stubborn for this to work...

it's not stubborness. drive is exactly what it sounds like. the dog is driven to act a certain way in a certain situation. you can encourage and discourge drives if done carefully.

talk to a trainer.

a thought though. U fences will keep your dog in but what about keeping other dogs, kids, cats, etc out?

bullydogmom · 05-27-2008, 10:35 PM

There is a method to training dogs to underground fences. Walking the perimeter w/ the flags up and the current off is one way I've heard to start.
And while I hope it works how you'd like it to work, remember a few things. First, like mentioned previously, is how much drive your dog has, i.e. how much he wants something (cat, you, car, food) beyond the line and whether the shock is worth it. But you don't want the thing turned way up so he doesn't want to move at all. Second is that it will NOT keep anything else out. Which could be bad if another dog comes into your yard and attacks him. Being a chow, he's probly not going to back down and therefore could not only be trying to defend himself and his property, but getting shocked at the same time and end up hurt very badly. Lastly is that you need to remember the underground fence is no guarantee someone won't come into your yard and remove the collar while you aren't there. That would allow him to simply take off and thats never a good thing. And there is a prime example of this from a client of mine. He had the whole set up and assumed that b/c the dogs were there all the time and never left the yard that he could go on vacation for a week and just have someone come over to feed them. Needless to say they were gone within two days and not seen again. He put up a chain link fence for the next dog.

good luck!

zimandtakandgrrandmimi · 05-27-2008, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bullydogmom

There is a method to training dogs to underground fences. Walking the perimeter w/ the flags up and the current off is one way I've heard to start.
And while I hope it works how you'd like it to work, remember a few things. First, like mentioned previously, is how much drive your dog has, i.e. how much he wants something (cat, you, car, food) beyond the line and whether the shock is worth it. But you don't want the thing turned way up so he doesn't want to move at all. Second is that it will NOT keep anything else out. Which could be bad if another dog comes into your yard and attacks him. Being a chow, he's probly not going to back down and therefore could not only be trying to defend himself and his property, but getting shocked at the same time and end up hurt very badly. Lastly is that you need to remember the underground fence is no guarantee someone won't come into your yard and remove the collar while you aren't there. That would allow him to simply take off and thats never a good thing. And there is a prime example of this from a client of mine. He had the whole set up and assumed that b/c the dogs were there all the time and never left the yard that he could go on vacation for a week and just have someone come over to feed them. Needless to say they were gone within two days and not seen again. He put up a chain link fence for the next dog.

good luck!

or kids can wander in to mess with your dog. I read a news article where a kid got attacked by dog behind a U fence when the kid ran onto the property to mess with the dog. kid and dog are dead. owner narrowly escaped some deep legal doodoo.

like I said.

be careful.

melgrj7 · 05-27-2008, 11:40 PM

You can't just put the collar on the dog and let em go, you need to TRAIN the dog how to react properly to the fence. The dog has no idea why it is being shocked, you need to teach it.

Another note, I know many, many people who have bought electric fences, I only know of 2 dogs that it actually worked for, and many people who were p'oed about wasting a good bit of money. When I was little one of our dogs constantly climbed out of our yard (which had a 5' chain link fence). My parents bought an invisible fence system, did all the training for it an everything. It didn't work, Tramp still got out. They then got a 6' privacy fence and that kept him in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacotanker27

I own a chow-mastif mix that is about a year and a half old. He's very territorial and likes to wonder so we purchased a Guardian Underground Dog Fence to try to keep him in our yard, but he's having some problems. I set up the fence and gave him about an acre of yard to roam in and put the collar on him and let him loose and first thing he did was run straight through the shock. Well I brought him back and this time he just got close to it and then I showed him that if he turned back he wouldn't get shocked any more. It worked well when I was walking him around the yard, but now all he does is sit in one spot afraid to move. Anyone know a way to get him moving? I've tried throwing tennis balls and putting treats in the yard and he just doesn't move. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

agility collie mom · 05-28-2008, 06:28 AM

Hi,
I have an invisible fence. Works wonderful. You have to train boundaries. You can buy the flags at most big box lumber yards. Set them at 2 foot intervals. Just the wire is not enough, your dog probably can't see it. (Red against a green background) With the dog on the leash walk your boundaries. Fence is off at this point. When dog approaches flag pull back dog with a firm no. Plenty of praise when dog is in the safety zone. (Inside fence). Do this for at least three days. Next turn the fence on. Usually the collar comes with training probes. You need to use these. Now repeat above step with flags on leash, dog will hear the warning tone. Do this for a week every day. Now comes the hard part. Change to working probes. With the dog on the leash allow dog to cross boundary. Dog gets shocked you pull back to safety zone. This is to teach the dog that inside the fence is the safety zone. You should begin to see that your dog doesn't want to be near the flags. Next put your dog on a long line. Have people distract on the other side of the boundary. Stop dog from crossing as with the leash. This is your distant work. Once you think that your dog can be trusted to not cross the boundary, take dog off leash but, stay in the yard with the dog. Do not leave unsupervised at this point. If dog stays in yard you will now begin to remove every other flag every three days. One more thing. Make sure that the probes are making contact with the skin. If your dog is long haired, clipping a small patch where the probe sits will insure contact. My dog ran through the fence once but, that was because my daughter loosened the collar and the probes were not making contact. Hope this helps. One more thing the batteries lose charge quickly when you are training. So check your collar often for dead batteries. My collars are rechargeable there is a warning light for when the batteries are getting low.