Is Invisible Fencing the Best Protection for Your Dog?
If you are a dog owner whose canine friend has access to the great outdoors, the safety of your treasured animal companion can be a constant concern. You worry that if he leaves the protected environment of your yard he might become lost, stolen, or be hit by a car. At the same time, you would like him to be able to go outside, to be free to frolic in the sun chasing birds and squirrels in the area near your home. You don’t want him to be stuck inside all of the time, nor do you want to put him in one of those horrible pound-style cages that so many people who have outdoor dogs choose to use.
Putting up a fence is the obvious answer. This way Nathan can enjoy the scenery while cavorting in the safety of your (hopefully spacious) front or back yard. However, fences made from metal, wire or wood can be expensive and unattractive, and they often require a lot of work to clean, repair and maintain. Because of this, many people in this situation turn to invisible fencing, which has been advertised as a cheaper, more convenient alternative to the traditional fence.
Invisible fencing, for those who don’t know, is a wire buried underground that connects via radio signal to a special collar worn by your dog. When Nathan comes close to the invisible fence line, an audio warning signal is sent out. If Nathan is feeling adventurous and continues to move forward, when he passes over the wire he will receive a sudden electrical shock, letting him know that it is time to retreat. The manufacturers of invisible fencing are quick to claim that this shock causes the dog no pain; but it is a shock, how can it possibly work if it does not cause some kind of unpleasant sensation? So there is certainly pain, albeit temporary and not physically disabling. But for many dog owners, invisible fencing can seem like the perfect alternative because it is hidden from sight and relatively inexpensive.
However, you should never lose sight of the fact that invisible fencing works through the use of pain. Nathan is supposedly a beloved member of your family; and yet you are planning to use a method of behavioral training that involves the intentional infliction of suffering. It may in fact be relatively mild, but even that assumption is somewhat questionable because we really do not know for sure how other species experience pain.
Even beyond this unpleasant fact, there are other problems with the invisible fencing concept. It is well known by dog trainers that a dog will always associate punishment or pain with whatever he was doing or whatever was happening immediately before receiving the shock. So if a dog moves to the fence in response to friendly calls from a neighbor, for example, he may come to associate the shock with that particular person, or with being called by humans generally. There are even some dog aficionados who claim to have encountered canines with grass phobias based on their experiences at home with invisible fencing. Needless to say, if Nathan develops of fear of walking on your lawn the outdoor experience you crave for him is going to turn into a nightmare.
In addition to this, there are some dogs who develop a tolerance for invisible fencing over time, learning to move past it despite the shocks. And if something causes Nathan to get so excited he runs across the fence some day despite the shock, he will then be trapped outside the fence line without any way to get back into your yard.
Is There an Alternative?
So what is the answer to your dilemma, if you are determined to keep your outdoor dog safe and secure from the threats of the outside world? Behavioral training is the best answer – dogs are very intelligent, and they can be effectively trained to do just about anything you want them to do as long as it does not cause them too much difficulty or hardship. A method recommended by experts to eliminate outdoor wandering involves walking the dog around the perimeter of your property on a leash. When he steps outside your pre-determined safety line, you can then use clearly communicated correcting signals to make sure he knows he has stepped into a no-dog zone. Eventually, you can walk him without a leash, using verbal commands to reinforce the desired behavior, which he will have already learned from your previous training.
Your determination to help Nathan enjoy the wonders of nature is admirable. But if you need to keep him safe, let your love and affection for him guide you to the best training methods available – those based on clear communication and positive reinforcement, not on the intentional infliction of pain.