mamapjama Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I have always been opposed to "shock" collars, but I'm to the point that I am seriously considering a wireless fence. My dog is SO fixated on my chickens that he is not trainable in any other areas while we are outside. Can't play ball with the kids, can't learn recall outside etc. So I'm considering a Petsafe Wireless Fence. If you have one, how long do the batteries last? I've read reviews that said they don't last long and are rarther expensive. I see they have a new Play and Stay system that recharges the collar, but I don't think it is selling in Canada yet. I'm wondering if I should hold out for that, or buy the regular, which is on sale at Amazon.ca now. Any opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jryanbass Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We have used them. The batteries on ours never died and we used it for over a year. What type of dog do you have? We used it for our dauschaund, and I will say, she was SO stubborn that it ended up burning her neck. She would run through it anyway, and it would just keep shocking her. We ended up giving her away because we were afraid she would get hurt. She was running thorugh the pet safe, digging OUT of our 6 ft privacy fence, and roaming the neighborhood. I was afraid my 7lb dog was gonna get hit by a car when we weren't home. :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 It is so hard when they are determined to do something! He is a border collie/poodle mix but we got him from the SPCA and he looks identical to a Portugese Water dog. So we aren't 100% sure. The moment he is outside he is fixated on the coop. He has been around them while they were free ranging a couple of times, and he didn't eat them but he did stress them out. I'm hoping a wireless fence will keep him back of the coop and if he wants to run circles there it won't bother them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Hey There, Just a side note, if used properly I have no problem with shock collars. BUT, first... have you worked on recall away from your yard? First with a really long line attached to a pinch collar, you let them run from you and then call "come" and give just a small "pinch". They come back to you, and you have them do a "sit" in front of you. (That's so if you're calling for their safety, they don't run right past you... say... into the street) Then after this, when they have it down very well, you move to doing it in a bit more of a location that is tempting, working up to doing it... while still on leash... at your place. Always giving them a small bit of a treat when they come back to you. (And you have to work on getting it so they think that you are their world! Don't feed for at least 2 hrs or so before you do training) Then, if you are going to do a shock collar for them, you really need to do it with a trainer. By the end of the time, it will have saved you money and health, to have someone work with you. Just my 2 cents :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted August 7, 2011 Author Share Posted August 7, 2011 Thanks Carrie, Yes, I have worked on his reacall in various locations. In the house I can almost whisper COME and he comes tearing. Outside he looks only at the coop. I have also worked hard on his LOOK command. Again in the house no problem. I started just outside the door and wanting to get closer and closer to the coop but he just cannot focus on me. I have brought out the "Big Guns" for treats - peanut butter, cheese, junkie dog treats and nothing. He cannot focus on me for more than two seconds. I have been trying for months. As he is now 1 1/2 I'm thinking that I need to do something now or will have to deal with this forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.MacGyver Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Honestly, I think these fences work great, but it really depends on the dog. We had a beagle and 4 acres of (electric) fenced yard with ponds and creeks, yet he was so fixated on chasing deer that he never cared about the fence (and we had it on the highest level with the strongest collar. We eventually gave him away because the hunters in our area would have shot him if they saw him going after the deer... Now, our Rottie and our Golden mix would never cross the line unless one of us was being attacked or something. When their batteries run out I don't even notice half of the time because they still won't cross the line. Oh, and we have the big collars (for "stubborn" dogs) that use a 9-volt battery, and they last a long time for us because the dogs rarely even make them beep. The smaller collars have a special battery and we used to run through those more frequently, and yes, they were more expensive over the long haul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 I have one and LOVE it! My dog is a lab/chow/shepherd mix and she's let deer run not 15 ft from her and just watches them go 'cause they're on the other side of the line. It took no time at all to train her to stay within the boundaries... she won't even attempt to cross the wire for hot dog or a cat. I also have the stubborn dog one. I got it in April and haven't needed to replace the battery yet. It's still using the one I put in for flag placement and training so it got "tested" quite a bit. I also only have it on the lowest shock setting possible. I might even reset it to vibration only since she doesn't ever get close enough to make it beep anymore. About the Stay & Play... you really need to read a lot of reviews about it before you buy. Everything I read says it doesn't transmit through metal. So, if you have a metal roof or storage bldg the signal won't go through it, and the collar will think your dog has left the safe area and start giving a correction. Also, they need level ground to work properly. Any high or low spots in your yard will cause the safe area to change dimensions almost randomly. A good place to research is dog fence diy. They have reviews of just about every system and videos on training and possible layouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We used to have one and it worked great for my smart dog and not so great with my not so smart dog. He has impulse control issues. He tried to be a good dog, but oooooh!!!! A bunny!!!! He would run through the fence every time, get shocked, and jump around in circles around the "line" not knowing how to make it stop. Eventually, the shocking stops on it's own and he would always run past it. I'm not saying your dog is stupid like mine, but I don't think they are the best choice for dogs with impulse control issues and fixations. The dog has to want to stay in his area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.MacGyver Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 We used to have one and it worked great for my smart dog and not so great with my not so smart dog. He has impulse control issues. He tried to be a good dog, but oooooh!!!! A bunny!!!! He would run through the fence every time, get shocked, and jump around in circles around the "line" not knowing how to make it stop. Eventually, the shocking stops on it's own and he would always run past it. I'm not saying your dog is stupid like mine, but I don't think they are the best choice for dogs with impulse control issues and fixations. The dog has to want to stay in his area. This is very true. We babysat a Golden for a few months this year who, shall we say, is not the sharpest tack in the bucket, and he would literally stand on top of the line getting shocked as if he actually enjoyed it or something (with the stubborn dog collar set on high). Then he would just wander on over it. Dh said that maybe he just had us all snowed - he was really a genius and knew he could run down the battery fast that way...:confused: I felt so bad for him that I actually started chaining him up a few hours a day so that he would take a break from it. Luckily, he is home with his people now. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 This is very true. We babysat a Golden for a few months this year who, shall we say, is not the sharpest tack in the bucket, and he would literally stand on top of the line getting shocked as if he actually enjoyed it or something (with the stubborn dog collar set on high). Then he would just wander on over it. Dh said that maybe he just had us all snowed - he was really a genius and knew he could run down the battery fast that way...:confused: I felt so bad for him that I actually started chaining him up a few hours a day so that he would take a break from it. Luckily, he is home with his people now. :) When I read that, my first thought was that the prongs weren't in contact with his skin properly. Was he a long-haired Golden? Also, you have to train them to stay within the fence for several weeks before you let them off leash or unattended. That way, they don't know the static will stop if they keep going... you never let them go that far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.MacGyver Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 When I read that, my first thought was that the prongs weren't in contact with his skin properly. Was he a long-haired Golden? Also, you have to train them to stay within the fence for several weeks before you let them off leash or unattended. That way, they don't know the static will stop if they keep going... you never let them go that far. Yes, he was a long-haired Golden, but we trimmed up his neck and made sure the prongs were properly situated and the collar tight enough. Plus, yes we trained him for almost two weeks, walking the line on the leash, watching him, correcting him, etc. He would still do it. Sometimes he would just stand over the line for a while and then back away, sometimes he would go ahead and cross over. And it was always at the same spots. He never crossed over to go roaming around the neighborhood or to chase critters. It was only to get to the kids who were playing in another part of the property. So, yeah, I think your point about dogs with impulse control problems or who are not so smart sometimes have issues with the fences. This dog would rather pay the consequences for what he wanted rather than just stay within the boundaries like my other "smarter" dogs. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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