chickenpatty Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 We live in the middle of five acres, which is a lot for us, but only takes my dog a few seconds to wander off of. I really would like for her to be out there with us without having to be on the leash. (A fence is not possible.) Can this happen? She is a good dog, but she is such a dingbat about not coming back to us when we call her! Any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 What breed of dog? Some are just bred to track and wander and will not stay.Ours are trained to stay, but we always have puppies and start training first thing. They just naturally pick it up from being with us. When we use dogs for hunting we use a tracking collar that beeps to let them know to come back to us. Some shock collars have this option and you could use that (but not the shock part) you could start by training her to come to the beep indoors and then progress to the yard, beeping when she gets to where you want her stop and return to you. I think our collars have a a 2 to 3 mile radius so it would work. You just have to be consistent and train her to come to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted August 12, 2011 Author Share Posted August 12, 2011 She's a lab/hound mix (we think). She has an amazing nose & as soon as she gets a chance, she tracks down our chickens' hidden nests & eats all the eggs. My kids & I search for days & never find those nests, but she goes right to them. Anyway... I will look into the collars, thank you! I really want her to learn to stay with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 The hound part is your problem. We were able to train all of our dogs using the invisible fencing system (the wire goes around the perimeter of your yard and the dog wears a collar that shocks him when he approaches the wire). Granted, we had to buy the "stubborn dog" version of the collar to drive the point home. Unfortunately, they learned quickly that all they have to do is run quickly through the boundary and once they got through, they're free! It took a long time but our prior dogs learned. Then we got the coonhound. Her nose is insatiable. She cannot deny its commands. With her, we've been completely unable to keep her in the yard; she runs through the boundary and "yips" (they're sensitive dogs) but then keeps running. What we’ve settled with is this: We bought a “remote trainer” – ($160 on amazon.com) and periodically call her. If she’s in the yard and comes when we call, we praise her. “Good girl, yard!” If she’s not in the yard, I’ll “beep” her remotely (it’s just a sound) and call her, waiting a few seconds. Then I’ll shock her on Level 1 and call her, waiting a few seconds and then repeating. If I still can’t hear/see her coming, I’ll call her again and shock her on Level 2. At that point, I’ll usually hear her “yip” and know she’s on her way back to the yard. Then I praise her for coming. It only has a 400' range so I can't let her wander too long or she'll be out of range. Unfortunately, hounds are slaves to their nose; they’re bred specifically to ignore all outside stimulus and pursue the quarry. If mine is actively pursuing something (which is often, since she considers everything – mice, chipmunks, etc. – fair game!), I can shock her until she’s yelping and she won’t stop. This is the best solution we’ve been able to find. There is, however, a system that works in the opposite way. The base station sends out a signal that BLOCKS the shock. When the dog moves beyond that signal, he receives shock until he moves back into range of the signal. The downside of this system is, last I knew, it had a very small signal range (~ 100 feet, if I recall). They may have improved their range since then, though. I also wonder what would happen in the event of a power outage! Good luck, please be patient; know that the hound in your dog is whispering in her ear, commands that overpower what you’re trying to teach her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 serious time and patience could possibly pay off, but with hounds, you can rarely trust them fully. I have a beagle and we could never really trust her off leash. It's not what they were bred for. She gets out occasionally and runs around to the neighboring pastures to 'perfume' herself...disgusting. But we did found that the more we chased her, the longer she stayed away. Now if she gets outs, she's back within 15-20 min...I think the little hoover is afraid she'll miss a meal! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 ...to 'perfume' herself...disgusting. ...:tongue_smilie: Our Reba comes home pretty fragrant herself. Unfortunately it's not the fresh country scent of cow/horse manure; usually it's a dead old petrified animal she finds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 The nose will win with a hound! Interesting on the shock collar ideas, I will remember that. I have a Great Pyrenees pup that is still learning his boundries. We've thought about an underground fence for him too-there is a DIY version that isn't too expensive. We have set up a temporary electric fence with just odds and ends and tape, set at his level, and he respects it. It's not expensive nor permanent nor difficult to put up so it might work as long as it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Using the beep on the shock collars is the same as an invisible fence without the zap and can be used anywhere. We use it on our hounds and labs and it works wonderfully. Some dogs ignore the beep though especially hunting dogs because of their drive. We have had success with our lab pets though. With a hound/lab mix it will be a little difficult to train, especially since you are not starting as a puppy, but with the beep method even if your dog wanders a little ways it can be trained to come back. Coon dogs travel for miles while tracking a coon and that is their mission in life, but can be trained to come to the beeps. It doesnt work 100% and some dogs train better than others but its a great option and cheaper than an invisible fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 My mom who used to train dogs told me to do this with my lab: Put the dog on a long leash and take lots of treats. Walk the perimeter of your yard and allow the dog to cross the boundary line, when he does yank the leash hard and say no in a firm voice. When the dog is within your yard praise him and feed him the yummy treats(something they normally wouldn't be allowed to eat is even better, like hot dogs). Repetition is key and it will take time but it doesn't cost much and your not torturing the dog with the shock collar :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 ... Repetition is key and it will take time but it doesn't cost much and your not torturing the dog with the shock collar :001_huh: Excuse me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Here we go... lol You can smash a dog's windpipe with a leash/collar, also. Shock collars used correctly are very effective and not a torture treatment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 When the options are tying the dog up, or letting them run out and be hit by a car, I hardly think shock collars are torture. In addition, nobody's doing it for fun, or to get information out of the animal. Sheesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBP Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 This wireless fence is what worked for us. It will not give you five acres of coverage, though, or anything close to that. I think it's about a half acre, but I have heard of someone using two boxes to extend the coverage. The things we like about it are: 1) no wires to bury, 2) we can take it with us when we travel or if we ever move, 3) the dog can't just jump across the wire. If she leaves the range of the box, it will keep correcting her until she comes back. Our dog trained on it in one day, and years later she still won't cross that line in the yard. We consider it some of the best money we've ever spent. Good luck finding a solution that works for you! SBP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 (edited) This wireless fence is what worked for us. It will not give you five acres of coverage, though, or anything close to that... I think it depends on the transmitter...and the wire - I think ours said it was good up to 4 acres. ETA: SBP, I apologize! I'm reading on my phone and assumed you were talking about the standard invisible fencing system. This is indeed the one I was thinking of--and might just work for the OP! But again if she's got a hound it may or may not work for the OP. Seriously, until you've seen "the nose" in action, it's hard to believe! If you do go with the wireless fence and don't bury it (ours is outside of our "grass" yard in the woods, so we laid the wire on the ground and nature is burying it for us), I'd suggest going with the black "commercial" wire, not the flimsy red wire that comes with it. Untold times we've had to spend hours finding the spot where a deer or something has broken our wire. The black wire is very heavy and I doubt anything would easily break it; we haven't had a problem since. Edited August 12, 2011 by bbkaren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Nothing will work if it is a hound. Nothing. Fence in a small area for the dog to play in, not the whole 5 acres. And realize it just isn't going to work. Not in any kind of You can trust it for sure way. Not once a deer dashes by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Not...Not in any kind of You can trust it for sure way. Not once a deer dashes by. Or in Reba's case, a mouse...or a chipmunk...or a cat...or a squirrel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Here we go... lol You can smash a dog's windpipe with a leash/collar, also. Shock collars used correctly are very effective and not a torture treatment... Okay, you gave your opinion and I gave mine, lol....so here we go again.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 or to get information out of the animal. Sheesh. :lol::lol::lol: I had shock collars, too. Not torture. That line cracked me up, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 When the options are tying the dog up, or letting them run out and be hit by a car, I hardly think shock collars are torture. In addition, nobody's doing it for fun, or to get information out of the animal. Sheesh. Sheesh to you too! You have your opinion and I have mine...gee thank god its a free world right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Nothing will work if it is a hound. Nothing. Fence in a small area for the dog to play in, not the whole 5 acres. And realize it just isn't going to work. Not in any kind of You can trust it for sure way. Not once a deer dashes by. I've a Basset hound wannabe. The only thing that brings him back is if I can get meat out of the fridge before he gets to the end of the driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 We had a beagle that wouldn't leave the property as long as he had that collar on. We did have to zap once at the beginning because he was going to get to the highway. I ALWAYS beep right before I shock and they get the idea very fast. My husband zapped himself with the collar on medium and he said its uncomfortable, but doesn't really hurt. The shock is our last-minute-save-their-life type thing. Its not fun, but its not harmful if used correctly and rarely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 ...Its not fun, but its not harmful if used correctly and rarely. I've done the same thing. Triggered the transmitter with the receiver in my hand lol. Duh! It's like walking across the rug and touching the TV screen in winter. Annoying but no big deal. But, if I knew that would happen if I don't come when called, I'd hightail it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 The nose will win with a hound! Interesting on the shock collar ideas, I will remember that. I have a Great Pyrenees pup that is still learning his boundries. We've thought about an underground fence for him too-there is a DIY version that isn't too expensive. We have set up a temporary electric fence with just odds and ends and tape, set at his level, and he respects it. It's not expensive nor permanent nor difficult to put up so it might work as long as it's there. They make wireless fences now, too. You plug in the base in your house and set the perimeter & they wear a collar that will beep when they get near the edge, then it will shock them if they get to the set perimeter. My bil has one & his dogs have learned how far they can go pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyinND Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 This wireless fence is what worked for us. It will not give you five acres of coverage, though, or anything close to that. I think it's about a half acre, but I have heard of someone using two boxes to extend the coverage. The things we like about it are: 1) no wires to bury, 2) we can take it with us when we travel or if we ever move, 3) the dog can't just jump across the wire. If she leaves the range of the box, it will keep correcting her until she comes back. Our dog trained on it in one day, and years later she still won't cross that line in the yard. We consider it some of the best money we've ever spent. Good luck finding a solution that works for you! SBP Whoops! I guess I didn't read through all the replies before I posted mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingnlearning Posted August 13, 2011 Share Posted August 13, 2011 This is the fence we were looking at-covers up to 100 acres for $240. http://www.dogfencediy.com/reviews/review-sportdog/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.