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Dog Training Tips - The Pros and Cons of Using Electronic Fences

Article Summary: Reveal the benefits and disadvantages of using electronic dog fences in your house. why and how it can be helpful and beneficial in the growth and training of your new dog.

Training your dog using electric fences is a decision to be taken only after serious consideration. Your dog will need to be equipped with a special collar that receives special signals from the electronic fence, or the 'E-fence'. The E-fence has special transmitters which are buried underground. If your dog travels too close to the electric fence, the transmitters will send a sign to the special collar on the dog. The collar will emit a beep, an unpleasant odor or a jolt to the dog, to discourage him form going too near the confines of the fence.

As some Home Owners Association rules and city ordinances do not allow for regular fences, an e-fence, though expensive, may be an option. For those with no back and front yard fences, an e-fence offers a solution if you want a dog, but are unable to establish a regular fence.

There are negatives that need to be considered though.

Dogs require thorough training in order for the e-fence to be successful, and it should not be used as a substitute for behavioral training. Dogs need to be taught to associate the deterrent with boundary limits. However, if this is not seen to, the e-fence would be ineffectual.

As they are an electrical device, they are not fool proof. They can be short circuited by electrical spike or lightning strikes, however these are not frequent occurrences, however disturbances like digging around the periphery can result in issues as well. When an e-fence is first installed, flags are used to mark the boundary, but are usually removed once the dog is trained. If they are left in place, they can be knocked or dragged away by lawnmowers and children, amongst other things. There is a chance that they could cut or wound when they are extracted.

Should your dog persist despite the discouragement received from the collar, it will learn that there is no actual boundary and will be less willing to stay within the specified periphery.

Electric jolts are seen by detractors to be a form of abuse and an adverse method of gaining the desired response from your pet.

Your decision regarding an e-fence needs to be evaluated according to your situation. If kept entirely indoors except for when leashed, a dogs' need to run is denied, resulting in an unhappy and maladjusted pet. This situation can be resolved with access to a dog park, however, not may are lucky enough to have a dog pak in their vicinity, so it could remain an issue.

A standard height fence might seem to be the solution, but large dogs are often able to leap over these, and this can cause punctures and scrapes from chain link and wooden fence tops. Though the wound may be minor, a dogs' tendency to bite or scratch at them can make the injury worse, meaning a trip to the vet is required. Depending on the circumstances, an e-fence may be the safer option.

As dogs come from different living arrangements, have unique character traits and training methods used on them, different situations call for different approaches, and there is no standard procedure that can be used across the board by dog owners. Instead, the requirements of each situation need to be considered and enough information gathered so that you can make an informed choice.

If you decide an e-fence is the best solution for your situation, you need to be ready to disable the fence if it turns out that instead of benefiting your dog, it is doing more damage.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
Moses Wright
Moses Wright is a dog lover and loves to help new dog owners deal with their pet dog problems at home. You can find more free pet dog training problems, tips and guide on his site.