Being a dog owner can be fun and rewarding, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility when it comes to keeping them safe and confined to an area – you always know where they are because they are not going to run away and get lost.
The obvious choice is to have a secure fence to confine your dog to a specific area, for example, your backyard. However, for some dog owners, this may not be possible for many reasons.
This article will look at training your dog to stay within a specified area using an electric invisible dog fence, sometimes referred to as a hidden pet fence.
In a hurry and just want to buy one of the most popular Invisible dog fences on Amazon?
Check this listing out: PetSafe Stubborn Dog In-Ground Pet Fence for Dogs and Cats
because Amazon has a great range of competitively priced invisible fence brands.
adogtrainingcourse.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that if you buy something on Amazon.com after clicking a link on this website, I might receive a small commission at not extra cost to you.
What is an Invisible Fence
An invisible fence uses wires buried in the ground along the perimeter or boundary of where you want the dog confined. A transmitter sends a signal to a collar worn by the dog.
The collar generates a static signal when the dog tries to cross the wire, and the dog learns not to cross the invisible fence line – more on training the dog to do this below.
An invisible fence teaches your dogs to respect boundaries and helps them keep in a safe space when you’re not here to watch them. Or as mentioned above, where there is no physical fence or barrier to confine the dog.
What is the Difference Between a Physical Fence and an Invisible Fence?
A physical fence confines a dog in a specific area using a physical barrier, such as a block wall, wire, wooden fence, or other buildings.
One of the advantages of a secure physical fence is that you do not need to train your dog to stay within the boundaries – note, I did say secure physical fence.
An existing physical fence is also less expensive than installing an invisible fence system, which can cost hundreds of dollars.
An invisible fence is ideally suited to areas where there is no space to put a physical barrier, or it is impractical to do so for other reasons.
You can also think of an invisible fence as an imaginary boundary for your dog.
An invisible fence is also safer and more secure than a physical fence because a dog may dig a hole to escape or jump up and over a physical wall to run away. Whereas the signal from the buried wire from an invisible fence goes up and down.
True story: I have a neighbor with two dogs, one of whom always managed to find a way to escape the property. That was until they installed an invisible fence along the boundary wall.
So if you have a Houdini dog, you may want to consider an Invisible fence.
How to Train Your Dog With an Invisible Fence
Following are the steps to train your dog with an invisible fence. The whole process takes time, but it is worth it. Once you have installed the fence and trained your dog, you can stop worrying about your dog’s safety.
Install the invisible fence boundary
Firstly, establish the boundary line where you want to bury the wire and check for underground utilities before you start digging. You don’t want to dig up or cut through a phone line or power cable, especially one that belongs to a neighbor.
Bury the wire, following the manufacturers’ instructions, and replace the turf – in most situations, you will hardly notice where you buried the wire. However, for training purposes, mark the boundary line with something so your dog can recognize it easily, like a rope or small flags.
Once you install the wire on the boundary line, put the transmitter collar on your dog’s neck and turn it on. Keep it on the beep mode first, so it won’t disrupt your dog during the training process.
Walk Your Dog Alongside the Boundary of the Invisible Fence
Put your dog on a leash and walk it alongside the boundary. This way, your dog will get to know where the border is and can recognize it.
If your dog tries to violate the boundary line, the collar will produce a beep. Pull the dog back inside the boundary and reset the beep function. Repeat this process until your dog acknowledges the beep signal and learns what it means.
Use the Static Charge
Once your dog has learned where the boundary is, turn on the static charge on the dog collar and keep it at the lowest setting.
Continue to walk your dog along the fence line; if it tries to breach the boundary line, it will receive a static charge of mild intensity.
Your dog will learn to recognize the signal and not want to cross the line. And remember, the charge status is mild and harmless to the dog.
Test Your Dog With Distractions
It might take a few days or up to a week, but eventually, your dog will learn that crossing the invisible boundary generates a mild static charge and will learn to respect the invisible barrier.
Once you think your dog has learned to respect the invisible fence, you can start testing your dog by tempting them to the other side of the boundary.
For example, another dog or your dog’s favorite toy; you can also use some treats and see if your dog crosses the boundary line. If your dog crosses the boundary, it indicates that you need to train your dog for more time.
Remove the Leash of Your Dog
Now remove the leash and let your dog move freely on the ground. It will tell you how much your dog has learned and how much more you need to train your dog.
If the dog crosses the boundary again, put it on a leash and start the training again.
Related article: Leash Training A Dog in Less Than 4 Minutes
Use Treats for Further Training of Your Dog
Put treats on the other side of the boundary and keep the goodies in your pockets. The treats in your pocket should be more appealing than those on the other side of the border. Observe your dog; if it goes for the goodies on the other side of the fence, pull it back, and if it does not go to the treats, reward it with the ones in your pocket.
Related article: Homemade Dog Treats Are Cost-Effective, Quick and Easy to Make
Repeat the Training Again and Again
Keep the training on schedule and make it consistent. Consistency is the key to the success of your dog training. With time, replace the treats with affection and love so your dog does not get greedy and follow the orders for a treat.
Keep an Eye on Your Dog
Once you have trained your dog thoroughly, we suggest you keep an eye on your dog for the next few days.
Keep playing with your dog on the ground and let it get near the boundaries. Keep the beeping system off and see if your dog crosses the fence.
Change the static charge level from mild to the highest that your dog can not bear, but it should not be too high to hurt your dog.
Congratulations! You now know how to train your dog to use an invisible fence.
FAQs:
Q1. How long does a dog need to be trained for an invisible fence?
The level of intelligence varies from breed to breed and dog to dog. Some dogs learn things more quickly than others.
A dog needs at least two weeks to train for an invisible fence, but some dogs require more than 14 days to learn the invisible boundary. Try not to hassle anything. Training takes time, and dogs learn things slowly. But once you have done this, all your worries about your dog’s safety will be gone.
Q2: How much does an invisible fence for a dog cost?
The exact price of the wire and transmitter varies for every brand and depends on the area you want to cover. I suggest that you use some of the links included in this article to explore and research the options on Amazon – compare brands and prices.
PetSafe Stay & Play Compact Wireless Fence for Dogs & Cats, Covers Up to 3/4 Acre (Amazon link)
Secondary question: Is Invisible Fence worth it? In my opinion, yes, an electric dog fence is worth it, IF you don’t have a physical fence to contain your dog in a confined and safe area.
Q3.At what age should you start training your puppy for a wireless invisible fence?
Dogs usually start to learn things at six weeks of age, and it’s the right time to start training for invisible fences. Also, the training age for every pet is different. Of course, you can teach invisible fence training to your adult dog, too but teaching the dog when it is young is an easy task.
Q4. Does invisible fence training require a dog trainer?
Yes and No. If you have the time and follow the instructions above or the manufacturers’ guidelines, you should be able to train your dog. But if your dog is stubborn, you may need to call an experienced dog trainer.
Some people do this job alone, but if you are facing difficulties in doing so, there are many training centers for dogs that provide expert trainers to train your dogs. Also, if you are busy your whole day and cannot take some time out daily, you should go for the option of dog trainers because this process requires consistency and daily effort.
Underground Dog Fence Collar – For Stubborn Dogs (Amazon link)
Q5. Is the Invisible Fence cruel to dogs??
No. If installed and used correctly, there is no harm to your dog. An invisible fence cannot hurt your dog because it does not use sharp objects. It only uses a static charge that keeps your dog inside the fence line.
However, you should monitor the static charge on the collar to check that the setting is right for your dog. It should not be too high that it can cause damage to your dog. Every fence has adjustable settings through which you can adjust the static charges on your dog’s collar.
Q6. How does an invisible fence work?
An invisible fence usually works with an underground wire attached to the transmitter. Whenever the dog is near the boundary and tries to breach the boundary line, the transmitter sends a signal to the collar worn by the dog.
The dog receives a beep signal of a frequency heard by the dog. If the dog continues to breach the fence boundary, a static charge is released by the collar that makes the dog get inside the boundary line. It does not hurt the dog.
Conclusion
Invisible dog fences are popular with dog owners because they are more secure and not likely to be jumped over by dogs.
An invisible fence can be expensive but is more reliable than a conventional one. In addition, it psychologically trains the dog to stay in the allowed area.
Once you have installed an invisible dog fence, ensure that the fence is working correctly. Check the invisible fence now and then to make sure it is working properly.
Remember, training is an essential part of making the invisible fence work. It can take a few weeks to train your dog, but eventually, they get used to it.
adogtrainingcourse.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means that if you buy something on Amazon.com after clicking a link on this website, I might receive a small commission at not extra cost to you.