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2. Set your boundary wide. My flyball dog has timed out traveling at a rate of about 21 ft/second, and that includes a ball retrieve & 180 degree turn in the middle. (So he's really going faster than 21 ft/second.) If you have your boundary set to 5' or 10' wide, that means a well-muscled athletic large dog barreling after a bird or bunny will be getting a correction for less than 1/4 second before he's through your fence. Hardly enough for it to register with their brain, much less give them time for their legs to stop. Then once they're out, they can't get back in without getting a shock. We've had good success setting ours at 30' wide. 3. Put your collar on your dog every time he goes out into the yard. Check the batteries monthly. Hogan has been on this system since 1999. He still checks to see if his collar is working every single time he goes out into the yard. He will most certainly leave if he can. 4. This isn't the fencing system to have if there are people wandering into or near your yard. Trust your dog all you like, but don't ever trust people you don't know well. It sometimes only takes one really bad experience to turn your sweet dog into a mistrustful one, and kids in particular can be creative with rocks, firecrackers, etc etc. Protect your dog from them. Put a real fence up. 5. Yes, with proper training, this system works fine with both of my German Shorthaired Pointers and my Jack Russell Terrier. 6. It has not harmed the hunting dog's prey drive one iota. 7. We have the PetSafe Radio Fence Deluxe, purchased from Fleet Farm. We installed it ourselves, and it covers 2 acres just fine. It works even when there's a couple feet of snow on the ground. We do, however, unplug it in thunderstorms. We've lost a system before to a lightening strike. We also have not buried all of the fencing - we like the flexibility of just moving the wires to keep the dogs out of the garden, etc. The portion we have buried has not broken since it was installed. The unburied portion will break every 6 months or so. Usually it involves some small critter chewing through it. 8. Don't leave your dog outside in an electronically fenced yard while you're gone. Too many things could happen. I have had batteries unexpectedly fail - must have gotten an old package at the local Shopko. I have also had collars come off - don't ask me how in the world that happened. Thunderstorms can turn the system off, and breaks in the line can/do occur. It only takes one car to end your dog's life - keep them inside when you're not home to keep an eye out for them. 9. The normal-strength collar has been more than sufficient for both Hogan (GSP) & Keifer (JRT). It did not work at all with Saxon - he didn't seem to even notice it was on him. They do offer a stronger collar with variable settings, which worked great for us at about 1/2 strength. 10. Have my dogs gotten out of this fencing? Yes, Hogan has gotten out 3 times since it was installed. While no fencing is failsafe (dogs can dig under, jump over, or find a hole through conventional fencing) this system in particular is a training tool to be used under supervision, not a safe & secure place for you to leave your pet! 11. We do not have a problem with the dogs getting shocks from TV's or other indoor appliances. We have had some issues with the warning beep going off when they get too close to vehicles or large metal objects (i.e. an outside dog kennel, the LP tank). 12. Your dog needs to be at least 6 months old before it's trained in on this system. Good luck on your decision! |
