The Invisible Fence Collar

I personally have never used invisible fencing or any kind of electrical training device with any of the dogs I have owned.  This is not because I feel there is anything wrong with them, but fortunately for me and my pets, none of my dogs have ever been prone to running away or acting out when given the opportunity. 

This is largely due to the intensive training that takes place within the first 18 months of puppyhood when the dog is first introduced to its new settings.  Dogs, much like people, are very impressionable early in their lives and you can lay down ground rules that will affect the animal the rest of their lives.  I find this to be preferable to other means and although it is far more work and time consuming, it allows for greater bonding with the dog and the opportunity to establish my dominance in the context of the “pack” mentality that dictates dogs’ behavior in every situation.

Contrary to popular belief, it is actually not very difficult to train a dog. This is even truer if they are a puppy. Actually, puppies are the best types of dogs to train. They are much more responsive to training. You just simply need to create your behavior goals and remain focused on them. This also means being very consistent in whatever actions you are taking. If you are doing potty training, make sure that you are taking the little one outside at the same times every day. Do this for just two or three weeks and your puppy will be potty trained. The same thing is true for any wanted or unwanted behavior, although some will happen either quicker or slower.

The wonderful thing about training dogs and what makes it so rewarding is that they are very predictable and respond well to repetition and consistency when it comes to progressing socially and behaviorally.  As long as you consistently respond to a specific behavior with a specific response, the dog will learn what illicit a positive or negative consequence and quickly learns to adjust their behavior accordingly.  Invisible fencing and shock collars in general are a derivative of this training concept and simply serve as an automated response mechanism to reinforce behavior.  It is clear that they can be effective, but they also rely heavily on the human element which there is no substitute for.

I think this human element is something which many people do not take seriously enough. It is always preferable if a dog can be trained to stay inside the yard naturally, rather than having to take extra methods. Personally, I think that using items like these, especially the shock collars may be a bit cruel. Then again, they are certainly very effective, for obvious reasons. Additionally, they work pretty quickly. If you were a dog, how many times do you think it would take getting shocked to figure out not to do that anymore?

The other variation of fencing systems that are most common in the open market operate under the same concept, but do so in a much different way.  As opposed to the presence of an electrical signal causing the collar to deliver a shock (when the animal comes within close proximity of the transmitting wire), the absence of a signal coming from a central source will cause the collar to release the electrical charge through the electrodes.

In this scenario, there is a centrally-located and stationary transmitter device that gives off a signal within a predetermined radius around the area.  Should the animal wearing the collar leave the designated space and therefore the transmitted signal, the collar will lose the signal and be triggered to deliver the negative reinforcement to the animal via electrical shock.  These systems are generally much less costly and easier to install than the hard-wired systems mentioned before, as those systems involve the connection and burying of wire.  This is an especially attractive option for the modern do-it-yourselfer and the budget conscious pet owner but it also does have its limitations. 

The major issue or limitation of the central transmitter invisible fencing system is that it cannot be customized to fit the entire area of a person’s property where they would like to confine their animal or animals.  Whereas most people have yards or spaces that are irregular in shape, the central transmitter version of the invisible fencing system only provides a circular radius that the animal can roam within.  This generally means that certain parts of the individual’s property will be cut off from the animal or the radius will potentially extend into areas where the animal is not wanted to venture.  This can be particularly troublesome in densely populated neighborhoods where the radius may extend into a neighbor’s yard or even more dangerously, into a busy street or thoroughfare.  Still, this system is gaining in popularity because it is fairly easy to install and implement, without having the need to bury wire or hard-wire it into any electrical system.  There are even versions of this product that are semi-portable, and can be taken from location to location, and still operate largely the same.
 
Some may question the ethics of using electric shock collars for the purpose of either training animals or using them for invisible fencing systems.  The reason for this being that it, of course, can hurt the animal and by some may be considered inhumane.  However, this method of animal control and training has literally been around now for decades and has been a consistently proven method for training and containing animals in a variety of settings.  If used properly, and the animal is sufficiently trained at the outset of using the system, then minimal pain need be inflicted on the family pet until it either learns the desired behavior or where the owner-defined boundaries are located.

I'm not sure if invisible fencing is necessary for all pet families.  The invisible fence collar and the whole subset of invisible fence technology has been around for quite some time now and remains one of the more intriguing and controversial pet-training systems to this day. There are a few variations now of how the invisible fence and the electric-shock collar can be installed and implemented, but the fact remains that there are few, if any, other mass-marketed systems that utilize modern technology like the invisible fencing system does.  In comparison to typical hard-barrier fences, leashes, or pens, it is a far more advanced concept regarding animal control and pet care, but it is not without its problems.

The first and most prevalent type of invisible fencing system actually involves the placement of wire around the desired pet-containment area.  This wire is usually buried and then marked with flags or pins to indicate where the area and its boundaries are located.  This wire is then attached to an electrical transmitter that sends a signal to an electrified collar which is placed on the animal. The collar itself picks up the signal from the wire buried underground and if the animal comes too near the wired boundary area, the collar will receive a signal indicating it to release a charge via electrodes to the cat or dog.  This provides the animal with a negative reinforcement message that tells them that they have come too close to the boundary area and should retreat back into the safe area.  Eventually, the goal is for the animal to automatically know where it is allowed to roam and where it is not.  It will no longer try to press in to the area where it is not allowed and will no longer need the negative reinforcement of the electrical shock. 

The problem with this system is that installation can be very expensive, time consuming, and subject to outside environmental disturbances that can potentially affect the system and compromise its effectiveness.  Generally, most companies that sell invisible fencing will also install it for a fee and they will also provide maintenance or repair should it be necessary.  All of this costs money of course, and in addition to the equipment, the total bill for a traditional invisible fencing system can be quite large.  There is also the option to install it yourself, but the process of digging trenches to bury the wire and making sure that the circuit is continuously connected can be arduous and difficult.  The is obviously the benefit of saving cost on the install, but then should the equipment be under warranty; the warranty may not cover faulty installation and support for the system may be lacking.  Still, this can be cheaper than installing hard-barrier fencing and can provide aesthetic value as well.