The electric dog fence is an innovation to dog fencing that has been introduced recently. With this type of fencing, no one needs to spend a large amount of money in concrete or steel and on human labor just to put up a fence that a dog will jump over or dig through after a while.
What’s This Technology About?
Instead of using a physical barrier, the electric fence instead uses radio signals and electric stimulation to try and teach the dog that his freedom to walk around is limited only to inside the property. It is mainly a training tool to instill into the dog’s mind the limits of his walking freedom.
First, the system is composed of three components. The first one is the radio wire, which is buried in the ground and forms the perimeter that limits your dog’s movement. This radio wire is used as a sort of trip wire or a trap, if you may.
The second component is the boundary flag. The flag is what is used to give the dog a reference of how far his walking freedom is limited to.
Third, and the last component, is the receiver collar. It works just like any ordinary dog collar; it is tied around the dog’s neck. The only difference is that it has contact points capable of transmitting an electric pulse which is called a “static correction” if he tries to overstep his bounds.
How Does It Work?
The wire senses if the dog tries to exceed the limits. If it does, it sends a warning tone to try and get the canine’s attention that he is about to overstep his limits. If he insists of doing so, the system will then send a static correction that will stimulate the dog to some extent.
The boundary flag is used as visual reference that the dog can associate himself with. It works the same as treats do when you are training your dog a new trick: repeatedly giving him treats for a job well done will cause him to associate doing a trick with additional treats thus motivating him to follow your commands more. That is how dogs should be trained, and is followed by a lot of dog trainers around the world.
Each time the dog goes past a boundary flag, the electric fence system will trigger the static correction. Repeated experience and exposures to the static correction will discipline the dog and teach him to associate exceeding the boundary–and his limits–to the uncomfortable feeling of the static correction.
Is It Safe?
All of us love our dogs, and, even if we want to discipline them, we don’t want to hurt them. The creators of the electric dog fence have put that into consideration. The voltage that the dog is subjected to is very small, and is in fact meant only to remind him of his excesses. It is not painful enough to cause injury and even cause the dog to live in fear. You are not, after all, intending to punish him but only to capture his attention.
