Underground Fence Problem

[katkins1985]

We have an Australian Shepard who is about 1 year old. He has a shock collar that is set to the highest setting. The fence is always on yet he continues to run through it daily. How can I get him to stop running through the underground fence? If we are home he will stay but when we leave and come back he is gone. We also have a great dane and she stays home. Please let me know if you have any solutions. If I can't fix the problem then we may have to get rid of him.

[KOPsBecks]

Hey,

Possibly contact the manufacturers of the Shock Collar and see if they have a solution to this, I am not very familiar with the collars and underground fences. The only option I can think of if the collar is not working is maybe settign up a long lead run for your dog so that they cannot escape?

Becks

[LetsPlay]

Hi there,
I really, really don't like underground electric fences. The reason is that there is no visible boundary for a dog, so it's very hard for a dog to understand. Some dogs develop traumas, because they walk along and suddenly they get a shock, some are scared of grass after that because they think that's what gave them the shock. I know some people don't want to have a fence, but then perhaps they should reconsider having a dog.

As a dog owner you need to make sure that your dog is safe. If your dog runs away during the day you need to find out why he is doing it. Is he distressed or bored? Do you have a fenced area where you can keep him? Can you get a neighbor to check on him? Can you take him with you?

Have you considered building a fence or at least a small fenced area? Even if you just mark the underground fence with a washing line or a wire to start with it might help. Also you will need to teach your dog why he is getting shocks if you continue to use the underground fence. If he has never been taught what the deal is, it's no wonder he escapes.

Let me know if you want to have some guidelines on how to teach a dog to accept boundaries.

If it is not possible for you to work out a solution perhaps it is best if you find someone who can take care of your dog.

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I think everyone needs to understand that having a dog is a big responsibility and requires work and sacrifices.

All the best!
John

[nevrenufanimals]

We tried one of the underground fences many years ago with our then 4 yr old 100 lb labrador retriever. We have a fenced in backyard for him (1 acre in back) but the meter readers, etc would somehow always let him out when we were gone. (he actually watched for them, and if they did not secure the gate, he would push it open, and then go!) He didn't go anywhere, but he liked to "escort" walkers down the road ( very little traffic) , which scared people cause he was so big and friendly! He would just walk with them, and their dogs too!

We took the time to teach him the boundaries, the flags were lined up across the front yard from gate to gate in case he got out. We put him on a long leash, and worked with him to know where to stop. OUrs actually had a beep which let him know he was in the danger zone.

After all that, it took ten minutes for him to decide that the buzz wasn't that bad. He actually backed up a few feet, and then charged through the shock zone so fast he probably didn't feel it! So much for the fence and all our hours of work!! I think the collar just didn't have enough "shock" for such a big dog. Since he pretty much stayed in our front yard or driveway if he got out, we just quit worrying about it.
It worked great on my 20 lb one. He wouldn't get near those flags/border once trained.