Best non-harmful alternatives to electric dog fences

Electric fences (AKA invisible fences or underground fences) are one of the harshest methods of teaching your dog to stay in the yard. The negative consequences of this training method also double as incentives for dog owners to choose non-harmful alternatives to electric dog fences.

If you’ve never had experience with an electronic containment system for dogs for use with a collar receiver, it is important to understand how this system works. When the dog approaches the fence and attempts to cross it, an electric circuit shocks and deters him from continuing to go near it.

Electric dog fences, similarly to dog shock training collars, have been receiving some heat from dog owners as of late. But in reality, many trainers and experts have advocated the use of these shock collars on dogs as long as you purchase a high quality collar and learn how to use it properly. This is key in ensuring that your pet will never be harmed.

Eventually, it becomes more psychological, he associates crossing that certain point with an electric shock, and he begins to learn to stay away from the line made by the fence.

Electric fences for dogs go by many different names:

• Pet containment system
• In-ground dog fence
• Invisible fences for dogs
• Electronic pet fences
• Underground dog fences
• Radio signal fences for dogs

…and so on. All of these are the exact same thing – an electronic fence that works with the use of underground wires and has to be used with a shock collar on the dog.

Why should you consider non-harmful alternatives to electric dog fences?

First of all, an electric shock isn’t necessarily extremely painful, but it is not a pleasant experience either. Although it might not be completely horrible for your dog, it may scare them or cause them to become aggressive. In some places, these types of barrier devices have already been banned completely.

If your dog is already anxious or tense, an electric collar may worsen that. It could cause your dog’s anxiety level to skyrocket, or turn him into a skittish pet that is always scared and distressed.

“It’s a myth that [electronic fences] provide dogs with more freedom. In fact, these devices violate three of five freedoms that define adequate welfare for animals: Freedom from pain, injury, and disease- freedom to express normal behavior- freedom from fear and distress.” – Karen Overall, Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats, 2013.

Typically dogs who leave the yard are chasing or following something. If your dog is shocked while trying to escape the yard for this reason, he may develop fear or aggression that is aimed at what he believes is the source of the shock. When in the backyard, dogs may see kids riding by on bicycles, the mailman delivering the daily post, or the dog next door. You don’t want your pets to associate these kinds of things with the shock they are experiencing.