The Dangers Of An Electric Dog FenceHere's my problem. Yes all these things will work in some instances, but the risk of injury or adverse behavioral side effects can be greater than the benefits. I have seen dogs become visious, show aggression toward their family, self-mutilation from hobbles and even die from hanging. Electric shock fencing works like this. An electric shock is emitted from the dogs collar to his throat if the pet crosses a wire around the perimeter of an area. This perimeter is initially marked with obvious clues to show the dog where he should not go. The procedure requires some time and effort to set up, and can be expensive considering the electronics involved. Again, you will find manufacturers of and users of an electric dog fence claiming they have succes with this method. They are right. But there are serious drawbacks for the safety of the dog and even trespassers. These dangers should be considered carefully before you make the decision to get an electric fense. There may even be legal consequences if a passerby should be injured. There is also a chances that a frustrated, electronically confined aggressive dog can redirect his anger and frustration on his family. Also, aggressive strays or malicious people are free to harass or attack an electrically confined dog, thus subjecting your dog to even more stress. It's also possible that your pet may associate the pain and frustration of an electric fence with passersby, and that includes children. If the pet feels aggressive towards outsiders and they happen to cross the property line, the results could be unfortunate for everyone involved. Finally, electric shock has definately been shown to induce acute stres in dogs. And like in humans, stress has side effects. These can be both psychological and physical, especially on the immune system. Those are the reasons I don't like electric dog fences. Yes they can be effective, but please consider the factors mentioned before making your final decision. You may feel that you have no other alternative, so let me quickly wrap this up by giving you a few. Of course not all will be practical for your situation. To keep your dog from fence jumping, it is sometimes effective to erect an inner fence to interfere with your dogs approach to the barrier. In some cases (certainly not all), an inner fence of only 30 inches can be effective. If the dog climbs the main barrier, an inner slanting overhang can be installed along the top of the wall. You can also save the expense of raising the wall by digging sunken gardens around the inside perimeter. These dry moats interrupt the dog's approach and effectively raise the height of the wall without any additional fencing. Those are just a few possibilities that should be considered as you also consider an electric fence.
Back To Dog Articles
|
