An invisible fence (or electric, hidden or underground fence) keeps pets inside an invisible boundary via electronic underground wires that send signals to a receiver on the pet's collar.
Typical costs:
Invisible pet fence kits that pet owners install themselves are available at pet stores and websites like radiofence.com[1] and discount-pet-superstore.com[2] , and will cost from $100 to $350.
A professionally installed invisible pet fence can be $850 to $1,500. Brands include PetStop[3] and DogWatch[4] . Advantages can include customized installation, training for the dog and training techniques for the owner. Some companies, like Invisible Fence[5] , also customize the receiver collar, so that it emits a stronger or weaker shock depending on the dog's size, age and temperament.
Here's how electric fences work: a wire is placed under or on top of the ground around the perimeter of the area the pet needs to be kept inside. The pet -- usually a dog, but this works for cats as well -- wears a "receiver" collar that responds to the signal sent by a transmitter corresponding with the wire. If the pet gets too close to the wire, it receives a "correction," typically in the form of a small electric shock similar to a static burst.
Invisible fences are considered a training enhancement tool, not a "dog sitter."
Electric fence kits include a transmitter, a receiver, an adjustable collar, extra receiver probes, 500 feet of boundary wire, splice caps, boundary flags (to help with training) and a manual that covers installation and a dog training guide. Some kits also come with an installation and training video. The commercial site DogFenceDIY.com[6] provides a detailed description on how to install an invisible pet fence kit. Professionally installed systems typically include all of the above, plus training for the dog and/or owner.
Additional costs:
Additional collars for additional dogs cost between $55 and $130.
A do-it-yourself kit may not include enough wire. Additional wire costs between $23 and $70 depending on length (usually between 500 and 1,000 feet) and durability.
The collar battery will last between three months and a year depending on how often the pet "challenges" the system. Batteries cost between $5 and $15 through online pet stores like discount-pet-superstore.com[7]
Since electric fences conduct currents of electricity, they attract lightning, although this is uncommon. If living in an area with frequent thunderstorms, consider buying a lightning protector. These cost between $35 and $55.
Shopping for an invisible fence:
Keep in mind that an invisible fence doesn't keep other dogs, animals or people out of the yard. The commercial site Dog-Fence-Guide.com[8] provides an overview and links to reviews of various invisible fence products.
There is some debate online over the ethics of administering even light electric shocks to pets. Some feel any negative or painful training is wrong; others feel it's safe and necessary. DoggyBehave.com explains why good training is necessary.
Visit HealthyPet.com[9] for a list of electric fence pros and cons.
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Havahart has been deceiving customers into thinking they are on the brink of releasing a custom-shape wireless invisible fence for MONTHS. What a marketing ploy! In October 2010 they claimed it would be released in December 2010. Every month they move the release date up a month and it never gets released. For all we know, they're YEARS from releasing it, so go on and buy a radial wireless invisible fence from one of their competitors. That's what we're doing.
I first purchased a Havahart invisible wired fence for $70 at Lowes and spent about 2 hours setting it up only to find my water table was too low for it to work. The grounding rod provided was only 2 feet long. I called their 800 number and talked to a very helpful real person who said I need to try a 6 foot grounding rod. How does one pound a 6 foot piece of rebar into hard ground? I never got it to work. Keep in mind you need to run a power cord to where the base is set up. I ended up a PetSafe wireless fence collar at PetSmart and it works great! It cost around $220 on sale plus I had to buy and extra collar (2 dogs). Only complaint is the batteries don't last long and it's a specialized battery, not a standard watch battery.
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