Thread: electric collar boundary fence

Any recommendations for an electric collar boundary fence and time to train a dog to respect it.

I have my daughter coming to stay for a few weeks with her GSP who wanders off and isnt stock proof (yet) and we rent a place that doesn't have a fence, my dog doesn't wander and trust it 100% with stock.

As we are renting here only for a few more months I dont want to go to expense of fencing the yard so hoping an electric boundary fence will retain the escape artist and reduce the chance of a bullet....

Once she gets here we will start some training on stock proofing and boundary's and try to keep him chained up, but thinking might need an electric collar to fast track some of that training,

Also is there any recommendations for e-collar trainers in Nelson that could assist with stock proofing a high prey drive GSP? I haven't used an e-collar so dont want to fck the dog up...

Cheers FBD

the only issue with them is if the pooch blasts thru the fence, trying to com back "home" results in another wack as they go back thru it.
I think a chain might be the best option for a short term safe option.

Very good on ya. Used apropriately they are a fine tool. But you absoluetly need the basics trained first (STOP, and here)

If you can afford it, I don't think you'd lose much buying and maybe later selling a garmin "track and train" system. It does require you to have your finger on the trigger though.
On an alpha 100/200 unit you can program a distance alarm, and then you can set what corrections to give the dog (vibrate, tone or shock) and push the button.
At home I have a 60 meter and 80 meter radius set, When the handhelp beeps I can look and see where the dogs are and whether it needs my attention. Most of the time they'll go out to the boundary and come back, but if they're barking up the neighbours or they're going on the road they get a tune-up.
I would generally say never shock a dog that you can't see.

One mistake I think I made in training was that I called them back in on all three corrections (tone, vibrate, shock) whereas if I was doing it again Vibe would be "slow up" - but you have to remember when they're excited about something else they may not even feel it. Shock would be "stop" and tone would be "here"

I can't even feel the collar until level 3 (it goes to 18) and when the dogs are calm they will respond to that but I have had to wind it up to 9 once when my boy was scrappy. You'll have to see how sensitive the dog is to it, and remember when they're calm vs when the blood is up will be different.

The yanks seem keen on training retrivers with "continuous" shock - a low level shock from when they get the bird until they come back in to sit at heel. It seems effective and could possibly work for boundary training.

I have no experience with the buried-wire collar setups but I have heard that once a dog breaks over them, they're free, and probably less likely to break back in.

I also have a neighbour who bought a distance-based (chinese) shock collar for their bitch, but didn't spend any time training it, so it would come in to heel by me at the gate or driveway, but still be getting shocked. A collar used badly is probably worse than a wandering dog.

It's not a fast-track, the dog needs to understand the required behaviour first, a shock collar just extends the distance of your relationship/authority.
No point in yelling "get in" and shocking it while it's running down skittish sheep and ignoring you. Gotta remember you're never "punishing" a dog, only correcting them, and you should be attentive enough to head-off unwanted behaviours before they even happen.


In terms of training, I'd walk the thing on a leash around the boundary, let it sniff and mark, correct any attention it gives to stock. Even doing this daily or twice daily for a week could get the program.
As above if you're going to introduce a shock collar you really need to be watching it to make sure you're correcting the right behaviour at the right time and not confusing the dog.

if you cant get a collar for visit try 20 metres of a medium nylon rope - that will slow the bugger down and introduce some measure of control until you do the basic training it may need

A chain with a fence post at one end and the dog at the other is your best bet. Or book the mutt in to the local boarding kennels. An uncontrolled dog is a recipe for unhappiness - and its all so avoidable

another suggestion.

Tie a rope from one tree/post to another tree/post and clip your dog's 2m leash onto the rope.

Originally Posted by Snap 4T

another suggestion.

Tie a rope from one tree/post to another tree/post and clip your dog's 2m leash onto the rope.

Just be careful that the dog cannot hang themselves off a kennel or similar at the end of the lead.

called a zip line...post at each end of section...or staple into sold tree etc..strong cord or wire between them I got a staple welded onto short 6" length of pipe...thread pipe onto your main line and clip dogs lead onto the staple bit..dog has freedom to zip up n down line gets 2-3mtrs width and generally quite happy..agree make sure dog cant get hooked up..kennel at one end outside of lines path worked for me. same with water bowl.

Ive been told Im an old fart with out dated ideas...but I will walk dog on lead past sheep etc and the instant they look at sheep,tap goes the healing stick..over n over again..same lesson..you look,tap...dont look all is good,you look=tap my dogs learnt not even allowed to look at sheep.... now my current two dogs got different treatment as had my own sheep to acclimatise them to.... you should already have sit,come,get in behind and most important LEAVE IT down pat.....

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Just be careful that the dog cannot hang themselves off a kennel or similar at the end of the lead.

Didn't think of that, thanks for the heads up.
Yeah, my dog will find a way to tangle himself, regardless.

Put kennel do dog can get in it but not past it.same with water dish.

Had a look at an e-fence for the backyard (a part which can pratically be fenced off) here in central Auckland. Was quoted $2k, didn't bother to go to the home CFO. As Micky Duck suggested above ran an outdoor kennel with plastic coated wire long line ($30 from Mitre 10). Allowed dog to go to do business and stay in the kennel. Had to run garden hose over a section to stop it tangling with the kennel. Worked well until the viszla howl had my next door neighbour's (my mate - I'd taken him hunting a bit)... wife call the council instead of calling me. Bark collars and software like $400. Meh. So now he's inside every day, happy as larry.

Oh, is that a dog I hear howling up the drive that does so every time a fire truck comes past? Everyone in the neighbourhood laughs. Wonder if the neighbour is calling the council.

On running wires I put a clamp on the wire a chain length from the end, so they can't wrap the chain around the poles at each end

Thanks all,

Got him chained up when he is outside. Not a bad dog but his training is definitely lacking in a few areas (recall / stop etc) so spending a bit of time with the daughter and dog on a long line to get the fundamentals re-established. If they end up staying longer than a couple of weeks will set up the running wire/chain which I have used in the past on other dogs.

Took him past some sheep yesterday and he shows plenty of interest so working on the classic verbal avoidance training, as his recall isnt even close in high distraction environments, it will all be on a long line until we get that sorted.

We did get 100% avoidance on a dead (road kill) possum after 10 mins so he is biddable.

Cheers

now a trick many shepherds will use with an unruly pup is to use the short chain and clip thats on their collar to clip them to another well behaved dog.
if the GSP decides to hoon off after sheep,whistle stop your well behaved dog (whos belly doesnt look fat at all) and the GSP wont get far dragging it along... works for recall to as the gsp just has to follow.
tucking one foot into collar slows them down a heap too,but dont do it for long and be sure to swap feet.