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Is Your Dog’s Collar Too Loose?

Believe it or not, your dog may know more about your hidden fence than you do. Something as small as a slightly loose collar can make or break how well your fence is working, and your dog knows it. The collar needs to be snug on your dogs’ neck so the prongs can do their job and alert your dog when they are getting close to the fence line. If not, all your dog is going to receive for crossing the line is a slight noise, and not the safe stimulation, or correction, that would normally keep them safely inside your yard. This level of tightness will vary depending on your dog. For some dogs, it may need to be a little tighter due to thicker fur, extra skin or any other number of differences in your dog.

How does this make your dog know more about your fence than you do? They are actively wearing the collar and testing the boundary lines. When the collar starts to get loose, which it will, they start to test how far they can go without getting corrected inside of the containment system. What should you do about this to stay one up on your dog and make sure they are still safe in your yard? Test the collar weekly to make sure it is still snug on your dogs’ neck.

Why Dogs Run Through Invisible Dog Fences

One of the questions we are frequently asked is “Can my dog get out of the hidden fence containment area?”  The answer is that if the initial training was done properly, this will rarely happen. If it does happen, it is usually for one of the following reasons. The first reason accounts for approximately 90% of all incidents.

  1. Loose collar – The contact posts on all hidden or “invisible” fence collars need to touch your dog’s skin in order to work. All quality containment systems give an audible (or vibration) warning to alert your dog that it is close to the containment boundary. The dog is trained to retreat when it hears (or feels) this warning. If the dog travels further, he will receive a mild but safe stimulation (also called a “correction”) from the receiver collar. Through a training program, your pet learns to recognize his fence boundaries and learns to stop at the warning signal. If your dog’s invisible fence collar is too loose, all you have is an expensive noise maker. It does not matter if your dog has just started using the hidden dog fence or if it has been on for years. If the collar is loose, the dog will figure it out eventually.
  2. Dead Battery – All DogWatch Hidden Fence receiver collars have a battery life of 1 to 2 years. Other “invisible” dog fence collars have batteries that need changing every 2-3 months, or worse, have a rechargeable battery. The more often you need to change or charge the battery, the higher the likelihood of having a dead battery, which in turn increases the chance that your fur baby will leave the yard. Making sure your hidden dog fence has a long battery life, plus an indicator to let you know when the battery is low, will greatly reduce the chance of your dog leaving their containment boundary.
  3. Lack of or improper training – Most reputable hidden dog fence companies include training with the installation. Not all companies are alike, however, when it comes to training, the most important part of the pet containment system. Just because a company offers a “certified trainer” does not mean that trainer has a lot of experience. There is no national, standardized certification program. A better indicator is how long the company has been in business and, more importantly, what other customers have to say about the training that is provided. Most quality hidden fence companies offer free training assistance for a year and some kind of a performance guarantee. The training should also include the pet owner who has a responsibility to continue the prescribed training instruction. With good training and follow through from the pet owner, most dogs will learn to stay in the yard. Always keep your pet containment provider informed of any difficulties your might be experiencing and do not be afraid to ask for help. If your provider is not willing to help or wants to charge you a fee to help, then they are not the right company for you.
  4. Faulty equipment – Your dog’s fence collar goes through a lot of wear and tear. Even expensive, high quality equipment can stop working. The most reliable way to ensure this does not happen is to regularly check to make sure the collar is functioning properly. Your hidden fence provider should provide you with the means to easily test your equipment. Also, make sure your pet’s receiver comes with a true Lifetime Warranty. Read the small print.

As long as you keep your pet’s containment collar nice and snug, make sure the receiver is functioning, the battery is fresh and you follow through with the training prescribed by your hidden fence provider there should be no reason why your fur baby would leave the safety of your yard.

 

What is the process to get a hidden fence installed?


People often ask us, “how do I go about getting an invisible fence installed?”. We can easily answer that question by showing the steps that you’ll need to go through:

1. Call, e-mail, submit a contact form from our website, or message us on Facebook to get a free estimate. We will ask you about your yard (size and features), how many dogs you have and what breed(s) they are and what problems you are trying to solve, either indoors or outdoors.

2. We will then either set up a free in-yard estimate over the phone or provide you with a rough over the phone quote based on the answers given above.

3. After the estimate is received, we give you time to think it over. We NEVER use any sort of high pressure sales tactics. We generally follow up with a phone call and/or an e-mail. Full disclosure, if the weather was especially rotten when you received your estimate (namely January and most of February) you may get another follow up come Spring.

4. Give us a call or shoot us an e-mail when you’ve decided you’re ready to have a fence installed. We’ll get a mutually agreed upon date on the calendar. Installations generally take 4-5 hours in most cases and are completed in one day. A week to a couple of days before the installation OUPS (Ohio Utilities Protection) will come out to mark your property for underground lines.

5. On your installation day, our technician will do a quick walk through your yard with you to verify exactly where you want the wire. You may discuss landscape features, property lines, utilities boxes, etc. He’ll also go over the placement of the transmitter in your garage, basement, laundry room, etc.

6. After the wire is buried in your yard, the white flags are placed and the transmitter is mounted in the yard, the tech will take your dog through the first day of training. Our entire training schedule can be viewed on our website.

7. After training is complete, he will collect payment, make sure the yard looks as neat and tidy as it was when we arrived and he’ll be on his way. If you have further questions or would like further training sessions simply call the office at 614-527-3799 or e-mail us at info@dogwatchofcolumbus.com.

We do our best to make the process run as smoothly as possible. If you’ve ever wondered if an underground fence is right for you, we’d love to help you learn more about how your dog can safely and freely roam your yard or how to solve any indoor issues you might have.

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