The Truth About Invisible Fences
If an invisible fence is harmful to a pet, why did over one million pet owners purchase one in the past 12 months? There must be a reason for the popularity.
Why the popularity? These pet containment systems have become much more affordable, and pet owners are finding them to be a safe, effective way to keep their pets contained in the yard.
The more dog fences that are purchased, more unfavorable opinions are formed. Some say they make dogs aggressive. Other claim they don’t work and that they cause pain and will injure your pet. All of these claims are untrue since there is not any information to prove them. Recent studied are beginning to shed new light on the effectiveness and safety of invisible fencing.
Recently, one of the major manufacturers of invisible fences retained an independent laboratory to compare the level of correction produced by a pet containment system collar to the shock produced by other common circumstances and devices. The evaluation demonstrated that the “shock” produced by a containment system is nowhere near the intensity that some people believe. The “shock” produced by the containment system is nearly 40% less that than that one would receive from walking on carpet. Further, this study demonstrates that the training “shock” is one-fourth the level of a cattle fence and one-twentieth the level of a stun gun, two devices to which electronic training equipment is often unfairly compared.
But even this study tells only half the story. It compared the voltage put out by these devices…the intensity. You also need to consider the duration. Reputable brands of electronic training equipment correct for only a short period of time. The brand that has the UL mark of approval on its receiver features a correction that lasts only 1/4 of a second — less time than it takes the average person to snap their fingers.
But what this study does demonstrate is that not all “shock” is the same. And that the correction in question is not “painful,” “powerful” or even “uncomfortable.”
If you choose a product that supplies you with the necessary training materials you will greatly increase your chances of success when attempting to improve your dog’s behavior. To help demonstrate this fact let’s look at a survey that was recently completed by a leading manufacturer of electronic training equipment.
This company surveyed 1,025 dog owners who had been using an underground or wireless dog fence for at least 90 days. The most significant findings came as the result of asking the pet owner the following question, “Since using the electronic training product how would you describe your pet’s overall behavior?” The owner was asked to respond with one of the following: a) better behaved (and specifically how), b) no change in behavior or c) worse behaved (and specifically how).
The results are staggering. Slightly over 2/3 (860 of 1,025 dog owners) responded that their dogs overall behavior had in fact improved since using the pet containment system. Reasons that these dogs would show an overall improvement in their behavior would include that the owners used the equipment correctly. Correct use includes spending a significant amount of time working with and socializing with your dog. When a dog receives an increase in time and attention, his behavior will usually change for the better.
Another misconception about the use of invisible fences was debunked - that they cause dogs to act aggressively. Not one dog owner purchased the fence for the purpose of eliminating aggressive behavior. Surprisingly, about 12% found that a positive side effect of using the equipment was that their dog was no longer exhibiting occasional aggressive behavior that it had in the past. Of the owners claiming that their dog’s behavior was worse in some way since using the equipment, none reported that their dog had become aggressive.
If you are considering an invisible fence for your pet, I hope this article has been helpful to you. You should not hesitate to get one for your pet since all reputable companies offer money-back guarantees if the equipment does not work for you and your pet.
Learn more about Invisible Fence. Stop by www.RadioFence.com where you can find the best Pet Supplies.