[Smgs1992]

So i just bought a new house and will be moving probably in october(contingency contract house hits the market this weekend)
Anyway i have 2 dogs a german shepherd and a labrador. I’m not worried about the GSD at all but the lab has a tendency to wander off and get herself into shenanigans.
So i’ll need some sort of fencing. I’ll be moving into a neighborhood with 2 acre lots for size reference.
Looking for suggestions and personal experience. Obviously fencing is gonna be expensive for 2 acres but if invisible fences are hit or miss i’d rather avoid them but i dont know anyone who’s used them.

[wcr3d]

Do you mean INVISIBLE fence?
Electric fence is probably not allowed.
:-)

[super51fan]

It depends on the dog. If either dog has a tendency to chase another animal or gets freighted by something, then a jolt of electricity isn't going to stop them from leaving the yard. And depending on the fence, it may be difficult for them to reenter the yard after they have left. Also, some dogs can get frustrated with the fence because they see something they want and can't do anything about it.

I would go with a traditional fence if I were in your shoes.

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by wcr3d

Do you mean INVISIBLE fence?
Electric fence is probably not allowed.
:-)

Yes hahaha i’m quite tired

[eluded]

Build the wall

[2000cs]

With that acreage you probably don’t have a HOA or other restriction on fencing, but should check to be sure.

With invisible fence you don’t have to do the whole lot - just the area where you want the dogs to stay. It does take some training time but once the dogs get it, it works pretty well. It won’t work in a power outage unless you have battery back up. Being invisible, it keeps your view open. It does not prevent other critters from getting in your yard, which might frustrate your dogs if they are chasers.

Traditional fencing is more expensive and you’re probably going to want to fence the perimeter to maintain your view. If your dogs are jumpers, or you get a lot of deer, you might need 6 feet or higher (my lab won’t go over 3 feet because she’s lazy). There are a lot of fencing options, though, and some would allow you to fence less and maintain the view somewhat. Fencing requires at least some maintenance, probably adds to resale value.

We used a long rope with a collar clip on one end, staked in the yard for a long time. One dog only else they tangle, no trees in the range of the rope for the same reason. That bought time before we decided which fencing to use.

[CTinline-six]

I have this:

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/pet-...ainment-system


Used it for my border collie and a golden retriever. The border collie is smarter and will test the system which gives a beep when they get too close, the golden the fence could be off and he wouldn't even realize it.

[M_Six]

The neighborhood across the way from us has 20 homes on acre+lots. Some have more land. At least 15 of those homes have dogs. All have invisible fences. I have never seen any of the dogs outside their yards, and we walk a route through that neighborhood twice a day. Some of the dogs come charging up to the edge of the property snorting and snarling and barking, but they always stop short of the property line. I'd say the invisible fencing is pretty damn effective.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by M_Six

The neighborhood across the way from us has 20 homes on acre+lots. Some have more land. At least 15 of those homes have dogs. All have invisible fences. I have never seen any of the dogs outside their yards, and we walk a route through that neighborhood twice a day. Some of the dogs come charging up to the edge of the property snorting and snarling and barking, but they always stop short of the property line. I'd say the invisible fencing is pretty damn effective.

It's very effective, especially with proper training. Some of my neighbors have commented on how they think invisible fences are "torture" but I think it keeps the animal safe. Those same people are the ones whose dogs are running through everyone's yard, and I have to avoid them running in the street when driving to work...

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by 2000cs

With that acreage you probably don’t have a HOA or other restriction on fencing, but should check to be sure.

With invisible fence you don’t have to do the whole lot - just the area where you want the dogs to stay. It does take some training time but once the dogs get it, it works pretty well. It won’t work in a power outage unless you have battery back up. Being invisible, it keeps your view open. It does not prevent other critters from getting in your yard, which might frustrate your dogs if they are chasers.

Traditional fencing is more expensive and you’re probably going to want to fence the perimeter to maintain your view. If your dogs are jumpers, or you get a lot of deer, you might need 6 feet or higher (my lab won’t go over 3 feet because she’s lazy). There are a lot of fencing options, though, and some would allow you to fence less and maintain the view somewhat. Fencing requires at least some maintenance, probably adds to resale value.

We used a long rope with a collar clip on one end, staked in the yard for a long time. One dog only else they tangle, no trees in the range of the rope for the same reason. That bought time before we decided which fencing to use.

There is no HOA and as far as i am aware there is no restriction on fencing however i will look into that to make sure.
I have thought about other animals as the shepherd likes to chase squirrels. The lab is getting older now(9) so she doesnt chase animals much anymore. She definitely wouldnt jump the fence. The shepherd could if he wanted to but like i said he isnt the type to wander off i wouldnt even worry about a fence if it was just him.
I’m thinking post and rail fencing and metal screen as i find that style most appealing to the eye.

As far as training for an invisible fence did you guys with them train yourself or hire out a professional?
Is there any stakes or anything i would need to worry about as far as mowing?

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Smgs1992

There is no HOA and as far as i am aware there is no restriction on fencing however i will look into that to make sure.
I have thought about other animals as the shepherd likes to chase squirrels. The lab is getting older now(9) so she doesnt chase animals much anymore. She definitely wouldnt jump the fence. The shepherd could if he wanted to but like i said he isnt the type to wander off i wouldnt even worry about a fence if it was just him.
I’m thinking post and rail fencing and metal screen as i find that style most appealing to the eye.

As far as training for an invisible fence did you guys with them train yourself or hire out a professional?
Is there any stakes or anything i would need to worry about as far as mowing?

Self trained both of mine. It's pretty easy, and putting little flag markers where the fence is can give the dog a visual reference. Most systems have a collar that gives off a tone when the dog approaches the fence. It only takes one time for most dogs to realize the tone means they will get zapped soon.

[Murf993]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Self trained both of mine. It's pretty easy, and putting little flag markers where the fence is can give the dog a visual reference. Most systems have a collar that gives off a tone when the dog approaches the fence. It only takes one time for most dogs to realize the tone means they will get zapped soon.

I'm in a similar situation, we live on a small property in town with a fully fenced yard right now. We just made an offer on a 1.5 Acre waterfront property with no fence on it. We have a 4 month old Jack Russell who is already showing strong prey drive, I was thinking the invisible fence as an option for cost and ascetic reasons. He's smart so will train easily but I'm concerned that he will defeat it chasing the local tree rats. Thoughts?

[2000cs]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Self trained both of mine. It's pretty easy, and putting little flag markers where the fence is can give the dog a visual reference. Most systems have a collar that gives off a tone when the dog approaches the fence. It only takes one time for most dogs to realize the tone means they will get zapped soon.

Originally Posted by Murf993

I'm in a similar situation, we live on a small property in town with a fully fenced yard right now. We just made an offer on a 1.5 Acre waterfront property with no fence on it. We have a 4 month old Jack Russell who is already showing strong prey drive, I was thinking the invisible fence as an option for cost and ascetic reasons. He's smart so will train easily but I'm concerned that he will defeat it chasing the local tree rats. Thoughts?

The kits and professional installs all come with flags you put in the ground along the invisible fence line. The training is for your dog to learn that line - as they approach it they hear a tone, and if they get closer they get a zap. When we did ours, a long time ago (so they might be different now), we put our dog on a leash with the IF collar and walked her to the point of the tone, then gave her a firm “NO” and a tug back away from the line. All along the line, back and forth, for several days (she was stubborn). She got it and it was never an issue after that. Some dogs will run through it, and then not get back because of it. But that seems to be rare. Once they really learn it they don’t even need to wear the collar because they know to stay away.

This experience was all with the “buried wire” type of invisible fence. I don’t know what the differences are with the wireless type.

[Colodano]

My sister has invisible fencing around her lot, of approx 2.5 acres. The dog that needed it is a golden lab, approx 1 yr old. He picked it up quickly, and now even if he is out in the yard and a ball rolls out of the driveway, he just waits for someone to go get it for him.

Their new dog is a bit calmer of a breed, and just follows the big dogs lead, so hasn't had a need for a collar for the fence.

I don't remember the cost, but it was cheaper than a new fence, and they installed themselves in a weekend.

[Efthreeoh]

I live in a rural area of Virginia, basically in the Shenandoah National Park. My home is on 40 acers, mostly a mountain with a river in the front; so that means every type of wildlife native to central Virginia is in the yard. Useable acreage is about 5. I had two beagles, both since aged out to dog heaven. Brothers of the same liter. Had them since pups. As all beagles will do, about 10 months old, they went on a walkabout for a few days. When we got them back, we decided to fence them in using the Invisible Fence.

We had the Invisible Fence people come out and install the fence (got pretty much all 5 acres) and most importantly had the Invisible Fence people train the dogs (this is key to successful fencing of the dog(s)). Training is optional, but my strong recommendation is to not skip it and have the dogs trained by the IF people.

One beagle lived to just over 14. He was the Alpha. He NEVER in 14 years broke the fence. His brother lived to 16 years 8 months (just passed in June ). He also never broke the fence. These are beagles mind you, in the woods, chasing ANYTHING that came inside the perimeter; deer, rabbits, bears, squirrels, fox, beavers, you name it. The training was so good, even when the fence was inoperable (cuts by me and my backhoe...), both dogs would get to the fence perimeter and just stop.

I swear by the Invisible Fence; it works and is worth every penny. My 5-acre perimeter cost me about $2,500 back in 2004.

[TheWatchGuy]

the invisible fences work until the dog doesnt care about it anymore. after ~10 years of my dog not going near the line, he learned its just one quick shock when he ran over it and that was the end of that. he would cruise the neighborhood and then be sitting just outside the line when id get home cause he didnt want to get shocked coming back in.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Murf993

I'm in a similar situation, we live on a small property in town with a fully fenced yard right now. We just made an offer on a 1.5 Acre waterfront property with no fence on it. We have a 4 month old Jack Russell who is already showing strong prey drive, I was thinking the invisible fence as an option for cost and ascetic reasons. He's smart so will train easily but I'm concerned that he will defeat it chasing the local tree rats. Thoughts?

He shouldn't be able to defeat it if he stops at the line and the squirrel keeps running, which he will if he gets shocked.


My wireless fence has 6 different levels of alerts, ranging from alert level 1 which is just the beep to level 6 which is a strong shock probably meant for larger energetic dogs. My golden retriever has been shocked once on level 2, and just the beep is enough to send him in the other direction. My border collie is much older, and doesn't even need the fence now because he doesn't move much, but in his younger years he would need a stronger shock because of his thicker fur, his energy, and his curiosity to test the limits of the fence. It really varies by dog.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

the invisible fences work until the dog doesnt care about it anymore. after ~10 years of my dog not going near the line, he learned its just one quick shock when he ran over it and that was the end of that. he would cruise the neighborhood and then be sitting just outside the line when id get home cause he didnt want to get shocked coming back in.

Some systems will give an intermittent shock after the dog leaves the perimeter to get them back inside. Mine does this, and it is necessary to train the dog that if they leave the perimeter, going back inside is what will stop it.

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Some systems will give an intermittent shock after the dog leaves the perimeter to get them back inside. Mine does this, and it is necessary to train the dog that if they leave the perimeter, going back inside is what will stop it.

yeah that would solve that problem. just got to get the right one.

[F32Fleet]

Strong-willed dogs will break the "electric" fence. I had golden retrievers which could do it (with a running start) so I'm sure a GSD with strong prey drive could do the same.

Plus you have to be diligent with keeping the collar clean or at least had to with ours (long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away)

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Strong-willed dogs will break the "electric" fence. I had golden retrievers which could do it (with a running start) so I'm sure a GSD with strong prey drive could do the same.

Plus you have to be diligent with keeping the collar clean or at least had to with ours (long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away)

So we have a 50 foot cherry tree next to the house. The black bears LOVE cherries. Every mid-June the bears come to feast. My one beagle was absolutely possessed about the bears. He would wait 11 months for the bears to come back. Every day he'd sit by the door facing the cherry tree and wait. There was no more strong-willed dog for prey than him.

When the bears came, I'd let him out and he'd chase the bears to the fence line and then stop. It got to the point the bears figured out he'd only chase that far and the bears would sit on the perimeter with the pup on the inside barking at each other.

[Smgs1992]

Originally Posted by F32Fleet

Strong-willed dogs will break the "electric" fence. I had golden retrievers which could do it (with a running start) so I'm sure a GSD with strong prey drive could do the same.

Plus you have to be diligent with keeping the collar clean or at least had to with ours (long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away)

The GSD i am not worried about at all. If it was just him i probably wouldnt worry about a fence. He doesnt go off anywhere, has a great recall and i take him outside off leash now all the time he just hangs out by me