Invisible Fencing

[Farley]

Sorry if this has been beaten to death already. Who here has used invisible fencing and what are your likes\dislikes about it? How well does it work?

Thanks

Farley

[PikeBayCommanche]

They work great. Most of the time.

Parents have one on a very large 2.5 acre lot around the house and the one thing that i would recommend is to put the wire inside maybe pvc pipe when you bury it. If you get a cut line it is tough to find where the interuption is and has created some pains thats for sure.

if it is small enough of a yard it shouldn't be a problem.

[MIKE IN lINO III]

I have an invisible fence system.

I have the one with no wires, it emits a signal so far away from the the main unit, which I put in the garage. You can adjust the circle to what ever size you want with the max being 50' (I think)

Mine works great.

I bought it for the Springer and once she was trained I rarely ever turn it on, just put her collar on.

We added a Black lab and he was easy to train. He doesn't wonder anyway.

I like the fact that it is portable and I didn't have to bury cables which are prone to break.

I can take it to the lake and plug it in, adjust the circle and you are good to go.

The circle thing might not fit your situation but it works for me.

The main thing is to take your time with the training.

Good Luck.

Mike

[eric29]

I have one with the buried wire. It is the innotek contain and train. Dont waste your money on the remote for training, that quit working after a couple weeks then i went and bought DT collers for training. The fence works great tho, its a must have. I did nic the wire this winter while a few time while shoveling but never quit working and dogs learned in a couple days not get close to it, its a great product.

[NELS-BELLS]

I bought a Sport Dog brand last summer. It has the buried wire. I really like it. The dog is so well trained that occasionally our lab has been in the yard without the collar or the box turned on and she will not cross the line, even when people are walking there dogs in front of our place. Make sure you follow the training instructions and don't rush the process.

Also, when you bury the cable, I was told to round the corners and I bent the wire in small zig zag patterns about every 20' to allow for stretch. They don't tell you to do that in the instructions but I guess the temp changes can occasionally snap the wire if its too tight.

So far its worked great!

Nels

[jigging-matt]

Nels, thanks for the tip, I am installing mine here in the next week or two. never thought about line stretch.

[Dellfin]

Hey Farley-

I put in the Innotek buried system last year and love it. Also have a wireless unit for the cabin, but you can't control the pattern of the zone with that type.

A little tip for you. Use a spade shovel to make the slot to bury the cable, teeter-tottering the shovel handle back and forth a few times to give yourself a nice trench to work with. Lay the wire out loosely on the outside of the trench all the way around the perimeter, leaving yourself some slack. Then, (here's the time saving tip of the year and one I should get a patent on) feed the wire through a vacuum crevice tool attachment and use the blade from the attachment to get deep into the trench (3-4"). The crevice tool helps lay it down at a consistent depth and is really a time saver. Have a helper compress the earth back down to "seal" the wire as you move along.

I thought about putting the wire into pvc pipe also, but that just seemed like too much work and expense. it wouldn't be that hard to find a break with a volt meter.

Since you're reading this far, I'll also add to follow the instructions on training to a "t". It may take a few weeks for the training to complete, depending upon the dog, but you'll never regret putting the system in.

Just remember to take the collar off when taking your pooch for a ride in the car and backing down the driveway...yipe!

[coonchaser]

I'm installing one this weekend, I have two questions, What exactly is a vaccum crevice device and where do i find one and can a person lay it on top of the ground in some area, the fence guy told me no prob but just curious, I live on a lake and can bury the wire on all the property but i'd like to go down to the lake with it and i its to rocky to bury there so i thought i'd tent stake it down along there, just curious what ya'll thought..thanks

[ChrisT]

Well, I don't know about the untop of the ground, but I can help with the vaccuum crevace device. If you have a shop vac it is the extension with the flat end on it.

[Dellfin]

On top of the ground...hmmm...that sounds like a really, really, bad idea. Too much chance of being mowed, chopped, pulled, stretched. broken.

[wood_dog]

We have thick woods in the back yard and our fence guy told us to just lay it on the ground and don't bother digging it in back there. He forgot to mention that the squirrels would chew through the wire. Now it's buried!

[Farley]

Thanks for all the responses guys.

[fishwidow]

Just my two pennys--we have Invisible Fence that we installed ourselves using a lawn edger. The crevice device sounds like a good idea. We did not bury it along the lake. It sits right on top of rocks there. Never any problem with rodents or other damage. We also run it out into the lake weighted down by concrete blocks so the dog can actually go into the water. We pull it out of the water and leave it coiled on shore in the fall so ice doesn't get ice damage.

Also, we don't have a problem with the dog getting zapped in the car in and out of the driveway. Maybe the field is set too high if that's happening.

[crazydew]

We also bought the SportDog fence. It was very easy depending on the type of pattern you are going to lay. I just did the perimeter of the yard. I also used a Gas edger and it layed really easy. I kind of like the vacuum tool idea though. When it came to the driveway I didn't cut it through, I layed it in the curb cut. I first layed a small bead of concrete caulk as a bed and dropped the line onto it then covered it up with another bead of caulk (the caulk is very flexable and cushions it as the concrete expands and contracts). Try to figure out if you can do it without any splices because that will help in reducing chances of any "breaks" in the line. Just make sure in the spring when you get excited about turning your dog induced "camouflage"(yellow and brown spots) yard green again not to use an aerator or you swiss cheese the line. Not saying that happened to me

[LundExplorer]

I have one that Invisible fencing of the Twin Cities installed. Yes it was pretty expensive to have them do it but at the time I did not have the time. All in all, it works very very well with my lab. The key to making it reliable is all in the TRAINING, both for yourself and the dog...If you just set it up and let the dog go you will likely face problems. My set-up included a trainer coming out a few times working with us & the dog, showing him the boundaries, and gradually increasing the 'reminder' level of the collar.

As far as the system goes, I know a few folks who had the DIY version, they are also working well. If you can, try to find a compatible wire that is a bigger size. Many of the DIY systems have smaller wire gauge, the larger the wire diameter the better.

[BoxMN]

I have had one for about 7 years, innotek brand. Buried first cable, worked okay, but it got broke due to neighbors bobcat hitting it, etc.

Now I just lay the wire down on top of grass, yes on top, and then use sod stables to hold it down. Do it early in the year when grass is low and the grass grows aroudn it and helps keep it down. I now just mow right over it and never had a problem with it coming up. I am surprised, but it works on top, as it gets "grown in" in only about 3 weeks or so.

Now, my dogs won't run out of the yard unless called, but that is because they haven't worn a collar in 2-3 years. I do have to give them a slight zap this summer though, as they are getting a bit more "free" with how close they get to the edge. It only takes a quick reminder, and they are back to full confinement. The invis fences work great!

good luck,

[coonchaser]

Thanks for the reply's.....i thought of the under water option and think i'll try that....Thanks guys...Rick