Invisible fences to keep your dog in?
Narrated from: Dog AccessoriesModern technology reshapes the world constantly. But is it always the right choice?
A major problem for many dog owners is keeping the dog in the yard. You do not want to let your canine companion roam the streets unchecked. The dog could get rundown by a car, mauled by other dogs or petnapped. Also, as owner of the dog you bear responsibility for any mischief the dog may cause – and mischief unfortunately often means “impregnate a random bitch”.
On the other hand, you can’t simply tie your dog to a pole or something – the dog would probably get sad, and lack of exercise could seriously damage a dog’s health.
At this point, invisible fencing is an option. The basic idea of invisible fences is that there could be no fence at all – an electrical wire would be buried beneath the yard. Your dog gets a very special collar. This collar would emit a warning sound each time the dog approaches the invisible fence – and if the dog were to walk over it, an electric shock would be sent through its body.
This may sound cruel, but the system has its advantages. Many people may choose invisible fences if they just can’t keep the dog in the yard. It is also good for aesthetic purposes – you would have no fence at all, so you could experiment with the bush fence you’ve always dreamt about.
On the other hand, invisible fencing has its drawbacks.
From a practical point of view, you will experience serious trouble in case of a power failure. If you must keep the dog in because of aggressiveness issues, invisible fencing would do you no good if you don’t build an actual fence as well – children could wander into your yard, believing that the dog is friendly.
Also, some breeds of dogs can cope with invisible fences – they are either too smart (beagle), or simply resist the pain.
There are moral issues as well… however you put it, invisible fencing is inhumane – at least if it is not applied in the right manner. Many people believe that shock collars are quite painful to the dog. The whole concept of invisible fencing actually sounds like something copied from a sci-fi novel about a futuristic “Big Brother” communist regime. The next logical step could be collars that zap your child if he tries to ditch school…
Perhaps the best idea would be to apply invisible fencing as a secondary measure, complementing real fences. There are “softer” collars, though. They just irritate the dog and don’t cause any real pain – the citronella alternative is a good example.
So, invisible fencing could be the solution for you – but it is a controversial issue and you should keep all its cons in mind!
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