This article will give you guidance about how to train your dog using an electric fence.
Training is certainly the most important factor for the performance or failure of any electric dog fence. We found that people who take the time to train their dog correctly end up fully pleased with how well these fences protect their lovely furry friends.
Conversely, certain fence-related complaints ‘not running’ can be due to incomplete or improper training.
Contrary to what other people believe you can’t simply set up the fence, add your dog’s receiver collar, take them out to the yard and trust them to know what’s happening. It will result in static corrections that can be avoided with proper training, and such needless static corrections will add to your canine buddy’s anxiety and frustration.
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By comparison, taking the time to train the dog correctly ensures they realize that crossing the fence boundaries means they are going to get some sort of correction:
- The first thing that can happen is to beep their collar, telling them to avoid going towards the fence.
- The next thing that will happen if they ignore the alarm beep is the metal prongs on their receiver collar will produce a mild static correction. This physical stimulus won’t harm them — it simply reminds them that they’re somewhere they shouldn’t be.
By comparison, taking the time to train the dog correctly means that they learn. There are 2 key objectives as you train the dog to an electric fence:
- To teach them that whenever they cross the unseen boundary there will be consequences.
- To make them realize that by listening correctly to the alarm beep they will avoid the static correction.
Everything we will do here gives you an outline of the training process. At first glance, it may sound that there’s a lot to training but after only 2 weeks, based on the reviews we’ve seen the typical dog will be professionally trained.
The black dog that is mentioned, it may take more or less time for your dog to train based on how they know and how much time you have to invest on a regular basis.
Here’s a list of what you’ll need; each item will be explained as we go along:
- An installed electric dog fence
- Training flags (included in your fence kit)
- A second collar — must be non-metallic
- A leash
- The receiver collar (aka electronic collar or e-collar)
- Your dog’s favorite treats and toys
The training process itself is composed of five major stages, each ranging from 1-5 days. Next, we’ll go into more detail about each step but here are some general tips first:
- Have the training sessions work regularly and keep them short for the best results.
- To the number of dogs, 10-15 minute sessions many times a day tend to fit well.
- In making the sessions fun, hold the dog motivated, and make them look ahead to the training.
- Using delicious treats to thank your pet for doing the right thing and don’t be afraid to praise them individually.
- Put a positive spin on the training experience by starting and ending each session with some playtime; including your four-legged friend’s favorite toys will help jack things up a notch.
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Now that we have looked through the basic guidance let ‘s dive through a bit more depth regarding the training process’s 5 phases.
Phase One: Boundary Awareness.
The key objective in the first step is to get the dog used to their new boundaries so here’s where all of the above things come into play.
Training flags: You should place the flags along the edge of the containment area of your dog and give them a clear idea of where the fence line is.
Beagle On LeashNon metal collar: Since adding a chain to the electronic collar will allow the metal prongs to exert undue strain on the dog’s neck, a second collar is required to connect the leash to the collar.
The collar must be non-metallic, ensuring that the signal transmitted between the fence and the receiver collar does not affect.
Leash: The leash helps you to remain in full charge, and you can help your pet adapt to their new boundaries properly.
Electronic receiver collar: the receiver collar is often fitted with a beep-only training mode in addition to different modes of static correction and this is the mode you must use when you initiate the training first.
Phase Two: Introducing The Static Correction
Step two should reinforce the dog’s need to respect the boundaries and remain within the containment area. They will know that when they hear the warning beep they will get a static alert if they are not going away from the boundary and back into the yard.
While exposing your dog to static correction for the first time, it is strongly advised that you start out with the lowest amount your collar provides and then increase that if you have to. Many dogs respond well at the lowest level while others require a higher level to deal with that as well.
The mild electric stimulation provided by your pet’s collar is intended to warn them to remain within the preset boundaries, not harm them, so most e-collars provide a range of static correction options and you can choose the best one fit the temperament and size of your dog.
When you go through the training, your target will end up at the lowest level possible that can bring the results you are aiming for.
When the dog responds to the alarm beep correctly and absolutely avoids static correction you can move on to phase three.
Phase Three: Temptations And Distractions
The goal of the third step is to train your dog to remain within the limits even though there are temptations and threats beyond the containment area.
You can use any sort of temptation or distraction you want here — your dog’s pet treats, a stranger walking about with another dog — something you think will be very tough for your furry friend to resist.
When you’re sure the dog isn’t going to jump the boundary regardless of what’s on the other side it’s time to step on to the next level.
Phase Four: Off-Leash Supervision
You should remove the non-metallic collar in this phase, and dispense with the leash. The receiver harness remains on and now it’s time to see how well the dog is going while they’re off-leash and get the containment region going completely.
Since this is the first time after the beginning of the training they’ll be off-leash, it’s advised that you stick with them outside and keep a close watch on them at this point.
Phase Five: Relaxed Monitoring
Step 5 is the final phase so when you are comfortable with how your pet behaves off-leash under near control, you will move on into this phase.
While it’s always important that you track your dog in step 5, you don’t have to be out with them all the time — you can only check them in as often as you like.
It is necessary to remember at this stage that it’s not the end of the world if the dog reaches the border for some reason.
You just go back to the on-leash training utilizing the biggest temptations you might imagine. You replicate steps 4 and 5 until you’re sure they won’t cross the fence line again.
If you’re sure your dog won’t cross the lines, no matter what, it has paid for the time and effort. The training is completed and you can remove the flags. dogs boundary instruction to the electric fence
Another aspect we ‘d like to note here is this: Most people are apprehensive towards static correction and that’s very understandable.
The main thing to note is that you should train your dog to associate the beeping of their collar with the end of the containment region before you use some form of electric stimulation. In doing so, the alarm beep easily is all the encouragement they need to stop going towards the fence line and remain inside the specified tolerance.
Conclusion:
No matter what sort of electric dog fence you have or which dog breed you possess, full training is completely important to your system’s performance.
It’s not a difficult process and even with proper training, much of the things that we hear about in the reviews may have been avoided. And if you don’t want to invest any time and money training your dog, you may want to consider another fencing option.
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