Shock collar questions/reccomendations

[anomaly13]

We have a almost 9 or 10 month old pit bull/jack russell mix and he keeps jumping the fence. Our front yart has a very low fence and there is a slightly higher fence that seperates the back yard from the front. The back yard has a high fence he cannot jump but he can jump the fence that seperates the front from the back and then jump the front fence. We have only had him for about 3 weeks and the first few times he did it he just went and sat on the stoop of the house next door, my sil. Now he goes past her house to the small ditch that runs along the side of her house and then down the other ditch that goes behind our houses, only he goes the opposite way of our house whitch I am pretty sure leads to a street. SIL's house is the last house on a vary mellow dead end. I am not worried about him hurting anyone or any other dog, more about him getting hurt, lost or possibly killing a chicken as the shelter said he had done before.

Fixing the fence will cost at least $100 dollars, we would only do the fence that seperates the front from the back, plus time and we rent so it would be investing in someone else's house. We are considering getting a scock collar that would prevent him from jumping the fence, hopefully.

Any reccomendations?

[Mama Mko]

I would never use a shock collar. I think they're cruel and they don't always work. I've had friends who had shock collars and the dogs would get past the line and then not want to come back.

I would either put money into the fence or just take him out on a leash each time so he can't run off.

[Ola_]

I would either fix the fence or supervise his time out in the yard. Frankly it sounds like he is under-exercised and bored out othere. You mentioned in the other thread that he's out there around 45 minutes and then jumps the fence - that is a long time to be outside alone. Heck, my dogs will be bored after less than 5 minutes if someone is not out there throwing a frisbee and one will just nap on the grass and the other will cause trouble (dig, bark at things, chew things up). Dogs don't exercise themselves when you put them outside and many get into trouble. I think the solution isn't to get a shock collar but to change your methods.

[*Aimee*]

We had a shock collar for 1 of our dogs. It wasn't a fence collar though. It was for training (and I used it on myself many times before putting it on him). A good shock collar is around 2-300 bucks and takes weeks of training before you can use it. We used ours with very intensive training with a dog behaviorist. I'd never recommend just getting one and I never would use it on a dog unsupervised.

[anomaly13]

Well he now jumps the fences after his hour and a half walk where he spends at least 30 minutes off the leash free to run. When we get home I let him off the leash and take the kids into the house. I give him a rawhide and he takes it in the yard. I go back 10 minutes later after getting the kids undressed and he is gone. So being under-exercised seems far off. He gets 2 of these walks a day now. It used to be that he would only jump the fence when we would leave the yard. I started going outside with him and bringing him back in as soon as he goes to the bathroom. I feel like he would rather be outside then stuck in the house. But for now he is spending most of the day, minus the walks and a little time in the yard supervised, in the house. Usually sitting in front of the door.

I looked into shock collars after posting and realized it would cost more then getting the fence fixed to get a good one. But making the fence taller won't teach him not to jump fencesa but only prevent him from jumping the fence. So while it will keep him in the yard it won't teach him much, imo.

[*Aimee*]

Yeah, I'm not sure what to tell you. My pitbull could easily hop 6 foot fences. We actually had to rehome him because he was hopping the fence to kill cats. Like, I'd let him out, he'd hop the fence by the time I could run in and get their food and kill a cat in our front yard. After 3 of these cat murders the neighbors got together and called the police on us. They threatened to take all of our dogs, so we gave him to a friend who lives on 15 acres and he kills gofers all day.

[Tizzy]

We got our hidden fence for $70, it was on clearance. It has worked extremely well with our springer spaniel, he caught on to the concept very quickly and as long as the fence is on, the collar is snug and the gates are closed, we have had no issues. But we have a physical fence as well. I think the biggest issue is when you don't have a physical fence, then they can run through the zone and aren't likely to come back.
That's why we make sure the gate is kept closed because it's not fair to leave it open and expect him not to want to run through.
We didn't even bury the wire, we just ran it along the existing fence (it was winter when we installed it and it has worked exceptionally well this way) which makes any repairs much easier.
I highly recommend it, and for us - the fee for picking our dog up from the pound, or dealing with injuries etc. from him getting hit on the road is much more than buying the fence in the first place.

[greenmagick]

First off I will say I dont like electric and shock collars...'

However if you are going to use an electric fence make sure you properly train a dog to it. They need to understand why they are getting zapped otherwise they can get very anxious and fear going outside.

Also make sure you get a good brand. Invisible Fence is usually one of, if not the, highest rated. One of the reasons for this is it beeps when the dog gets close to the fence, giving the dog a signal.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by *Aimee*

We had a shock collar for 1 of our dogs. It wasn't a fence collar though. It was for training (and I used it on myself many times before putting it on him). A good shock collar is around 2-300 bucks and takes weeks of training before you can use it. We used ours with very intensive training with a dog behaviorist. I'd never recommend just getting one and I never would use it on a dog unsupervised.

Yep. A decent collar will cost more than it would to fix the fence, and then it would take several more weeks before he's reliable out in the yard alone. If ever. It's a not a babysitter, it's a training tool.

Quite honestly, I don't suggest leaving him out there alone. I don't leave my dogs outside alone at all. My little guys got swooped at by a red shouldered hawk, and while I'm pretty sure it wouldn't go very far with a 12 pound jack russell, their talons could do some damage. The life span of a dog that doesn't have a human looking out for them is not very long at all. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I don't know, I think that applies to dogs too.

Having said that, I'm not against shock collars when used properly. We use a static collar for one our barkers and the difference it made on HIS quality of life was amazing.

But I don't see a remote collar working for what you need it for. Unless you installed an underground fence system, but that will probably cost a lot more than a 100 bucks.

[anomaly13]

North_Of_60 - He's is a 45 pound jack russell/pit bull mix so I don't think he would get attacked by any birds or pray.

We have been letting him out to use the bathroom and he comes right back in. I take him out once or twice with the kids so we can all play, this of course depends on the weather. He is also still getting 1 or 2 hour and a half walks a day. Maybe he was getting borderd outside alone, I would let him out when he asked and then back in when he asked but I think not shutting the door and watching him makes him feel a little more comfortable. Also the last time he left the yard we found him on the ditch where 4 yards meet and each had at least one dog behind the fences, it was like a dog party and he was just running up and down the fences with the other dogs. We are going to try bring over SIL's pup, a golden of about same age, for a play date and see if they will play together nicely in the yard without trying to leave. This will be supervised.

As for the fence we are going to wait to add hight to it. Would much rather have him not want to leave then just not be able to, kwim?

[Ola_]

Originally Posted by anomaly13

Would much rather have him not want to leave then just not be able to, kwim?

Well, he's a dog so there's only so much you can do to take the doggie instincts out of it. To me it's the difference between child-proofing a room or worrying/scolding when the baby breaks something they're not supposed to play with. I think training is very very important for dogs, but supervising and managing the situation is also crucial for everyone's safety.

Since you know for a fact that he jumps the fence, I would do the fence add-on for those occasions when the baby is sick, or you have something on the stove, or whatever and you just can't supervise him the whole time.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by anomaly13

North_Of_60 - He's is a 45 pound jack russell/pit bull mix so I don't think he would get attacked by any birds or pray.

I didn't mean to suggest your dog would be attacked by birds or pray. I only wanted to make the point that there are dangers to unsupervised dogs when you least expect it. For me it's birds and gators, for you it could be a disgruntled neighbor who throws something over the fence, or a car if he gets out onto the street. The fact is, you just don't know. I personally don't think dogs should be alone outside unsupervised.

Would much rather have him not want to leave then just not be able to, kwim?

As Ola said, that may never happen. As far as investments go, a better fence makes more sense to me than a shock collar. He can't jump over a tall fence, but if for some chance he's the type that doesn't respond to an electric collar (because they do not work for all dogs), or the battery dies, or he looses the collar, he can still jump the fence. A loose dog can be picked up by animal control, hit by cars, found by well meaning neighbors who think they've stumbled upon a stray, etc.

You have a known jumper, and while he doesn't seem to be causing trouble or going very far, that's not a guarantee that he will stay safe or not become a liability in the future. As a pet owner it's your responsibility to do what it takes to keep your dog contained and out of traffic ways, out of other people's yards, and away from the neighbors dogs. Logistically, I think supervision is your best bet at this point. It's free after all.

[GearGirl]

It sounds like the fence is a better idea for you. You don't necessarily need to train him at this point not to hop all fences, just yours! He sounds energetic and curious.

[ErinYay]

Maybe look into coyote rollers- they're basically PVC pipes mounted to the top of fences to prohibit paws from getting any traction to leap.

As others have said, I would not recommend an electric fence or remote shock collar for this dog in this situation. The e-fences will also shock him when he comes BACK into the yard, effectively punishing him for returning. And with the mix he is, it's unlikely that a shock will be enough of a deterrent in light of the amazing fun freedom offers.

Depending on your local laws, an overhead run might be a much better idea. (Some places have very strict laws regarding hitching a dog out, to prevent habitual abuse, but it sucks for situations with a responsible owner who just wants their dog safe when outside.)

To echo others, he needs EVEN more exercise and mental stimulation than he's getting. It can be very hard to wear out terriers, particularly young ones, but everyone will be much happier for it.

[NaturallyKait]

Our dog also leaves the yard if we leave him alone. It isn't because he doesn't know better, it's because he gets bored. If someone is outside with him, he plays with them, or even naps on the lawn happily, but if he's outside alone for more than a few minutes, he wanders. He's a five year old lab, and is just curious. Even if we wanted to use a shock collar, it would never work for him, he's stubborn and would just run until it stopped (we know this because his previous owners tried it, and he never even flinched). Our solution is just that someone (usually my father) takes him on a very long walk in the morning, and any time someone goes outside, we take him too. Other than that, he only goes out to do his business, and comes back in. Some dogs are just social/easily bored creatures, and if left alone will seek something to do.

[SquishyKitty]

We have a dog who can climb just about anything. It was recommended to us to set up an electric fence, similar to what they use for horses. They don't hurt the dog, and they're cheap. We would have, except that our dog is a Cane Corso, and they have a very high pain tolerance, so the shock wouldn't have affected her anyways. But it might work for you, and it's a very humane solution.

Let me know when you come up with a good solution, as we're still dealing with her escaping about once a week.

[goldfinches]

My former neighbor also had a pit mix that would jump her 6' fence daily. She tried tying him to a long rope that wouldn't reach the fence, but that only worked for a little while, I guess he figured out how to slip the collar off?

We are renting and couldn't put up a fence for our lab. So, we bought an electric fence for just over $100. It's not hard to set up, just run a wire around your fenceline. The collar beeps when the dog gets within a foot or so of the wire, alerting her she's near it. If she crosses it, it does zap her.

Now, she's so aware of where the fence line is, I don't even put the collar on her.

The training is simple, you just put her on a leash, walk her around the line a couple of times and she gets it.

I'm not sure if this is an answer for you, but it's definately a lot cheaper than extending a fence when you don't anticipate that working, either.

[anomaly13]

I didn't know that electric fences could be affordable and that you don't have to burry them. We will keep that in mind.

Our dog has not jumped the fence in over a week. He was scolded each time he jumped the fence and then punished by not being let outside alone. I would let him out and stand on the porch watching him until he did his business and then had him come back in. He was still getting his walks everyday and we did play in the yard with him, but he lost his free time outside alone. I could tell he didn't like being suprevised, especially when I wasn't playing with him. Now we can let him out alone unserpervised and he does not leave the yard. Sometimes he stays out for 5 minutes sometimes 40 minutes, but he always comes back to the dook and asks to come in. I have even watched him from inside as he sits next to the fence where he used to jump, he sniffs and looks at the freedom beyond the fence but won't jump. I am not sure what did it, the repeated scolding or the punishmen either way he doesn't jump anymore and no schock needed yet.

[JollyGG]

Honestly, if it would only cost $100 to fix the fence I'd fix the fence. A shock collar type containment system will cost you at least that much.

We have two dogs. One digs under the fence and one jumps over it. We pretty much need to just replace the whole fence with a privacy fence or at the least a taller, better installed fence which will cost us several thousand dollars.

A shock collar type containment systems effectiveness really depends on the dog. It works great on our vizsla/lab mix (she's my digger). My brother has found it very effective on his boxer/pitbull mix (he's a climber/jumper). However, it doesn't faze our border collie/wheaten terrier mix in the slightest. He'll just climb or jump the fence regardless of the shock. We ended up putting in a long trolley system that spans 1/2 the yard for him outside to keep him contained. It's not ideal and we are saving up for a new fence.