Cattle

Archive for June 26th, 2011

Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to keep your dog tied all the time when he’s outdoors? Wouldn’t you just love it if you could rely on your dog to stay within the boundaries of your property, and not go chasing after, other dogs, cats, cyclists, pedestrians or even cars?  Wouldn’t it be such a load off your mind if you could let your dog roam free in your front yard without having to worry about him using your neighbor’s yard as a toilet or even destroying your neighbors prized flowers?  The electronic dog fence is just the high tech device that can make those once impossible concepts a reality.   

Unlike a physical fence which is often unsightly and expensive to set up, an electronic fence can be made virtually invisible.  Your dog can be kept within the boundaries of your property without a chain or a physical barrier to hold him back; what’s more, you can even use an electronic fence to mark off areas in your own home that you don’t want your dog to go near, like maybe your wife’s prized flower beds.  The system works by delivering a mild, non-harmful electric shock to a dog whenever a dog gets too near a place where he shouldn’t be.

Here’s how it works: 

1. Wiring your home – The closest thing this system has to a physical fence is a series of thin antenna wires, the wires can be buried or concealed around the perimeter of your property, and in any other place that you would like to be off limits to your dog.  The wires are small, unobtrusive and can be buried, or installed virtually anywhere with simple fittings you can find at hardware stores.
2. The collar- The second hardware component is the electronic collar, you fasten it around the dog’s neck like a regular collar.  The collar detects the antenna wires, and if a dog gets too close to an area were an antenna has been installed, first he will hear a high frequency beeping noise warning him that he is too close to an area that is off limits to him.  If the dog continues to approach the area, the collar will deliver a mild, non-harmful electric shock.
3. Training your dog- The system is extremely useful, particularly for training your dog.  Dogs have the capacity to learn from experience and can pick up rules provided they are laid down consistently enough.  That being said, it is important that you never change the location of the wires you lay out, this will confuse a dog an cause anxiety or depression.  After just a few unpleasant but non-harmful shocks, your dog will get the hang of the system, and the audible warning will save him from more shocks.    

You can actually help the system along with the use of flags, the flags should be uniform and should be placed at the eye level of the dog.  After a while the flags can be done away with.  There are those that have an objection to the use of electric shocks, but the alternative is to keep your dog caged or tied for long periods of time.  Ultimately, it could be argued that an occasional electric shock is far more humane than long hours of confinement.  If you believe that, then the electronic dog fence could be just what you are looking for.

Watching a dog perform his obedience routine with no lead attached to his collar is a thing of beauty! It appears to be magic, the way he anticipates his owner’s moves and wants to just BE there, exactly on the money. Here is how to achieve that doggy ballet of movements.

One secret to good obedience training is never to give your dog the chance to disobey. Make sure he understands the command and what you want him to do, and move toward it with baby steps so he always ALWAYS succeeds. Your happy praise at every turn is what he lives for.

When he is at that comfortable stage on lead where he yawns at every new command, this means he is sure of it and relaxed, then it’s time to move on to removing his lead. This will cause a little anxiety at first because his lead is his life line and guide to pleasing you. So make sure everything you are about to show him off-lead is something he knows VERY well with the lead attached.

On-lead heeling, turning and stopping is very smooth and controlled. Before starting off, instead of hooking the lead into the ring, slip the entire lead through his collar, not in the ring, and wrap the end around your hand so you can eat it up as you walk, until the lead slides completely out of the dog’s collar. He will barely notice this, just keep walking with no change in gait or tone of your voice, act like nothing new is happening.

When you come to a stop and your dog sits predictably at your side like always, pause a moment then PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE! Your dog will look at you funny, as if to say, “What’s the big deal? We do this all the time”. It’s quite funny. That’s when you know it has worked the way it should and your dog has made the transition effortlessly.

As you work, keep the dog close at hand, you do not want him to get the idea he can run off. If he makes the slightest off move, take his collar by the live ring and tug. Remember those little tugs that he dislikes so much he learned quickly how to stay in the exact right spot? Remind him that off-lead has the same controls, so you must be vigilant. If he backslides, go back to on-lead. He will learn quickly that he prefers the independence of off-lead work and to get it he must obey your every command.

As to the long line “Come” command, go back to the short line and leave it on the ground so you can grab it if he does not come to you in a timely fashion. Give him no room to think about disobeying. Gradually extend the distance until he is coming to you at a run totally off-lead. He loves this!

With patience and vigilance, your dog will be just as dependable off-lead as he became on-lead. And you both will enjoy it more!