Tuesday, November 05, 2013

As a dog lover, I have weighed the options between using an anchored dog run or going with a "free range" philosophy and controlling dogs' movements by using an invisible electric dog fence or system.

One site out there, wireless-dog-fence.com, provides a few generic ideas on how to choose a wireless dog fence, without recommending or being a front for one of the many manufacturers of these systems. According to the site, a wireless dog fence system establishes a specified area where the dog obtains a mild shock whenever it goes near its boundaries.

These boundaries are defined done by transmitting an electric signal towards the distinctive collar worn by a dog, preventing a dog from going outside a permitted area.

Prospective owners can easily compare these systems by doing the following:

1. Determine if the wireless systems are really wireless, since there are those who state that their system is wireless when in fact, you still have to bury the wire around the area that you want to be fenced. Other systems function with a transmitter so you need not to bury wires. If you have to contain your dog in an area with a particular or unbalanced shape, or from an area where there are plants or trash, wires are excellent to use.

2. Check the width of the correction field for each system. You may either opt for a narrower correction field or a wider one. This depends on your personal comfort, the type of dog you have, and the terrain of your area.

3. Determine if the collar of the system will have a good fit to your dog even if the seller claims their collars are adjustable because there are collars that do not fit very small or large dogs. And determine if you can adjust the shock strength of the system.

4. Match fence features to your needs. Some fence systems offer additional features like spare collars, ground flag, and lightning protection.

5. Compare prices - they differ greatly. Some are worth under $100 while others have a costly price of more than $400. Compare the prices of these wireless fence systems - highly priced systems may not be necessary or better.

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