Are Electric Fences Safe?
Electric fences for dogs are safe! After all, they have been made to keep your pets safe, not to hurt them. This is simply the main thing you must know and you will realize that there isn’t anything to worry about.
They annoy your dog, don’t hurt him
First of all, dog fences use collars to deliver electric current and annoy a dog, rather than hurt him. The level of the shock a collar can deliver can be adjusted and it is pre-optimized according to the size of your dog. It means that when you choose a collar, you should take into consideration of the weight and size of your dog. There are units for small dogs, under 5 pounds and several, more advanced models, developed for larger dog breeds.
Collars for smaller dogs use weaker current, while those for larger dogs use stronger shocks. In both cases, the shocks are harmless and they cannot cause injuries or hurt your pet.
Adjusting the level of correction, or in literal terms, the strength of the shock is a mandatory feature. Some dogs will react as soon as they are shocked by a low level, while others require a higher level of correction. Reasons, why this occurs, are the size of a dog, breed, fur, etc.
If you still think that an electric dog fence will hurt your dog, you can try it on your skin. Holding the collar, move to the boundaries in order to notice sound alerts. Once you get them, you should make another step and make the collar apply shock correction. It is perfectly safe and you will realize that it is annoying and painless.
With training, all dogs will be aware of the invisible boundaries
A proper training of a dog is mandatory in order to help him understand where and why those boundaries are used. In general, you will need up to 6 weeks to train your pet to understand these facts completely.
Once he is trained, he won’t move past them, meaning that he will be safe from wandering the traffic, playing with strangers or even worse! The best part is that invisible electric fences are ever-lasting, so they can be used for decades and during that time, they won’t stop performing, not a single time.
Myths about dog fences
The first myth we already explained at the beginning. Invisible dog fences are painless and can be adjusted so the level of correction is suitable for your dog. This is the most common myth regarding the systems in question and it is completely wrong. Anyway, there are a few myths more, which must be revealed.
- Myth1: All electronic fences are the same
Of course not. First and foremost, we have electric always-on fences, which are used to keep intruders away from a property. They are larger and they will use current to inflict the damage as soon as they are touched. Electronic fences are made to create an invisible area in which your dog can be, while they use sound alerts and current shocks to warn him.
- Myth2: Dog electric fences can cause seizures
This myth is commonly associated with the pain issue we explained above. A collar will use 2 contacts in order to apply current to the skin of a dog. They are 1 inch apart and they are designed to send current to the skin only, not to the brain, so seizures cannot occur.
- Myth3: These fences may stop working at any moment
What would be the point of them if they stop working frequently? Of course, this is a myth, nothing more. Just make sure that the batteries are charged or replaced, depending on a version of a fence you have and that’s it. They are operational 24/7/365.
Conclusion
In the modern world, technology is extremely important. Invisible dog fences are based on the tech, so they offer the best features, they are the safest and they are the most practical. No, they won’t hurt your dog nor inflict him any pain. Spraying liquid or using current to alert your dog is simply annoying. You can try by yourself, and you can see that it is perfectly safe.