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Some might cringe when they spot a dog out in a yard sporting a collar with an electronic pet fence receiver on it. They often picture a violent shock jolting the harmless pup when it accidentally oversteps the invisible boundary.

This is a relatively common concern amongst pet owners and non-pet owners — but only for those who are not familiar with the sophistication of today’s pet safety systems.

What was once deemed by some as an inhumane torture device is actually the most effective way to keep a pet safely on a property without physical fencing. Let’s walk through how these systems work so you can see how truly harmless they are.

‘Shock’ is a deceiving term

This is where most people get the wrong impression. While pet safety systems do utilize both an audible warning and electronic shock, the shock is nowhere near the intensity that most people envision.

While the systems of yesteryear were known to levy out a pretty intense shock for the dog, today’s advanced systems come equipped with a full range of settings.

Effective trainers that work with dogs to get them acclimated with the system generally start on a very low setting. With some brand name systems, the feeling of this initial electric shock is equivalent to a flea crawling across the dog’s neck — slightly uncomfortable but by not means painful. Depending how the dog responds to the training, the setting would be elevated from there.

The point is that dogs are not hit with deviously uncomfortable electric shock during this process. Instead, they are slowly conditioned through this system so they can become familiar with the boundaries of the property.