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4 Signs Of A Quality Pet Safety System Service

So, you’ve decided to outfit your property with an underground pet fence to keep your dogs from roaming past your property line. Now comes the more important decision — who are you going to work with?

Potential clients can pick up a system from the store and install it themselves, work with a local service or even rely on a national franchise that has a presence in your local area. This is an important decision, because the effectiveness of the system essentially hinges on the service provider (hint: unless you’re an expert, this probably isn’t a do-it-yourself venture).

To help you make your decision, here are four signs that a company might be trustworthy enough to handle this important task.

• No hard sell: You want to be working with men and women that are passionate about dogs — not sales people. Many of the national franchises have a large sales force that will implement some of the classic sales tactics to try to get you to commit. It’s a major red flag if the rep you meet with is more interested in selling you the system and less interested in learning about your dog or needs.
• Offers quality products: Closely examine the brand name and features of the system they are selling. Do your homework (i.e. some light internet browsing should suffice) and see what others have to say about the system. Work with a service that offers a quality system.
• Dedicated to training: All-in-one services are the easiest to work with — the services that can sell you the system, install it and then train your dogs. Training is key to the ultimate success of the system, so make sure to work with a service that is dedicated to this phase and will not stop until your dog is fully conditioned to the system.
• Respectable price point: As with just about any other product or service, you don’t want to buy the cheapest system and service you find — you will most certainly get what you pay for. Price out the competition and strive to find the best balance between quality and affordability.

A pet safety system is a significant investment both in your property and in the safety and well being of your pet. Do your homework and take the time to talk to representatives from each service provider before you decide on one.

Tip: Account for a dog’s personality and history when training them on a pet safety system

In a previous blog post, we discussed the importance of training when it comes to acclimating a dog to a new pet safety system. No two dogs are the same — they each require a different style and level of training before becoming fully conditioned to the system.

Today, we are going to sort through some of those different types of dogs and why it’s important to be mindful of their personality and demeanor in order to create a constructive, effective training process.

Adjusting to the needs of your dog

The goal of training is to condition the pet to become mindful of the boundaries set up by the system. Easing them into the process is important so they don’t become nervous traumatized.

It’s also important to adjust training methods to meet the special needs or characteristics of your dog. These can include:

• High or low pain tolerance: Conditioning is done through the use of a very low level shock. However, some dogs have lower or higher pain tolerances. It’s important to recognize this early in the process to adjust the settings accordingly. Dogs with a higher pain tolerance won’t start learning until the shock is intensified and provides a small level of discomfort. Trainers should start low and go from there.
• Rescue dogs: Be very patient and slow moving with rescue dogs, because, as a trainer, you don’t know what they have been through in their life (i.e. past trauma). You don’t want to exacerbate past trauma.
• Stubborn dogs: The same applies for stubborn dogs. These are dogs that are not necessarily emotionally traumatized from a previous event — they just don’t do what you want them to. The key here is simply repetition and diligence. It may take weeks or months to finally train the dog.
• Deaf dogs: Pet safety systems offer audio prompts to alert the canine that they are approaching the boundary. This clearly won’t work for deaf dogs. Some pet safety system retailers like ours offer a collar that vibrates so that deaf dogs can still receive that needed prompt.

Every dog can be trained to comply with a pet safety system — it just might require a different training method or amount of time to get there.

Tailoring a pet safety system to your property

When it comes to designing and installing a pet safety system, you don’t have to take an all-or-nothing approach. Today’s sophisticated systems are very flexible — you can customize the layout of your system to fit the unique needs of your property.

While many pet owners choose to outline the full perimeter of their properties, pet safety systems can allow you to be a lot more creative than that. Here are a few ideas:

• Complement physical fencing: Just because you have a wooden or chain-link fence in place, doesn’t mean a pet safety system can’t help you. An underground pet safety fence can be placed in areas where fencing might not cover. This can be the case with driveways. Some pet owners run a wire down the foot of their driveway where a gate is not present so the dog won’t take off into the road.
• Around features and landmarks: Sick of your dogs invading your garden and digging up your plants? Do you want to keep a dog out of a pool or other area? Pet safety systems can be run around features and landmarks in your property, creating what are called “avoidance areas.”
• Create an entrance/exit: Open-ended pet safety systems can create an area where there are no corrective prompts. This creates a spot where the dog can enter and exit the property. These aren’t too common, but can be useful for scenarios such as lakefront properties.
• Confine your pups to the backyard: Traditionally, dogs are given the run of the backyard but are not always welcome up front. Pet safety systems can confine them to the backyard, or vice versa.
• Full range: Then, of course, you can run underground pet safety systems around your entire property, allowing your dog free reign to wander wherever it would like.

An important phase of purchasing a pet safety system is to design out exactly what you want. Take some time to draw out your property and plan what areas you would like your dog to have access to. These systems can cover a small area at the foot of your driveway or up to 50 acres of property! No design is too complex for today’s pet safety systems.

It doesn’t matter how great your pet safety system is if you are missing this

If you are not familiar with underground pet safety systems, don’t expect to simply purchase the kit, have it installed and then go on your merry way.

In fact, what many first-timers fail to realize is that properly training and conditioning your dogs is the key behind a successful pet safety system.

That’s why it’s important to work through a company that places an emphasis on training. And, when it comes to training, there is certainly no one-size-fits-all approach. Each dog is different, and it’s the job of the trainer to gauge the personality of the dog and provide appropriate training to match.

When can I expect my dog to become acclimated to the new system?

This really depends — there is no definitive answer. This turnaround time hinges on the personality of your dog. On average, though, training usually takes roughly two weeks before a dog becomes fully aware of the system and knows where they can and cannot go.

Some dogs are a little on the stubborn side — and, in those cases, training might take a little longer. On the other end of the spectrum, many rescue dogs can be timid to this process. Trainers don’t know the dog’s history or past traumatic experiences. This is why it’s important in these situations for a trainer to take the process slowly.

In every case, the goal is to ease the dog into the system and slowly condition them.

Do your homework!

Here at Hidden Boundaries, we give our clients homework. This isn’t anything extensive — it’s simply a matter of getting outside and letting your dog run around and have fun, all while becoming more conscious to the perimeter that has been established by the pet safety system.

This is why, when shopping for a system for your home or property, that you make sure you work with a company that places an emphasis on patient, diligent training to ensure that the transition is a smooth one.

Pet safety systems vs. traditional fencing

A fenced-in backyard is a welcome sign to any pet owner. In fact, when some pet owners are hunting for a new house, this amenity can often be a deciding factor on whether or not they close the deal.

However, with the advancements made to pet safety systems, traditional fencing is no longer a necessity. More and more pet owners are turning to this underground, electronic option to corral their pups — and for good reason.

• More cost efficient: Let’s start with the obvious — traditional fencing is a significant investment. Even if you opt for something as basic as a chain link fence, it’s going to set you back thousands of dollars in materials and manpower to install it. Pet safety systems are far more affordable in comparison.
• Minimally invasive to your lawn: With traditional fencing, workers will have to dig up portions of your lawn to install it. Pet safety systems go in seamlessly — it’s simply a matter of putting a wire into the ground. The tiny trench created to accommodate the wire usually closes in a matter of days.
• Complies with subdivision bylaws: Pet safety systems are often very popular in neighborhoods and subdivisions. Many of the governing associations of these subdivisions prohibit fencing, leaving you with few options on how to contain your pets.
• Provide the same level of effectiveness: When the system is installed correctly and the dogs are trained appropriately, a pet safety system is just as effective as a physical fence.

Pet owners no longer have to search around for that coveted home with a fenced-in backyard, which could explain why pet safety systems have exploded in popularity.

Of course, there are still wide array of options when it comes to pet safety systems. Find one that fits the needs of your property and dogs by talking it over with a trusted service provider.

Worried that a pet safety system might be inhumane? Read this.

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.