Electric dog fence? At wits end with escaping dog

[VorpalSword]

Does anyone have a buried electric dog fence, where the dogs wear a collar? It gives a warning beep then a small shock if they continue over the boundary.

Our terrier has started escaping and getting to the neighbours chickens. Garden is secure, or so we thought, but he is now digging under the fence. Don't want to permanently keep him on a lead in the garden (though will do until we have found a solution.) Once the red mist of chicken has decended his recall just disappears.

Any advise please? (I know already I am responsible for my dog and him escaping is wrong - hence looking for solution and will be on lead until we find one )

Haven't used one but have read that often dogs run across them chasing something and won't then come back because why would they get a shock twice.

Honestly, I'm not sure en electric fence would help you in this situation. I'm not anti-them in principle (though a lot of people on this board are), but if your dog has a high prey drive, you might find that it will take a lot to keep him contained.

An alternative is to get some chicken wire (www.<a class="break-all" href="https://amazon.co.uk/Galvanised-Chicken-Green-Treated-Netting/dp/B0747R8449/ref=asc_df_B0747R8449/?hvlocphy=9045047&linkCode=df0&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=375419359894&hvdev=c&hvtargid=pla-803918558063&hvrand=7607608438139925715&adgrpid=79395906120&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-the-doghouse-4286619-Electric-dog-fence-At-wits-end-with-escaping-dog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/Galvanised-Chicken-Green-Treated-Netting/dp/B0747R8449/ref=asc_df_B0747R8449/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=375419359894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7607608438139925715&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045047&hvtargid=pla-803918558063&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=79395906120&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=375419359894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7607608438139925715&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045047&hvtargid=pla-803918558063 this stuff) which can be bought by the roll from an agricultural supplier, and lay it on the ground along the fence line and peg it firmly down. That will stop your dog being able to dig into the ground anywhere near the fence. You'd be able to clip of strips about three feet wide, which should be more than enough to sort out the problem. You can buy it from any agricultural suppliers as well online.

Click link fail... But it still clicks.

@BiteyShark

Haven't used one but have read that often dogs run across them chasing something and won't then come back because why would they get a shock twice.

There is a fence so the electric would be in front of this to prevent digging. Might do both that and chicken wire. Really don't want him getting out.

There are no benefits to giving your dog an electric shock in order to get it to behave.

Can your dog see the chickens? If so, your best bet is to just install a wood-panel fence or something so the temptation is taken away from him. If he can't, then something like chicken wire under the ground would prevent the digging - similar to how rabbit runs are fox-proofed. You could dig a narrow trench, put the wire in, and then put bricks in front as an added security measure.

Shock collars are illegal in Wales for good reason, and they're well on their way to becoming illegal in England and Scotland too.

The dog can't see the chickens but can hear them. There is a timber fence but he is digging (well other dog is digging for the terrier to then escape).

Just need them to stay in the garden.

If this is an issue then they shouldn’t be unsupervised in the garden, surely?

Dig down and bury chicken wire a good 2/3 foot like you do to keep out foxes (lots of how to instructions online)

There has been an appeal and it just a matter of months before they are officially made illegal in England.

@Hellocatshome

Dig down and bury chicken wire a good 2/3 foot like you do to keep out foxes (lots of how to instructions online)

This is probably your best and easiest solution. It has to go down quite far.

Lay slabs along the inside of the fence.

@VorpalSword

The dog can't see the chickens but can hear them. There is a timber fence but he is digging (well other dog is digging for the terrier to then escape).

Just need them to stay in the garden.

Dig down and put concrete slabs underneath the fence, then add chicken wire for extra security.

My parents have one, and it works really well for their high prey drive dog. It gives an audible alert a short distance before the shock, and you can see their dog working out exactly how far he can get before the noise starts.

I went down the route of burying chicken wire a foot deep instead, which also works well for mine. I'm much more comfortable with that for a solution but, for them at least, the electric solution has been successful..

We had one of these in our last house. Our garden was securely fenced, and we spent so much time and money improving the fencing and training the dogs, but one of our dogs was a master escapologist. For him it wasn’t prey drive - he just had a real drive to wander off and explore. I’ve never known another dog like him - he is so good, and so well-trained in all other areas, and generally has really good recall, but every now and then the urge to explore would overtake him, and he’d find a way out. One day I heard a loud crash outside, and my dog had escaped again, had run in front of a truck, the truck had swerved to avoid my dog and hit a tree. Thankfully, neither the dog nor the driver got hurt, but we then installed one of the electric fences, and it was absolutely brilliant. It took half an hour to train my dog, he got one shock, and that was it - he never ignored the warning beeps again, and stopped trying to escape. They’re not for everyone, but as a last resort for really determined escapologists they work well. For us, we decided one small controlled pain was a much better option than our dog getting hurt in an accident (or causing another accident).

It might not work if you have a clever dog. My friend's late lamented terrier used to sit just close enough to the fence to set it off enough to wear the battery down without giving himself a shock, then stroll off out the garden and down the street

Maybe just dont have them unattended outside. A collar wouldnt stop dog theives. Also, our rescue dog who belonged to some terrible neighbours, had one and, as a 1 year old, became caught in a bush on the forcefield boundary. He was screaming and screaming. I ran to alert neighbour and it took them some time to bother to save him.
Theyre illegal in Wales.

@Bortles

Maybe just dont have them unattended outside. A collar wouldnt stop dog theives. Also, our rescue dog who belonged to some terrible neighbours, had one and, as a 1 year old, became caught in a bush on the forcefield boundary. He was screaming and screaming. I ran to alert neighbour and it took them some time to bother to save him. Theyre illegal in Wales.

That really gives me the shivers how awful.

We have small terrier problems too!

This is quite helpful.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.wikihow.com/Stop-a-Dog-from-Digging-Under-the-Fence%3famp=1

Or

Cat Scat Mat, Cats Spikes Repellent Deterrent, Defenders Prickle Strip Dig Stopper, Anti Bird, Pigeons, Crows, Seagulls, Dogs Cats Protects Plants in Gardens(Black) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07S98RMHJ/ref=cmswwrcppapiglttfabcY687XHRRZG8XVSPE35GJ [dog strip]

Ah, I don't know how to do the whole link with the word you want to use!