How essential is the “training period” to success with an invisible dog fence?

Question by The Truth Hurts! Ouch!: How essential is the “training period” to success with an invisible dog fence?
We recently brought home a German Shepherd/Husky mix (male), approximately 3 months old. I purchased one of those “invisible” fences; the type that does not require a wire to be buried in your yard. It utilizes a wireless transmitter that broadcasts a 180′ diameter circular “pet area”. When the dog steps beyond the edge ot the “pet area”, the collar “zaps” him.

The manual that came with it talks about a training period of about 2 weeks for the system to be effective. How necessary is this? Are there different ways to handle this that won’t take two weeks?
The reason the “2 weeks” things will be difficult, is that I’m at work during all hours of daylight, and my wife is disabled and cannot walk the dog. So the only training time I will have is on weekends. According to my fingers, that equates to about 7 weeks.

Best answer:

Answer by Potcake
Think about it. How would you like it if someone put a collar around your neck that would shock you every time you went outside an invisible fence but they didn’t bother to make sure you knew where the boundaries are?? However long it takes you should do whatever you have to do to make sure your pet understands where the boundaries are before you leave him with the fence on. At 3 months old that may take longer than 2 weeks but it is the least you can do for your furry friend.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Discover How Easy It Is To Stop Puppy Biting Problems

In order to stop puppy biting, always use the word ‘No’ as the command word for correction of any sort. Say ‘no’ when your puppy chews on things that he oughtn’t. A firm ‘no’ should deter him from biting. And ‘no’ should also keep him from jumping up on people.

Your puppy has to learn that “No” is a word which they MUST listen to and associate it with them doing something they shouldn’t. Anytime you see your puppy engaging in inappropriate behavior like chewing your shoes, a firm “No” should ensue. If this along does not stop your puppy, a tap under the chin and another “no” should be used.

If this also fails to stop the undesirable behavior, stringer measures must be brought into play. Take some time to watch animals interacting with each other. They do not of course speak as such and thus do not tell each other what to do or not do. Animals instead use growling, bumping and posturing as deterrents. The encourage behavior via their facial expressions and vocalizing. When these fail for animals, they will resort to fighting.

It is the behavior of the pack which teaches animals the behavior expected of them. They follow along with the pack; and the pack leader will enforce the rules! You must of course take on the role of pack leader when it comes to your puppy.

Stay calm, cool & composed Keep your cool when you must correct your puppy’s behavior. You don’t want to scare your puppy, just teach him or her “don’t do what you are doing”. Frightening your puppy by way of trying to correct their behavior is counterproductive. Correction is about changing behavior to conform with the “pack” e.g. -your family, human society at large, not traumatizing your pet.

Correct immediately. You must correct your puppy immediately. A puppy does not have much sense of recall. Hence if you correct him after a lapse of some time, he will just not be able to fathom what you are trying to tell him. In order to stop puppy biting, correction that is not done immediately will only confuse him and leave him feeling totally perplexed. Puppies bite by instinct. But this instinctive reaction left unchecked can turn into a very nasty habit. You must nip it in the bud. Your puppy must be made to realize that he must not bite humans. It will just not be tolerated. Correct him even when he gives you those playful little puppy bites.

Correct your puppy the same way with other behaviors like jumping. While it might seem cute when they are still a puppy, a fully grown dog who thinks this is OK could accidentally injure someone. When your puppy jumps at you, push them down gently and firmly say “No”. Be sure to reward them when they listen with ample praise to reinforce the good behavior.

Knowing all the correct ways to train your puppy will make the entire process of training much easier on you and on your new family member. An e-book which many recommend for puppy training is SitStayFetch, by professional dog trainer Daniel Stevens. Mr. Stevens has managed to include all the “must knows” of puppy training in this 150 page easy to read e-book. Whether you need to stop problem behaviors or teach your puppy a trick, this e-book has you covered!

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Shocking Training Dog Collar Guide

Training a dog can be a rewarding experience, especially if the dog that you are training is your own. Having training aids can be a great help, if you know what you are doing. Items such as training collars have proven to be effective, if used in the right hands. If you are unsure and have no expertise in dog training, then training collars have the capacity to seriously injure your dog. This article is going to attempt to explain about the different types of training collars on offer and which ones you should be considering using. It is also advisable to get expert help as well.

The prong collar’s bark is worse than its bite. The collar itself is made up of metallic prongs that are linked together. When the leash is pulled, the collar gives the dog a pinch. The idea is that this is meant to remind the dog of its mother’s teeth, which would have been used in a similar way to restrain the dog as a puppy. The collar is safe as long as you buy one that is the right size for the dog. If your dog continually pulls at the leash though, the prong collar might not be the appropriate training collar for your animal.

Prong collars can be quite easily adjusted by adding or removing some prongs until you get the fit right. A rough guide to fitting is if you can fit a finger between the collar and the neck of the dog. Any looser than that and the collar will not be effective.

The Halti collar, also known as the Gentle Leader, is more akin to a harness than a collar. It fits over the dog’s face and works by closing the dog’s mouth when the leash attached to the collar is pulled. The theory is that if you can control the dog’s head, you will be able to control the whole dog. This type of collar is especially good for pulling or aggressive dogs.

Head control in this way does present the trainer with some difficulties. Most dogs will not take kindly to have any sort of restriction placed over their face and nose, so the dog might take a while to get used to collar. Also, by pulling on the head, it is possible to injure the dog’s neck or back, so you need to take care when using a head collar.

Choke collars can be very effective in controlling a dog. Sadly, in the wrong hands, choke collars can be exceedingly cruel and can hurt dogs. Control lies within the trainer themselves. If you genuinely think that a choke collar will do what you want, but you are not sure how to use one properly, seek expert guidance.

It is essential that a choke collar is fitted correctly, because they have the potential to harm the dog. The choke collar works by tightening around the dog’s throat when the trainer pulls on the leash. The tightness should be released when the trainer releases the leash, but in the case of a badly fitted collar, this might not happen, and the dog will continue to be choked. If a dog continually pulls on its leash, then a choke collar would not be an appropriate training device. They should also only be used by experienced handlers.

Electronic dog collars are relatively new dog training devices. If they are used correctly, they can be a very humane way to train a dog. Used incorrectly, then the dogs could suffer as a consequence.

They work by passing a shock to the dog via a remote control, which is controlled by the trainer. The trainer has complete control over how big a shock to administer to the dog. It is generally accepted that the shock should be strong enough to make the dog’s ears twitch, and no more. How much that is depends on the size of the dog and the collar itself. If your dog starts to yelp when you administer a shock, then the charge is probably too high. If you are unsure, seek advice.

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Homemade Dog Food May Improve Your Dog’s Behavior

Do you worry about behavior problems your puppy or dog is displaying? Not regular dog training issues, like housetraining or stopping a dog from jumping on people, but more serious issues such as aggressiveness or other difficulties? If your dog is doing things you don’t know how to stop, this can be quite stressful for you… and often for the dog too.

Normally one of the first things dog owners do in a case like this is to learn more about dog training and apply it to their situation. They might do this through classes, trainers, books, or internet websites and forums. The quality of the advice found can be rather hit-and-miss, but often this approach is adequate and the behavior issue is solved, more or less.

A good next step is a vet exam to rule out all sorts of common or obscure ailments that you might never think of yourself. And if the vet should find that your dog is experiencing pain somewhere in his body, taking care of that could solve the behavior problem.

Plenty of exercise can also improve your dog’s behavior. Does your dog really get a lot of exercise? Dogs are meant to be active a lot of the time, yet their modern lifestyles in our homes rarely provide this. Make sure your dog gets abundant exercise and you may be quite amazed at the changes in his behavior.

But in many cases none of these approaches will solve the behavior problem.

I once had a lengthy email correspondence with a dog owner who found herself in this situation. She had already tried everything I’ve described above, but none of it solved the problem of her large puppy attacking and biting her and her children. She was an outstanding sleuth and ultimately she triumphed. Who’d have guessed that the beet pulp often used in commercial dog food was triggering allergic reactions? Once she only used dog food without that ingredient, the puppy became the dog of their dreams, sweet and loving.

Beet pulp is not at the top of the list of foods dogs are allergic to, but do remember that what you feed your dog may be affecting his behavior. This concept is quite common when thinking of people, but less widespread when thinking of dogs.

In general, veterinarians are not particularly well informed about the pros and cons of feeding dog foods that contain additives and other questionable ingredients. They received little training back in vet school and most are far too busy to explore the topic now. Also, if they sell dog food in their clinics, their inclination is going to be to trust that they made a good choice of food to sell.

I’m happy to report that some veterinarians have made a specialty of studying these matters closely, as have some dog breeders. Their recommendations are to feed your dog homemade dog food within guidelines they provide.

If you think about feeding a homemade diet to your dog, you may wonder if you will need to become an expert in nutrition. No, you won’t… you can draw on the work done by these people. For example, one well-known breeder has seen the longevity and the behavior of her dogs improve over the thirty-plus years she has been feeding a more natural diet.

For any dog with behavior problems, it’s an excellent idea to try a homemade dog food diet and observe any differences that may turn up over time!

Is Your Dog Aggressive? What You Should Do

No matter where you live, you may run into dog aggression, and it may be caused by your dog. Sometimes it is between two dogs, whether neighbors or dogs in the same household. Sometimes it involves a dog attacking or biting a human, all too often a child. This article will give you three things you can do if you are dealing with an aggressive dog in your family. It will also provide you with a link to a resource that has much more information on this stressful situation.

First, arrange your dog’s living quarters so he and everyone around him is safe. This means the dog, of course, but it also means all the humans and pets in your family, as well as any other dogs or people that the dog might encounter.

You can do this partly by crating the dog at times. If he is not used to being put into a crate, you will have to coax him in with treats and monitor his being in the crate to be sure he doesn’t hurt himself (or the crate) trying to get out. Never leave a dog in a crate for an extremely long time.

If you don’t have a crate or as an adjunct to it, you may be able to confine the dog to a room in your home, such as a laundry room, a spare room, or something of the sort. If you are dealing with dog-dog aggression, be sure that at least one door, and preferably two, is between the two dogs all the time.

Second, make an appointment, as soon as possible, with your veterinarian. Have him or her give your dog a complete examination. In a surprising number of cases, dog aggression comes about because the dog is suffering some pain that makes him cranky or seriously aggressive. There are actually dozens of possible physical conditions that could be causing the bad behavior. Maybe this step will solve your problem, but if not, at least you will have ruled it out.

Third, begin writing down short notes about the aggressive incident and what has happened since. Use a little notepad or some paper that you can keep in a convenient place, so it’s easy to make these notes. If you try to go back after a few days to reconstruct what happened, you may find that your memory is a bit unreliable about the timing and other details. This is normal, and all the more so when a situation is stressful. But these scribbles will have a place as you begin to create some new habits for training the dog and managing the situation.

Longer-term planning is the next step, or actually several steps. It may not be easy, but there have been studies done which show that when people who have an aggressive dog are diligent about care and training, the future is much rosier for the dog and all around him.

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