More About Fences

 Last week in my blog I talked about the different kinds of fences there were and why it is safer for a dog to have a fenced in yard than for them to run free around the town. One of the kinds I mentioned was an invisible fence. Our friend Beauregard reminded us that invisible fences can be very bad for dogs.

Some people like them because they can be lots less expensive than other kinds of fences and since you can’t see them, they let you see all of the outside. Some places make rules about what kinds of fences houses can have. Because you can’t see an invisible fence they fit the kind of fences those rules say are okay.

An invisible fence sounds nice but it is really an electric fence that gives a dog a shock and makes a screechy noise when he tries to go outside of the fence. Shocks hurt and I don’t think hurting is a good way to train a dog. I think there are already enough bad noises like fireworks and thunderstorms so who wants more ugly sounds in the world.

Also the dog needs to be wearing a special collar for the fence to work. That means that other dogs, other animals or even bad peoples can come in the yard and hurt the dog that lives there.

If a dog sees something he really wants to chase or if something scares him enough, he could run real fast right through the invisible fence. He would get a shock but he would already be on the outside. The problem gets worse when he can’t get back into the yard. He will walk up to the yard and get a shock and stay on the outside.

One of Mom’s friends tried an invisible fence at her house. Her dog got shocked a couple of times and refused to go out of the house. He didn’t understand that he could go outside, just not too far. Luckily he only thought it was the front door so they let him out the back door and stopped using the fence.

 Our friend Julee reminded me that collars can get caught on fences and could choke a dog so we need to always be careful when we are outside, even when we are fenced in. Caught collars are only one of the reasons I  reminded peoples that they need to watch their dogs even though they are in a fenced in area. 

I see Dad is ready to go outside to rake the big yard so DixieLee and I will relax in our pen and watch him work. Having a big chain link fenced in yard means we can be outside with Dad and pretty much keep out of trouble. Well, I can. I don’t know about DixieLee.

Love your outside friend,

Zeva

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Running Free, Not Me!

Did you know that a long time ago, when Mom was a girl, family dogs stayed outside all the time and ran free around town? I bet it would be fun to run around town and visit other dogs but it must have been very dangerous living back then.

Today most people let their dogs stay in the house and don’t let them run free when they are outside. I know that some adoption agencies won’t let a dog get adopted unless the house has a fenced yard. Fenced yards help keep pets safe. Fences keep dogs from running into the road where cars are and help to keep them from getting stolen. Today dogs that are running free around town can get picked up by the Police.

Pets that run free, especially cats and little dogs, are targets for undomesticated animals like foxes and coyotes. Porcupines and skunks many not eat you but they sure can make your life miserable. Even tangling with a squirrel or snake can mean a trip to the Vet. A neighborhood cat was almost taken by an eagle. Good thing her Mom heard her screaming and was able to rescue her. She is going to be okay but she did have to go to the emergency Vet to get stitches and shots.

Fences can be made from lots of things like wood or vinyl. There are even fences that are invisible!

DixieLee and I have a nice fenced in area. It is big enough for us to have good races and play fights in. It’s made out of chain link. DixieLee is a good jumper but the fence is high enough so she can’t jump over it and she’s not big on climbing over it like some dogs would be.

Dogs have been known to climb on top of dog houses or wood piles and jump over their fences from there. Some dogs prefer to go under their fences.

DixieLee almost dug her way out from under our fence. I don’t think she started out thinking of tunneling her way out, it’s just that she likes to dig holes and a couple of the holes happened to be near the fence. Some dog fences have a border of metal netting that helps keep a dog from digging their way out. Another way to keep a dog from digging under is to make sure that the fence goes at least 6 inches under the ground.

We get to go in our pen most any time we want but only when Mom or Dad is home. They don’t need to be outside with us but they want to be able to keep an eye on us. They know that DixieLee can get into trouble without even trying and escaping from the yard would be big trouble.

When we first got our new fence she tried to squeeze between the end of the fence and the house. Dad had to put an extra post in to fill the gap.  Like I said she doesn't look for trouble but it does seem to find her.

It’s a beautiful Spring day in Northern New Hampshire so I think I stop now and go outside in my pen and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

Love,

Zeva

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Queen of the High Jump

One of my BFFs Miu is a chronic fence jumper.  I can’t understand why she would want to do that.  DixieLee and I have a really nice fenced yard where we can run and play all we want.  Our fences is a linky chain kind so we can watch the squirrels and chickens run around on the big yard and watch the people and cars on the road.  DixieLee likes to sit in the sunny part and I like to sit in the shade.

Miu also has a nice garden where she and her sister Bumo can run and play too but she says she jumps her fence because she loves being free to find other dogs and critters to chase. Her Mom isn’t so happy about the fence jumping because lots of the critters where they live have rabies and there are many other dangers awaiting a dog on the run.

We can play alone in our yard cuz our pen is right outside of our office windows and Mom can watch us without having to be outside but if you are an escape artist, having your human stay in the yard with you is a good way to break the habit.

When your human is in the yard watching you, he or she can distract you as soon as you get ready to bolt.  We use lots of what our friend Eric the Amazing Dog Training Man calls “positive reinforcement” to break bad habits

Positive reinforcement means offering an alternative to jumping.  Like when your human calls you and offers a toy or a treat or tells you what a good dog you are.  We never get tired of hearing what good dogs we are.  I’m pretty good about going to Mom when she calls but sometimes DL gets so into whatever she is doing, it’s like she doesn’t hear.  That’s when Mom says AAHHHHH using her Stern Voice or shakes THE CAN.  THE CAN is a soup can with a bunch of pennies in it that makes a horrible racket when Mom shakes it.  It’s so horrible that it startles DL long enough to get her back in listening mode.

Dogs need lots of exercise and attention.  If we aren’t getting enough of either, we get bored and look for ways to amuse ourselves.  We get walks and Mom and Dad pet us and talk to us all the time.

Mui’s Mom has tried all kinds of tricks to keep her in the garden.  Their fence is a garden wall which sounds very pretty and her Mom put big colorful pots along the top but Miu knocked them off and broke them.  Needless to say her Mom was not happy.

Dogs are pretty smart when we want to be. Can’t get over the fence, go under.  Dogs can fit through the smallest holes or gaps in a fence.  When we had the fence built, there was a six inch gap between the fence post and the house.  You guessed it!  DL found it right away so Dad banged a pipe in the ground to make the space to small even for Houdini Dog.

Chicken wire can also be used in lots of different ways to help fortify a fence.  There are way too many to make your fence jump proof for me to talk about in this blog so if you are a jumper or digger, tell your human to go on line and find out a way that works for you.

The yard should be a place where it is fun to be and a fence is the best way to keep us safe while we are having fun.

Your Friend,
Zeva

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