It's probably best to try to understand that everyone has their own opinion about the best ways to keep their pets safe. A person with my tiny southern California backyard is not going to have the same issues as someone with property in a rural area.

Kimberley you don't have to explain! We all know what a wonderful mommy you are to Rebel and your other babies. I'm sorry that this thread was even started in the first place. :mad: Seems like it was only done to try and insult you and that really makes me angry. :thumbdown

My boss has a little beagle. He's a few years old but small, like 10 pounds. She lives in a gated community and they are not allowed to have fences. Her husband had the wire put in and she was furious. But now she swears by it. Jake only wore the collar for about 2 days, and he learned not to go off of the property. She said it can be set to different settings so that it's not too much of a shock for a little dog. She said his only reaction was he stopped immediately at the end of the yard. Now, he never goes anywhere. She even showed me how she would throw a ball and he would chase it and then when she threw it too far he just sat down and waited for her to go get it. It's true it doesn't protect the dog from another animal coming in to the yard but they bought it to keep Jake in her yard and that is what it does and very well. I don't know if I would personally use one, but I'll never know because they are so darned expensive!

Just because I do not agree with Kimberley on this issue does not mean that I started this thread to "insult" her. That would be silly. She is confident in her opinion and I am in mine. She has expressed her opinion, I have mine and we are all learning from each other. A difference of opinion is NOT automatically the same as an insult. :confused:

I am assuming that this thread is open to discussion from the other side. Hopefully people who disagree can post an opinion without getting toasted.

First of all, I would never ever use a "shock" collar on my yorkies, somehow it seems like "overkill". .... and I do not have a fenced in yard, so I don't have electric fences there, either. If and when I do have an fenced in yard, if my dogs abuse their priviledge or if I feel like some outside entity is threatening them, I will put an electric wire around it.

However, I can speak with much experience about electric fences in general, all of our pastures are electric. There are different types of chargers and different "strengths" of the electricity running through them. Ours are the pulse type -- meaning that tiny spurts of electricity runs through the fence. You can slip through the wires -- if you go quickly and not get shocked -- if you do get "hit" it is a very mild shock and then it stops. It isn't like sticking a paperclip in an electrical outlet. I think the fence chargers made for dogs are even much milder than the ones we use for our pastures.

Wow.............................

When we move into our new house I will be using an electric fence because the community doesnt allow fences. I have read up about them and they are perfectly safe to use.

Something I suggested was mentioned here to and I think I should clarify what I was trying to say;)
My mother in law lives in the countryside,she is in the middle of nowhere BUT has a few neighbours and these have small kids.Right now she has a total of 10 dogs and 4 are german sheppards,so she can not risk any of these getting onto someones property and hurting a child or causing any damage.Where she lives there are no fences (because there are sheep that need to get from one place to another) and these arent even allowed (neither are hot wires),instead there are low bushes seperating one peice of land from the next etc,so obviously something is needed to stop her dogs doing any damage because she cant keep them chained up forever THAT would be cruel.
The invisible fence is a GREAT invention and the collars are only used when the dogs are out of the kennels (they´re soft,padded and elasticated),so there is no risk of them getting strangled.Also,the invisible fence only makes high pitched sounds to stop the dog from crossing the line,and beleive me,it works and its harmless.
The dogs are able to run free without getting lost,stollen or shot at by angry neighbours,so in my eyes,its well worth it:)

I have 4 shihtzus and 1 yorkie. They all have been trained to stay in our yard with an electric fence. If you train them right with the flags and they really only get shocked once because they learn very quickly to go back when they get beeped before they are shocked (you can adjust the range between the beep and the shock). I think this is the best thing I ever bought for my dogs. I only had 2 dogs when I first got the fence, and I was chasing them all the time. I have heard from my shihtzu sight also how people are againt these fences. I think if you ask my dogs, they will tell you that they would much rather be shocked any day than to be ran over by a car!!!!

I only post here every now and then, so I hope nobody hates me for my opinion.

Joan

"Here is a quote from a vet about her opinion which is siliar to mine and her reasoning which makes sense to me.

Do you approve of electric fences and shock collars?

Electronic fences and shock collars electrically shock dogs when they cross a line, bark, or don’t respond to a command. These cruel devices physically hurt animals and can cause severe psychological problems as well. Companion animals should not have to live in fear of receiving electric shocks for normal behavior, such as barking. Positive training methods, in which dogs are rewarded for what they do right, are kinder and more effective.

Dogs trained with shock collars and electric fences may develop fears of or aggression aimed at what they BELIEVE is the source of the shock (kids riding by on bikes, the mailman, the dog next door, etc.). Dogs have been known to run through electric barriers when frightened by fireworks or chasing a squirrel, and then are scared to cross back through the barrier.

It’s also worth noting that while electric fences may keep your dog inside the yard, they do nothing to protect your companion from other roaming dogs, cruel humans, or other animals who can freely enter the property.
http://www.askcarla.com/answers.asp...andanswerID=233"

I am not sure how much of this post is directly from the person whose name is listed at the bottom of the post...Carla--- But, if you go to the addy of the site noted, then click on "About Carla" you will see that she was a real estate/single mom who has become a contributing author in the PETA magazine. Am I missing the part where it says she is a VET?

I also had underground fence. It is not to train but rather to let my dogs exercise with saftey. The dont get a huge jolt as you set how powerful. But a m ild tingle and they learn to listern to beep. After a couple days of beeps. they will not need collars. I love my animals and would never think of hurting them. I just want them to be safe and not run down the street or in the street and get hit by a car, I think it is ones own personal preference as to how they feel about it. But it is in no way abusive to my animals, as I never let them get a big jolt.

This post wasn't a lost cause. I always assumed the electric fence would be harmful. I didn't know you could adjust the intensity. I have fenced yard so no need to install one. If I lived somewhere like by a busy street. I would consider my options, fencing the yard or an electric fence.

Thanks, you KNOW first hand, and I have witnessed this also, a coworker has 3 toy poodles he also has an underground fence, Originally, I thought OH how cruel, so instead of wondering I wanted to feel the shock so I did, it was very faint. And he also advised me, like you said, about the flags, and how quickly they learn, the first day he said, and they stay away, and it works like a charm, he recently moved and it was the first thing he installed at his new house.

I live on a rental property and I am seriously considering getting an electric fence for my yorkie Brandy. The backyard is secure (sometimes she does dig out though) but the front yard is another issue. There is a gap in the gate that she can run through. Sometimes she doesn't listen to me or darts past when the other gate/door is open and runs through the gap in the fence. There is no way to block it.
She isn't listening to the come command as much anymore. We live on a busy street and I don't want her to get hit by a car like she almost did last time. The landlord refuses to fix the fence. So if it's between her getting hit or her getting a little jolt I know what I will pick. If she learns to come to me when I call her or stops running through the gap then I would take it off of her.

The more I think about this...it's not the shock that bothers me, but the fact that anyone can come in stray dog or thief...I want a shock both ways..lololol.