How to Train Your Dog to Use an Invisible Fence
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Introduction
A rural pet owner with a large unfenced yard has two beautiful, large farm dogs. The dogs' job is to guard the property, protecting the chickens and goats from predators, and the home from intruders. The quiet gravel road that goes by the property is rarely traveled except by locals, and the dogs are good about staying home with their family. But one day a rabbit in the field across the road catches the eye of the younger dog, who bolts across the road after the rabbit, heedless of the property line, or the road. Unfortunately, a guest looking for a local farm, and unfamiliar with the area is traveling down the road at precisely that time, and strikes the family farm dog with her car, killing him instantly. The driver is distraught, the farm family is devastated, and sadly, a dog is tragically lost due to a preventable accident. An invisible fence that would have given the farm dog a defined barrier and prevented him from bolting out onto the road might have prevented this sad outcome.
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Defining Tasks
Some pet owners are unable to have a fenced-in area for their dogs, either due to cost or geographical constraint. This is especially common in rural areas, where large yard sites are often the norm, and there is a requirement for dogs to defend livestock and property.
An invisible fence can be installed underground, or a transmitter set to allow a certain radius from a central point. The invisible fence can be set at the border of your property or yard site, or wherever you want your dog contained. The dog wears a radio collar that receives transmissions from a radio transmitter that is signaled by the invisible fence. The collar first produces an audible signal to the dog as he approaches the boundary of the invisible fence ,to let the dog know he is at approaching the boundary. If the dog proceeds to the boundary of the invisible fence he will receive a signal stimulus correction as he crosses the invisible fence line. The stimulus correction is usually similar to a static shock, and serves to deter the dog from crossing the invisible fence line, thus giving the dog a boundary and keeping the dog safely in a contained area.
However, simply turning your dog out to learn how the invisible fence works by trial and error will result in many incidences of negative reinforcement, which can be frightening and confusing to your dog, and may take several unnecessary incidents in order for your dog to learn the boundaries of their invisible fence and stay contained within it. Responsible use of an invisible fence includes teaching your dog what the boundaries of the invisible fence are, and how to understand radio signals warning of impending corrective stimulus so they can react appropriately to avoid triggering the fence.
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Getting Started
You should always choose an invisible fence system that has a signal prior to the corrective stimulus, so your dog can learn to avoid being corrected. Most invisible fencing systems come with flags that can be used to mark the boundaries of the invisible fence to assist training by visually marking the boundary of the fence, allowing your dog to see and define the area he is to stay within. Use of a long leash to help your dog explore his yard, but allow controlled recall and guidance as your dog approaches boundaries, may be employed. You will also need a second non-metallic collar to use with the leash, as using the transmitter collar for leading is not appropriate and metal collars can interfere with radio signal transmission.
Have lots of treats and toys to reward and reinforce appropriate containment behaviors. Do not leave your dog unattended in an invisible fence during training, so as not to result in unnecessary negative stimuli corrections that can confuse your dog or allow successful attempts at evading the invisible fence.
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The Response to Signal Method
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Set to signal only
Set your invisible fence radio collar to signal only, so that only a signal is provided to the dog when they approach the invisible fence line and no corrective stimulus.
Approach fenceline
Take your dog on a walk with a leash and a separate non-metal collar, within but near the perimeter of the invisible fence line.
Move away when signalled
When the collar signals your dog with an audio signal that he is too close to the boundary, correct your dog by moving him away from the invisible fence line. Provide treats as a reward for moving away from the fence line when signaled.
Turn on correction
Once your dog is familiar with the signal and has learned to move away from the invisible fence line, turn on the lowest level of static correction.
Practice responding to signal
Continue to walk around the perimeter of the fence line. If your dog ignores the audio signal and goes past the boundary, he will receive a mild corrective stimulus.
Create distractions
Provide distractions, such as another dog or something your dog will be motivated to gravitate towards, on the other side of the fence.
Allow corrective stimulus
If your dog moves across the invisible fence line he will receive a corrective stimulus. If he ignores the correction, you may need to turn up the volume of the corrective stimulus as necessary, until you dog responds by staying within the boundary in spite of distractions. Reward your dog for retreating when signaled.
Practice off-leash
Move to off leash training. Continue supervision. When your dog retreats from the fence in response to the audible signal, give him a treat. When he approaches the fence line too closely he will receive corrective stimulation. Make adjustments to stimulation as necessary.
The Recall and Flags Method
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Teach recall
Teach your dog to come when called using a long leash.
Set up flags
Install the invisible fence and set up flags at the invisible fence line.
Approach perimeter
Take your dog on a walk with a long leash and a separate non metal collar, within but near the perimeter of the invisible fence line. Walk a good distance away from your dog inside the fence line.
Recall when signal alerts
When the collar signals your dog with an audio signal that he is close to the boundary, call your dog. Reward him for coming to you and leaving the perimeter of the fence line.
Provide distractions
Once your dog is familiar with the signal and has learned to move away from the invisible fence line, provide distractions, such as another dog, on the other side of the fence.
Allow corrections
When your dog goes to move across the invisible fence line and receives the signal, call him. If he ignores you and proceeds across the fence line he will receive a corrective stimulus. If he ignores the correction you may need to turn up the strength of the corrective stimulus as necessary, until you dog responds by staying within the boundary in spite of distractions.
Remove leash
Allow your dog off leash. Continue supervision. When your dog retreats from the fence in response to the audible signal, give him a treat. When he approaches the fence line too closely he will receive correction. Make adjustments to stimulation as necessary.
Remove flags
Once your dog has a good idea of where the fence line is and responds to approaching it by retreating once he hears the audible signal, you can remove the flags from the perimeter. Continue to monitor until you are confident your dog knows where the perimeter is and responds appropriately to the signal to retreat back within the perimeter.
The Positive Reinforcement Method
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Mark fence line
Install an invisible fence and set up flags at the invisible fence line.
Initiate play
Take your dog out in the yard with his favorite toy. Play within the yard with your dog and the toy.
Direct away from signal
If your dog ventures to where the collar signals your dog with an audio cue that he is too close to the boundary, call your dog and reward him for coming to you with play.
Allow correction
If your dog ignores you and proceeds across the fence line, he will receive a corrective stimulus. If he ignores the correction you may need to turn up the level of the corrective stimulus as necessary.
Allow distractions
Continue to play with your dog as he stays within the yard. Allow distractions on the other side of the fence. Call your dog and encourage him to come play. When he hears the signal warning him he is approaching the fence line, allow him to be corrected if he transgresses the fence.
Practice, play, remove flags
Once your dog has a good idea of where the fence line is and responds to approaching it by retreating once he hears the audible signal, you can remove the flags from the perimeter. Continue to monitor until you are confident your dog knows where the perimeter is and responds appropriately to the signal to retreat back within the perimeter.
Written by Laurie Haggart
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 11/17/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Havent gotten a puppy yet, but soon
Golden Retreiver
puppy
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
I have had an invisible fence for about 30 years. I have been extremely happy with the product, collars, service. I am about to get a new golden, and I am wondering about the age progression. I think the training was supposed to start at about 4 months but I don't remember. I still have an 11 year old golden, so he will help, i'm sure. The training has been successful for all of the dogs i have had, so I would like to start at the right age, thanks, su
Nov. 20, 2023
Havent gotten a puppy yet, but soon's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I recommend teaching the yard boundaries using a long training leash and treats for about a month before introducing the invisible fence corrections, that way pup will already understand where to stay, have a happy association with being in the yard and obeying that boundary, and understand how to avoid a correction - making the invisible fence a good enforcer of training but gentler by minimizing how many times they have to be corrected to learn the boundary at such a young age. Start by walk them around the boundary using a long leash and say "Out" and reel them back to your side of the boundary line when they cross it, to show them how to stop the correction later - later the collar from the electric fence will enforce the correction for you and will be very consistent in correcting pup for crossing the boundary when you aren't around. As soon as they return to your side of the boundary where they are supposed to be - because you reeled them in initially, praise and offer a treat. Practice this until pup is staying inside the boundary for several days while on the leash. I would also add some distractions outside of the boundary, like a friend doing jumping jacks outside your yard, or practicing this while kids are walking home from the bus where pup can see, or practicing in the evening when other people tend to walk their dogs past your home. Enforce pup coming back to your side with the long leash, and reward when pup not only comes back to you, but pup chooses to stop at the boundary and not cross it at all. Once pup seems to have a clear understanding, tempt pup to cross by running across and with visual distractions on the other side of the boundary at a distance and reward pup for not crossing, but stop rewarding for crossing then going back to your side at this point - they have to stay on their side to begin with to get the treat. When they are ready for the invisible fence, have them wear the collar around for a few days without them being corrected by it, so they don't associate the collar with being corrected later, but believe the correction is related to crossing the boundary and will hold that boundary even if the collar wasn't put on eventually (although collars do need to be consistently put on for safety). With electric fences, use the included flags to mark the boundary also and if your property is large, don't remove the flags later - keep them in place as a reminder since you don't have a physical fence to remind pup. You can also create another more aesthetically pleasing barrier, like a line of decorative logs going around the barrier as a visual reminder for pup. Once the fence, collar, and visual reminder is in place, take pup out on the long leash again and practice your training. When the cross the barrier and are corrected by the collar, be quick to reel them back to your side of the fence to show them that moving back into the yard inside the barrier is how they get the correction to stop. Practice this for a few days to make sure pup understands how to get the correction to stop when they feel it. If you don't do anything else, at minimum don't skip walking the boundary with pup and teaching pup to come back into your yard to stop the correction - many people skip that part and it can ruin training for electric fences because dogs cross, then run and don't know how to stop the correction by returning - pups need to learn to return to make the correction stop so that they understand how to avoid the correction by not crossing the boundary. Reward pup with treats for not crossing. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Nov. 30, 2023
Jax
American Staffordshire Terrier
9 Years
Question
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0 found this helpful
Hi There, I just had Dog Watch installed at my new house. Training was going well until my 9 year old got corrected a couple times. Now he is scared to go outside. Any tips? I am trying to use treats as a reward just to get him out in the yard. Not pushing the boundaries.
June 4, 2020
Jax's Owner
Darlene Stott - Dog Trainer and Groomer
104 Dog owners recommended
Hello, sorry to hear that Jax is now afraid and associates the correction with the outdoors. I am not familiar with the use of these fences so cannot give the best answer, especially if treats are not doing the trick. Try calling the company to see if they have a trainer associated with them who can help. I am assuming the device can be turned off? Perhaps get Jax comfortable in the yard again and start over with the advice of the Dog Watch company. As well, take a look at Robert Cabral's website - he has a lot of videos on all kinds of issues. This video is on e-collars but may be a start: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEg6lp9Oqd8 Here is his excellent site:https://robertcabral.com/. Good luck!
June 5, 2020