Question: My dog won't stop jumping over my backyard fence and roaming the neighborhood. Besides chaining him up, what can I do to stop him?
Doug P., Livonia.
Answer: I would first neuter the dog, as this will eliminate at least one of the motivators for roaming. Then, I'd install a pet containment system, also known as invisible fence. The containment systems are cheap and easy to install. You may lay the cable on the top or base of the fence, be beware. The fence may act as an antenna and increase the effective zone of the electronic stimuli. The best system is to bury the cable about four inches. This can be easily done by using a gas-powered lawn-edger to cut a small trench into which the cable is laid. Then cover the cable with a little sand or dirt until the grass grows back over it. For those who know nothing about the popular system, it works as follows. The system consists of a transmitter box that is installed into your house and it's wired into your house current. Most are simply plugged into an outlet. Then, connected to the transmitter box is the boundary cable, which will act as the barrier for your dog. As previously stated, it's best to bury the cable. The dog is then fitted with a receiver collar that is synchronized to the transmitter. The receiver collar will give a warning tone if the dog approaches within a certain, predetermined distance to the cable. If the dog continues to approach after the warning tone, it'll receive a predetermined electronic stimulus. In your case, the fence will act as a visual indicator of the boundary. Otherwise, the containment area will come with many little flags that can be used as a visual barrier.
Charlie Linblade
Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club
Michigan Pheasant Hunting
Michigan Bird Dog Training
