How to Keep Your Dogs Contained

Dogs are a joy to have as part of your family. However, some people may find that one of their biggest challenges with dogs is to keep them where they need to be. A dog needs to know where he is and is not allowed to go, both inside and outside of the home.

For many people, pet gates are the method of choice to keep their dogs confined in a specific area inside of the home. While these work well for some people, for others it just isn't practical. Some may not enjoy having to step over the gate whenever they want to go into the next room. Others may have an open floor plan with no places for the gate to be attached to.

When a pet gate isn't practical, one might want to try using an indoor pet barrier. Have you ever heard of these? This small device is placed in an area of the home where you want your pet to stay away from, such as off of furniture or out of the trash cans. Your dog wears a special collar and he will receive a static correction if he gets within a set distance of the area you want him to avoid.

What about when it is time for your dog to be outdoors? Perhaps you don't want to have to worry about taking your dog out on a leash every time he needs to go out. If you have a fence erected, you may not have to worry about him getting out of your yard, unless he knows how to dig under or jump high.

If you live in an area where you can't build a fence, there are still options available for you. Have you heard of an invisible fence®? An electric dog fence is the perfect way to keep your dog within the confines of your yard. Let's take a look at how they work.

An underground electric dog fence has three main components: Dog fence wire, a transmitter and a dog collar. The transmitter is located in a weatherproof area, such as indoors or in a garage. The wire is buried 3 to 4 inches underneath the ground, and it is used to define the confines of where you want your dog to be. The transmitter emits a radio signal that communicates with the wire. Your dog wears a special collar that has two metal contact points on it, which touch his neck.

As your dog approaches the boundary wire, he will receive a warning tone or a vibration, letting him know that he needs to stop. Should he continue going forward, he will receive a mild static shock through the collar. This process allows your dog to learn to stay within the boundaries that you have defined for him.

If you cannot bury a wire in your yard, there is another option available for you, a wireless dog fence. These operate on the same concept as an underground fence. However, instead of the transmitter utilizing a radio signal, it uses a Wi-Fi signal to communicate with the boundary wire.

Wireless dog fences are really easy to set up, as you don't have to go to the trouble of burying a wire. However, there are a few drawbacks. The first is that the wireless signal has to be cast in the form of a circle. The second is that the signal is not as dependable as you would get from a wired fence. The signal can become disrupted by factors like large trees or aluminum or stucco siding on a home.

Electric dog fence also let you contain more than one dog. All you have to do is purchase an additional collar for each pet that you have. They will even work for cats if you have the right system.

And there you have it. So many different ways to keep your precious pooch right at home with you where he belongs!