Invisible Fencing for Golden Retriever

My BIL did this and then he removed the system.... why... because he put the dog collar on his wrist to see just what happens to his dog when he crossed the fence line.

The fencing and collar was removed instantly after that experience.

We have a golden retriever and got an invisible fence (Buckeye fencing brand) when we got her as a puppy and we have a mutt who was 2 at the time. We love it! And they both did great w/ it! Even when their collars aren't on they know the boundaries and don't go through! Do it! :o) Certain companies offer training as part of the fee/installation...

I've worked as a dog trainer and behaviorist since 2005, and I have worked with many families that have used this fencing. My opinion on it is it works well to keep you dog in the boudaries of your house but should NOT EVER be used as a babysitter for your dog. If you're looking to allow your dog to spend hours outside put up real fencing or better yet...take you dog for a walk and allow them to get the exercise that's healthy for them.

So IMO, this works great if you're intending to keep your dog out there for short periods of time unattended (potty time) or if you want to spend large amounts of time outside with your dog and not keep them leashed.

I used a local invisible fence guy. His product is just as good as the 'big name' fences. He was less expensive than the other guys and trained my dog for me. At our previous home, my husband and I installed one from Wal Mart or Home Depot (can't remember where). It was fine too. Goldens are so smart I think your doggie will do great no matter which brand you chose.

We don't have it (we have dogs, but bought a house w/ a privacy fence, so don't need it), but my brother used one for his dog. His dog was a runner, and would run away if she got the chance. It worked fine, but the neighbor, doing some work near the property line, accidentally cut through the wires, and the instant the dog got outside, she knew and took off. They were careful after that, but didn't get it fixed right away and she got hit by a car (was okay, after surgery to remove her spleen).

Another friend (a vet, actually, though she was an academic and not a practicing vet) had it for her Lab and her little dachsund/beagle/mutt. The Lab was not smart.... He'd run right through it in pursuit of a squirrel or deer (the mutt wouldn't) and then frolic off; when he'd come back, he'd sit outside the fence and cry and cry because he wanted to come home but was afraid of getting zapped. LOL.

Hi!
I am a HUGE fan of the PetSafe invisible fence. We have a labrador retriever who is very energetic and used to wander off and get into porcupines! This fence is a very humane way to give dogs as much freedom as YOU want them to have. The set up of this fence is simple and the dog learns its boudaries very quickly. My dog was only shocked once after learning his limits and that was because he was playing with the kids and "forgot". The only con I can think of is the probes have rubbed a permanent bald patch on the underside of my dog's throat. However, it is not uncomfortable or sore for him.

We have the invisible fence and it works very well. We have a Labradoodle who, before the fence, would be everywhere in the neighborhood. This would include different neighbors garages where she would steal shoes and whatever else she could get in her mouth. Also using other yards for her bathroom. Neighbors were not very happy with us. Got the fence and with a little training, everything is great. She stays in her own yard and really doesn't have to wear the collar very much. Every now and then she will test it and slowly make her way out of the yard but we just put the collar back on for a couple of days and all is good. One thing to remember though is if you take your dog in the car, please remember to remove the collar. Our poor dog has gotten zapped a couple of times because we had forgotten. Please no comments from those of you against the electric fence system. We either had to have this system or get rid of the dog.

Love it! We have Invisible Fence and it is the best thing ever. B/F the fence we would have to take the dog out on a leash to do her business. Now we just open the door. We also have it inside so she won't go where we don't want her to. No cons at all really-it was expensive but well worth it.

I used to date a guy that put one up for his dog. She was constantly 'running through' it. She quickly discovered that if she ran fast enough through the force field that the shock would not last long. She escaped all the time.

My parents have a neighbor that has three (?) dogs in an invisible fence. They are always in the yard. I haven't asked, but it looks like they do not escape, maybe because they are well trained.

I think it depends on the dog. How well trained is s/he? Good luck!

I agree with the trainer below. The Invisible Fence brand is the best and safest product on the market today. The fact that they take the time to train your dog PROPERLY vs. putting up your own fence that could work improperly and no training included is a plus.
Leah should be ashamed of herself for accusing yet another "pitbull" for an attack on another dog. This is another racial slur towards a specific breed that is unacceptable and has nothing to do with what kind of dog is in a fight. Am not sure what neighborhood has "Pitbulls" running the streets, but any dogs should be reported to your local humane society. If you know who the dogs belong to, you may want to tell them directly, since they are the ones to blame. Not the dog or the invisible fence!!!
Not to mention, your offensive comments have NOTHING to do with what kind of fence Tyra asked our opinion on.

we have used hot wires and they do work. the first zap and you can turn it off. a little cheaper than invisible fencing.

we have 2.5 acres and our house and brothers house next to each other so we decided to install a underground pet fence we got it at tsc it is the pet-safe invisible system with a training collar and regular collar, my brother has 2 American bull dogs and i have a yorkiepoo we installed the fence our self it was pretty easy we rented a machine that buries wire while you walk behind it from homedepot but later found that a machine that can put an edge on your flower bed would have been better due to the other machine kept the wire to tight and after a year we would have to find where breaks were in the wire from the ground moving due to frost or rain and even the occasional mole. the dogs learned quickly where the line is by using the flags they get a beep if they get within 6' from the line and a shock at 3' to 2.5' away from the line. i did not like the thought of my dog getting shocked but it beets getting hit by a car or stolen or even being shot by hunters the fence is set up on 2.5 acres for the dogs to have fun and be able to run without worrying about their safety. for my yorkiepoo we use the training collar all the time due to it has an adjustable shock setting so the shock is not to strong. the cons of it are if the line breaks or the power goes out and your kids let the dog out without thinking about it and the only other bad thing i found is that if your dog wanders into someone else s yard with the same system you have to go in their property take the collar off and take the dog home as this strange event happened to me during a brief power outage

As many have said they can be good and bad. One of the main cons for me is they do not keep anything out of the yard. We live in a neighborhood with lots of wildlife and an occasional dog that is running free. Our dog does not really like other dogs, so we did not want another animal to be able to approach her. We have several dogs in the neighborhood on invisible fences that do stay in their yards, but are never out for very long. Two of the dogs run the line and bark if you walk by, one of the two sits on the line and howls when he hits the line. Other dogs in the neighborhood do great and are quiet in their yards.

I think invisible fence brand is probably the best choice from people I have know with fences. It seems to be the most reliable and safest. I'm glad we decided to put up a true fence, which I some places you cannot do that. When we bought our house we checked to see if the HOAs would allow fences if there was an HOA. I also did not want to ever have to shock my pet or allow her to be shocked if there was another option, even though I know most dogs do great with the fences when trained correctly. I have know dogs that would run through, but then would not come back into their yard. I didn't want to create any fear issues of the outside and wanted to keep a physical boundary with the street.

Hope the fence works out for you and your pup!

We bought the Innotek Basic In Ground fence system and love it! We have a 72 pound dog and he has learned his boundaries and stays in the yard. I think he has only been shocked 2 times and he learned his lesson. The dog gets a warning beep before he gets a shock so he knows he needs to back up. You can by the kit at Menards or online for around 80 dollars which I thought was a great deal. We installed it ourselves using sod staples to eliminate the need for digging (the line is then above ground). It works great but we have had some breaks in the line from mowing the lawn. The repairs are very easy if you know where the break is...but I would recommend having it installed underground. The line only needs to go about 3 inches underground which you can accomplish by inserting a shovel into the ground and pushing the handle forward. This leaves a gap in the ground for the wire to go into. This would be done easiest with 2 people ( one with the shovel, and one with the wire). I hope this helps, this fence was the best thing we every did for us and our dog! He loves to run around the yard!