Dogs and Fencing

The Minnesota Valley Humane Society and its Canine U Training Program do not promote the use of electric shock collar fencing systems (such as Invisible Fence).  While we acknowledge that these systems may work well for some individuals, several potential side effects and concerns prevent us from encouraging their use.  We do recommend that you research and learn about any product or service you plan to use with your pet.  We hope the information provided below will be helpful.

 Concerns with Shock Collar Fence Systems 1: “Electric Fence Syndrome”

The use of an aversive (or unpleasant thing), particularly when coupled with fencing, may cause undesirable side effects.  Some dogs may become fearful after experiencing a shock and suddenly are unwilling to be in the yard.  Dogs prone to a fear response may also be unwilling to return home if they escape.

But even more concerning than fearfulness is a side effect common enough that trainers and behaviorists have given it a name: “Electric Fence Syndrome.”  This problem seems most often to occur with particularly friendly and outgoing dogs – turning the seemingly perfect family dog into a reactive and scary animal.  When a normal and friendly dog sees something interesting (a kid on a bike, someone walking their dog, the letter carrier, etc) and goes to investigate, the dog receives a shock.  Over time the dog begins to notice that it gets shocked when all those fun things go by and those things are no longer fun.  Rather, frustration and anger build as the dog starts to equate the shock with the kid, the other dog and the mailman – since, from the dog’s perspective, the shocks happen every time those things go by.  Now we have a dog who may greet strangers, kids, dogs and anything novel with barking, growling, lunging or worse.  And in the most severe cases the dog may even start to generalize the behavior, becoming reactive or aggressive in the middle of a walk or in other places outside of the yard.

 2: Safety and Comfort for others

Another disadvantage of invisible type fencing is just that – it is invisible.  People and dogs walking by cannot easily tell that your dog is “fenced” and are faced with what looks like a loose dog.  It is particularly horrible to be walking past a yard where a dog has developed “electric fence syndrome” – where the dog may growl, bark and/or lunge.  To passing dogs your dog looks unleashed and uncontrolled.  While these buried fences may look nice, they make not actually improve your relationship with your neighbors.  They do nothing to prevent a neighbor kid, for example, from cutting through your yard.  And what if that kid gets jumped on, scratched or worse by your dog?  Even if it occurs on your property, who do you think will win in a fight about a child injured by a dog?

 3: Safety and Comfort for your dog

First, your dog must experience electric shocks in order to learn how these systems work (in other words, your dog has to get it wrong or make mistakes in order for it to learn where the fence is).  Further, because these fences are not a visual or physical barrier, they do not stop or deter a loose dog or criminal from entering your property.  In the Twin Cities Metro Area dog theft is a problem, with stolen animals often used as practice dogs for dog fighting rings.  Loose dogs also pose a threat since there is nothing to stop that stray from entering your property and attacking your dog. 

 A Word About All Types Of Fencing 

Before going any farther perhaps it is best to stop and examine what your expectations are.  Are you hoping to solve an existing problem or are you preparing for a new dog?  Is your goal to create a space for your dog to be off-leash without having to do much training?  Or perhaps your vision of dog ownership includes being able to leave your dog outdoors unattended. 

All fencing - whether a 2 foot decorative fence, an 8 foot chain-linked fence, an invisible electric fence or anything in between – should only ever be considered a suggestion for your dog about where they should stay.  Unless you plan to build a structure as solid as the cages at the zoo, there really is no type of fence that will guarantee your dog will not escape.  Fences are never a substitute for training and supervision.  And a dog intent on getting out always will.

A dog who has “escaped” from a fence is likely to do so again in the future.  Simply changing your fence height or type is unlikely to fix the problem.  A dog that is prone to attempting to escape is probably never going to be able to be safely left unattended in the yard – regardless of the type of fence you are using – or at least not without intensive training.  Further, many dogs left in a fenced area unattended become nuisance barks (See the handout on barking for more on preventing and addressing this issue) or develop other boredom behaviors (like digging and chewing). 

For these reasons, please think carefully about your expectations before getting a dog (or be willing to adjust your expectations based on the dog you already have).  If you cannot stand barking (and check your city ordinances about how tolerant your neighbors are legally required to be if you are willing to listen to barking yourself) but you absolutely insist on leaving your dog outdoors unattended, then you need to pick your dog carefully – probably an older or calmer dog, and probably a breed or mix unlikely to bark.  And even then, be aware that many dogs without a previous history of barking will learn to do so out of boredom when left outdoors behind a fence.

Similarly, the best way to prevent your dog from escaping your fence is training and supervision.  But if you plan to leave your dog unattended outdoors, you should be careful to select a dog that wouldn’t leave even an unfenced yard.  Those dogs do exist, but they are harder to find – and you may have to rule out the cute 9 month old husky or the high-energy hunting breeds and certainly all non-spayed/neutered dogs.

Still have questions?  Contact us here at the shelter.  We’re always willing to help you work through behavior and training troubles!