[Curls]

Someone in my region had a scary incident with their Aussie-doodle falling through the ice on an insufficiently frozen lake. The problem started when the dog blew through the zaps from its electronic fence collar. The dog wandered out onto the ice and fell through. Luckily, the owner heard the dog barking and realized where it was. Luckily the owner was sensible enough not to try to rescue the dog herself (a few years ago another dog owner died trying to rescue her dog in a similar situation.) The owner called the fire department instead. Luckily the fire department has the training, the equipment, and the willingness to handle cold water rescues. One of the responders, clad in a cold water suit, inched out onto the ice towards the dog. The ice broke under the rescuer too. With the protection of the suit he was able to manage the cold water dunking and get to the dog. The whole situation could have ended far worse for dog and humans both.

 

[ridgerachel]

That is a good example of why I would argue against e-fences.

 

[JoanneF]

How awful.

I wonder whether there was a greater risk of the collar malfunctioning because it was in the water and shocking the dog and/or the rescuer.

 

[Buzzu2]

How awful.

I wonder whether there was a greater risk of the collar malfunctioning because it was in the water and shocking the dog and/or the rescuer.

The rescuer would have most likely worn waterproof gloves, and hopefully the collar was either waterproof, or had shorted out, so that the dog would not have been shocked

 

[Shadowfox]

Yikes. Glad the dog and rescuer made it out.

 

[Schnauzaluv]

Wow what a horror story but so glad the dog was ok in the end.

 

[Curls]

I wonder if the collar also contributed to the dog not returning home once it escaped; it would have gotten zapped each time it approached its house.

 

[emeraldecho]

I wonder if the collar also contributed to the dog not returning home once it escaped; it would have gotten zapped each time it approached its house.

Not that the collars are ever really advisable, but the "better" ones don't do this.

 

[Arctic_foxy]

Those collars are generally waterproof, otherwise they wouldn't work in the rain.

 

[Laco]

Glad the dog was rescued, can only hope the Ecollar was left in the lake, which is a great place for it!

 

[Bordercollie]

Not that the collars are ever really advisable, but the "better" ones don't do this.

Pardon my ignorance, but how would it know? I thought they worked simply on distance, i.e the moment the dog gets to a certain distance from the "fence" it gets a shock. How would the fence know whether the dog is coming or going?

 

[emeraldecho]

Pardon my ignorance, but how would it know? I thought they worked simply on distance, i.e the moment the dog gets to a certain distance from the "fence" it gets a shock. How would the fence know whether the dog is coming or going?

Not sure exactly how it works - I only know it exists as a technology because I overheard a sales guy's spiel at a farm show, maybe 20 years ago now, while waiting for someone. That was one of his selling points. If I'm remembering correctly, it had something to do with the collar being in or out of range of a base unit.

From another half-heard conversation at a different farm show, I'm pretty sure there are GPS-based units too now. Functionally, the application is not much different than the location collars that coyote hunters often use on their tracking dogs around here.