So sorry for your loss. You've learned a tragic lesson that others would do wise to learn from. Hopefully reading a story like this will make some of the electric fence proponents stop and listen, but I fear there are those who will have to learn the lesson in the same way you did.

May your dog RIP.🌈

 

Again, my condolences.

This is just one of the problems with electric fences - if the drive to get through is enough, the adrenaline will dull the pain enough for the dog to escape. Then either a tragic accident could happen, or he just won't be able to get back in. Or, something else could get in and he won't be able to escape.

These are interesting articles, explaining why these fences are banned in many countries.

The Pet Professional Guild - Electronic Fencing What you need to know

Using an Electric Fence For Your Dog | Victoria Stilwell Positively

Electric fences have become a popular alternative to putting up traditional fencing. But did you know that these fences can cause more harm than good to your dog?

positively.com

 

Thank you for sharing all appreciated sorry for your loss

 

The following are a couple of excellent posts from @Curls .


A. Having dealt with farm dogs, I do think a fence is your best bet. I've used cattle panels in the past; I don't know if they are called the same thing or if they are available where you are.

Forum rules aside, I have several practical reasons for not recommending radio/shock collar fencing for farm dogs
1) They tend not to be all that reliable in a farm situation, especially with a dog that has already learned to roam. The wire breaks. (Nothing like arming yourself with a multimeter and heading out into a sleet storm to try to find the break on a 550 meter length of wire.) The batteries go dead. The dog learns to hasten the death of the batteries by sitting at the perimeter until the collar stops beeping. The dog learns the collar only stings for a second if he runs really fast through the perimeter. The transformer gets hit with a power surge. The dog figures out how to get the collar off. One of your neighbors feels sorry for the dog and removes the collar. The collar corrodes due to weather and gets stuck in the on position, resulting in serious burns to the dog. Etc. etc.
2) They do nothing to protect the dog against other roaming animals. It looks like you are in the UK, so probably the biggest threat to your dog would be another dog or a human. Where I live we also need to worry about coyotes and even the occasional bear or puma. I would never leave my dog trapped outside without the option to flee.
3) Some dogs react to the shock by becoming aggressive. They see, for instance, the postman. They run towards the postman and get shocked. They don't make the connection that the shock is because they ran outside their perimeter. Instead they think the postman hurt them. Now they are angry and scared of the postman, and they may start reacting to him with fearful aggression. The same scenario can just as easily happen with other dogs, livestock, children on bicycles, and so forth.



B. We had an incident on a lake near me over the winter. Someone's dog got loose due to a malfunctioning electronic collar and ran out onto an incompletely frozen lake. The dog broke through and was unable to pull itself back onto solid ice. Eventually the owner heard the barking and figured out where he was. She was, of course, helpless to rescue him. Ice that wouldn't support the weight of a dog certainly wouldn't support her. Fortunately the local fire department happened to have the equipment necessary for cold water rescues. They treated the situation as a training exercise and used their specialized gear to pull the dog out of the lake. Otherwise the dog would have died.

 

OMG I am so sorry for you, My dog is sort of not very smart, and she has run into cars 2 times, one of those the Ahole driver even accelerated to hit her(he was detained btw) and I have suffered both times thinking she was done for, thankfully she just stood up and ran towards me, I can't even begin to know what that feels like, but I have been close(She now pays way more attention and listens carefully when I tell her to stop, thank goodnes)

My greatest condolences friend U.U

 

Glad your dog was seemingly not badly injured by running into the cars. Does she now listen when you tell her to stop because you have done more training or is it as a result of the consequences of not listening those two times?

 

OMG!!! I'm so, so very sorry! I know the feeling well. My 10 year Borkie died in my arms on 12/22 and I still feel her limp body. I'm just so sorry this happened!! I'll send up big prayers tonight to try and relieve the grief.

 

There is a restriction against fences in my sub-division. In another neighborhood there were no restrictions so we put up a large privacy fence and I was glad. We had a Yorki

Please read this. Perhaps this may common sense to some but for us, we learned the hardest way. We have an electric fence installed. My Soft Coated Wheaten ALWAYS respected her boundaries. We learned a very difficult lesson last night. When a dog wants something it will go after it. Our 1.5 year has recently been chasing Chipmunks in the yard. I saw her "hunt" become more active as she matured. Last night, she saw a Chipmunk in the driveway. She chased it down at full speed. Despite calling her, which she responded to 99% of the time, she bolted down the driveway through a 12 foot pinch zone (an area that she would be shocked it entered) and a boundary line 5 feet from the road to try and catch the Chipmunk. Ultimately, she ran into the road and was killed.

The point it is that I should have not relied on the electric fence. I should have had an absolute blockage to keep that from happening despite no matter how many times I watched her respect the boundaries. She has never ever gone close to the boundary in our driveway until she saw the Chipmunk last night. In retrospect, I realize by nature it's in her breed to instinctually chase vermin. Yes, I feel incredibly guilty and responsible for not doing more. We are devastated. I am posting here not to blame the equipment but to just share with the community that the electric fence is invisible and can be penetrated. If you are considering one please think again. If you have one, I urge you to take it out and replace it with a physical fence.

OMG, I am SO, SO sorry! I’ll send up big prayers tonight to try and ease the grief. On 12/22, my 10 year old Borkie died in arms at home. I can still feel her limp body.

Unfortunately, my sub-division has a restriction against fences. When I lived in another sub-division, they didn’t and we put up a 6 foot privacy fence and it was a good thing. We had a Yorkie at the time and didn’t know she was bred to kill rabbits. A couple of times a rabbit ran on one side and the fence and she was on the other and ran so fast she almost knocked herself out at the end of the fence.

Anyway, I’m just so, so sorry!!

 

Very sad indeed dogs are our family. The fence isn’t a fence though. It’s a training ground. Unless you really used electric fence? Invisible fence is fantastic. You have to teach your dogs this fence. I have had it for years. It is the biggest pain to ‘walk you dog and teach your yard’ but it is A MUST! It has allowed me to turn ‘run at the sight of the open door’ dogs, into those that will sit in the front yard and hang out while you garden.

 

Have you ever touched an electric fence??? It sucks. The more you weigh, the more it zaps

 

Invisible fence is fantastic.

This is a non-aversive forum and recommending something like this is in breach of our rules.

has allowed me to turn ‘run at the sight of the open door’ dogs, into those that will sit in the front yard

As would a conventional fence, or a leash.

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Sorry for your loss. Virtual fences have a role for some animals, but not for all. Worse, they do nothing to deter coyotes and predators from encroaching into propertys.

 

Virtual fences have a role for some animals, but not for all.

I disagree with this.
Invisible fences do not play a good role for any animal, since the problems with them apply no matter what animal we are talking about. There is no animal that is exempt from the various dangers of these fences, therefore they do not "have a role for some animals".

 

Very well, I will learn to not share an opinion on topics that the powers that be have already decided are not up for discussion.
I will, however reserve the right to think for myself.

 

You do you, we will do us.

We believe that pain and fear are not the right way to teach. But, if you choose to stay, you might find more effective ways of training.

 

Oooh so sorry for your loss. But hopefully, your story certainly caused a tragic lesson for others. Reading the sad story has advised the electric fence supporters. Every dog's owner must consult a professional dog training specialist.

 

Omg that is so sad! My aunts dog was actually killed by the voltage of a faulty electrical fence! And I once lost a good hunting dog because of one!!

 

I'm so sorry that happened to your dog. May God be with you during your grief!

 

Sorry for your loss, it had to have been very difficult to deal with. The lesson here, is dogs are strongly driven by their instincts and prey drive(instinct), and no amount of training or conditioning will overcome that every time. all it takes is once as @jjmota007 sadly discovered.

 

Someone on a local town page just posted the story of chasing their husky around the neighborhood for half a day. Their dog and a guest's dog were out in the yard playing. The guest's dog took off. The husky, who is accustomed to being outside with an e-collar, hesitated and then made the choice to run through the fence to follow her buddy. Once past the fence perimeter the two dogs happily ran through meadows and marsh, across roads and yards, before finally returning home a few hours later. It's a good illustration that pain isn't always a sufficient deterrent when a dog is sufficiently motivated. This dog clearly knew where the fence was, knew she'd be shocked, and chose to be shocked in order to get what she really wanted. Fortunately she came to no harm while out on her adventure, but it could have ended very badly for her.

 

I'm truly sorry for your loss. It's a painful lesson that no one should have to learn. I hope that by sharing this story, those who are considering using electric fences will pause and listen. I worry, though, that some may only learn this lesson the hard way, just like you did. Rest in peace to your beloved dog.