Large property and dogs.

[Shellback]

July 1st we move into our new house on 6 acres of unfenced land. There's a stream in the back and the property butts up to forest and farmland as far as you can see. Normally our Mal stays close but I can see him wanting to venture off when he's let out, chase a rabbit, and that type of thing.

What methods do you use to keep your dog on property? Do you always keep them close or let them run the property?

Invisible Fence has a GPS wireless electric fence.

Border Patrol TC-1 is a GPS wireless fence and tracker in one.

The Tagg GPS tracker looks cool but sets no limits and has no recall.

Any experience with these or other options?

[Sensei]

Unfortunately, I've always relied on the more expensive 6' physical fence option for my GSD and Great Dane and have no experience with the invisible fence/GPS fence. The general consensus on GSD.com is that invisible/GPS fences work for some dogs, but not for others largely depending on the dog's drive. Most of the moderators over there recommend them only as a back-ip to other physical containment methods for high drive dogs. In addition, most reputable Great Dane breeders or rescues will not let you have one of their dogs without a physical fence.

The two biggest issues people seem to have is battery/power failure resulting in the dog going on safari and an invisible fence does not keep animals away from your dog. That second point may or may not be a problem depending on where you live.

I suppose the only way to know for sure is to give one a try.

EDIT: My uncle just laughed at me when I asked him if he ever tried an invisible fence for his Caucasian Shepherd.

[Shellback]

I suppose the only way to know for sure is to give one a try.

Reading some reviews now but it's hard to tell which are legit and which are from the company.

The PetSafe invisible fence looks like another decent option.

The Garmin Astro looks like the ticket, but it ain't cheap @ $600.

[Malamute]

July 1st we move into our new house on 6 acres of unfenced land. There's a stream in the back and the property butts up to forest and farmland as far as you can see. Normally our Mal stays close but I can see him wanting to venture off when he's let out, chase a rabbit, and that type of thing.

What methods do you use to keep your dog on property? Do you always keep them close or let them run the property?
Invisible Fence has a GPS wireless electric fence.

Border Patrol TC-1 is a GPS wireless fence and tracker in one.

The Tagg GPS tracker looks cool but sets no limits and has no recall.

Any experience with these or other options?

I have a little larger piece than you do. I have a fence around the house that the dog usually stays in, we walk the perimiter a couple times a day also. She runs loose when walking but often has a training collar on. Shes gone walkabout a couple times to visit the closest neighbors when she didnt have the collar on and we were on night time walks, so she wears it more often now and gets a reminder if she wanders off. Takes a while of working with them, but most of mine have been mostly OK after getting the "our zone" part figured out.

The fenced yard around the house allows you to just open the door and let them out in the middle of the night, and also to be able to investigate any potential night time mysteries. Most people dont want their entire house fenced in though. Most visitors wont open my 5 1/2' tall board gate if they hear the dog inside the yard, which is fine with me.

[Artemas]

It doesn't sound like you are, but please don't become one of those "Im in the county so my dog runs off leash and unsupervised" types. After suburbia built up in my area, many a dogs lost fights with haying equipment and livestock. I have pressure washed more than one haybine, it ain't fun.

I don't know how old your dog is and kind of time put in to him. I have had good luck with strong and consistent boundary training, which, with a fence is still necessary; and stop/ don't chase training. A well built physical chain link fence tends to to the most effective dog keeper inner, but they are also inconvenient to live with.

Good training, supervision, and some common sense on you part about when to leash and off leash are IMHO the best solution.

[Bratch]

I wouldn't trust our Mal with an invisible fence, his prey drive and pain thresholds would probably not slow him down. We went with a 5' iron fence at our current house.

Like someone mentioned above, be really careful if he is free. Growing up semi rural I have seen lots of dogs put down by someone for messing with their livestock. This may not be an issues in upstate New York but around here with horses and cattle, dogs have been known to disappear. Sad deal but when they are chasing a $20,000 colt I understand.

[Surf]

My parents are mostly retired and still Ranch because that is what they do. Their last true "cattle dog" passed away so they got 2 new pups. Quite honestly they were more for companionship for my parents (mother) as opposed to real working dogs, so their training was not handled in the most correct manner, they are around 2 now. They have always been "free run" dogs, meaning they had the run of the ranch. They recently developed into running off and hunting smallish wild pigs, mostly juvenile pigs. That wrapped up into them getting into a neighbor ranchers property and harassing his cattle, they don't do that with my parents cattle or my dad would end that in his way.

So they invested in a wireless fence about a month ago and I was skeptical. Not a cheap investment, but it actually works extremely well. The two issues is that he needed to buy (actually made) a battery backup which he didn't know that he originally needed and it didn't come with the system and the second issue is that the dogs definitely know when the collars are on or off.

On the plus side, maybe I will train the dogs to be true pig hunters. The female is fast, agile, tenacious but smart enough to stay at a distance. She would be a good at being an at bay hunter. While the male is wicked smart and big enough to be a good catch dog. Both are natural herders.

I shot my parents and email and will find out which system they purchased as I don't recall right now.

[Coyotesfan97]

If a driven Mal wants to go through an invisible fence my money is he'll be through it. Do you know anyone with one you can test? If you're testing him I'd put something he really really likes on one side and him on the other and see what happens.

[JDM]

If a driven Mal wants to go through an invisible fence my money is he'll be through it. Do you know anyone with one you can test? If you're testing him I'd put something he really really likes on one side and him on the other and see what happens.

That would be a safe bet I think.

When I was a kid, I had a Golden Retriever who liked to jump the wall to get out of the back yard and into the open space behind my house. Rather than build up the wall, my folks installed invisible fencing. It did absolutely nothing to slow down that dog when it wanted out.

Now I am by no means a dog expert, but I suspect a golden is probably a little easier to discourage than a Belgian Mal.

Perhaps the technology is better now, and this point is moot.

[Shellback]

The fenced yard around the house allows you to just open the door and let them out in the middle of the night, and also to be able to investigate any potential night time mysteries. Most people dont want their entire house fenced in though. Most visitors wont open my 5 1/2' tall board gate if they hear the dog inside the yard, which is fine with me.

That's definitely looking like an option.

It doesn't sound like you are, but please don't become one of those "Im in the county so my dog runs off leash and unsupervised" types.

Definitely not. He's a 7 year old Mal that's been professionally trained as a protection dog. The vast majority of the time he's pasted to my side or with my boys. My concerns are more for the what if rather than this will be the norm type of thing.

I wouldn't trust our Mal with an invisible fence, his prey drive and pain thresholds would probably not slow him down. We went with a 5' iron fence at our current house.

We'll definitely need to test things out.

I shot my parents and email and will find out which system they purchased as I don't recall right now.

Thanks Surf!

If a driven Mal wants to go through an invisible fence my money is he'll be through it. Do you know anyone with one you can test? If you're testing him I'd put something he really really likes on one side and him on the other and see what happens.

Nobody here locally in Vegas but when we get there I know 2 people who've had good success with their invisible fences. Both have GSD's and have had good luck.

Thanks for the suggestions.