Pet Containment

Families everywhere are being faced with a dilemma concerning there new or existing family pet: How to keep them in the yard.

Especially in city and suburban areas, the risk of you losing your dog after it leaves the yard are great. I have personally known of people who have picked up a stray dog (that even had its proper tags with owner info) and did not even bother to try and find the owner. You think that your dog is great and somebody else might feel the same way.

Not to mention the biggest danger of all: CARS. I am certain that my dog and most of the dogs that I have worked with do not have the first clue about a moving vehicle.

There are many solutions to keep the dog in the yard:

There is a product called a tie-out. It is basically a stake in the ground with a cable or wire attached to it. The cable would hook on to your dogs collar. This would give your dog some freedom, but the dog is basically still being forced to be bound by a leash - just no one is holding it

You can use chain link fence. It is not too expensive, however it does not look the greatest. Many communities do not allow chain link at all, let alone in the front yard.

You could use a six foot privacy fence. Still, there is the problem of allowing the dog in the front yard. Most home owners associations do not allow this at all in the front yard. Not to mention that these type of fences can carry a hefty price tag (more than a couple thousand dollars!).

Lastly, there is the pet containment system. There are many different brand types out there, but they all basically work the same. There is a wire that will be put in the ground which has a radio signal emitting from it. Your dog would wear a receiver collar that would pick up that radio signal if your dog gets to close to the boundary wire.

There are some types of these pet containment systems that you can purchase at retail places, but then you are basically left to yourself to figure anything out if you have any problems. Then, there are a few companies out there that install the wire for and who also keep tech's on staff for any problems. These companies also should offer a training package as well. (Invisible Fence and PetSafe to name a few).

The problem that I have seen the most is that people do not understand the importance of training your dog to these systems. Training can often mean whether your dog will take to the system or not. Not trained properly and a dog can become traumatized.

Dog Containment Devices

Along with feeding and caring for pets, it is equally important to respect their freedom and emotional requirements. Very often pets may venture out of the neighborhood without any guidance. This increases the risk of them being unable to trace their way back home. Dog containment devices refer to electronic or motorized appliances that are implanted with an effective tracking mechanism. Scatmats are thin mats with a built-in wiring system that emits vibration when pets step on them. They can be placed anywhere in the house to prevent dogs from entering a restricted area.

Most dogs have a mind of their which justifies their temperamental behavior. When dogs run away or step outside the house they may destroy the neighbors property, soil the sidewalk and may even cause dog bites out of sheer exasperation upon finding themselves in an unknown territory. Pets are even prone to getting lost when they venture out and this can be equally distressing for pets and their owners. In order to restrict and prevent such incidents, pet owners may opt to install dog containment devices. They are mostly portable, function over a wide range and are battery operated. The wiring is connected to a standard electrical outlet and operates on successful emission of radio signals. Underground, in ground and indoor/outdoor electronic fences are all dog containment devices.

These systems are available in easy to install kits by various reputed manufacturers. It is important for potential customers to compare price points, features and guarantee terms before finalizing a deal. These kits contain varying lengths of wire that need to be buried under the surface. This makes a neat presentation and prevents chances of the wire being exposed. Dogs are then fitted with reactive collars that send out slight shocks when the dog nears a wiring. Dogs need to be trained once fitted with the collar and eventually they refrain from venturing too close to the containment device. This portable wiring system can also be carried when visiting new places or living over at someone's place. Dog containment devices prevent pets from being lost in anew area or creating a nuisance at the hosts place.