Shock collars are a great way to teach your dog to fear you and to obey to avoid pain.

Not the relationship most folks want to have with their dog.

Trust isn't built with pain. And a shock collar isn't going to keep her out of the road when she's 5 miles away from you.

There are dangers out there besides cars. Walk your dog on lead, play with your dog, and she'll get plenty of stimulation and exercise that way. Then fence an acre so she can run around off lead safely.

I agree with Cynthia I would not use the collar. Maybe you can train your dog not to go into the street. Put up flags or something and train her not to go past them.

You would be more satisfied using an invisible type fencing system as it will provide your dog with a safe recognized boundary that is established within the dogs mind. You can accomplish a similar process with an e-collar trainer but it is much more difficult and will not provide you with the safety you seek.
Providing your dog the opportunity to use all 60 acres without supervision would be a bit much. The dog will be very content with 3 to 5 acres as his free roam. Then when you are with him you can take him beyond the boundary to use the remainder of your acreage. Having an e-collar would be great for walks and exploring the rest of your land and allow you to have good control. Your personal relationship with your dog will not be harmed by the trainer nor the system, in fact as a general rule the owner/dog relationship actually becomes stronger. If you would like, feel free to contact me and I'll advise accordingly. To do it yourself you can fence 5 acres for about $400 to $500.
The misunderstanding of the use of electronic collars demonstrates an inherent problems in today's "no discipline" society. This is no different than someone commenting on "treat training" and referring to it as cruel, inhumane use of food deprivation and the negative mental cognition which often subjectively motivates a dog to respond when food is used as a lure to manipulate a dogs performance. I have trained, studied and carried out formal researched with dogs and their behaviors over the past 38 years and I become quite disappointed when people demonstrate their ignorance by attacking a training protocol which they have no understanding of. Before labeling a process like this maybe they should really do the research. I don't mean go find a bunch of people that side with your opinion by bashing what is actually a very safe, sincere, and humane way to train you dog, but by actual objective observation of the process being used by a skilled trainer or handler. Then if you want to express your opinion make sure it is known to be only an opinion and not based on fact nor supported through theoretical application and hypothesized comparisons.

The invisible fence should work well in your situation. My neighbor uses it for his Retriever on 2 1/5 acres and the dog has never left the property. Plus, the front of their home is about 60' from a busy road.

It makes sense that using the e-collar is no different than training your dog with the invisible fence collar. When taught correctly, the dog learns his boundaries quickly and once trained will rarely, if ever, need to feel the shock of the collar.

The key is knowing how to train so the collar isn't abused.

Here is my take based on my experience. Shock colars and electronic / invisible fencing is okay if used correctly and the dog and owner are properly trained in their useage but they should be used AS A LAST RESORT ONLY.
Labs are highly intelligent dogs and like most other dogs they just want to please. BUT they need basic training and direction and they need to be run and they need swim time at a local lake or beach...You dog should be getting her daily exercise under your direction - not on her own. The problem with invisible fencing and shock collars dont PROTECT your dog from anything else like fencing and proper training. I have had friends put in an invisible fence only to have their dog attacked by other dogs, and when it tried to get back home after going outside the fence and being shocked (it was in a state of excitement so the shock going outside the perimeter was not very effective) however once the dogs tried to get back home to get safe and get some water the adreline wore off and the shocks hit their mark. The owners came back to find their dog dehydrated and in a frenzy unable to go home. After that afternoon their dog REFUSED to go out of the home unless someone was with it the minute someone would turn to go back inside, that dog beat them back indoors. That dog never recovered from the trauma. As far as a shock collar goes, proper use is AVOIDANCE or PUNITIVE training. You must use the collar to teach the dog to leave something or to not touch. If you use it for anything else, the dog is going to become confused about what your message is. SO, my question is - in what frame work would you use the collar while your dog is running around your property or someone elses property willi nilly??? I believe in hands on work with dogs - leash walking with them everyday and taking them out to different areas in order to get a good run or swim in. When I get home in the afternoon, my dog is stuck to the carpet because he is so tired. I have been with him making certain he is not in danger or does not put something else in danger the entire time. I consider myself a good owner as a result. I relaize you have a large piece of property, I was raised in part on a ranch in COLORADO which was huge (mountain ranges in the distance marking property lines - we always had dogs and those dogs were always at our side, they never had free run of unfenced property without supervision...As a result I think it is a mistake to let your dog go like that, too many bad things can happen it can be attacked hit by a car, pack up with feral dogs, come into contact with a diseased animal and get sick etc.. beyond that as far as what you are asking - I need more information about how you intend to use the collar.

carmen_grower_2007 Please realize that MAZER's comments should be taken as nothing more than the opinion they are. I doubt very much if he/she has any formal education, schooling, or experience with the electronic systems or training collars as is eveidenced by the comments about each. Dogs that are properly trained with the systems and acknowledge and recognized the boundary do not cross over unless the system is malfunctioning. Please if you want factual information on these items email me and we can talk by phone outside the distraction of simple opinions.

Jeepers.

Dogs driven by fear or prey WILL cross the invisible fence line - also, even if a dog has utmost respect (fear, rather) of the fence, it doesn't mean outside animals and dangers can't enter. They won't get shocked.

As for E-collars - I know first hand that the dog respects and fears the collar - not the owner, and as soon as they figure out they don't get shocked with the collar on, they are no better behaved without it.

Carmen, there are other ways of teaching your dog to stay within a perimeter without having to rely on an expensive, painful piece of electronic equipment.

And yes this is just an OPINION, but it is well informed and experienced.

docden joined 2/14 and evidently has never participated in a public forum before. That must account for his rude response that reflected little to no knowledge about dogs or training.

There are different kinds of "training" methods out there for dogs. One-on-one contact and training with positive reinforcement creates the best relationship and foundation for more training. Shock collars are not training devices, because they dole out hash punishment that changes the dogs willingness to work with you and makes the dog anticipate pain. So training based on fear/pain = not good training.

Shock collars, I think, are for owners who do not want to put then time in to work with their dogs. I put them on par with declawing cats, in that there are many other options to try.

Thanks to those of you who gave positive useful info! We plan to use the collar only for going on the road and at the lowest power possible to get the job done. I don't expect it to take more than a couple of corrections for her - the penny can has been used for things such as digging holes, drinking from the toilet and going near extension wires. With those things, it took only one throw for each so we know she learns quickly.

Obviously, we can't throw the penny can far enough when we see her going to places she shouldn't. It will have to be a 'hands on' process since we will have to see her doing the bad things.

The invisible fence doesn't appeal to me because we never have her outside unsupervised for more than 30-45 minutes and I have yet to see a dog run and exercise itself alone in an enclosed area of any kind. If I am wrong about this, please let me know.

People who have recently registered have no right to an intelligent opinion???? Docden, I really appreciate your response and feel it is a knowledgeable one. Correction collars only have a bad rap because people use them incorrectly.

I intend to use it as a training tool, not a tool of discipline.

I'm a little confused... you said your dog always comes when you call her (if she can hear you). So where's the problem if you only let your dog outside WHILE SUPERVISED? A shock collar isn't going to be very useful if your dog is wandering around outside by herself and you go outside later only to see she's nowhere to be found. Are you thinking that a zap from the shock collar is going to be the same as calling her to come in?

I may be wrong, but in my experience, shock collars are for immediate correction-- and for that to work, you have to be witnessing the dog do something it shouldn't, and zap them at that moment.

I'm not anti-shock collar by any means-- we used one to train our lab mix out of chasing deer. It only took 2 or 3 corrections and it has worked like a charm-- even now, two years later, she ignores deer she sees on the property.

As for electric fencing, ditto what the previous posters have said-- there's really nothing stopping the dog from running through the line ANYWAY if it's being chased or has a prey-drive moment, and then it has to get shocked in order to come HOME-- doesn't make a whole lot of psychological sense, from the dog's viewpoint.

It sounds like you can solve your problem just by making sure your dog is supervised while outside, which you should be doing anyway.

and then it has to get shocked in order to come HOME--

Electric fences do NOT shock a dog when it returns. That a common false assumption by people who don't know how they work.

The fences work well, when used properly, but nothing you will do can take the place of supervision. There is no collar or fence that replaces supervision.

Your dog won't exercise itself.... you are going to have to walk it or run it - play fetch etc.

Using the collar, as you described, won't work...In order to train the dog, you need to mark a line with a visible indicator (little white flags). You can't just pick a few spots and shock the dog - it doesn't work that way. After the dog is trained - you remove the flags.

I would suggest that you look into the wireless containment, the radio transmitters, with an extra transmitter... they work well and you don't have to install wire... but you still need to flag off a perimeter and train the dog properly. And it still doesn't replace supervision...

Here is a link that might be useful: Pet Safe Wireless

joepyeweed........you said "Electric fences do NOT shock a dog when it returns. That a common false assumption by people who don't know how they work".

What brand of invisible fencing are you referring to? I'm familiar with 2 major brands and both will shock a dog when it returns, usually within 3-6 ft of the wire, if he's still wearing the collar.

cnvh: I obviously wouldn't need a correction collar if my dog was always supervised --- DUH? I have so little patience with responses from people who don't read the posts.

Re; flags, couldn't I put flags along the fence line and then use the correction collar in the same way a buried fence would be used? The only fence line that is necessary is along the mile along the road - we have a very wide and deep creek that she would have to swim across to get to most of the areas we don't want her to go. Yes, I know she is a swimmer, but she wouldn't cross it to get to the other side.

carmen, the advantage of the invisible fence is that it emits a low warning sound and the dog would have learned from previous training to never go beyond the fence boundary when they hear the sound. To train your dog to respect a fence line with just an e-collar would take a lot of time on your part and an excess of shocks for your dog.
It usually takes 3 days to correctly train a dog to respect an invisible fence and they're not allowed to feel a shock until the 3rd day. Dogs I've seen trained only have to feel a mild zap one time.

You stated earlier 'The invisible fence doesn't appeal to me because we never have her outside unsupervised for more than 30-45 minutes'. If she's outside unsupervised for any period of time, then you should install the invisible fence, a solid fence, or a fence that has hot wire.

cnvh: I obviously wouldn't need a correction collar if my dog was always supervised --- DUH? I have so little patience with responses from people who don't read the posts.
Re; flags, couldn't I put flags along the fence line and then use the correction collar in the same way a buried fence would be used? The only fence line that is necessary is along the mile along the road - we have a very wide and deep creek that she would have to swim across to get to most of the areas we don't want her to go. Yes, I know she is a swimmer, but she wouldn't cross it to get to the other side.

I HAVE read your posts. And I'm asking you why you seem to think it's so necessary to leave your dog out UNsupervised. Perhaps you should ONLY have your dog out while you can supervise them... why is this such a difficult concept for some people to grasp?!?! Unless your dog is going out into a solid-fenced yard (and sometimes not even then), you're asking for trouble if you think they'll just behave themselves and stay within 50 feet of your house. I don't care whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or the country-- you run the risk of your dog getting hit by a car, shot by neighboring landowners for harassing livestock, etc., etc. An electric fence and/or a shock collar is not going to fix your problem for you unless you're willing to actually keep an eye on your dog while she's outside, EVERY time-- she doesn't NEED to roam around for 30-45 mintes without you.

Stop looking for excuses to get you out of being a responsible dog owner, and don't blame your neighbors or the car that hits her when she gets hurt or killed because YOU were too lazy to go outside with her.

Oh, and BTW-- she likes to swim, but for some reason you don't think she'll swim across the creek to get to the other side? Yeah, good luck with that...

I apologize in advance, but I am also a little confused about how you intend to use the shock collar. Do you plan to use it to train her not to go into the road when she is with you, and in time expect that she will learn to avoid the road? The main question I have is will she be able to easily recognize the distinguished boundaries she is not suppose to cross?

I am not against shock collars- not really a huge fan, but have seen first hand that they can save an out of control dog from certain euthanasia. My experience has been that shock collars are most effective at controlling certain distinctive actions- for example, the border collie my mother adopted would just lose it if she saw my mother through a window; she would throw herself at the window and pound on it with all her might. Needless to say, my mother was scared as to what the outcome would be if the uncontrollable dog managed to break her way through a plate glass window, so she felt that electroshock was worth a shot. The dog immediately associated the shock with attacking the window, and it was incredibly effective because it was associated with a specific action. Later my mother used the collar to control dog's desire to chase cats. One shock and she never looked sideways at a cat again. Again, it was something associated with a specific action. If you were just to shock a dog because it's in an area you don't want it to go, that might be confusing for the dog, especially if you aren't able to be 100% consistent for whatever reason (an electric fence would be 100% consistent in the exact same area). IMO the real problem with shock collars is that they work so well that some people abuse them- it's such an easy way to make a dog stop doing whatever it is it's doing.

The main brands of electric fences that I am familiar with are PetSafe (which I use myself) and Innotek that my coworker uses. Both have what is called "run through protection"...

Which means after a run through or an extended shock, the collar shuts off and doesn't reshock until its manually reset. Most collars have that as a safety feature. I'd be surprised if new ones didn't have some type of similar safety setting.

Carmen, dogs have the mentality of a 3 or 4 year old child. Leaving a 3 or 4 year old child to wander acres of land without any supervision is just asking for trouble. Keep your dog contained in a smaller area when you cannot supervise him. He doesn't need to wander all of your property, all of the time. He'll be more than happy to wander your entire property when you do.

Oh my. A lot of people are getting very uptight about this subject. I feel sorry for you Carmen.
Ok, here are my own experiences with our Australian Shepard.
We own both items. The shock collar is ONLY used when we go for walks and feel she is a little to excited to mind. With that in mind we ONLY use it once every few months as she is a good dog and does not need much correction. Our collar has a "vibrate mode" and that is all we have ever used. I would NEVER use the "shock" mode as you could easily brake a dog's spirit. The vibration mode works great.
We live on 1 1/2 acres and our dog runs freely because of our electronic fence. We are home most of the time but our dog likes to be outside. She sits and watches people go by and thoroughly enjoys herself. She will not go beyond the boundaries of the fence. If she gets too close she will hear a beep and immediately comes back in closer. We have had this fence for over three years now. So, as far as our family is concerned the electronic fence is wonderful. Our neighbor has one also and keeps her three dogs on her property. Our dogs never try to visit as they know the boundaries. We keep our dog in at night so no predators can get her in the night. Carmen, I highly recommend the electronic fence but only for an acre or two. That is plenty of space for your dog to run and you can keep an eye on her also.

"A lot of people are getting very uptight about this subject."

Just to clarify, people are not getting uptight over the subject of shock collars and electric fences....it's the fact that this dog is let out to roam unsupervised for long periods of time. That is shockingly irresponsible.

Carmen, if you let this dog out for 30-45 minutes UNsupervised, and you are not at all concerned, then why not just let the dog out ALL DAY unsupervised? What can happen in a full day that can't happen in 40 minutes (or ONE minute for the matter)? So why put a time limit on free roam?

I am familiar with every brand of invisible type fence on the market today and every single one will shock coming or going. The anti-run through feature simply guarantees that the dog cannot run through the system fast enough to avoid the shock entirely as is possible only with all but the most recent system manufactured under the trade name "Invisible Fence". I've spent 38 years involved with dogs through professional training, behavior modification, formal education resulting in a PhD, as well as the research and observation involved in all of these. I don't "guess" when it comes to the advice I give about dog issues. If I have to guess I simply don't reply. As far as being rude I guess that just comes with having to deal with so much ignorance passed off as knowledge within the dog training field.
What I really find amazing is all these people that have no idea how to use an e-collar giving their advice as how to use it?????
How many of you are professional trainers? How many of you are trainers who guarantee the work you do or money back? I've dealt with many, many severe behavior problems in dogs with 100% success. I also serve as a professional witness in dog related court issues.
Most of you actually have no idea how or why your methods get any results whatsoever as it is usually not for the reasons you think.
As far as a dog running through an invisible type fence which is properly installed and the dog being properly trained you obviously don't understand what actually keeps the dog in when you talk about a dog staying in because he is afraid of being shocked. A system is no different than traditional boundary recognition train except that with a system you have a 24/7 reminder watching the dog.
By the way do any of you know the statistics of where dogs are when they most often are caused harm? The facts are that dogs almost 3 to 1 are more likely to become harmed in the confines of your house or other structures than they are outside in the wide open.

munkos- as far as your knowledge of e-collar use it is very limited and also very obvious that you have a limited understanding of the actual process of dog training. The e-collar is no different than using a lead, or regular collar, or treats or any other bridge mechanism to control or manipulate your dogs actions. All of these items are eventually weaned out, or transitioned away from, in the training process as to not build a dependency on them. The training process results in the dog reacting in a conditioned response that from the dogs perspective occurs almost subcontiously.
However I will agree with you that a dog not properly trained while using the e-collar for control or extinguishment will build a dependency on the collar and be very responsive while wearing it and much less so when not wearing it. The same as being on a leash. So the transition is very important. I would suggest if you are going to use an e-collar that you first research and have a thoroughly understanding of the difference between using "punishment" in training and "negative reinforcement" as the difference is quite dramatic.
However if all you are going to do is use the e-collar for control and it doesn't bother you to have it on any time you may be out and about then it will be quite simple to get results and as stated the dog makes the connection between beep and shock quit quickly so the beep will suffice most of the time after the initial introduction. I know many dog owners who use them as a safety factor when hiking to maintain control when the opportunity for trouble appears. Think about a skunk, or badger, or cougar, or bear, or snake or simply recalling when you come across other people and dogs. It is the "Responsible" thing to use if you lack the ability to develope concrete recall control.

Carmen-Why on earth are you letting this unspayed dog outside unsupervised at all? What good is a shock collar going to do when an intact male finds her? We all know that you plan on becoming a back yard breeder when this dog reaches the age of two. Being a responsible pet owner is a full time position, not just when it is convenient for you.

I would like to correct an error in my previous post. I had forgotten about the wireless systems. I stated all systems shock coming and going. that is not true the wireless or instant fences do not but their scope is very limited as the provide no control over the shape and allow only a maximum 90 foot radius. Problem with them is that they will inadvertantly shock your dog if the unit loses power or somethin interfers with the signal. Good idea in theory but not really profected yet. Works ok as a temporary, ie camping, or if all you want is a small area.

I'm boggled at this post. This is from the same person who is planning on breeding their pet quality dog, just for fun (or for profit). And now you plan on letting your dog wander several acres of your land with absolutely no supervision? I don't doubt you'll get those puppies, sooner than you planned. You've got to be one of the most blatantly irresponsible pet owners I've seen in a long while.

Honestly, I wonder if you start these threads because you're a troll, and you like to start controversial threads and see people get all upset.

docden, why are you continuing to make up false information about these fence systems? Your posts make no sense?

Many wired systems have the same safety lock out that the wireless systems have...the safety lock out is in the collar, its not in the wire or the transmitter...

the wireless systems don't shock the dog when they lose power.. the wireless systems can have a larger than a 90 foot radius and you can link multiple transmitters together to cover larger areas....

I have used both an underground wire system and a wireless system. and most of what you posted is not applicable to either type.

Last time I checked, this forum was a PET forum, not a professional dog trainor forum. So DOC, you are not impressing anybody with your degrees, success rate, money back guarantee, or knowledge. If you have knowledge, then please share it. But do not belittle people. Most people on this forum are pet lovers....this is not a competition of who is the smartest, and not many people will heed the advice of a bully/know-it-all like you.

Since you are new to this forum, go look at some of Meghane's posts. She is a veterinarian, yet she gives advice in a very helpful and polite manner, and she does not bully people who try to help the original poster by giving medical "opinions". You might be able to learn something from her.

A remote collar wouldn't work unless you intend to always be watching her when she is out running. The point of the Invisible Fence is your dog is ALWAYS corrected when going out of bounds, not sometimes when you happen to watch her, but ALWAYS. Dogs learn by consistent training. If she crosses the boundary and you are not watching, therefore she gets no correction, she will not learn to not cross the boundary, just not to cross the boundary when you are watching her. In other words, she will learn to sneak out of bounds. With the Invisible Fence, she will always get corrected when she approaches the boundary, reinforcing what she is supposed to do- stay within the boundary.

My Invisible Fence system has an automatic 12 hour battery backup, so if the power is off, the system is still up and running for 12 hours.

The mistake most people make is putting the Invisible Fence collar on the dog and expecting it to know what to do (and what it is doing wrong) when it gets shocked. That is NOT the case- you have to train the dog to the boundary. This means working with the dog, showing it the boundary, giving it a command about what to do when the boundary is approached, and rewarding it for following directions. I imagine that training a dog to learn the boundary of a 60 acre lot takes a lot more time than my small city lot. The dog has to learn where the boundaries are before you can expect it to stay within them. I know many dogs who are simply extremely well boundary-trained and never stray off property even without Invisible Fence systems etc. The Invisible Fence is just for training reinforcement, not as a substitute for training. Putting an Invisible Fence around a 60 acre lot will be quite expensive too.

I have Huskies, who are prone to running away and to chasing critters, and they are very well trained on the Invisible Fence. Honestly, I think Tatyana and Anastasia got shocked twice each, EVER, even though we moved. There is no fear involved in Invisible Fence training- they approach the boundary and get rewarded for staying within it. If the collar beeps at them, they immediately go to their safe area (the porch). All I had to do was put the flags back up in our new house, and the Huskies knew where the boundaries were and what to do.

Since I have both an Invisible Fence and a remote shock collar, I can probably be of great assistance if you have any specific questions about either system. Both systems have their place, but you have to use them correctly. Neither is a substitute for training, which takes time and effort, despite how easy the respective companies will make it seem with their products.

I wish my dogs had 60 acres to run around on. The girls would love it.

I also think the underground/wireless fence system would be your best bet. I have used the elec. collars before & they work well, but my dog got very smart & knew when the collar wasn't on him he could get away w/ more. (The manual says not to leave the collar on continuously.)

Here's something for you to think about though: When we moved here in June of last year, my parent's lab adopted us... We only live about 1/8 of a mile (if that) away & she would run through the woods usually to come visit. She had always been an outside, free dog, but when she started coming to our house she would come in & play w/ my dogs (they are confined in a 100'x50' fence when outside). She eventually started staying in sometimes at night, etc., but she still wanted to go back & visit my parents too, so when I let her out she was not confined. Unfortunately, one night in late December, she was hit by a car on our very quiet gravel road. We didn't find her until 2 nights later laying in the woods unable to get to our house. We took her in & had surgery done on her leg, but it was so badly broken w/ hairline fractures that she re-broke it a couple of weeks after surgery & had to have her leg removed. Needless to say, she now lives w/ us & doesn't go outside alone unless it's in our fenced back yard.

I know you say your road is quiet, but would you want this to happen to your dog? Or worse? Also, this was not a cheap experience, but it was worth every penny. She's healed up now & back to normal (as much as she's going to get), but still, I wish I had put her in our back yard that night I let her out & blame myself for this everyday. Just something for you to think about.

Anyway, I'm not going to say anymore... Some ppl here are quite touchy!

Good luck w/ whatever you decide to use!

~Shannon

You are wrong the wired systems do not have a lock out that shuts off if the dog escapes from the system. The safety feature on the wired systems is the system does default to no shock if the dog gets trapped in the correction zone but the collar will reset automatically when the dog exits the zone. The wireless sytems produce a zone which covers the entire area of containment and uses a reverse technology whereby the collar activates when the dog leaves the zone and therefore it is essential that the collar would deativate outside the system to maintain a humane feature in the collar. The wired systems have a band shaped zone around the perimieter whereby the collars activates when it enter the zone and deactivate when they leave the zone. I happen to own a business that is responsible for over 17,000 of these systems in use. I have worked with most all brands and am familiar with the functions of every brand. the majority of the systems we work with are Petsafe, Innotek, Pet Stop, Invisible Fence, Dog Guard and Dog Watch as well as sub-brands manufactured by these companies. In my original comment about all of them shock I had forgotten about the instant wireless systems as I don't recommend the use of them as a permanent system. Sorry if I confused anyone. Here is the statement from the owners manual of the Petsafe/Radio Fence Instant Wireless System model PIF-300 answering the question: "If my pet leaves the Pet Area, how long will he be corrected?" Answer: "Your pet will receive Static Correction as long as he is outside the Pet Area, for up to 30 seconds. The Receiver Collar has a safety time-out to stop correcting and beeping after 30 seconds until it is returned to the Pet Area." The collar will automatically reset once back in the signal zone it does not require manual reset.

You are wrong the wired systems do not have a lock out that shuts off if the dog escapes from the system. The safety feature on the wired systems is the system does default to no shock if the dog gets trapped in the correction zone but the collar will reset automatically when the dog exits the zone. The wireless sytems produce a zone which covers the entire area of containment and uses a reverse technology whereby the collar activates when the dog leaves the zone and therefore it is essential that the collar would deativate outside the system to maintain a humane feature in the collar. The wired systems have a band shaped zone around the perimieter whereby the collars activates when it enters the zone and deactivate when it leaves the zone. I happen to own a business that is responsible for over 17,000 of these systems in use. I have worked with most all brands and am familiar with the functions of every brand. the majority of the systems we work with are Petsafe, Innotek, Pet Stop, Invisible Fence, Dog Guard and Dog Watch as well as sub-brands manufactured by these companies. In my original comment "about all of them shocking coming or going" I had forgotten about the instant wireless systems as I don't recommend the use of them as a permanent system. Sorry if I confused anyone. Here is the statement from the owners manual of the Petsafe/Radio Fence Instant Wireless System model PIF-300 answering the question: "If my pet leaves the Pet Area, how long will he be corrected?" Answer: "Your pet will receive Static Correction as long as he is outside the Pet Area, for up to 30 seconds. The Receiver Collar has a safety time-out to stop correcting and beeping after 30 seconds until it is returned to the Pet Area." The collar will automatically reset once back in the signal zone it does not require manual reset.

I loved the invisible fence with my Parson Russell Terriers. Training to them is a must. We had one of the first orig fences. We set the sound for max (about 10 ft there collars would buzz, sound no shock) The shock only came if they went right to the wire.