Originally posted by Tonya
p.s. Those electric fences totally work! I am working right on the property line of a ranch right now...I couldn't figure why the dogs were barking and growling so agressively towards me, yet they wouldn't come near me. I complimented the owner today on how well trained they were, and she told me that they didn't step off of the property because there is a buried fence.
They totally work for some dogs. My closest neighbor uses one to confine his dog, Daisy, who as most of you know spends almost all of her time at my place. If you live somewhere where it snows, the fence will be useless in the winter. The snow acts as an insulator and the dog doesn't get shocked. They also don't keep other dogs out. I know of several dogs who were injured by roaming dogs coming into the fenced area. I also know several who won't go home once they escape--don't want the second zap!
Just a couple other comments on this thread--i live in the boonies. Some of my dogs are allowed off-leash, but only when I am with them. THey are never allowed to roam free when I'm not around. I have huskies so not all of them are allowed off-leash. Some would vanish into the bush and never come home given the opportunity.
We have had a few encounters with porcupines. There is nothing cheap or easy about porcupine quill removal. Most dogs don't learn and keep going back. My average bill for quill removal has been around 300 bucks. Muskwa almost lost an eye two years ago when he took the tail of a porcy across the face. he later needed surgery to have a migrating quill removed from his ankle joint. My dad's GSD had to be put down after a quill migrated into his brain! it was not pretty! The quills break under the skin and move throughout the body. Just because you can't see any doesn't mean they aren't there!
One of local area residents shoots any dog that comes on his property. Because he has horses, he can do that legally. doesn't even have to prove they were harassing the horses. A dog loose on his land is dead!
We don't have that much vehicle traffic around us, but every year a few dogs die after being hit by quads or snowmobiles. Just because there aren't cars around doesn't mean your dog won't get run over.
Country life comes with it's own set of hazards for dogs. Dogs under 35 pounds are easy prey for a coyote. Dogs of any size are easy for a wolf! Hobo and Diesel are the only dogs I've ever heard of who survived a wolf encounter. You don't even want to know what the bill has been for that! I've had a bear circle my dog run and try to take down the door to my house. A kick from a moose or deer will kill a dog instantly.
Build a fence and find a safe place/way to let your dog have supervised off-leash time.
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