Hi Kevin! Welcome to PT.

My family has used the invisible fencing for many years now. My RB Dobie, Zeus, was the first to train on it. He was, in all respects, a genius, so training his was easy. He learned the boundry by flags and the beeping of the collar. I believe he was "shocked" once and once only. The shock is basically like what you would feel if you touch something metal...nothing like what you think of when you think of shock. At the time, we also had a spitz. He was quite "hard-headed" and with the thick coat, could not feel the shock, so he never did learn the system. Venus, our dobie girl now, is the same way Zeus was...learned in a heartbeat. She knows how far she can get with her collar and would NEVER cross the line. Chloe however, my papX, knows that she can run really fast and not get shocked so it is not as safe for her...but I think we've had about 3 escapes in 3 years, mainly when the system is down. (she likes it here too much to leave! lol) Finally, our new girl, Sahara, has not had the pleasure of training yet. My mom wants to wait until she is a little older. In my opinion...a real fence is def. the best. That is what I want for my girls now...but the cost is more than we can afford right now. I also agree with Micki in that it can't keep other things out of your yard. If that is a problem, then it would def. not be a good idea. This system takes a lot of patience and training...and in general, a well-behaved pup who is good with commands/training. There are benefits, and fallbacks, as with any other system. The other unfortunate part....ground moles like to chew through the wire so it is something you have to keep and eye on and replace...oh, and did I mention the lawn mower eating the wire as well. Ours has an alarm on it that alerts when the loop is broke. Anyway...good luck with your decision. If you have the money...a real fence is the way to go!