Dangers of Invisible Fences

Invisible fences are a great way to help keep your dog safe while allowing them to run around the yard and get their exercise. In most cases, invisible fences are perfectly safe and they cost less than installing some other type of fence that blocks your view and creates an eyesore in your yard. However, there are dangers to invisible fences if you do not get the right kind or if you install it incorrectly.

  1. Malfunctions

    • According to VetInfo.com, one of the main dangers of invisible fences is a malfunction. If the collar on the dog shorts out or has some other malfunction, the dog could be burned or, worse yet, electrocuted. In less severe cases, the electric collar could continuously shock the dog and the dog could become aggressive within minutes. The collar may also send an electrical charge to anyone who tries to remove it while it is malfunctioning.

    Stray Pets

    • The jolt emitted from the dog collar when they get near the invisible fence is enough to keep some dogs from crossing the boundary. However, some dogs may cross the boundary despite the jolt and then refuse to come back across the invisible line for fear of getting another shock.

    Changing Batteries

    • If the batteries on the dog collar are not changed regularly, you may have a difficult time getting your dog accustomed to respecting the invisible fence's boundaries. Dogs need to have a consistent training method to learn a behavior, and sometimes getting shocked while not getting shocked at other times can be detrimental to helping them learn to stay within the boundaries.

    Other Animals

    • One of the most common dangers of invisible fences is that it does not keep other dogs or animals out of your yard. Instead, it confines your pet to certain boundaries so it may not have a chance to escape if an aggressive animal does enter your yard. This may provide a sense of false security for pet owners and they may stop monitoring their pet's outdoor time as a result. In addition, a human could simply cross the boundary and steal your pet without any problem at all.