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What is an invisible dog fence, anyway?
An invisible dog fence is a training tool that teaches your pet to stay within a defined area, like your yard. Some folks call every dog fence an "Invisible Fence," but that's a misnomer similar to calling all facial tissue "Kleenex®."
In fact, Invisible Fence is a specific brand that's available only through professional installers; but, if you have your heart set on getting an Invisible Fence and you want to install it yourself, don't worry! Radio Systems Corp., the same company that owns Invisible Fence, offers a variety of different do-it-yourself products including PetSafe, SportDOG, Innotek, and Guardian.
How do invisible dog fences work?
All dog fences consist of two basic components: a transmitter that you'll mount to a wall inside your home and a receiver that your pet will wear around its neck. The transmitter connects to a wire that surrounds the area in which you wish to contain your pet, and the wire emits a signal that the receiver uses to correct your pet when he moves past the wire.
Most dog fences use static correction to deter a pet from crossing the wire. The static correction is similar to the sensation of rubbing your stocking feet on carpet and touching a metal object, though it can be more intense depending on the brand and model of dog fence collar you purchase and your dog's individual temperament.
In addition to static correction-based fences, you can also find sonic fences that use aversive tones and citronella fences that use a stinky spray aimed at the face to deter pets. Really, though, the only type of dog fence you should rely on to actually keep your pet in your yard is the static (or electronic) kind. Sonic and citronella fences may be appropriate for keeping your pet out of a particular area — like a flowerbed — but these types of dog fences will not reliably contain your pet.
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