Underground Shock Fences
Underground shock fences are supposed to be safe and convenient. Learn whether that’s true, and what to use instead of a shock fence.
Jolanta Benal, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
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Underground Shock Fences
Underground fence systems have become popular, especially in suburbs where homeowners associations may prohibit chain-link or solid fencing. The systems work by sending a radio signal to a collar on your dog from a transmitter. The transmitter is linked to an underground wire. If your dog gets too close to the boundary set by the wire, the radio signals the collar to deliver a shock. The dog then retreats into your yard, farther from the boundary.
One manufacturer touts its product for “safety, convenience, and peace of mind.” I’m more than skeptical, and this week I’ll explain why.
Do Shock Fences Keep Your Dog Safe?
I was prompted by an email from a listener who uses a shock-collar fence with her dog – let’s call the dog Maisie. The fence keeps Maisie in her yard; so far, so good. But a neighbor’s large dog, also supposedly contained by an underground fence, routinely crosses his boundary. He roughs up Maisie and tries to get into my listener’s house and cars.
A shock fence won’t protect your dog from animals or people coming into your yard – and it may not keep her in, either.
That situation perfectly illustrates two facts that should be dealbreakers for anyone considering a shock-based containment system for their dog.
First, notice that, although the shock fence keeps Maisie in her yard, it’s doing exactly nothing to protect her from the neighbor’s aggressive dog. Nor will it protect her from teasing children – or cruel adults. Maisie happens to be a German Shorthaired Pointer, big enough not to be attractive coyote prey, but a small dog would be. Finally, it’s not unheard of for people to steal pedigreed dogs. So much for a shock fence keeping your dog safe.
Second, the neighbor’s dog is also on a shock fence, but it’s not keeping him in. This is a common problem, too. A dog chasing a squirrel or rabbit may bolt through the shock – and then, once the heat of the chase has cooled, avoid the shock he’d get from crossing the boundary to get back in your yard.
Can a Shock Fence Make Your Dog Fearful or Aggressive?
And shock fences may present a behavioral danger. Although formal studies have not been done, many of my colleagues report cases of dogs becoming afraid to go outdoors at all after a shock fence is installed. This kind of fallout reflects a typical difficulty of training with “aversives,” meaning startle, fear, or pain: How much is not enough, and how much is too much? If you’re using a shock to teach your dog to stay in your yard, you have to decide how strong that shock should be. If the shock is too weak, it won’t deter your dog from crossing the boundary, at least not if he’s strongly motivated enough (those squirrels!). Starting low and ramping up may backfire by creating what’s called a “punishment callus,” whereby your learner basically learns to tolerate higher and higher levels of pain.
On the other hand, if you use a high level of shock from the get-go, a sensitive dog may panic, or shut down, or, you guessed it, learn to fear going outdoors entirely. How do you know in advance what level is “right”? You don’t. Perhaps most dogs do manage to learn what we want them to, but it’s surprising how many apparently happy-go-lucky, bang-and-thump dogs turn into puddles if you scare or hurt them.
Or you may cause other forms of behavioral damage. Some dogs reportedly become aggressive toward visitors or toward people or dogs passing the yard after a shock fence is installed. When this happens, it may be because the dog has approached the boundary to greet or investigate the visitor or passerby, and received a shock. Dogs are “supposed” to associate the shock with approaching the boundary, but instead may associate it with the person or dog they approached. A dog who perceives visitors and passersby as predictors of a painful shock may start trying to drive them away; hence the aggression.
How Common Are Problems with Shock Fences?
No one knows how common this kind of fallout is. Shock-fence companies claim they receive few reports of problems, but the experience of many trainers suggests that dog owners may simply not be communicating with the fence manufacturers, not that problems don’t occur. The manufacturers also assert that dogs who aggress after a fence system is installed were usually aggressive already. Maybe so – but then, at the very least, such episodes are a strong hint to stay away from shock-fence systems if your dog is already shy or jumpy. And if I did have a stable, happy dog I wouldn’t want to do anything that might put her behaviorally at risk. Remember, I earn my living from work with behaviorally troubled dogs; I have a very good idea of how much they suffer and how much heartache they cause.
Are Shock Fences Really Convenient?
I should also address the issue of shock fences’ supposed convenience. The scenario, I guess, is that your dog can hang out in the yard without your supervision, worry free.
But even if it were true that dogs on shock fences are safe from people and other dogs, and that people and other dogs were safe from them, these systems aren’t plug-and-play. It’s not just a matter of keeping fresh batteries in the shock collar, either. You still have to teach your dog where the boundaries are and how to avoid the shock. One manual describes a month-long training program, with practice every day. Why not put all that time and effort into teaching Dogalini to come when called? This will save you a lot of money, as well, which you can spend on, I don’t know, trick-training classes, day hikes, and food-dispensing puzzle toys.
Instead of a Shock Fence, Try This!
So shock fences aren’t convenient, they don’t keep your dog safe, they don’t protect other animals and people from your dog, they have potential to damage your dog’s behavioral health, and for all this you get to spend a lot of money. If you can’t have a solid fence, either because your HOA prohibits it or because of cost, then your best bet is to keep your dog on leash or tethered when you’re outdoors together, and bring him to safely fenced play areas for off-leash exercise.
Last word: There aren’t really any labor-saving devices in dog training. Give your dog reward-based training and plenty of play and exercise. Teach yourself about dog body language and behavior. I promise, it won’t feel at all inconvenient to enjoy your affectionate relationship with your happy, well-taken-care-of, well-mannered dog.
I hope you’ll enjoy my book, The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet.You can follow The Dog Trainer on Twitter, where I’m Dogalini. I’m The Dog Trainer on Facebook, and you can also write to me at dogtrainer@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. I welcome your comments and suggestions, and though I can’t usually respond individually, I may use them as the basis for future articles.
About the Author
Jolanta holds professional certifications in both training and behavior counseling and belongs to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She also volunteered with Pet Help Partners, a program of the Humane Society of the United States that works to prevent pet relinquishment. Her approach is generally behaviorist (Pavlovian, Skinnerian and post-Skinnerian learning theory) with a big helping of ethology (animal behavior as observed in non-experimental settings).