Artemis
New Member
We have the wireless fence from petsafe. We got it several years ago....like 5 or 6 years ago because the beagles kept getting out of the fence. They would dig or climb it. I had to wire the gate shut too because they figured out how to unlatch it. I had to watch them all the time when they were outside. Kind of defeated one of the reasons for having a fence in the first place so while I did not agree with it, we got the wireless fence. They don't stay outside while I am not at home so it was just for them to run around while someone is at home to watch them. We have moved twice since we made our purchase and the great thing is that we can take it with us!! We can also take it camping since the lowest range is 15 feet. It works like this: the range is circular from the base unit up to 80 or 90 feet. You can also join two units together to increase the range. For example, one unit at either end of your house or one in the house and the other in the garage. Teaching the beagles to use it was not fun for any of us. One got it right away and wouldn't even approach the line to let the collar beep. It only took her once and we now have her setting on the beep only setting. When we do go camping or move or reset the perimeter she knows right away where the boundary is and to move back toward the house/camper or to her bed. She always knows her bed is a safe place. The OTHER beagle however....She needed additional training and time. She walks through the two lowest settings like it's nothing and still walks through the next two with some yelping but keeps on going. She is very hard headed and much too smart. We put the collar up to the highest setting which is number 6 and she finally relented and stayed in the yard. She did test it for a while, waiting for the beeping to stop and then walking through so we had to watch her for months to replace the batteries so it would still work. She finally learned that it wouldn't stop shocking her and we could finally take a break while the dogs were out in the yard playing. She is older now so she doesn't wander as much as she used to but everynow and then she gets a wild hair. I replace the batteries every two months whether they need it or not. We don't have a fence at our new house but the dogs have learned to stay in the yard as long as the collars are on. We will eventually get a fence so other dogs can't get in which is always a disadvantage of any collar system of fencing. While I do not agree with shocking the dogs to train them to stay in the yard, fence or no fence, I have to say I am happy with the results. The alternatives were having to constantly watch them while they were outside, risk them getting out and hit by a car or lost. The "not so bright" beagle liked staying at home so when she did get out she never went far and always came when I called her. The other beagle...grrrr...would be gone for hours or days before she came back. She would never come when she was called either unless she knew you could see her. She would hide behind trees and bushes. My husband didn't believe me so one day while he was home we "let" her escape and we followed her. We pretended we couldn't see her while we called for her and she would actually slink off behind bushes and cars to hide. I have never ever had a dog so hard headed and smart that I wanted to choke the ever loving life out of her. Before we got the wireless fence, we tied her up in the yard because she would be gone in a flash if I went to answer the phone or the bathroom or anything. One day I was taking a shower while she was outside and she dug the entire stake out of the ground and ran off with it into the woods. She got herself tangled in the marsh. We could hear her barking but she would stop when we got close and we couldn't see her through the brush. She was out there for 3 days before we finally found her. Three days of walking through muck and mud, bug bites, thorns and snakes. I hated that dog for all that time. I cursed her name. But I was sure glad to see her when we finally found her. D**n dog.