Anyone that has ever purchased an underground electric dog fence has experienced some problem at one time or another. These problems are not unusual so what I would like to cover in this article some of the most common problems and how to go about getting them resolved.

Problem number One: Your dog in breaking through the fence barrier. This is a serious problem and one that needs to be addressed immediately. RULE NUMBER ONE – WHEN YOUR DOG HAD BROKEN THROUGH THE FENCE – DO NOT PERMIT YOUR DOG TO ROAM FREE UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED!!! Each time your dog goes through the barrier without receiving a correction, he is learning that there are times when he can “escape” without consequences. Re-training a dog to a fence is sometimes more difficult that the initial training.

Generally speaking there are five reasons why your dog is breaking through the boundary. You may have a wire break, a bad receiver collar, a bad transmitter, a bad connection or inadequate training. First, it may be that your boundary wire has been cut. When the wire is cut, the system will not function at all. Check to see if you have been doing some landscaping or digging around the perimeter of your property. You may be able to locate the break and repair it rather easily. WHEN REPAIRING A WIRE BREAK, ALWAYS USE UNDERGROUND SILICONE FILLED CONNECTORS.  Electrical tape and shrink wrap are not designed for underground applications.

Most of the containment systems on the market come with a wire break alarm feature. This feature will let you know when there is a break in the boundary wire. If you have an intermittent break where the alarm goes off sometimes and other times it is working, you have a bad splice or connection problem. This occurs when you have used the improper connector to splice the wire. There is no electricity running through the wire. It is a radio signal. So, as a result, when the wire connections begin to oxidize (or get rusty) it will inhibit the signal from going through the wire. Due to the changes in the soil conditions resulting from moisture, your system may work for a week or two and then stop working.

This type of wire break is difficult to find even with the most sophisticated diagnostic equipment. In many cases even utility companies that experience this problem will run a new cable because it is more cost effective than trying to locate the break and repair it.

Contact Information

Tom Beitz is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and is an authorized dealer for Pet STOP Hidden Dog Fences. Tom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 to answer your questions or he can be found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com . E-Mail: Tom@Smartdogtrainer.com

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