DogWatch of the Twin Cities
Contact Us
Contact Us

Blog

< Back to Blog

Tag: dog fence

December 26, 2017

Winter Hidden Fence Installation

Have you ever wondered what hidden fence installers do during the winter? Just kidding, of course you haven’t. But we do install dog fences during the winter months in Minnesota, even when the ground is frozen. If you have a dog that needs to be contained, you need it now, not whenever the weather cooperates.

A typical underground hidden fence consists of burying wire around the perimeter of the yard, securing the wire across the driveway, putting up yard flags, hooking up the electronics, and beginning the dog training process. In the wintertime burying the wire isn’t an option, but everything else is. So we follow all the steps, and then we lay the wire around the perimeter of the yard above ground. The only other difference is that we use green flags instead of white ones.

The wire will make its way to the bottom of the snow and ice and stays secure. Your dog will learn the boundaries in about four days, and you have a working containment system. The last step is in the spring when we come back to bury the wire once the ground is thawed.

No matter the time of year, we want you to know that your dog can be contained.

 

October 27, 2017

Dog Fence Training Tips

The most important aspect of a DogWatch hidden fence, or any electric pet fence, is the training. The steps are simple and it doesn’t take very long, but it’s essential that it’s done correctly. These small adjustments will help training go more smoothly.

TRAINING SESSIONS
A typical training session consists of two laps around the yard, depending on your yard size. A dog’s attention span is fairly short, so don’t walk for laps and laps at a time or continue a training session for more than 20 minutes. After that timeframe, the dog is no longer learning anything.

Before, after or in the middle of a training session, take some time to play with your dog on the leash. If outdoor time is all about scary flags and corrections, it can be overwhelming and make your dog more nervous than he needs to be. Throw a ball in the air or just lay in the grass and pet your dog to remind him that the yard is still a fun place.

Talk to your dog and praise him while you take your training laps. That will help keep your dog’s spirits up and make sure he doesn’t associate you with the corrections. It’s all about the flags.

NERVOUS DOG
If your dog gets nervous, that’s OK. It’s very normal for dogs to get a correction and want to head for the house. The main thing to do is keep walking. Don’t let your dog dictate when the training session ends. Walk fast so your dog has to work to keep up with you.

It’s especially important to play with your dog outside if he’s nervous. During training, and after training if he continues to be nervous, play with his favorite toy outside and spend as much time as possible out there with him. Give him treats and belly rubs, and even feed him meals outside. That will allow him to feel more secure and use his whole yard.

GENERAL TIPS
Put your dog’s collar on every morning and take it off every night before bed. You don’t want him to know what the collar means. If it’s part of his routine, he won’t associate it with the boundaries outside.

Get your family members and neighbors involved with training. You want to make sure all of his normal distractions are covered so you can trust him once he’s off-leash.

Let your dog get the correction! You may want to save your dog from feeling the correction from his collar, but let him take that step past the flags to feel the correction. If he doesn’t feel the consequence of leaving the yard during training, he won’t stay in.

Call us! We want the training to be successful for you and your dog, so do not hesitate to call us along the way. If you’re having an issue, we’ve definitely heard it before and we can help get things back on track quickly.

October 23, 2017

DogWatch Dog Story: Blue

Blue is a Husky from Eden Prairie who became a DogWatch dog in 2015. Her DogWatch hidden fence has been around for 19 years, though, because that’s when Blue’s brother Louie came along. Louie is a Miniature Poodle, and he’s still around today!
Blue and Louie aren’t alone though.

There are two other dogs sharing their DogWatch fence, for a total of four. Blue’s sisters are a Chocolate Lab and a Pomeranian. It’s a busy house, so it’s so convenient to just let some or all the dogs outside and let them play without worrying about them. A school bus or a car full of squirrels could go by, and the four dogs will just watch from the driveway.

It wasn’t always this way. When Blue was a puppy, before she got her own DogWatch collar, she would run around the neighborhood so fast it was impossible to catch her. The only way to lure her back home was to shake a box of Corn Flakes, her favorite treat. The sound got her every time. While learning the boundaries of her yard, she required a little extra training and a high correction level because of her strong will and two layers of thick fur. But with some help from the DogWatch team, Blue is now staying at home with her canine siblings.

Blue the Husky running in the grass

Recent Posts
Categories