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When you're erecting a dog
fence at home, spare a thought for the people who built the Dingo Fence
in Australia. It was put up in the 1880's to protect enormous flocks of
sheep in Southern Queensland, where Dingoes had almost been
exterminated.
To prevent Dingoes from other
areas getting to the sheep, the fence was built. It is 6 feet high and
there is one foot of it underground, with uprights every 9 meters. It's
the longest fence in the World, stretching 5,320 kilometers which is
over 3,305 miles! Ironically, it has not been a complete success -
dingoes still lurk in the area!
Does Your Dog Need An Invisible
Fence?
Some dogs delight in damaging
flower beds and destroying vegetable gardens. Worse still, they might
escape and cause an accident - for which you would be liable. If you
don't want very high, solid fencing around your property - or the price
of it, it might be time to consider an 'invisible' fence.
What Is An Invisible Fence?
There are many of these on the
market now and they all work in a similar way. An invisible fence allows
you to have one or more dogs running freely on your property, within
boundaries chosen by you.
How Do These Fences Work?
A wire (of anything up to 400m
long) is put onto the ground, buried just under the surface or attached
to a fence that is already there. The wire carries a signal transmitted
from a small unit. The dog wears a special collar that receives a signal
if he goes near the wire.
The signals are usually zoned.
When the dog gets anywhere near the wire he goes into a 'warning zone'
and he will hear a warning 'beep' from his collar. If he gets even
closer, he goes into a 'correction zone' and will receive a buzz from a
small electrical impulse via the collar.
Once the dog begins to realize the
boundaries, the owner can reduce the electrical impulses and rely on the
audible warnings. Eventually, once the dog is reliable and not going
anywhere near the fence, the collar may be taken off - or substituted
for a dummy collar while he's on - 'probation'!
Making Adjustments To The System
These fences can be set up to suit
any dog and any layout defined by the owner. The distances of both the
warning and the correction zones can be adjusted. The strength of the
electrical impulse can be altered to suit the size and temperament of
the dog.
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