Dogs feel pain too. Invisible fences are built harmless and are harmless but it becomes harmless when it is not used properly. Every dog has its tolerance level for pain. Some of them can endure the stimulation delivered by the collar as they chase after what intrigues them. While some cannot even if it is at the lowest level. They can barely endure any pain.
You see their hair standing on end or they yelp as they run back hurriedly back into the yard. That one experience is enough to make your dog so scared of even leaving the porch. Despite all the talks about invisible fences saying they are harmless and cannot hurt any dog, there are several stories about traumatized dogs.
Some dog owners make the mistake of testing the collar on their dogs. This is wrong especially when you just jump to high levels of stimulation instead of the low ones. Instead of doing that at all, test it out on yourself, with it in your palm and bent to the level of your dog while walking towards the boundary perimeter.
Contents
Dog Traumatized By Electric Fence – Reasons and Solutions
An electric fence can be an efficient solution to keep dogs safe and controlled in the same secure area. However, an electric fence can also cause some problems and discomfort to dogs. With improper discharge, some dogs may be traumatized. That is why the following information is useful.
1. Poor Training
it is the first time that your dog would try leaving a fence and experience a shock every time it tries. It is the first time it is using an electric collar. So it is normal that your dog acts surprised, runs backward, or stops abruptly just when it is about to cross the fence. It even makes it sad. This is why you need to properly train your dog to know its boundary.
Solutions:
If your dog is being traumatized by the electric fence, you should start the training from the beginning again. Check out for mistakes you must have made at the beginning and probably call a professional to help with the training.
Most invisible dog fences come with flags and manuals or guides to aid in your dog boundary training. But before you start the training again, bond with your dog the more. You can use food, toys, playtime, and many more to get your dog up and active again. You can also win his trust again.
2. Failure to Cross Boundary Multiple Times
after trying countless times to cross over to the other side of the boundary but have failed, your dog might get discouraged. So discouraged that it just sits on the porch and stare at the place beyond the fence, not even interested in chasing after the squirrel that seems to always pass by at noon. If you think that one shock is enough to keep your dog within its boundary, you are wrong.
Solution:
For this problem, you might want to discontinue the use of the collar, just until your dog feels a bit relaxed with the whole shock thing. And while you are at this, you can employ other containment methods to keep your dog from roaming off.
3. Constant Stimulation
So your dog keeps running away that it has become an everyday thing for it. But each time it leaves, it feels this continuous shock and always turns back. The fact that whatever it chases always manages to escape its grasp could make it angry. It could even become aggressive and hurt people.
Solution:
Check for options that suit your dog as well as your needs. You might also want to discontinue the use of the collar and seek other options. This option could be to build a traditional fence to keep your now aggressive dog from hurting people as it heals from the trauma.
Trauma from electrocution can be prevented from happening. Since dogs get shocked from chewing cables, discourage them from doing such. You cannot always be with your pet monitoring what it does but you can use bitter-tasting sprays to keep your let away from cables.
Can an Electric Fence Hurt a Dog?
Electric fences do not hurt dogs, especially when used properly. Using a high level of stimulation for your cute feeble dog will hurt the dog. This is because the level of stimulation is too high for the dog’s body to contain.
Also, improper training could cause your dog to constantly leave the boundary and therefore constantly stimulated. Take your time to train your dog and take your time to study the tolerance level of your dog before customizing the collar to be at a certain level of static.
How to Train a Scared Dog to an Electric Fence?
Some very important steps must be taken to properly train a dog frightened by an electric fence.
- Do not make a big deal about the dog’s fear reaction to an electric fence. This means not paying attention to the fearful attitude of the dogs about the electric fence.
- The dog should spend more time in the safe zone doing positive activities, and this includes both spending time with its owner and playing with its owner or other dogs in this same zone.
- Dogs training with an electric fence should be fed in the same safe zone. This way, it is possible to increase confidence and decrease fear towards the electric fence.
- Each dog needs a specific training speed. So, if necessary, the trainer should slow down the speed to adapt to the pace of each dog.
What Do You Do When Your Dog is Scared of Electric Fences?
Many dogs are frightened when they first experience an electric fence. To reduce the fear of dogs in this type of situation, confidence and calmness must always be maintained. When the fear reaction arises in dogs, the trainer should not give special attention or cuddle the dog.
It is also advisable to provide attention and playtime for the dogs within the safe zone of the electric fence. This may also include feeding the dogs in this same area. In this way, the dogs will increase their confidence by doing all these activities when they are near the electric fence. Some dogs need a slower speed of training to combat fear.
How Do I Know if My Dog Has Been Electrocuted?
Electric shocks most times affect your pet by the mouth. This is because dogs are most likely to expose a cable by chewing on it than they do with their paws. When they chew on the cable, the shock can cause their mouth to be dead shut due to the muscle spasms that happen as a result of the shock.
You might be in a haste to help your dog but whatever you do, do not touch the dog with your bare hands. There could still be current flowing through it and touching it exposes you to getting shocked too. Instead, look for the power source and switch it off.
If you think your dog has been electrocuted but managed to escape check for the following signs:
- Presence of burns
- Pain and distress
- Increased Drooling
- Coughing
- Irritation on the part of the body that was electrocuted
- Difficulty breathing
- Collapse and the dog falls unconscious
Your dog might not show these signs until maybe the next day or three days after the incident especially when it was a mild shock. Look out for signs like:
- Its breath smells very unpleasant
- Pain at the shocked part
- Eating difficulty
- Increased drooling
If you find any of these signs whether it be mild or severe, make sure to take your dog to a veterinarian as soon as you can.
Dog Shocked by Electric Fence Side Effects
Both shock collars and electric fences can produce some side effects. One or several side effects may appear in different intensities depending on each dog’s personality.
The main side effects are the following:
- Physical pain or injury (including skin irritation or burns, and even cardiac fibrillation in the most severe cases).
- Psychological stress
- Increased anxiety
- Increased aggressive attitudes
- Decreased urine retention
- Fear when interacting with other dogs or people
Sometimes electric fences are not properly set at a safe level of electric shock. So, when a dog is affected by an electric shock, some health problems may appear in these animals.
Dogs may not only suffer from problems in their skin or even in their cardiac circuitry, and many dogs also suffer from temporary or permanent trauma. Thus, it is important to consult a veterinarian in these situations.
Dog chewed electrical cord got shocked:
If a dog has chewed on an electric wire, the electric shock could be too high. That is why in this situation, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately. The most important thing here is to check if the dog has started to suffer from breathing difficulties or heart problems.
Conclusion:
On many occasions, an electric fence can produce mild or serious problems in dogs. Many of these animals can become traumatized, which is why serious consideration should be given to using an electric fence. Therefore, expert training and responsible use of any electric fence are highly recommended.
Also, Dogs can feel like prisoners in their yards. So, don’t just keep your dog restricted to your yard without making it fun. You can make the yard more fun by adding exercise pens, toys, play stuff, constant water, and food as well as having playtime with your pet. Something to keep it busy in the yard to reduce distractions.
