Are Invisible Fences Safe For Dogs?

Here’s what a trainer has to say ⚡️

are invisible fences safe for dogs

One of the most divisive topics in the pet parenting world is the use of invisible dog fences.

Some believe the electric fences are a convenient way to keep your dog from wandering away from home, without actually having a physical fence around your home.

Others feel it’s straight-up unethical and inhumane.

The Dodo spoke with Iris Ulbrich, a behavior consultant and trainer with Tully’s Training in Los Angeles, to sound off on the issue and explain why you should actually opt for an alternative.

How do invisible fences work?

“Electric fences are typically used to create an invisible fence, a boundary on a property to let the dog know not to cross a certain line,” Ulbrich told The Dodo. “Options are either underground wires, wireless systems with [a] transmitter and GPS models.”

The reasons people opt for invisible fences include:

  • Preferring a no-fence look
  • Not having the financial means to install dog-proof fencing around their whole property
  • Neighborhood fence restrictions
  • Living next to a steep hill


But the troubling part is the way these fences keep your dog in your yard.

“Usually the dog wears a collar that initially gives a warning beep when closing in on the boundary line, leading to a shock if crossing the invisible line to reinforce staying within the parameter,” Ulbrich explained.

Many vets and trainers agree that it’s not the nicest thing to do to a dog.

“The advantages do not seem to outweigh the disadvantages of using electric fencing and I consider them to be inhumane,” Ulbrich said.

How invisible fences can affect your dog

“Despite electric shocks not necessarily causing long-term physical harm if used appropriately, it is still extremely difficult to gauge and adjust intensity of shock to a dog’s size, weight and more importantly to an individual dog’s demeanor,” Ulbrich explained.

And even though invisible fences might not cause long-term physical harm to your dog, Ulbrich explains that they can still cause some surprising psychological issues, especially since your dog doesn’t really know what’s going on when he’s zapped by the fence.

For example, your dog might not only associate the shocks with staying within the fence’s border.

He might even associate the jolts with whatever he’s looking at while he’s being shocked.

“Imagine your dog approaching the invisible fence on one side of your property out of happy excitement of seeing your neighbor next door,” Ulbrich explained. “If he repeatedly receives a shock whilst looking at the neighbor, he could be developing fear or aggression towards that particular human.”

That’s definitely not fair for your dog — or your neighbor.

“On the other side of the spectrum, imagine a sensitive dog getting shocked when getting too close to an invisible fence,” Ulbrich said. “Fear-based elimination upon shock might trigger potty training issues.”

Other issues with invisible fences

According to Ulbrich, electric fences don’t always work consistently, on top of being harmful to your dog.

Things that can mess with the effectiveness of an invisible fence include:

  • Certain climates
  • Uneven terrain
  • Large items like trees and sheds (they can interfere with transmission)


Not to mention, other animals like cats and coyotes can still cross the fence, since they aren’t wearing a collar that will shock them if they get too close to the boundary, which means electric fences don’t provide the same protection as a traditional fence.

Plus, the shocking mechanism isn’t even guaranteed to keep your dog on your property.

“Strong dogs learn to tolerate the shock and stop caring [about it],” Ulbrich said. “Smart dogs even learn that they can empty a battery by standing in the ‘beeping only area,’ which then causes the battery to run low or empty and as a result the shock [goes] away.”

What to try instead

If you can’t — or don’t want to — have a physical, dog-proof fence around your home, there are other options for you that don’t involve invisible electric fences.

“As an alternative to the use of an electric fence I recommend working on a very strong recall as well as impulse control with your dog and focus on a solid duration stay,” Ulbrich said.

Basically that means getting your dog to come when he’s called, teaching him to “stay” for a long time, and training him to keep his impulses in check (and not run off to chase that squirrel).

But training is tricky, and can take a long time. So there are also products to keep your dog from straying without a fence.

For unsupervised yard time, Ulbrich recommends a longline yard line.

Try this one from Chewy for $9.49

You can also get a GPS collar that allows you to keep tabs on your pup — without shocking him — so if he does escape you can find him quickly.

Try this collar from Fi for $149.00

And of course, whether or not you have a fence, make sure your dog is microchipped with up-to-date information, and that he wears a collar with an ID tag whenever he’s outdoors.

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