Stay Home, Pooch

Kalani and Jeeter are two boisterous Husky dogs who, if they had their way, would roam for miles around the countryside of Elgin, Texas.

For owner Kurt Zeitler, that just wouldn't work. But neither would the expense of building a high fence around his large yard. Zeitler settled on a "hidden fence," which is a wire buried a few inches in the ground around the perimeter of his place.

A transmitter sends a radio signal through the wire, activating a beeper on the dogs' collars if they get too close. And if they come even closer, a (static) shock from their collars lets them know not to go any further. Flags also warn the dogs of the danger zone.

DogWatch installed the fence around Zeitler's acreage for about $1,300, including $200 per collar. Other companies such as Innotek and Humane Contain sell packages for landowners to install themselves. Landowners use a large edger or a rented cable layer to dig the slot for burying the cable a few inches.

Kent Schooler, the local DogWatch franchise owner, showed Zeitler how to train his dogs not to challenge the fence. They got through a few times at first, but now they know better.

"Kalani was chasing squirrels one day," Zeitler says. "She got to the flags and screeched on her brakes. That's when I knew it would work."

Reprinted by permission, Progressive Farmer Magazine, February 2004