Invisible Dog Fence issue

Anyone here use Invisible fences?
I have a PetSafe (I know it a less than desirable brand but it was free and has worked great up to now).
We just put in a privacy fence this weekend and of course cut the wire a couple times. no big deal. I went around yesterday and my cuts spliced back together. There were 3-4 splices (once it's working I will go back and minimize it to 2 connections) to get back to a solid loop. Now I've confirmed this with an ohm meter and I have continuity on both ends. I get my power and loop lights indicating good power and continuity to the transmitter, but my dog collars (tried both) showed no signs of beeping/shocking when Iwent out tot est them before putting them on the dogs. Only thing I can think of is maybe the collars stopped working long ago (dead batteries, although both were replaced withing the past 6 months) and the dogs just never realized/tested their boundary, or where the two ends come into the garage they're too close, but they are running very close to where they were before. But even if this was the case from my understanding this would only cancel out this section of fence as it did in the past, not the whole thing. I'll probably pick up a pack of batteries to test the collars as the dogs need to learn their new boundaries after this fence has them most likely thoroughly confused about the yard layout now.

I guess I'm just looking for any little tips or something I could be overlooking before I buy the 2 pack of batteries although they're only $9.
But to summarize I've confirmed continuity in the loop with a Fluke Meter, and the Transmitter confirms this (was beeping like a madman until I fixed all the breaks, not is back to normal), I'm just getting no signal to the collars. I read about using a portable AM radio to test the signal and will see if I have a Walkman or something laying around although seriously, who has a portable radio anymore? Damn MP3 Players.

 

I have a PetSafe fence and it's great. It's risky, but you could hold the collars and walk near the boundary. They should start beeping as you get closer. If they don't, change the batteries. I assume you also know you can increase the strength on the collars by using a magnet over what should be a gray spot on the collars.

Just be careful if you hold the collars. I walked a little too fast once and zapped the hell out of myself. Lost feeling in my right arm for a couple of hours. It was not pleasant.

If you want to test the single, grab a spare christmas tree light bulb and wrap one end of each of the two wires around the pegs on the collars. If it lights up, the signal is good. If not, need new batteries.

EDIT: Sorry, didn't see where you had no beeping. Sounds like dead batteries.

 

Yeah it's what I'm hoping but it seemed to work before we started digging for the new fence and we definitely cut it. But I'm thinking (read hoping) the batteries have been dead on both collars and the dogs just stopped testing their boundaries.

 

Man that is pretty messed up to put a dog through that... Not judging you guys or anything I just feel bad for the dog that has to wear one of those.

 

Then it's a good thing this isn't a debate thread on rather or not get one But seriously it's an animal and it's not that bad, at least mine is not. Remember their skin is much thicker and they have a coat on top of that.

 

First thought, I had a friend who installed an invisible fence in his backyard, because the dog constantly took off when out there alone. That worked great...until the dog realized that there was no fence in the FRONT of the house !

Second, not being judgemental, but try obedience training. I did that with my dog, and he NEVER left my yard, even when the gates were left open (friggin' garbage men !), without my permission.

 

If you have a dc volt meter you can check the batteries. With ours even if the dog doesn't test the boundaries - set the collar off, the batteries don't last very long.

 

Not really a discussion about opinions over rather or not to use the thing, we have it, we love it, we'll continue to use and will buy a 3rd collar when our son starts walking (ok that was a joke for all you stiffs) but thank you for your input regardless.

I'll be doing that tonight but you can't get an accurate reading on a battery without a load on it and I can't take the reading with the battery inside the collar.
I'll most likely just buy a pack of batteries, even if that doesn't fix it I'll eventually need them anyway once the problem is fixed.
This was more just asking for quirky similar experiences and fixes due to the weirdness/confusion I've found with the rules of routing wires and twisting them and the effects each scenario has on the fence.
Thanks for everyone's input.

 

It's not that bad. My dog busted through it a couple of times early and was none the worse for wear. It's not like I'm beating him with a stick. Jeepers.

Did obedience training and it worked fine. I've gone months without changing the dead batteries in my dog's collar. He has no idea. But when he sees the fox that roams the neighborhood, no amount of training is going to overtake his instinct.

It's for his safety and my peace of mind. I could have him locked in a 12x4 cage like my neighbors did to their dog. Tell me which you'd rather I do.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the invisible fences, but they are better than most alternatives. I'd rather my dog get shocked than run over by a car or get locked in a kennel all the time. As long as they are only used on full grown dogs, and never on a puppy, I think they qualify as humane. God knows I've certainly done more painful stuff to myself.

Just the ASPCA supporter in me talking here. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

Nah I understand that you need to do what you need to do to keep the dog safe.

 

I have a training collar that works off a push button. It came with a device to check the battery, which runs out about once a month. I'm not happy with a collar that needs a new battery that often, since we really rarely use the collar except for training purposes and that is pretty much over now.

Anyway, the device is a light inside a plastic housing with leads that go over the probes on the collar. You just make it go off while holding the light on it and see if it lights up. I suspect batteries, because they really don't last very long in my experience.

 

Invisible fences! I've got to repost my response to another invisible fence thread:

 

HAHA that oughtta teach him. Well I spent the evening yesterday after work getting a latch on my fence gate so never got a chance to pick up batteries. My wife said she heard the one dogs going off the other day and doesn't suspect batteries but I think I'll pick them up today anyway to check. I'll need them eventually anyway.

 

Hmm... Ground is getting soft now. Time to pick up a spool of wire!

 

Yeah thats what it's came down to. I did the loopback test yesterday after new batteries didn't work. I knew I should have done that first off the bat once my loop indicator was ok, but I just didn't want to see what I knew it would tell me. I don't wanna freaking run this wire again. I just put it in last year! At least this year I have a LOT of fence to attach it instead of burying it all

Anyone know of any ideal wire spec for burying? i was using solid strand because my FIL had a ton he gave me for free. I think this time I will buy stranded whire, but would like a better insulation. from pulling this stuff up I can see all kids of nicks in the wire.

 

Good grief - exaggerate much ?

Its not that bad, more like static electricity in the wintertime.

You should get the kind of petsafe that works without wires, you know the one that just has a transmitter. That way you ain't gotta **** with trying to repair or replace broken wire. Plus you can take it with you if you go out of town and need someone to pet-sit your dog or something.

And also, I have to ask - How long have you had your petsafe ? We've had ours for oh a couple of years I guess, and I don't even bother to replace the batteries anymore unless we go somewhere and take the dog and petsafe with us. Once the dog understands where the shocking starts, they're reluctant to go near it - our dog won't leave the yard even if she's not wearing the collar now. Is she too stupid to realize she don't have the collar on, or smart enough to know shes supposed to stay in the yard ? I don't really care one way or the other, but the petsafe has cured her from wanting to run around the neighborhood.

She used to really run, and she wouldn't come back unless you chased her and caught her, but we had to get a fence because some of our neighbors have little dogs and they let their dogs loose in the neighborhood too - and when the dogs get in a fight, the little dogs loose because my dog Pascha weighs about 80 pounds.

Couple years ago she ran down the street and my neighbor's dog Cookie, an ugly little poodle ran out and barked at her so Pascha pinned Cookie down with her front feet. Stupid little dog got a scratch on it, such a little scratch if you got a scratch like that you wouldn't even put a band-aid on it - you'd just wash it and ignore it, but Cookie's dumb-ass bitch of an owner had to call the cops and report me for not keeping my dog under control. So anyway, I got a ticket for not keeping Pascha undercontrol, which I was able to get dismissed because I insisted that Cookies owner should get a ticket like that as well since her dumbass dog was running loose too.

But to make a long story short, I had to pay for Cookies medical bills - stupid little **** of a dog - if I ever see her out in the street I'm going to run over her.

 

Wow, what a rant
I think my dogs would not notice if the fence would have just stopped working, but it got cut when we were putting in a privacy fence over the weekend so the whole idea of the yard has changed for them so I don't think they'd know what was going on. I'm gonna re run the whole thing when it stops raining this century.