Tom Beitz is a Canine Behavior Specialist and Dog Trainer. He owns the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and can be reached at (716) 628-0651 or found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com  

   There are a number of underground containment systems on the market today. They all use electric stimulation to contain the dog in the yard. The antiquated training method uses a high shock level to punish your dog for leaving the yard. Using harsher shock or stimulation might keep your dog home, but it’s not very pleasant for your dog.

     Recently, a nationally known dog trainer developed a low-stress alternative to the 25 years old method for training your dog to stay home, without the need to use harsh shock levels. The more gentle method of training doesn’t eliminate the use of shock; it eliminates the use of stong corrections during the teaching period. 

    This method of training uses very low levels of stimulation to introduce your dog to the boundary of your yard. When your dog walks into the boundary field, he will hear an audible warning and receive a low level stimulation that feels like a tickle from the collar. The dog is rewarded for turning back into the yard with positive reinforcement, like a treat. When your dog is rewarded for staying home rather than being punished for leaving, he is a much happier dog.

     When the old harsher methods of training were used, the dog often became frightened or fearful, which made it difficult for the dog to learn the boundaries of the yard. Consequently, many dogs would be glued to the house seeking a safe refuge. Some would say that the advantage of the old method is that you can train the dog in about 3 or 4 days. However, because the dog hasn’t really been taught the boundaries, he may run through several months later, after the initial fear wears off.

      With the new  method, your dog will learn that the whole yard is a fun, positive place to play. However, the training process will take anywhere from 8 to 14 days before your dog can run free off leash. The process requires a little more time, but it is much more pet friendly and reliable than the old way of training.

     The purpose of the  method is to train the dog to turn back into the yard when it hears the beep from the collar, without putting undue stress on the dog. Once the dog has learned that turning back into the yard results in a reward, it becomes like a game for the dog. Once the dog has learned how to win the game, the stimulation level is gradually turned up to what is referred to as a maintenance level. The maintenance level of stimulation is a level of stimulation that is unpleasant enough to keep your dog home without traumatizing him.

     If you have a really stubborn dog, you are probably thinking that this  training method would never keep your dog home; the dog would just blow through the fence while chasing the neighbor’s cat. The beauty of the  method is that the training strategy is so versatile that it will work for the most sensitive dog up to the most belligerent dog. The equipment has an automatic progressive stimulation feature that increases the stimulation for the dog that wants to test the boundaries.