Are literally thousands of men, women, and children who feel that their residents are not home without the family dog. But what do you do when your four-legged friend likes to run away from home every chance he or she gets? Canines get lost, or even worse when crossing a street. That’s why so many pieces of Parkland real estate have put up underground fences that use electricity to prevent dogs from passing over them. But are they worth the hassle?
Robby Keifer is a South Floridian who recently purchased a sizable home for sale in Parkland with a huge backyard. The yard had a great garden on the interior too. To Robby’s pleasant surprise, the entire perimeter was wired for one of those underground electric dog fences. The former owner told Robby that the fence had been installed by a local company, and worked great for his fifteen-year-old standard poodle. Robby was taught how to use the electric fence, and Robby looked forward to allowing my dog to run free in the huge yard with no chance of escape.
The fence initially worked wonderfully. The minute the dog got that first hard shock, he wouldn’t go near the perimeter of the yard. For a good week, he played around the rest of the property while Robby tended to his new garden. The next week, Robby’s dog never more than edged toward the boundary, and this allowed him to feel safe and secure without having to watch his every move.
Unfortunately, that first week was the exception. After that, Robby noticed problem after problem with the electric fence. First, the act of keeping his dog enclosed in this backyard seemed to make him more mischievous inside the boundaries, and he came down one morning to find my newly-improved garden destroyed. This caused Robby to give up on my gardening for the time.
Second, the dog suddenly gained the skill to break free from the boundaries. Even with Robby watching, he would get a good running start, take off toward the perimeter, absorb the shock and just bust right through the thing. This caused Robby to turn the power up to high, which increased the shock level to a seemingly unbearable strength, and he could barely stand to watch my dog attempt to break it.
However, shortly thereafter the intelligent canine found a way to break out again anyway. He would approach the perimeter, just close enough to hear the warning tone sounding. Then he would simply sit there and let the thing beep until the battery died, an act that allowed him to run through the boundaries. Isn’t the intelligence of dogs amazing? As much as Robby wanted to punish him for that, he was proud that he was smart enough to figure that one out. Soon, Robby had no way of stopping the dog from conquering the electric fence. If there is some type of electric fence that works well without harming the dog, Robby is one Parkland luxury homeowner who could sure use the information.
About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty:
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
