An electronic dog fence is a device that contains a transponder that sends an audio alert or static warning to your dog’s when he gets too close to the border you’ve established. Training your dog to stay within the boundaries with electronic dog fences is the perfect solution if you live near a busy road or don’t want your dog wandering onto neighboring properties.
Some dog owners are worried that their puppy is too young to understand an electronic dog fence, but in reality, dogs can be introduced to this kind of device from a fairly young age and there is no upper limit when it comes to age appropriateness.
We recommend that dogs should not be introduced to an electronic dog fence until they’re at least 5 months old. While at this age, a dog is no longer a baby puppy and is capable of more intensive training, he may be still too young to properly train for an electronic dog fence. Before 5 months old, he is still at his “fear” stage, so there are chances that the device will traumatize him physically and mentally. He may be so scared of the correction that he refuses to go outside or may develop aggressiveness.
Of course, there are exceptions. For example, if your dog is a large breed and you really need to keep him in the fence, you can consider starting training him to an electronic dog fence at the age of 4 months. Remember to pull back the training if he’s skittish because that means the correction is too strong and a fearful dog isn’t learning properly.
The best age to start electronic dog fence training is around 6 months. Your puppy will be much more emotionally ready for the formal training, including obedience classes, at this age. As long as he has started to master basic commands like “sit” and “down”, he should be ready for an electronic dog fence.
Also, keep in mind that the training process with your dog is a process that takes time and patience and a willingness to learn. Puppies have their own personalities and mature at their own rate. Some puppies are more nervous than others. They may need more time and efforts to become comfortable with a new device. Don’t expect your dog to become obedient with an electronic dog fence when it’s first introduced. Introduce him to the device slowly and move forward with training as he becomes more comfortable.