INVISIBLE FENCING

We have the wireless invisable fence.  It's great for us.  It's portable, too.  So we take it pic-nicking, to the beach house and to the cabin. I put up a few flags in new areas to let them know where the boundary is.   The girls can't run through because when they leave the transmission area, they get zapped for up to 30 seconds (long time!) if they don't return.  Both of my girls are pretty prey driven, neither has been zapped in a long while. My pointer has been known to get around physical fencing trying to get after a rabbit and I'm pretty confident that she will not challenge the invisible fence.    I have the charge set a medium low.  The "beep" has been a sufficient deterent. 

I don't leave them unattended, though, in the yard. Even if you have a physical fence, your dog can be stollen.  It's happened recently in my area. There were warnings posted in our local newspaper.   I do worry about coyotes at night and very early morning and stay out with them until they are finished pottying and get them right back in. 

A woman I used to dog sit had the invisible fence and it works.  She has two Bernese and a lab mix.  She trusts them out their by their self, and when she leaves she sometimes leaves the older male out.  I think it depends on the type of dog you have.  They are all very mellow and don't really have the urge to wander. 
 
What kind of dog do you have and what's it's personality like?

I had one eons ago.  Can't say I would recommond them.  Reese, my dal figured out pretty quickly that he could run through it.  It got to the point where literally as soon as I let him out  in the yard he would walk up to the fence slowly, back up a few paces then take off through the fence.  He was a real thinker!! []

I also agree with what others have said about the invisible fence not being able to keep other dogs out of your yard.

i have the inground fencing but i use it differently. I'm not worried about intruders coming into my yard. so i dont need an electric fence. We have kids around our place and i do NOT want them getting accidentally electrocuted because they brushed up against it. I like to use the inground fence wired through a regular fence. its a double barrier, and its safe for my kids and anyone who leans against the fence.
I also got the Stubborn Dog system. The lady i talked to before i bought it said that most people take their dogs for granted when buying these systems. If you have a large breed, but assume just because he is so gentle he wont need much correction, then you have a lesson to learn.
She also pointed out that you must remove the collar if you want to take your dogs out of the yard. Ben wont go near the boundary even if he isnt wearing a collar. He has crashed through the barrier twice, but now when he hears the beep he hits reverse and wont go near it.
But you MUST train them to respect the fence. that is walking them down the line every day and when it beeps follow it up with a verbal no and making them move back. its not something you can install in one day and expect it to you work. My husband found that out the hard way when he had to get Ben twice.... he didnt listen to me. i was working with him up and down the fence line but had to go inside to change diapers on babies. he promised he would keep working with him. i looked out the window and they were both across the street [:@] neighbour's laughing and all.
Its not a solid barrier, if it was then your dog would be a crispy kritter if he tried to run through it.

Another problem some people claim is the fence burns the dog. no it doesnt. the collar is elastic and causes a pressure soar if you dont remove it after 24 hrs.

I know its not for everyone. some prefer eco collars or something similar. Some prefer a regular fence, or the electric fence wire, or some just keep their dogs inside 24/7 and then take their dogs for a run in the park to make up for it.
its all a matter of preference. I like it. it was worth the investment. I even got a collar for my cat because some maniac shot two of our other cats. one never came home and the other had to be PTS because his spine was shattered. The fence arrived in the mail the day AFTER Kaydee injured her back and had spent $300 for Xrays, antibiotics, anti-inflammatorys, and muscle relaxers. The fence itself cost $400..... We dont know how she did it, but she managed to herniate a disk. we dont know if she did this trying to escape or if someone hit her with something(same guy that shot the cat?)
if the fence had been there sooner she may not be in the condition she is in right now. who can say.
I wonder if the same idea would work without the fence. the idea is that you TRAIN your dog to respect the barrier or he gets shocked. My dad doesnt have an inground fence but his shepherds would have you think there was one. they absolutely refuse to cross the "line" that he has made forbidden. All it is is another method of training. No if the power goes out you're screwed. but if your dog is firmly convinced that he will get in trouble if he crosses the path of the little white flags, then you have nothing to worry about it. like i said, Ben sees the flag and he wont budge. this is before he hears a beep!
this fence is also good for protecting flower beds and the underside of your house. i love it. but the biggest reason i have it is so i dont have to worry about kids and people getting zapped by a live wire.

Thank you to all; you're answers were very much appreciated.  I have decided that I am not going to invest in the invisible fence as it was meant to keep a couple of my dogs from wandering onto my neighbour's paddock where he keeps his cattle and since these two dogs have a high prey drive I don't think a zap is enough to deter them, they'd be out like a flash before they even know what hit them.  I need something that I can rely on 100% without a shudder of a doubt since one of my dogs has a feather fetish and has taken to chasing my neighbour's hens on one occasion and when two of them get out they chase after his cattle which is a major no no!  I think I will either run a couple of electric wires onto the existing fence or build a solid fence for them to be contained in.  Thanks again for all your help.

Zoretta,

I have rhodesian ridgebacks - high prey drive! Running a couple of strands of cattle strength hotwires along the inside perimeter of the fence worked like a charm. They will chase a squirrel up to the fence and veer off. I use a battery operated charger from Kencove fencing (I don't know where you are), step-in posts, and aluminum wire. It's a straightforward, do-it-yourself project.

Paula