It's an interesting concept and I've seen similar for hunting dogs (it's no good your pointer knowing where the pheasant is if you don't know where he is), but for the household pooch this seems to be more about satisfying idle curiosity.
Carl the Cattle Dog and Little Ann the Australian Shepherd are kept in our garden at Chez Szondy by an invisible fence that gives them a mild zap if they try to breach the perimeter. The only problem is that Carl has discovered a couple of holes in the fence that he can duck through at will if he really, really wants to. Squirrels are generally involved.
That isn't too much of a concern. Frankly, I think that if a dog wants to roam, that's his affair. But there are other factors at play. It isn't so much a question of if he leaves to go exploring, but rather where he goes. Most of the time it's just to sit in the driveway and cry because he can't get back in (the holes are apparently one way), but if he wants to go further afield, I don't mind so long as he remembers not to go certain places. He can play with his mates, chase rabbits and dig holes all he wants, provided he stays away from:
- The neighbours' flower beds
- The bloody insane retriever down the road
- The same goes for the Beagle up by the forest path because I suspect it of having a criminal record
- Said Beagle's Great Dane henchman
- The main road because he'll get run over
- Mr Dill's chickens
- Ditto Mr Donnelly's goats
- The cattle farms in the valley because he'll get shot by the farmer
- The frog pond down by the stream because if he comes back smelling of frog spawn and jumps on the bed, I'll get shot by the wife
- Any skunks in the vicinity
- And any cats whose owners I subsequently have to explain its demise to.
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