Pet Product Reviews

Dog Fences Facts

If your dog is an escape artist, you've probably tried more than one way to keep him in your yard. The creative solutions I've seen include: chicken wire and/or concrete pavers installed around the base of a traditional fence (sometimes even a few inches into the ground); chain link dog kennels that keep a dog cooped up all day; constant supervision; yelling, pleading, and tears.

More and more pet owners are interested in buying electric wireless dog fence mainly due to aesthetic reasons.

Most dogs — even really stubborn ones — can learn to understand and respect an invisible dog fence. The key word in that last sentence is "learn."

Citronella and sonic dog fences are not as effective as those that use static correction. Sonic and citronella fences are generally effective only for very timid or sensitive dogs. Most dogs don't find these fences aversive enough to avoid when distractions are high (for example, when local wildlife or neighborhood kids happen by). If you only need the dog fence to keep your dog out of a flower bed or the trash, a sonic or citronella fence may be worth a try, but don't expect it to reliably keep your dog in your yard.

Pioneered by Innotek, the newer pet containment fences and pet containment systems feature run through prevention, a patent held only by Innotek. They also feature 24/7 battery back up, rechargeable and Ultra microline dog shock collars. These features create a safe barrier for a dog fence. Pet containment systems are also dog containment barriers and training combinations known as "Contain and Train", a special type of dog fence. hese training collars do not shock a dog but instead provide a safe static correction.


Dog Fence Reviews

I had never seen an underground dog fence until I visited my brother back in the Boston region a few years back. Living in California my entire life I was only exposed to neighborhoods that all had wood or chain link fences to keep pets in their respective yards. Many states back East don't have fences in between yards so pets, especially dogs, are prone to wander around and this can become a problem. Instead of putting up an expensive cyclone or wood fence, homeowners buy underground dog fences that keep dogs in their yard.

The Petsafe PIF-300 Wireless Pet Containment System is a top seller on PetStreetMall.com and consumers rate it very high in terms of "satisfaction" with the product.

Dogs are slowly trained to understand that when they get to a certain point on the property, they will receive this little correction shock signal and therefore with learned behavior they will stop trying to leave your yard.

We have been extremely pleased with every aspect of our fencing. Everything was done on schedule, and the dog was fully trained in the 3 days that were estimated. He is now able to run, run, run and get plenty of exercise without us worrying about his safety. Thank You! We are extremely satisfied!
You guys have been great about trouble shooting any/all problems for us. I have confidence in our fence because I have confidence in your customer care allowing "satisfaction guaranteed."

We expected the process to be more painful for our dogs, as they were very stubborn and ran away frequently. However, with training and installation of this dog fence, we have not had any issues. We could not be happier. It is such a relief to not have to worry about our dogs' safety anymore and to know their quality of life has improved so dramatically.

This system has been great! Its wonderful to be able to let Pepper outside with peace of mind. The inside system is great too. Worked good at Christmas keeping him away from the tree - and is now used to keep him from going upstairs.

My family and I are very pleased with this dog fence system. We were somewhat skeptical at first but now we are believers. This system is much more effective than a conventional fencing for our pets and circumstance (10 acre lot). Also your quick response to calls and customer service has been great. Good Luck in the future! It is the best money I have ever spent. My lab mix was given a life of his own. He now can run and play. Wish we had done it years ago. Customer satisfaction as far as maintenance is exceptional.

After receiving sales visits and quotes from three underground fence companies, I felt that you were the best choice, and I have not regretted my decision. I particularly like the feature on the collar that lets you know when the battery is low with a flashing red light. I felt that the product features and warrantee available was the most intelligent choice. Tim was very professional and knowledgeable in his sales presentation, and after my fencing was installed, his response time to my calls was very prompt. I live on a corner lot of a residential community which receives a lot of traffic, which includes children getting off the school bus, other dogs walking by, kids on bikes and scooters riding by, and of course cars. I feel very comfortable in knowing that my dog is safe when she is outside because she knows her boundaries and will not venture beyond them.

We are so pleased with our fencing system. They were so professional and prompt from our estimate and installation and training and follow up. Because Leo was just a young pup when we began we have done some minor tweaking of the system here and there and Tim and his staff were wonderful. We have always had a call returned within a few hours and the service after the sale has been fantastic! I was so amazed at how the product works and we are so confident we have referred several people that were also interested and they have been just as thrilled with the fencing system as we are. It is nice to know our dog is safe. It is also amazing how easy they train. Thank You! It was definitely a wonderful decision that we made a year ago.

Our pet Lily, was determined to explore the larger world. We have owned her since she was 7 weeks old. First she crawled under the other "invisible" fence. Later, she jumped out then she jumped in after wandering around our street and the street behind us. We called you. It had been recommended by our neighbor. We also called another company not only did Tim beat the other estimate. You provided on site training. The other company provided a video. We were impressed immediately by the professional approach - scheduling, installation, training and return visits to "tweak" our system. We have copied your system of positive reinforcement to train our pet who is "too smart for her own good." She is now entirely contained by your system. And when we take her out of the system for walks, about 3 times a day, she can be walked without the use of a leash entirely by commands. AMAZING! She's never been to obedience school. We adore Lily. We're very grateful.

Facts about Shock Collars

Many people have a misconception about what shock collars are and how they really work. This misconception probably stems from movies and television shows where some poor soul winds up wearing a shock collar and being jolted with an exaggerated amount of electricity which is not true, their just true actors. In reality, the collars do not deliver anywhere near that level of electrical shock, and some don't rely on electricity at all. Modern shock collars are designed to capture your dog's attention without causing your pet physical pain, it's just like an electricity when open a door knob.

Are they safe and effective out of many controversy?
The answer is yes, it is safe, but you must be trained on how to use it effectively so that your dog can learn effectively. If not, you will get unpredictable behavioral affects from your dog.

Types of Shock Collars
Shock training collars are available with different types of correction stimulus. Be sure you are correctly following the instructions and guidelines for whatever type of dog shock collar you choose.

Static collars emit a low level electric shock to your dog when it barks. These collars offer a range of power settings, and it's best to start your dog at the lowest level of shock to see if he will respond appropriately with minimum stimulation, raising the setting by one degree is expert advice and if needed.

The citronella collar may appeal more to owners who just can't bring themselves to use a static collar. When your dog barks while wearing this collar, the sensor will emit a spray of citronella near the dog's face. Dogs find this smell very unpleasant and should quickly associate their barking with the unwanted scent, effectively curbing the behavior.

Some trainers use a low level of electrical stimulation as a marker and pair it with a reward, making the collar a conditioned reinforcer, similar to clicker training. Some electronic collars include vibration or tone-only settings, which can be used as a "neutral stimulus" for most dogs. Successful operation and usage of electronic collars require the guidance of a professional who specializes in these types of devices. As with any dog training tool, improper usage, abuse, and negligence can create undesirable results.

How Electronic Shock Collar Works
Electronic dog collars work by emitting a small shock to the dog after a bad behavior. The amount of stimulation can be controlled in many products, sometimes remotely from the transmitter. Electric training collars are designed for the dog handler to use proactively during training sessions. Bark collars are different in that it has a timing device set to deliver a shock at a variable length after a dog starts to bark. What sets these devices apart from many other training aids is that you can immediately correct a dog's mistake, thus making it easier for the dog to make associations between good and bad behavior.

Purpose & Proper Use
Dog shock collars are meant to be a training device, not an everyday part of your dog's apparel. Once your dog's nuisance barking has been curbed, you can remove the collar. Your dog may now bark when the need truly arises, but it should no longer bark for the joy of it. If your pet begins to slide back into its old ways, you can simply use the collar again for a day or two to reinforce the lesson.
Electronic collars may be used in conjunction with positive reinforcement and / or utilizing other principles of operant conditioning, depending on the trainer's methods[2] either as a form of positive punishment, where the stimulation is applied at the moment an undesired behavior occurs, in order to reduce the frequency of that behavior; or as a form of negative reinforcement, where a continuous stimulation is applied until the moment a desired behavior occurs, in order to increase the frequency of that behavior.

Electric dog collars are similar to other training aids. This type of training aid is often used to break certain habits when conventional methods aren't working. For example, cookies and biscuits aren't working to keep your dog from digging in the backyard. Other known uses of the electric collar include teaching your dog to come. This isn't a hard command for a dog to learn, so before you run out and buy an electric collar, you should start with the basics. Conventional training like line training to teach the dog to come on command or reward-based training works well.

Benefits of Shock Collars
The benefits of using an electric collar are arguably as many as using another training technique. One cited benefit conventional techniques may not have is that this tool can help you control your dog when he is off leash and help your dog learn to come to you on command no matter the distance.

When not to use Shock Collar
While the use of dog shock collars is safe and effective, they should only be used on otherwise healthy, sound-minded dogs. Dogs who are already displaying fearful or aggressive behaviors are not good candidates for training with dog shock collars, which may actually reinforce the fear and aggression. The key is knowing which category your pet falls into and acting accordingly.

Common Mistake of Use
Owners who are not experienced with the use of dog shock collars can result in giving their dogs continual shocks which will only create fear between the dog and the owner.
It is proven that dog shock collars are not necessary to properly train a dog.
Always make sure the device is working properly, malfunction shock collars often result undesirable trigger to the pet.

Misconceptions
One misconception about shock collars is that the shock a dog feels when they get a shock is equivalent to the shock a human feels when they put the same collar around their own necks, leg or arm. While the idea of pain or shock may be subjective, what is clear is that dogs do not feel stimuli in the same way as humans. Watching dogs gleefully leap into freezing water, bite and play roughly with each other and run "barefoot" over rough ground should be evidence of this.

As you can see, dog shock collars have many drawbacks that must be considered before using them. Not being properly instructed on how to properly use dog shock collars properly, can have long term negative results. Just like any other gadgets and technology, proper use and knowledge is required to ensure it's effectiveness and safety otherwise mis-use of such technology may result a different outcome.

Only choose the best, precise and high-performance dog shock collars to avoid undesirable mistakes and improper training of dog. Pet Street Mall sells the best brand that ensures quality and durability with complete manuals of the device so you won't mis-use or get the defective one.

WiFi Wireless Fence Facts:

Perimeter Technologies introduced WiFi wireless fence in April 2009, a wireless containment system based on the WiFi technology that is used in the wireless internet routers that are in most people's homes. This has two significant advantages, range and the ability for two way communication. It also has one significant disadvantage, power usage.

With the Perimeter Technologies WiFi system, there are two significant advantages over the PetSafe Instant Fence PIF-300. Extended range and the ability for two way communication. The Perimeter WiFi dog fence can create a containment area up to a 200 foot radius from its transmitter, giving it a coverage of approximately 2.5 acres, that's more than 4 times wider coverage than Petsafe's.

The all new Perimeter Technologies Wire-Free WiFi dog fence uses the hottest micro-chip transceiver set, operating on what has now become a very familiar 802.15 wireless communication protocol. Typical of what is being used in all the new electronic products. This new technology makes our lives more convenient, keeps us better connected and now makes owning a dog fence easier and your pet safer than ever before.

Unlike other wireless systems, the Wire-Free radio frequency signal used by the Perimeter WiFi is not affected by your yard's terrain. The Wire-Free Fence's effective range will be reduced over hilly terrain only if the indoor SmartStation base station loses direct line of sight (such as over a steep hill) with the dog's collar.

However, unlike all other wireless systems, the indoor SmartStation will actually benefit from a higher location in the house, such as a second story, to improve its "line of sight" with the pet's fencing collar when dealing with difficult terrain issues.

Also the other nice feature of the Perimeter WiFi dog fence system is that the collar uses a rechargeable 3.6v lithium battery, which should take about 300 recharge cycles. Even with frequent weekly charging, the battery will last years. For optimal battery life, it is recommended to only charge the collar battery when alerted to do so by the indoor SmartStation. This consumer replaceable battery is inexpensive and readily available.


WiFi Wireless Fence Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I determine if the Wire-Free fence is right for my property?

Any area that blocks your dog's view of your house will be a potential problem area for a wireless fence. Very hilly or mountainous terrain, heavily forested areas, out-buildings (particularly metal construction) all will significantly reduce the Wire-Free product's range and performance due to restricting the LINE OF SIGHT. A traditional in-ground wire system should be your first choice. However, unlike all other wireless systems, the indoor SmartStation will actually benefit from a higher location in the house, such as a second story, to improve its LINE OF SIGHT with the pet's fencing collar when attempting to determine if you can work around terrain or other obstructions in your particular installation.

What else could negatively influence the products coverage area or general performance?

As mentioned, any large object or terrain that limits or obstructs the line of sight between the indoor SmartStation and your PetLink collar can reduce the effective range or coverage area of the Wire-Free Fence. Due to the number of variables within your particular house and property, Perimeter can not predict or guarantee coverage area. There are some obstructions you will need to make particular note of when determining if a wireless fence is right for you. No radio signal will pass through or will be reflected by large metal objects which could include cars, metal studs and siding, metal sheds or other metal objects. The closer the metal object, the greater the potential for unwanted interference and will result in the reduction of performance. These obstructions will not create false activations of the PetLink collar, but will sound the LOST SIGNAL alarm on the SmartStation.

Can I expect the Wire-Free Fence to work just like an in-ground wire pet containment system?

In many ways yes and in some important ways no. The Wire-Free Fence does give your dog a safe area to run and play and discourage dangerous wandering by using a training tone and electronic stimulation as a deterrent just like all pet fencing systems. The Wire-Free's coverage area is a circle and cannot be tailored to the exact outline of your property. Unlike an in-ground system, you may notice that the wireless radio signal has a ranging accuracy of one meter or 2.5 feet. This means that the PetLink collar's activation at the boundary you set will vary slightly requiring you to leave a few more feet of room near streets, sidewalks or paths to accommodate for the variation. The Wire-Free fence incorporates two "Correction Zones" before and after the activation point. The Correction Zone after activation is helpful in discouraging your dog from charging and testing the fence and giving you the opportunity to use much lower levels of correction to "herd" your dog back home.

Will my dog continue to get shocked if they escape from the safe area?

No. The PetLink collar will go through three five second stimulation and tone cycles and then will continually beep until the dog returns to the safe area. Unlike traditional fencing systems, your dog will never be punished for coming home.

Does the Wire-Free WiFi Fence require a computer or internet service?

Wire-Free is a self contained fencing system that requires no computer or outside outside internet services. The Wire-Free Fence utilizes WiFi-like radio signal protocol 802.15 and operates completely independent of your computer, WiFi router or other computer devices.

Will the Wire-Free Fence interfere with my home's wireless computer router?

Wireless routers do operate on the same 2.4GHz radio frequency, however they are utilizing a different signal protocol - 802.11. The Wire-Free WiFi Fence utilizes WiFi-like radio signal protocol 802.15 and operates completely independent of computer router or other WiFi devices.


Pros: No wire to install; highly-customizable correction levels; protects up to 2 acres
Advantage:
The Perimeter Wire-Free (WiFi) dog fence is the only wireless fence that uses WiFi technology. According to the manufacturer, that's why this wireless fence provides a much larger signal field (2 acres) than the PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence (1/2 acre). When I heard that this wireless fence product runs on a WiFi signal, my first concern was that it would interfere with the wireless router that manages my home computer network; but, my concern was allayed by the fact that the Perimeter WiFi fence uses an 802.15 signal instead of the 802.11 signal most routers use. So, if you're thinking about buying a wireless fence and you have a very large yard, this may be the product for you.

Cons: Very limited configuration options; limited to two pets
Disadvantage:
The biggest downside to this wireless fence is that you can only use it to contain a maximum of two pets. So, if you have (or plan to get) three or more pets you should consider a PetSafe Wireless Instant Fence, instead, since it allows you to contain an unlimited number of pets with one transmitter. To me, this is a pretty important feature to consider, since (if you're like me) you never know when you might suddenly and unexpectedly add a new dog to the family.


WiFi Wireless Fence Review:

I love this system. Couldn't quite get the range I wanted (200'), but customer service was wonderful and I am happy with a 125' range. Love the feedback aspect, no more wondering if my Poochie has wandered away. Very happy to see a company being green - replaceable rechargeable batteries! Also spares available from several sources on the internet. Since the base unit can charge several, I keep an extra charged and ready to go. Made in USA! Customer service girl spoke with THE designer and got me answers and up an running in a DAY! How often does that happen? I am so glad I called customer service, otherwise I might have returned it - and I just love it.

Finally we've got the dog in the yard free. I probably should have given this 4 stars but gave it 5 because the people at Perimeter were so helpful and nice. I had problems with the 1st system that we got sent but they shipped me another one quickly. After some setup we got it working and my Lab is happily running in the yard now. Thanks, W. Smith

Cat Strollers are not just for style, they act as fully functional tools to aid in transporting your pets and allowing them to enjoy the outdoors. It just so happens that the Cat strollers we sell add a touch of class also! Designed with the security of your Cat in mind, our great selection of Cat strollers provides a safe way to have out door adventures with your pet. Great for older, arthritic Cats, these fashionable strollers ease the strain on older joints.

Great selection of Cat Strollers and Pet strollers from Pet Street Mall are the best way to walk with your pet! It’s perfect for traveling too, cat strollers are safe and comfortable containment even for long hours of travel.

About Ruff Weather Pet Door or Ideal Ruff Weather Pet Door

Ruff weather pet door or ideal ruff weather dog door is another ideal dog door used to protect dog and pet against any kind of weather. Whether it is rainy day or sunny day, containing your dog will never be a problem. With the high quality materials used in creative construction of this dog door, every pet owner definitely has the confidence to leave their little friend. Knowing that they are safe and sound inside the contained area, leaving them alone at home won’t be a problem.


Consumer Reviews:
Ruff weather waterproof pet door was durable, easy to install & use, good size opening and with locking option although it lets in drop but still it is best for front door, large dogs and small dogs. The product was great. I was very dissapointed with your cost however. I saw same unit short while later at local hardware store 20% cheaper. realized I paid Sugg. Manu. retail. That will teach me to shop all my purchases. " Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

I love this door it works really well for my Lab and Beagle. We have recently moved so we had to get a new door for this home,so I bought this because it is the same one I had in the old house with one exception they used to come with 2 locking door slides to close off the door!This is why I give it only 4 stars. I found having 2 really helped with blowing snow and draft's!

Installed wall unit. Interior and exterior frames and flaps are good. Wall insert is a waste of $. Insert is 6 pieces of plastic that snap together that result in a poor fit. Had to replace plastic insert with homemade wood insert.

This door has significantly cut down on the draft that came through my old dog door, and it was easy to install. I'll change my rating to a 5 star review once I see how durable the seal is over time.

Pros: Double flap makes for GREAT insulation, Dogs love the freedom

Cons: Really the unit has none, I did have to move a stud in wall but was because I went in wall and was an extra large

Our two boxers were having way too much fun making us get up through the nigh and during movies to let them out in to the play yard. Thus the idea came to attach the play yard (a 20'x10'x6 dog run) to the side of the house and cut through the wall so the dogs could come and go as the please. This is a WONDERFUL thing especially at night as well as removing some worry on the days we all work long shifts and are away for the dogs for 10hr straight (rare but does happen sometimes). Let me say that if we could have gone through a door we would have but our home just doesn't work out like that LOL. Had it been an in the door install I have no doubt that it would have been very simple and done and over with in 30min total time. BUT since we have to go though a wall and since our female is a princess and we knew we had to get her a very large door (extra large) as she would refuse to squeeze through a door her size this job became a weekend project and involved moving a stud to allow for the width of the frame. We did have to use the in wall kit (sold separately) but you could also simply frame a box around the doors and it would be the same thing for less money.

All that said it was well worth the work even for a novice such as I for the convenience to the dogs. They love it and it works great for them. The double flaps are heavy and have magnetic clasps that maintain the house insulation very well.

I live in an area that has strong winds and lots of snow in the winter. This door works very well at keeping out the weather. While one plastic door may blow in some from the wind, unless we are getting gusts over 45 mph, the inside door barely moves. I have stood in front of the door during some of our worst winter storms and barely felt the cold and snow. It does catch dirt in between, but the vacuum takes care of that. It Was a Challenge putting in only because the door was made of steel, and I have never installed a pet door before. For someone who is handy with tools, I am sure installation would be a breeze.

I bought one of these Ruff Weather doors about a year ago, and I am just getting ready to buy another for a different area of my home. I was hesitant to purchase this door at first as it seemed kind of cheap in comparison to the Hales, but I could not really justify spending hundreds of dollars on a dog door. While I don't think the Ruff Weather is the most attractive looking door, it has been very effective in sealing out of the cold weather and my dogs can use it with ease. I would recommend this door to anyone looking for a door that will be energy efficient and affordable.

Dog training collars are extremely safe and effective tools. You can solve your dog's behavior problems, teach your dog basic obedience commands, and train your dog to do almost anything.
There are many places where people can go to learn to use them.

It's best to consult a trainer but often that's not possible either because of the expense or because there aren't any in your area that are familiar with "modern use" of the tool. You don't want to go to someone who uses the tool improperly. One question to ask a trainer that you're considering is "How do you find the dog's working level of stim?" The trainer should start at the lowest level that the dog training collar has and slowly turn it up, as he looks for subtle signs that the dog first feels the stim. Another question to ask is, "Do you consider yourself to be a 'low level' user or a 'high level" user?" If he says there's not such thing as a "low level stim user" avoid him like the plague. Some trainers work at the level where the dog first feels the stim. That's who you want to train your dog. Other trainers crank the dial up until the dog screams in pain and then they turn it down one level. Avoid people in the second group at all costs!

Dog training collars are all about communicating with your dog, it is not intended as a form of punishment. Since a training collar allows you to communicate with your dog immediately after a certain behavior has taken place he will quickly understand that there is a connection between the behavior and the electric stimulation.

Perimeter Technologies is a Leading Brand of Electronic Dog Fences. Perimeter Dog Fence features the innovative design of Comfort Contacts that cushion your pet’s neck with soft rubber. This ensures pet safety and comfort without the use of harsh steel probes used in other electronic dog fences.

Well known Perimeter Technology's pet containment system on free shipping at Pet Street Mall.