The first step in electric fence training is to install the fence and put up flags.
Second, put a fence collar on your dog, then start walking your dog around the interior perimeter of the yard. Do not let your dog go out to the flags or the edge of the fence; it should just be a wander around the general perimeter.
Third, starting with a 6-foot lead, walk around the property (inside the fence) but allow the dog to wander through the flags if desired. If the dog gets a correction, allow them to react naturally. If they turned back toward the house, you’re good. If they try to go farther in the direction they were traveling, and continuing off your property, then make sure to pull the dog back toward the house.
After your dog receives a correction, continue around the perimeter. The main goal here is to make sure your dog doesn’t think that the correction was arbitrary and they also do not start to believe that the entire yard is dangerous. If the dog is frightened and wants to go back to the house to avoid any further corrections, you may have to force the dog to stay with you while walking on the inside perimeter for a while.
Once you’ve worked through this on the 6-foot lead, try a 15-20-foot line as well. You will be holding the end of it at first, but the final step is to drop the line and allow your dog to wander on its own. You should not be holding the line or pulling your dog.
Begin to zigzag through the safe part of the yard and then around a flag or two. You should start to see your dog hesitating to follow you into the flagged area. If the dog doesn’t seem to understand this or won’t come out into the yard, go back to the third step.
Good luck!
