He gets more excited about just going outside to roam now than going for a walk with us. The underground wire works essentially as an antenna connected to a radio transmitter, usually located in the garage. A receiver attached to the dog's collar emits a musical tone and a small electrical shock through two small metal probes whenever the dog comes within about 6 feet of the buried wire. It's like a static shock you get when you walk across a carpet. Initially, the trench is marked with flags to give the dog a visual cue to its location.
Installation usually takes only a few hours.
Wire also can be used to mark off gardens, garbage cans and other areas within the property that the homeowner wants to keep off-limits to the dog. Once the system is installed, the dog needs to be trained to turn back into the yard when it hears the tone. And perhaps more important, the dog needs to overcome any fear or shyness of going outside once it has been shocked. Once she sees the flags she gets skittish. Allen said Schuster, so named because the Allens have a cat named Simon, immediately associated the collar with the potential of getting a shock.