Electronic fence might keep Lucky off road

Dear Dog Talk: For the past three-and-a-half years, I have owned Lucky, a border collie. My friend said that he would be the perfect dog for my special-needs daughter.

I got Lucky when he was about a year old. He was all matted and 10 pounds underweight. I took him to a groomer and then that same week to the veterinarian.

I have done obedience training classes with him. I did not find out until I was working with the obedience trainer that Lucky had been abused.

Although I love Lucky very much, he is driving me crazy. I cannot trust him to stay on our property.

If I leave Lucky outside for even a minute, without someone with him, he will take off. We live out in the country and own about 10 acres. The problem is that we live next to a very busy highway that is used by a lot of 18-wheelers.

I was wondering if an electronic containment fence might help me to keep Lucky on our property and off the highway. My obedience trainer does not like them.

Our other dog never left our property without one of us beside her. She had the same obedience trainer as Lucky. However, I got her when she was a pup, and I knew she was never abused in any way. She was the perfect dog. I love Lucky with my whole heart, but I cannot trust him. Help!

Dear Lucky to Have Lucky: I like invisible fence systems and do endorse them. However, they are a mechanical device, and mechanical devices are not infallible.

In order for electronic containment fences to work properly, dog owners need to spend a sufficient amount of time on the necessary training that is recommended by the companies that sell the systems.

Even after the training has been completed and the dog is responding reliably, I personally recommend never leaving a dog outside unsupervised. Although the companies that manufacture and market these systems might promote them as highly reliable, I have to reiterate that they are not infallible.

Your responsibility to Lucky is to do every thing in your power to keep him off that busy highway.

Dear Dog Talk: I read your column every week and find it most informative.

After reading a past article about border collies, I have to say that I have found nothing unusual about the dog your reader described.

I have a 5-year-old border collie named Tug who is the most intelligent dog that I have ever owned. I have been a dog owner all my 65 years, and Tug is great.

My dear friend who is a veterinarian asked me to write down all the words that Tug knows. It is well more than 200 words. Tug also plays well with Frisbees, and he loves to herd.

Tug is so well-behaved, and he plays with other dogs in our backyard. I find nothing unusual about him because he is a border collie, and herding is genetic. Now if I could only teach him how to run the carpet sweeper, I'd have it made.

Dear Faithful Reader and Border Collie Lover: I received many letters from border collie owners, and the vast majority of these letters sounded like yours.

As I've said before, I love the breed, too. However, I think their behavior is unique, and they are a dog that is well-suited for the right type of owner. It sounds like you are one!

I hope that you and Tug continue to have lots of fun together. Thanks for writing.