Reasons For Installing A Dog Fence Or Dog Run

Toby was a boxer dog full of himself with a wonderful outgoing personality. He was the neighborhood mayor who routinely jumped out of his low fence enclosure and made his way around the town, greeting people and having a fine adventure with other neighborhood dogs as they roamed the local park. In an unusual situation, he was well known by neighbors and wasn’t considered an annoyance or pest. The only problem was that Toby ended up with parvovirus and died at a young age of 7.

Being a free-roaming dog put Toby at risk for catching deadly diseases. Roaming dogs are at risk for diseases like parvovirus, parainfluenza and rabies, among other infectious diseases. They are in danger of contracting such disease from wildlife as well as other free-roaming dogs. (Most strays and free-roaming dogs aren’t kept up to date in their vaccinations, and even if yours is, vaccines aren’t 100% guarantees of immunity (you know that each year you get a flu shot…you can still get the flu.)

Parvovirus, which killed Toby, is a very contagious viral disease that is passed through fecal matter of contaminated dogs. Toby didn’t have to even come in contact directly with another dog, just the dog’s droppings. (And we know how dogs love to eat other dog’s droppings!) Parvovirus is often fatal. Signs of parvovirus infection include diarrhea, lethargy/fatigue and vomiting.

Another disease that free-roaming dogs can catch is parainfluenza, which is a respiratory infection passed on from infected dogs to other dogs through sneezing and coughing.

A bacterial disease called leptospirosis is contracted through urine from infected animals. This bacterium can cause kidney, liver and other organ failure.

Another disease dogs can catch is distemper. Canine distemper is very infectious and is spread via body fluids from sneezing and coughing. Though dogs can survive the disease, it has no real cure, most often causes seizures, heart failure and death, and even in survivors, can cause chronic issues requiring medical treatment.

Finally, rabies is a fatal viral disease that infects wildlife and, potentially, dogs. Bats, raccoons, possum and other animals can be infected with rabies, and free-roaming dogs hunting or even playing with other animals can be bitten and infected. Once symptoms of rabies appear, the disease is always fatal. Rabies is a neurological disease that causes staggering, salivating and other signs in dogs. (Remember the movie Old Yeller?) Also, if your dog is infected with rabies and bites you, you will require rabies treatment immediately. A couple of children recently died as a result of rabies infection when it was thought that they were bit by bats.

If you have a dog who roams free like Toby did, take responsibility for his health and welfare by installing a fence or dog run to keep him safe. And if you are looking to install some hidden fence (not the physical type) research: invisible dog fence, wireless electric dog fence, electronic dog fence, underground dog fence and radio dog fence. These are some new gadgets that draw the boundaries for your dog without the physical boundaries for humans.

Next article: The Invisible Dog Fence Option