A hidden fence system consists of boundary wire, a transmitter, a receiver, a test light, training flags, and a sign. The receiver is attached to the dog's collar; the correcting shock reaches the dog through prongs that touch the skin on his neck.

Once the wire in installed, the flags are placed along the fence line. For the first week, the dog is kept on a long leash with the receiver-collar on. For the first few days, one prong on the collar is taped so that the dog can hear the warning tone without experiencing the correction. Each time the dog nears the fence and hears the signal, the leash is jerked to bring him back into the safe area and he is praised.

After a few days of conditioning to run back into the safe area of the yard when the tone is heard, the tape is removed from the prong and the dog is allowed to experience a correction. Then it's back into the safe area for play and praise.

When the dog has the idea that the boundary causes the correction, distractions can be added. Each time the dog ignores the distraction outside the fence, praise and play are in order. The initial phase of the training takes about a week.

The second week involves supervised off-leash training so the dog learns that the correction comes from the boundary, not from the leash.

After two weeks, every other flag can be removed each day until the flags are gone.

• Most dogs will make mistakes during their first week on the system. Soon your dog will become comfortable with the boundaries and will adjust to the whole process.

• Do not take your dog on a leash near the boundary.

• Do not take the receiver collar off the dog. If you do, the entire process will become inconsistent and the dog will become more confused and take even longer to settle in.

• Do not let the dog hide in the house. Make him go out even if he sits next to the door all day. The only way he will loosen up is if he is outside to explore.

• Play with your dog in the yard. Kids and other dogs make them more comfortable and less frightened of the shock from the new fence.

• Use food and water to encourage the dog to go away from the house. Start with small distances first.

• Try and limit the number of corrections your dog gets. Right now your dog is "over contained." Don't play with him near the boundary or do anything to coax him towards the edge.

• Because some dogs can't tolerate more than one correction every two days, try and extend the amount of time between corrections.

• If your dog has run through the fence, take off his receiver collar to allow the dog to come back through the perimeter without getting shocked. Put the collar back on the dog once he's inside his boundary.

• If your dog acts like he doesn't feel the correction it is for one of two reasons. Either his collar is too loose, or there is too much hair between the probes and his skin. In both cases he will not feel any correction. To remedy this, try adjusting the collar. If that doesn't work, try trimming the fur directly beneath the probes.

• It is important to periodically check the size and fit of a puppy's nylon collar. As he grows, the collar's size will have to be adjusted to provide a secure, comfortable fit.

• To ensure a consistent signal, the dog's collar must be secured. To do this, make sure the probes are closest to the dog's chest.

• From the day your fence is installed, follow the same route when taking your petgearsupply.com out of the yard, making sure to leave and enter the yard in the same spot each time. If this is done consistently before and during training, your petgearsupply.com will associate you, the leash, and the route as a safe means of leaving the yard.