The question is: are electric dog fences inhumane? The answer, unfortunately, is not so simple. People (and dogs) fall on both sides of the fence, so to speak.

It seems that an invisible electric dog fence is the perfect solution to keep your pet within the boundaries of your home, without having to put up a fence they may detract from the design of your home and your yard. Of course, is the beauty of an invisible fence worth the chance of injuring your beloved pet? Certainly not.

Here is what you need to know about invisible electric dog fences:

They are not as inhumane as people might think.

They do not deliver a full out shock rather, the shock that your pet receives as it tries to cross the line is more similar to a static electricity shock that we can give after rubbing our feet along the carpet and then touching someone. Before you buy a shock collar, ask to test out the shock on yourself -- if it feels awful, then you want one with a lower shock power.

Again, it is important to note that the shock that your dog would receive should not be painful it is merely uncomfortable, something that your dog will want to avoid.

Many shock collars have multiple levels of stimulation you can keep yours on the lowest setting.

The collars cannot burn your dogs neck, even when at the highest setting.

For years, electric fences have been used to control livestock

A mild shock is a million times better for your dog than what could await it if it escaped a mild shock is not nearly the as bad as the dangers of traffic or running away.

It is OK if your dog get stuck in a severe rain storm with its collar on it will not electrocute it.

The batteries may run out on your shock collar, and you will therefore have to replace them. Of course, once your dog has learned the boundaries, it is much less likely to cross them.

Realize that you can simply set up and electric fence and expect your dog to immediately understand you must still train your dog.

Remember that an electric fence does not keep other dogs from entering your yard and attacking your dog, nor does it keep your dog from attacking children that might walk up to it.

Your dog may still be able to cross over the boundary! And once on the other side, there is nothing to stop your dog.

Your dog may not connect the electric shock directly with the boundary. Instead, if your dog is shocked when, say, a child is walking by, the association might be child=shock. There is a chance that your training could backfire!

All in all, you should not listen to people who say that the shock collars used with invisible fences are extremely dangerous. Very rarely have there been any serious incidents associated with these collars.

You should, however, be aware of other problems (such as other animals and humans being able to enter your yard at will) that could be solved by getting a visible fence, rather than an invisible electric dog fence.