I'm planning to set-up an underground dog fence for my front yard to set a boundary for my dog. I'm considering this as it is cheaper than a real fence and I want to be able to enjoy my yard with my dog without him running off. I've included a link so you can see examples of the types of products I'm talking about since I'd not heard of them before looking into a traditional fence alternative. What I'm wondering is this the best alternative or is there another option out there that I've not come across?

Training? It seems as if those fences requires some kind of training for the dog so that it understands what it should do when the collar starts acting up. Might get scared and run in the wrong direction and get outside the effective range of the fence/collar.

When I grew up there was a house with a german shepherd dog around the corner. He had been taught to stay inside their property. The edge of the lawn was marked by a low "fence" or decoration about 12-18 inches high. The dog would stay inside the fence even if the kids of the neighbourhood teased him and even threw pebbles/small stones at him. He would bark furiously but he would never ever go outside "his" territory. The driveway was completely open (no fence or gate) and he would stand with his front paws on the edge of the sidewalk and bark but he would never cross the line.

Some dogs are easy to train/educate and others are really stubborn. I haven't seen any of those dog fences in operation so I can't comment on how it would work with your dog.

Not much help I'm afraid ....
/ Robin

My brother adopted a dog whose previous owner used one of those. Since they shock the dog and some breeds tend to roam more than others his dog was shocked a lot and it showed in his behavior. He was very timid and afraid of everyone for many months after my bother adopted him, like he was abused. My brother worked with the dog and he doesn't roam often but he loves kids and will start playing with his boy and the neighbor kids and will then follow them around. The dog won't wear a collar without freaking out so he uses a chest harness and a long lead to keep him in the yard when he's out on his own.