It’s a Dog’s Life
Waverly Farm’s field production has been a hit—among the deer, that is! With an ample water supply and a lush habitat nearby, the deer began to bed down between the hollies and the maples. Plant damage was immediate.
Researchers at Cornell University had been using dogs to keep deer out of fruit orchards and vineyards. We applied a similar concept at Waverly. A wire is buried 6–12 inches deep at the perimeter of the field. The dogs wear a collar that beeps as they near their boundary. Should they cross the border, they receive a shock of electricity.
We have three pairs of dogs protecting 95 acres. The dogs do not chase the deer, but “mark up” the nursery. With our dogs, we have achieved 99% deer protection. Additionally, the dogs have also eliminated woodchucks, rabbits, mice and other troublesome critters.
The dogs come from rescue shelters or private individuals. Our vet says our dogs are the healthiest and happiest she sees.
Alas, our productivity is affected as Buddy, Maggie, Princess, Kipper, Taz and Velvet demand lots of attention. Once you step foot in their territory, they are loyally at your heels, tails wagging furiously. But should they detect a rare woodchuck in their field ...
For more information from the national distributor of our system, OFF LIMITS, a division of Invisible Fence, call 800-578-DOGS.
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