But wait, they do sometimes run off. Not on purpose of course, but it’s been known to happen. Ruffles goes out for a walk and gets caught up in all the new scents. He gets so busy sniffing that he isn’t paying attention to where he’s going. Before he knows it, he has no idea where home is. Unless somebody finds him or calls for him, he could be lost for good.

One X10 customer found a way to keep his furry friend at home, using X10 products, and an underground fence. Andrew Dolson uses the EagleEye Motion Sensor, and the ActiveHome remote in conjunction with an underground fence. The fence consists of a wire that runs around the parameters of the yard, which is basically an antenna that sends a radio signal to a special collar that the dog wears. When the dog gets too close to the fence, she gets a mild shock like you or I would if we had static electricity and touched someone else.  After a few trips too close to the "fence," she learns to keep away, and becomes content staying in the yard.

Because of the nature of the fence, it’s probably not a good idea to keep it on all the time. After all, the dog’s not outside all day, just certain parts of it. "I use the wireless motion detector to trip the invisible underground fence in case she gets out unexpectedly," Andrew says. "The fence keeps her from hurling herself into traffic. She regularly escapes out a particular gate, so that’s where I keep the motion sensor." The motion sensor turns on the fence, and that will keep her from escaping.

And then when he lets the dog out on his own, he uses the X10 ActiveHome Remote. "I don’t like to leave the fence running all the time," Andrew says. He adds that there are good reasons not to have the fence turned on all the time. As he puts it... "It does odd things to the cable TV."

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