That was a very useful link for me, Jane, not because I would be encouraged to buy it, but because the vast difference in price between that and the bulk of the market that I have seen only serves to show how generally useless the others must be.
I am impressed by the fence, though also not for me, not only because it would take ages to be effective, but because I don’t have the sort of material to construct it with.
So it’s back to mundane stock fencing. 
That pile is on the other side…but our shredder is so useless that we have more than we can face shredding.
If you have a Rural Master near you they are doing a 20m roll of welded wire fencing for 18 euro, just fenced in the new veg garden with it to keep the hens out.
That is good value Colin, how high is it? Not that I recognise the name Rural Master round here though.
So relieved that Harper Grace has been found safe and well…the not knowing where they are or what may have happened to them is torture…
In UK I lost one of my Border Collies for 24 hours when she spooked over fireworks…we had a 6 ft fence all round but she was so frightened she scaled the 6 foot fence and dropped 12 foot the other side…I was out the whole night shouting her name and looking for her and the next day a neighbour down my lane called to say they had found her and she was shaking and quivering in their kitchen…I went to get her and carried her back home…
Here for nearly 5 years losing one of them is one of my biggest fears and having my recent addition of my now 8 month old Border Collie pup it was bought sharply into focus when he breached a wire fence laid low in a storm and although his recall was fairly good the way the fence was leaning meant he couldn’t get back over…
My oldies who have never jumped that weakspot in 5 years just looked on bemused as I finally jumped over into next doors field wrestled my pup to the ground and then lifted him back over to my land and then carried him back inside…the oldies just sat there waiting for a treat but my heart was beating out of my chest at the thought of all the what ifs that could have happened to my pup if I hadn’t of managed to get him back immediately…
For now walks on my field are on harness and lead only until I can get out there and work out how to fix the weak spot…I do have a 6 foot panel enclosure both at the front of my house and the back and would recommend this if it’s possible for you…???
Edited to add: really simple to install…no staking required and all bolts and connecters supplied…
Even now when I let them out for a bedtime wee I stand outside with them with a flashlight…
This is a not very good picture of the panels I have up to form an enclosure in my back garden…(I also have the same at the front of my house) I bought mine in U.K. and brought them over with me but there is no doubt similar panels here…???
That sounds like a good deal, Colin, and if I decide to go ahead over a long length of boundary, which would have to wait till I get my brushcutter back from service, it would be worth the 100 km round trip to Leroy-Merlin to get a trailer load.
But if in the short term it is just the most vulnerable section through which it is most likely Harper forced her way, then a visit to the Brico near which I sometimes have to go anyway, for the odd roll would suffice.
As far as an internal compound is concerned, Helen, as I said above, our house and garden is not set up to benefit from that. On both sides it would cut across important and frequently used paths. But thank you for the suggestion.
Hi David - so glad she was found and is safe and well. I have 2 rescue dogs and one is a cross beagle and terrier so a great tracker. I live way out in the country so was always a problem with her vanishing over the fields. I bought Tractive a tracker - cost about £80 a year -fits on her collar very reliable- has been a life saver when I have found her 4/5km away. Just track her on my phone so can go and collect her. I bought mine ages ago from Amazon UK but this is the French website - Traceur GPS pour chiens avec suivi d'activité | Tractive
So glad she has been found. I know how it feels when a pet goes missing because I have had many cats over the years and go hunting for days on end when one of them goes missing. One of my cats was missing for a year. I still glanced hopefully across fields and along tractor trails during that time and luckily caught sight of him one day not more than a kilometre away from where I lived. He and his sister were cuddled up inseparately for several days after his return. A happy ending. However, after that, I invested in a number of traceable collars which brought me considerable relief!
I have tried several makes but recommend a particular type made in the USA. They are legal for use in France, are waterproof and reliable but are very expensive. I would say I am very knowledgeable about them as I have used them for many years, and swear by them. If a pet goes missing or comes home without the collar I can go out and find cat or collar up to one kilometre away. Even if inside a stone barn.
They are for cats, dogs, children and the elderly. You can explore here - http://www.com-spec.com/thecatlocator/index.htm
Just to add that the collar batteries last 4 weeks.
Is this one of the ones that needs a phone signal to work? You say you have tracked across fields? We live in woodland. In our forests there are patches with no signal. And I think you also have to pay a monthly fee?
That’s not very far for a dog,…ours can cover a km in about 2 minutes. All these things are great for some pets, and some terrains, and some budgets, but need to assess carefully or spend money on something that may not be suitable
I did say they were very expensive. What you buy is obviously dependant on your needs and what you can afford. The tracker I have can trace cat collars inside buildings and through any trees. Cats can be found in locked up garages, during holiday periods for example. It operates by way of a radio signal that sees through virtually anything.
If I get no signal I go out in the car and pick up the signal if it’s beyond range, and have in fact done that on several occasions. Reliably so.
Just to add, this type of tracker takes you to the exact spot the collar or cat is located - not just to a location.
Yes needs a signal to your phone. Have lots of woodland - have woods on our land and it works there. Can pay a monthly fee or yearly - I pay £80 a year. You can track in map mode or satelite which shows trees/fields etc. Can`t be without mine for one of the dogs. Other never leaves me so no problems but Molly is an escape artist which is how I think she ended up in the pound.
Thank you to both Margaret and Bruce for your input. Tractive is one of the ones I investigated in detail even before Harper disappeared and I was deterred by the great variety of comments and answers to pertinent questions I put. Also the vast difference in price compared to the ones the chasse use and my own observations, as Jane says, of loss of satellite contact in dense woodland.
The one Bruce linked to seems that it might be more effective, if cumbersome, and the cost $350 is halfway between the cheap ones like Tractive and the really expensive ones of the chasse. I wonder why the cost isn’t more up front. It took many clicks right through to a request to buy before I could find the price.
Either way, I am not sure that rescue associations (remember my dogs are fosters) would put their faith in such technology or have the wherewithal to afford the more likely candidates.
If I was convinced about one or another, and prepared if necessary to buy a smartphone, I would buy it personally and be able to transfer it from dog to dog or, if applicable again in the future, to a dog of my own. But so far, I am not convinced of their efficacity in the sort of terrain that I inhabit. But I do appreciate all the information.
So this one does not rely on satellite signals then, it is more akin to the bluetooth feature of my (ordinary) mobile phone which connects through anything up to 10 metres from either my earpiece or the radio of my car?
That sounds more useful in thickly wooded areas as long as you have enough idea of the distance from the missing animal you are. Bringing it back to the subject of this thread, Harper, as she was eventually found 1 km as the crow flies from here, I might have been able to find her on Saturday night, within a couple of hours of realising she was gone.
I might have another look at that then. Around € 300, plus delivery and, presumably, customs costs. Hmm.
Interesting that they won’t send to UK or some other European countries though. But France is ok for some reason.
Have a look at Aliexpress - I’ve a pup who is deaf once he gets excited - I was looking the other week. There are 3 basic choices I could see -
Cheap Bluetooth Tag - small - very cheap - but they only tell you the dog has left Bluetooth range which they say is 60+metres - I suspect less from indoors.
SIM Trackers - collar with a small unit attached. You have to buy a SIM - but Free at 2 Euros a month achieves that. GPS tracking via the SIM - you text their colla - it sends you a GPS point - obviously relies on a signal. Mainly 2 and 3G at the moment - they were the 10-20 range.
Radio Trackers - they were 80’ish - looked a bit cumbersome to me but looks like a walkie talkie attached to the collar
Questions for Bruce, I have had a good read through the manual but I am not sure if replacement batteries, for both transmitters and receiver, can be bought in France or must come from California. Also can they be rechargeable?
Am I right in thinking that multiple transmitters, for different dogs can be used at the same time but set to different channels? Useful if so.
Lastly have you, or anyone else, found such a system made and available in Europe, or more specifically, in France? Even more useful. 
A bewildering array of choice there Chris, would need some considerable time to find the appropriate item.
Have a look in local chasse et peche et nature shops so you can see them and talk to someone? Our local hunters are a mine of useful information as they have tested every model going.
