How-to Introduce your Animals to eShepherd

In this video, you will learn how to setup your virtual training paddock and introduce your animals to the eShepherd system.

Introducing Animals to Virtual Fencing

When introducing animals to the eShepherd system, it's important to train them to respond correctly to the virtual fence. After fitting neckbands on the animals and associating them with their identification tags, they are ready for virtual fencing.

Setting Up Training Paddocks

Start by setting up a training paddock. Ideally, divide the paddock so that 2/3 is an inclusion zone and 1/3 is an exclusion zone. This ensures that if an animal enters the exclusion zone, it will still find its way back to the inclusion zone, allowing the training to resume.

A common setup involves overlaying the virtual fence on top of the physical fence but also placing part of the virtual fence in the middle of the paddock without any physical reference. This helps animals learn how to navigate based on the virtual cues alone.

Note that some breeds may behave differently when they are released into a new pasture. Bos Taurus breeds like Angus or Herefords tend to move into t anew paddock / pasture and begin grazing immediately. Bos indicus breeds (Brahman, Nelore etc) have a tendency to rapidly explore the extends of the paddock - so they may "run into" the virtual fence boundary at pace and as a whole mob. This can result in those animals having an "unpleasant introduction" to virtual fencing!

Adjustments to the Virtual Fence during Training

Whist it is recommended to maintain the same simple virtual fence for the first 3 days, there are practical considerations (such as feed availability) that may prevent this.

Adjustments can be made to extend their grazing area. Another change that can be introduced is to move the virtual fence inside the physical fence by 2 - 5m [2-5yards], so they interact with the virtual boundary more often. This can be an effective way to encourage more interactions, whilst making it very easy for the animals to find their way back into the inclusion zone.

Understanding the Audio-Pulse Ratio

The eShepherd web app displays the audio-pulse ratio for each animal. Untrained animals start with a ratio of 50%.

When an animal first encounters a virtual fence boundary, it hears an audio tone. Not yet understanding what this means, it will cross the boundary and receive an electrical pulse — resulting in a 50% audio-pulse ratio (one audio tone, one pulse).

As the animal learns to turn away from the boundary when it hears the tone, it receives the audio tone without needing the pulse stimulus. The number of audio tones therefore increases relative to the number of pulses, and the audio ratio rises accordingly.

When an individual animal's audio ratio exceeds 80%, this is a strong indication that it has learned to respond correctly to the audio tone alone.

Assessing the Mob or Herd

Within any mob or herd, there are leaders and followers. Followers tend to interact less with the virtual fence boundary, so they typically take longer to reach an audio ratio above 80%.

For this reason, we assess training progress at the group level by looking at what percentage of animals in the mob or herd have reached an audio ratio above 80%. Applying the 80/20 rule: once 80% of animals in the mob or herd have exceeded an 80% audio ratio, the group is considered sufficiently skilled to manage more complex virtual fence boundaries.

Managing Watering Points

When setting up training paddocks, ensure that watering points remain accessible without virtual fences nearby. Animals should be able to reach water without receiving any stimulus, so plan your paddock layout to avoid fences near watering areas.

Animal Reactions to Virtual Fences

When animals encounter the virtual fence for the first time, they may receive an audio tone followed by a pulse if they don’t turn back. Most animals instinctively return to the herd in the inclusion zone. If an animal crosses into the exclusion zone, it will receive up to three pulses before the neckband stops stimulating and allows the animal to roam freely in the exclusion zone. Eventually, the animal will return to the herd on its own, at which point the neckband resets and the training continues.

Reducing Exclusion Zone Time

If the exclusion zone is too large, consider setting up a temporary electric fence inside the exclusion area. This limits the time animals spend outside the inclusion zone without providing a strong visual barrier, helping them return to the herd faster.

By following these steps, you can effectively train your animals to respond to the eShepherd virtual fencing system and manage their movement within your paddocks.

v1.0, 11/2025

Updated on: 18/03/2026