Dog Fences

Indoor, outdoor, electric, invisible, wireless, hidden, underground… a huge selection of dog fences are available in pet stores now, but which fence barrier is best for you and your puppy or dog?
More importantly, which fence can you talk your better half into building or repairing?

Choosing a Dog Fence – Dog Fences for Specific Needs

Choosing a dog fence – electric wire, wireless, indoor & outdoor or physical fencing - is very important! Because your dog acts on instinct and impulse they simply cannot make the best decisions for themselves. It is up to you’re to protect your pets through the right choice of fencing.

There are several issues a fence will help solve. Of primary importance are not only your own pet’s safety and well being, but also the safety of others who may come in contact with your dog. Dog fences can be used to keep your pets “out” of areas where they may be inclined to hurt themselves or damage your expensive furniture items or to keep them “in” and away from dangers like busy streets. Which dog fencing option will work best for you depends entirely upon your pet and your needs. Not all dogs will respond the same to all systems.

Instant fence systems - wireless

Wireless instant dog fence systems can work indoors or outdoors, with the added benefit that some are portable enough to take with you when you travel with your pet. Wireless is of course the obvious choice when creating indoor dog fences. These wireless dog fences allow your pet the freedom to roam outside the confines of a cumbersome leash or chain. Important considerations include the weight of the unit, the life of the batteries (Rechargeable batteries with back up are probably your best bet), the level of programmability, and of course the distance or radius of the boundary signal transmitted.

How the wireless dog fences work

Instant fences are a relatively new concept in the field of pet containment. You plug in a transmitter somewhere in your home and your pet wears a receiver collar. As long as your dog is receiving the signal they are free to roam, but when the signal is broken they receive an audible warning “beep” followed shortly thereafter by an unpleasant but not harmful static correction. The “static correction” is much like the kind you receive when you drag your feet across the carpeted floor and touch a metal object. It’s not harmful to your dog but it’s very unpleasant. Most, but not all pets will respond by quickly learning which areas cause this “static correction” and avoid those areas; creating effective “invisible” boundaries.

There are several companies making this type of “instant wireless dog fence” and you should take care to follow their instructions implicitly. For indoor only use specific units are available for creating small boundary radiuses. Most recommend this type of system for larger dogs (15lbs and over). Setup is generally easy – plug in the transmitter, follow the signal set up procedures, place the collar on your pet, and that’s a bout it. A bonus to this type of system is you can purchase additional collars without the need for additional transmitters. This is great for families with more than one dog.

Underground Electric Dog Fences:

These types of hidden fencing systems rely on burying wires underground. They become invisible as you bury the wire, but are not considered invisible fencing systems. Your dog wears a radio collar (battery operated), which triggers a “correction” charge (Most units allow varying correction levels) when they cross the buried wire. As your pet learns where the boundaries lay you can adjust the “correction” to a lower level. In this way you are training your dog on multiple stimuli. They become familiar with the boundary in terms of both the “static correction” and the physical location.

Again these systems are not harmful to your pet, just unpleasant. The downside to these systems is you have to bury the wire. If you live in an area with frequent lighting strikes you will want to contact the manufacturer of the systems you are considering BEFORE making your purchase. Make sure you can properly ground the system for potential lighting issues. The upside to these systems is cost – you do not have to install expensive physical fencing systems. Of course you will need to monitor the batteries on your pets collar in order for these systems to remain effective.

Install a Physical Dog Fence

While it’s not hidden there is no substitute for a large physical barrier to keep your pet inside the boundaries you create. They may still dig up the garden but at least they won’t be running out into the street! Regardless of how low the “static correction” of the electric dog fence systems may be there are still some pet owners (especially dog owners) that consider any electrical correction too much. Then physical dog fencing is your only real option. We recommend you contact a local fencing supply contractor and appraise them of your specific needs to create a physical boundary that is both aesthetically pleasing for your property, and insures a safe playground for your dog.


Note: We do not recommend any particular manufacturer over another. Contact several and decide for yourself which systems will work best for your dogs needs.