Quality Reviews

#2: SportDog Inground Fence

Pros:

• Can Contain up to 100 acres of land
• Collar runs on 9-volt batteries
• Works well for larger dogs

Cons:

• Collar is a bit bulky
• Works for large dogs, but too powerful for small dogs
• Wire in the kit is thin and flimsy

#3 Perimeter Technologies Ultimate Dog Fence

Pros:

• Good for average-size, average temperament dogs.
• Five levels of correction to choose from
• Decent price point
• Trusted manufacturer

Cons:

• Runs on proprietary batteries

#4 Petsafe Wireless Containment System

Pros:

• Wireless means no digging to worry about
• Effortless to set up
• Has a tone only mode for training

Cons:

• Signal can be unreliable
• Runs on proprietary batteries
• Sloping in yard, metal roof, lots of trees or stucco siding can cause interference

#5 High Tech Pet Humane Contain

Pros:

• Collar also works with the radio mat pet deterrent
• Progressive stimulation

Cons:

• Some users have reported quality control issues

Shopping Guide for the Best Electric Dog Fences

Last Update: November 2018

Perhaps you are looking for the best way to contain your dog within the boundaries of your yard. Some people prefer a physical fence. But what do you do if your dog likes to jump over or dig under a wood, plastic or chain link fence? For many, the right answer seems to be an electric dog fence that gives the dog a mild, static correction.

In most states, you don’t have to keep your dog on a leash. However, many cities will make a choice to impound dogs that are found wandering out on their own. Logically, as a dog owner, you want your precious pooch to stay safe and close to home. You don’t want strangers interacting with him, and certainly don’t want him to be taken to your local animal shelter.

Over time, shock collars and electric fences have been developed in a way that makes containing and training your dog a whole lot easier. If you are looking for a safe and humane way to keep your dog at home with you where he belongs, please take a look at our top recommendations.

Our goal is to equip our readers with the important information they need to make the best choice for their money. In this shopping guide, we take a good look at all of the options on the market that are available to you, and answer some commonly asked questions about electric dog fences.

Types of Electric Dog Fences

There are two types of electric dog fences on the market today: wireless and wired. Both work on the same concept, however each type has their pros and cons.

Wired Electric Dog Fences

Pros of a Wired Fence:

• Is customizable to your property
• Is able to cover a large amount
• Boundaries can be created around objects
• Much more dependable than wireless

Cons of a Wired Fence:

• Sloping in the yard causes a problem
• Transmitter must be kept indoors away from moisture
• Cheap dog fence wire can break over the years

Wireless Electric Fences

These types of fences use a sensor grid to determine when the dog crosses the line of sight.

Pros of Wireless Fences:

• Portable
• Effortless to Install

Cons of Wireless Fences:

• You cannot create areas of exclusion
• Can’t contain as much land as wired can
• Transmitter must be kept indoors.
• Many things can cause the signal to be lost: sloping in the yard, a metal roof, stucco siding, too many trees, or a metal building within the containment circle.

How They Work

The purpose of an electric dog fence is to keep your dog in an enclosed area without having to set up walls. To begin, you take the wire around your property, setting up a perimeter. You use dog fence flags to mark the perimeter, to give your dog a visual of where he should not cross.

This wire is connected to a transmitter, (located indoors) that is the “brains” of the setup. It sends a radio signal throughout the wire, which the dog collar picks up as well. If the dog approaches the wire, he or she receives a static correction, through the contact points on the dog’s collar. Over a short period of time, the dog learns where he can and cannot go.

Yard Size

One aspect to take into consideration when shopping for an electric dog fence is the size of your yard. This is important because each fence is different regarding how much land they are able to contain.

For example, the Petsafe Wireless fence can only contain ¾ of an acre. However, the SportDog fence can contain up to 100 acres of land. The Petsafe fence might not allow large enough of an area for many people. However, for many, the acreage covered with the SportDog system may be a bit excessive.

Does the amount of land you have rest somewhere in the middle? The eXtreme Dog Fence® allows up to 25 acres.

Installation

Many people think you have to be an electrician or a handyman to install an electric dog fence. However, this isn’t so. Most people are easily able to install their electric dog fence with no issue.

You simply roll the wire off of the spool, and run it around your property, wherever you want your border to exist. Then you mark off your perimeter with dog fence flags. Plug in your transmitter and program it as necessary. Next, set the correction level on the collar for training, such as beep or vibration only. Then you put the collar receiver on the dog. Depending on which fence you purchase, there may be other technicalities to setting it up.

The Collar

Each fence on our list of products depends on the use of a receiver collar. When you take your dog beyond the fence line, you will need to remove this special collar.

Some systems include cloth collars with a snap. Others may use a notched belt that may be a bit harder to take off and put it back on again.

No matter which type of collar you have, the following is an important precaution. Don’t leave the dog fence collar on for more than 12 hours a day. This is important because if you don’t, your pet could develop pressure necrosis. This is similar to bedsores. It is caused by the contact points rubbing into the dog’s neck for too long, and not from the static shock itself.

Price

There is no such thing as a cheap dog fence. While some will cost less than others, keep this in mind. You get what you pay for. You are putting the well-being of your pet on the line. Why take a risk with a cheap, and poorly-made system? You don’t want a dog fence that shocks him when it shouldn’t, nor do you want a system that simply doesn’t work to contain the dog safely in his own yard. Carefully weigh your options before purchasing, for all of these reasons.

FAQ

Q. Will the static shock that an electric dog fence gives, hurt my dog?

A. The static shock works to deter unwanted behavior. It is more irritating to the dog than anything else. It does NOT cause injury or pain.

Q. I am thinking about getting an electric fence for my dog, but I want to use the lowest level of shock that I possibly can. What can I do?

A. To begin with, commit yourself to getting only a high-quality system that has been tried and tested by experts and consumers alike. Cheap invisible fence systems may deliver too much shock, or even shock the dog when they shouldn’t. Next, look into options that let you customize the amount of shock that your dog will receive. For example, the eXtreme Dog Fence has 7 levels of correction to choose from, in addition to a tone only mode. This means you can choose a very low level for a sensitive dog, or a higher level for a more strong-willed dog.

Q. Is an electric dog fence right for me?

A.This is a question that only you can answer for yourself. Should you be struggling with this decision, here are the pros and cons of installing an electric dog fence.

Pros

• No visual obstruction. Like the name says, an electric dog fence is invisible.
• Cheaper than installing a physical fence
• No need to change your landscaping
• No upkeep to worry about, such as what you would have with a wood, plastic or chain link fence.

Cons

• An electric dog fence won’t keep other animals or people OUT of your yard.
• Setup may be a bit of a hassle
• If your collar is rechargeable, you have to remember to charge it ahead of time
• If you have an aversion to correcting your dog with an electric shock, then an electric dog fence isn’t right for you, of course.