Comments on: Above Ground Installation (No Dig Method)

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:51:56 +0000

How high off the ground can you put the wire? We were thinking of putting it in the trees. Say 15 ft off the ground. Will that work? Thanks

ADMIN – Hi Carolyn,

If you want the boundary to be active, you need to have the wire within a few feet of the ground. The exact height depends on how wide you set the boundary width dial. Assuming a normal width of 5 feet on either side of the boundary wire, you would want the wire within three feet of the ground.

You could set the boundary really wide (say 20 feet) and then you could have the wire 15 feet above ground, but it would make the boundary 20 feet wide where ever you have it at ground level.

By: Kelly B

Kelly B — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:17:53 +0000

so excited to get this up and running! two questions:

1. Is there a limit to the length of the twisted wire section? I have to run them between 500-700 feet from my garage to the area I need a boundary.

2. about 150 feet of the boundary has a couple of electric poles and wires above ground. I wanted to run my wires along this boundary, but saw that parallel application in not recommended. How far away do I need to place the fence if I have to run parallel?

ADMIN – Hi Kelly,

1. There is no limit to the length of twisted wire you can run. However, when calculating the system capacity you need, remember to count the length of twisted wire twice. (i.e. if you had a boundary of 3000 feet and 500 feet of twisted wire, you need a system strong enough to transmit over 4000 feet.

2. Above ground wires are so far overhead that they never cause a problem. We only need to think about parallel runs if there is less than five feet of separation.

By: amy

amy — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:58:53 +0000

We have 46 acres and never realized that an electric fence would be an option. how do the dogs pass a boundary? ie go out of the yard at your bidding and desire of course? having 2 Aussie pups about 10 months, with 2 activity levels, this is a very luring option especially that most is wooded and that we would not need to bury the cable!

ADMIN – Hi Amy,

Once the dogs are confident on the fence, we can train the dogs to go through on command. We create a routine, for example taking off the collar, putting the dog on the leash and walking them through the same spot. The first few times the dogs will resist, but after a few times of you dragging them through they will realize that there is an exception and that they can go through the boundary when given permission. More details in the Training –> Walking Your Dog section of the website.

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:32:30 +0000

I am planning to use the Innotek ICU-4100. I will have about 10 acres enclosed. About 95% of this distance will consist of the wire on the surface and elevated, depending on the ground conditions. Can I use #12, #14 or #16 wire, in order to achieve better critter resistance? In an area where there will be occasional vehicle traffic, can I splice in a 10’ to 15’ section of #10 or #8 wire?
If some of these ideas will not work, could you explain why? The information may come in handy, as I add to, and modify this initial installation at some later date. Thanks

ADMIN – Hi Tim,
#14 is the largest gauge of wire these dog fences can handle. It will be more difficult for critters to gnaw through but I would expect that they would still be able to destroy the wire. It just may take them longer. However, #14 wire rarely experiences breaks which makes it a great choice for large installs like yours. For vehicle traffic areas, I recommend running the wire through a hose to protect the wire. You cannot splice in different gauges of wire together. The transmitter does not register this as a complete loop.

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:32:33 +0000

We have 7 acres with a 40 wide stream running through it. I would like to run the wire across
the stream and back. Labs love the water and would not want to try to change that.
What system would you suggest?

Admin- Hi Tony,

1. The Innotek IUC-4100, offers is rechargeable slim-line collar that is our top choice. The SportDog SDF-100 would also be a good choice, it has a bigger collar and uses a disposable 9-Volt battery, but is also is a little cheaper and has an extra 500 feet of wire included in the package.
2. Both systems above have fully waterproof collars that can be completely immersed in the stream.
3. To get across the creeks, the easiest way will be to install the wire in a flexible conduit (like PVC or Water Hose) and weight it down so it sinks to the bottom of the creek bed.

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:36:07 +0000

Hi! Can I staple gun the wire to an existing wood fence? Will my dog be able to make it through the boundary if the wire is above her head? She is a small 8 pound dog and the fence is up about 1 foot off of the ground? Also, is this safe for children? The wire isn’t live unless you have the collar on correct? The kids are always climbing the fence. Thanks for all of the great answers on the site!

ADMIN – Hi Emily,

You can staple the wire to a wood fence. You want to be careful not to use a power stapler or anything else that is going to cut the wire or damage the insulation. Home Depot now has some great wire staple, that have a little recess in the top of the staple for the wire to sit in.

If you put the wire above the dog’s head, we can turn up the boundary width at the control box to make sure it still reaches the dog down on ground level. 1 foot is not a problem. If it was going to be over 6 foot above ground we could run into problems.

The big advantage of the dog fence over a livestock fence is that the wire is completely safe. There is just a weak signal going through the wire – you kids can’t get shocked from the boundary wire. You do however want to make sure the kids don’t monkey around with the collars. There is risk for the children if they decide they want to put the correction collar on each other and try and test the fence. (You can witness much of this monkeying around on YouTube!)

By: Donny

Donny — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 22:02:42 +0000

We have 10 acres with a creek cutting through the middle of our property with a 1/3 of the acreage on a steep, wooded, hillside. We have 2 questions. The creek is in rugged terrain. How could we use the dog fence across the creek? Also, other than the Sport Dog collars, which collars are waterproof and rugged? We also need to allow for individual correction settings: 20 pound cocker spaniel to a 120 pound golden retriever with 2 more dogs inbetween.

ADMIN – Hi Donny,

Will you be able to walk the wire through this rugged terrain? If you’re worried about the wire getting damaged, we offer wire upgrades all the way down to 14 gauge. When crossing the creek, you can run the wire through pvc and weight it down if it’s a fast moving creek. The PetSafe Stubborn Dog fence is the next most rugged. It does share the same collar base, but the collar band is a nylon cloth type with a plastic quick release buckle. I’d recommend going with either the SportDog or Stubborn and adding in a PetSafe Deluxe collar for your Cocker Spaniel. For the two other dogs, if they are rowdy or stubborn, you can put a Stubborn collar on them. Otherwise, they can also wear the Deluxe collar. (Note that the PetSafe collars are compatible with the SportDog. So if you go with the SportDog, you can add in the Deluxe collars with that system.) The Stubborn Fence and SportDog Fence support independent correction levels for each collar.

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:37:32 +0000

We would like to use existing posts for the dog fence but there is an electric fence(cattle) on the posts would that interfere with the dog containment? Thanks, Dorothy

ADMIN – Hi Ken,

Yes. You can also use a dog fence to keep animals out of an area like a flower bed. If it is just a small area, you may want to consider a couple for these small outdoor exclusion zone pods as well.

By: Val

Val — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:03:05 +0000

How about my irrigated pasture? The dogs love to slop around out there in the water. Is that going to be a problem with the collars? My waste ditch is a couple of feet deep, and they love to lay in the water.
Thanks!

ADMIN – Hi Val,

Most of the collars are waterproof, so the dogs can fully immerse the collars in water without a problem. You can check the individual collar on the specifications tab on each product page.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 02:59:47 +0000

Hello,
I’m looking at layout options for our property where my house is centered. In order to give the dogs access to the entire property, it would appear the base unit would need to be attached to an outlet on the outside edge of the property. If I put the base unit in the basement, the wires running to/from would cut off access to that side yard.

I live where it snows and is below zero for several months. How will this affect the base unit and what could I do to protect it from the elements. Could I cover it? Would you venture a guess as to how much the cold will shorten it’s lifespan? Thanks.

ADMIN – Hi Chris,

You can run two wires, twisted together from the base station to where you want the loop to start. These twisted wires will allow the dogs to pass over without getting the correction. That way you start the active loop, somewhere away form the base station. Take a look at the Perimeter Layout on this page (http://www.dogfencediy.com/installation/plan/#perimeter).

You probably want to position the base station somewhere in the house, because that way it is sheltered from the elements and near a power source (unless you have an outbuilding somewhere on the perimeter). I would avoid keeping the base station out in the elements unless you needed to.