Dog Containment and Pet Containment Systems
How it Works
Dog Containment Systems, also known as Invisible Fences*, Pet Containment Fences, Radio Fences, Dog Fences, or Underground Fences, work using three main components; a transmitter box, a boundary wire and a receiver collar. The transmitter box usually resides in the owners home amd sends weak radio waves out through the boundary wire that has been laid out around the perimeter of the owner’s yard. The receiver collars, that are worn by your dog, listen for the radio waves sent out through the boundary wire. When the dog gets near the boundary wire, the receiver collar detects the radio waves and beeps to warn the dog to retreat. If the dog keeps approaching the boundary wire the dog gets a mild shock to remind them to retreat.
For reviews of some Dog Fence systems click here. Or start planning your installation by clicking here.
Why it Works
The dog learns there are negative consequences for approaching the boundary and so learns to avoid the boundary. In much the same way we learn not to touch a hot stove by being told that it is bad and having a couple of bad experiences touching a bad stove, the dog learns not to go near the boundary by us training it to think crossing the boundary is bad and by having a couple of bad experiences going near the boundary and receiving the correction. Psychologists call this process Operant Conditioning.
Idle Speculation
We have been installing Dog Fences for a while now, and have a theory as to why they are so successful. We think that Dog Fences mimic the boundaries a dog would have in nature. The closest relatives to our domestic dogs were nomadic but they had boundaries. The boundaries were marked by geographic features such as waterway or biological features such as the presence of competing animals as indicated by scent. The wild dog knows where it is safe to go and more importantly it knows where it is not safe to go.
The domestic dog does not have any of that. It is not obvious to the dog that it cannot go outside your yard or that it cannot go onto the road. The dog fence fills the gap. It gives your dog a territory and teaches them that leaving the territory without you can be dangerous.
You will find it fascinating to see the change in your dogs once they learn their boundaries. Dogs that were running wild, digging under traditional fences or darting out open doors seem to transform. Suddenly, they are happy in their territory. The dog is at peace and does not worry about things outside the boundary, it does not even see them. We speculate that dogs crave boundaries and that the dog fence provides the boundaries they crave.
*Invisible Fence is a registered trademark of Radio Systems Corporation.
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m thinking of installing an e-fence in my summer home, but I only live there from May-August. The rest of the year I live in a house with a fenced yard and don’t need an e-fence. Would a dog be able to go back and forth between a home with an e-fence and one with a physical fence? Thanks, K.
Hi Ken,
The dog will remember boundaries at a vacation home. But make sure
you have a continuous month of training in the vacation home to get him started. It takes them about that long to learn the system. So it is probably too late for this year. But if you start in May next year you will be
fine.
If you want to be extra cautious, you could put the flags out for a
couple of days when you get there each May to give them a refresher
but I do not think it will be necessary.
How close can a dog get to the fence before she gets a warning beep? The reason for the question is that I want my dog to be able to go from the front yard to the back yard but I only have about eight or ten feet of yard width on each side of my house. Thank You!
Tim
Dog Fence DIY – Hi Tim
You set the boundary width at the control panel and can make it from 1-10 feet wide. Most people will want to set the width to about 3 feet wide. You probably want another 3 feet to make a nice corridor to let your dog go through without getting near to the boundary. So with eight feet in your house you should be fine!
Hi my name is Richard what will happen if the dog goes past fhe e-fence
ADMIN – Hi Richard,
If the dog goes far enough past the fence boundary they stop getting the correction. It also makes it difficult for them to return, because they will get the correction coming back in.
The key is to spend some quality time training the dogs when you first put in the system so that they do not learn that they can run through, and that they think the best (and only) way to escape the correction is to retreat.
Hope that helps!
Will it keep a dog from jumping a fence? Due to city codes, our fence can only be 30 inches high. It keeps the puppy from getting out, but when he grows up (Standard Poodle), he will be able to walk over the fence!
ADMIN – Hi Charlene,
Lots of people with fences use these to stop jumping over the fence or digging a hole under the fence. They work really nicely with a physical fence as it makes training really easy because it is quickly evident to the dog where the boundary line is.
If you already have a fence, installation is pretty easy, just staple or zip-tie the boundary wire to the fence instead of burying it and you are ready to go.
Can you install two (2) boundary fences off the one transmitter unit??
I would like to fence the back yard (550 foot fence loop) and the front
(180 foot fence loop).
Thanks
ADMIN – Hi Robert,
You can use one transmitter to get two boundary areas by doing a figure eight design. For some more detailed in formation, take a look at the layouts in the planning section of the site.
I have 3 large dogs (60 lbs. +) and one small dog (12 lbs.) Can I use just one transmitter with the 4 dogs?
ADMIN – Hi Linda,
I think the best way to go, would be to get the petsafe small dog (for the little one); and then get three extra collars for the big dogs. You can use any petsafe collars with the petsafe small dog. A good choice would be to get either the PetSafe Stubborn dog collars or the PetSafe PRF-3004W Deluxe collars. Both are good because they have multiple correction levels. Which one to get would really depend on breed and temperament of the dogs. For most cases, the PRF-3004W should be fine; but you could use the Stubborn for a particularly big dog or a particularly strong willed dog. Perhaps a mix of the two.
I love your site. We live out on 5.5 Acres and we want to do the whole thing, is there a transmitter better than another for this large area?
ADMIN – Hi Katie,
The sportdog SDF-100 and the Innotek IUC-4100 are good choices for over 5 acres. They can do up to 25 and 50 acres respectively, so you will have plenty of capactiy.
We have farm fencing and our beagle is quite crafty about getting out. Our vet said electric fencing is probably our best bet. Do we just attach it to the bottom of our fencing and let her figure it out when she starts trying to work her way out again. I saw in a earlier reply that we can zip tie it to the fence itself. Sounds pretty easy.
ADMIN – Hi Starr,
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! You absolutely must train the crafty beagle, so that they know when their collar gives them a warning beep, they need to turn and retreat. The problem with letting them figure it out themselves is that 50% of the time they figure out that the way to stop getting the correction is to go through the fence, rather than retreating back into your property. Imagine you were a dog and out of nowhere get a static shock – you wouldn’t know what you are supposed to do, run through the fence, freeze or retreat. The training makes sure that they develop the reflex of retreating. (see the training section for details)
If you already have a fence, zipties are your friend and will make installation a snap. You will need to spend two weeks (two fifteen minute sessions a day) on the training. It is really easy and you will be very glad you did it.
Will the wire/fence work with above a 20 foot retaining wall? Our property is on a hill with the front yard, front door and front entry walkway above. Below a 20 foot retaining wall is the garage, driving and back yard. Should we loop the wire below the retaining wall and the bring it up the wall and loop back. Our dog has never gone near the edge of the wall and jumped but??? How high does the signal transmit??
ADMIN – The signal distance is set by you at the control box. Most people will set it at 3-5 feet. Too low and it is hard to train the dog, too big and it will take away too much of your yard. For that reason, I don’t think you want to set the boundary width at 20 feet, it would just make too much of your yard out of bounds.
If there is no concern about the dog going near the edge of the 20 foot retaining wall (that sounds like a cliff!), then loop it along the bottom, that way the dog can walk near the edge and get no correction, so they will get a bit of extra yard space. If you don’t want the dog going near the edge, then loop it across the top and it will prevent them going near the edge.
When laying the wire in a pattern where you loop back can the wire be laid in the same “trench” or will it cancel itself out?
ADMIN – Hi Dianna,
For the double horseshoe (U shaped) pattern, the wire cannot be laid in the same trench. You want to get six feet between wires. If you lay the wires closer than that they cancel each other out.
I am thinking about putting in a dog fence in front of a section of fence that has blown down and is now part of a boundary dispute so I cannot put up a wooden fence for quite a while. I really just need to put in a straight line and I know I can’t do that, but there is a gardening bed immediately in front of the blown down fence so I could surround that to make a circle that would also block the opening. My real question is, how far of a distance of twisted wire can you put in? If the twisted wire can be 40-50 feet then I could reach the spot where I need to put in the dog fence.
ADMIN – Hi Stephen,
You can use as much twisted wire as you want. 40-50 feet of twisted wire will not be an issue.
We would like to install the Innotek IUC 4100 around our 15 acre parcel. However, a creek runs through it which the dogs cool off in during the summer months. Usually about 4 inches of water in it and about 2 feet wide. The creek bed itself is about 8″ wide with 6′ banks. During periods of heavy rain the creek can fill to its banks. The fence would have to cross the creek in 2 places and keep the dogs from wandering out by going up or down the creek bed. Would the e-fence work in this application? Thank you
ADMIN – Hi,
The inground systems, including the Innotek 4100 will work fine going through water. There are two tips I would offer:
1. Run the part of the wire that will be going underwater through some old hose pipe, and sink it to the creek bed (this will help protect the wire from any debris during heavy rain
2. Make sure you don’t have any splices near the section that will be underwater. The splices are waterproof, but there is no need to test the fates!
If we train our dog to stay inside the fence, will she fight us if we want to take her past it for a walk or run?
ADMIN – After the dog is used to the system and confident, you can train her to go through the boundary when she is with you. The key is creating a new routine. Maybe you put her leash on (take the dog fence collar off), let her out and walk her out over the same spot every time. She will resist the first couple of times, but if you lead confidently, she will soon learn that this is an exception to the general boundary rule.
There is a lot more information of walking your dog in the “Enjoying your Fence” section of the website.
I have a pitbull-dalmatian mix. He can be very stubborn and has a high tolerance for pain, (a kid stepped on his tail and he didn’t even flinch). Will your collars work on him?
ADMIN – Hi Bill,
I would get a higher powered system like the PetSafe Stubborn for a pitbull. But, start low. Often a dog will have different thresholds for different types of pain — in this case it is not so much the pain, it is that it is such an unusual sensation for a dog that it may get their attention at a lower setting. If you aren’t getting a reaction then you can move up.
In order to create a boundary around my front yard I need to run the wire across the concrete driveway. How is this done?
ADMIN – Hi Mike,
Three basic options: over, under or through. You can run he wire over the driveway, some people will use a plastic bridge or an old hosepipe to protect the wire and some people will just lay it over the driveway naked and just know that they need to replace it every few years. You can tunnel under the driveway although that is a major pain unless there is already a conduit in place. But, what most people will do is cut a shallow slot across the driveway using a circular saw, lay the wire and then fill over it with an outdoor caulk.
There is a lot more information in the installation menu in the driveways tab.
I have two dogs and live in an area with no leash laws. The Golden has always been allowed to go out by herself and do her business, she’s about 70 lbs. We have just purchase a Havanese 5 month old.The two are inseparable, but I’m still thinking of an electric fence for the little one. Questions:
Is here an age limit for the system?
Is there a body weight limit ( puppy is about 9 lbs)
Is there a system that will work for both breeds.
We’re thinking of fencing in an area of 200′ 75′ foot
What would happen if only the little one had the collar. I don’t think the big one would go far without her. But the big one would be allowed to go where the little could not. Will the little on need a therapist (kidding) or just get used to it
ADMIN – Hi Ted,
There is no age limit, you just want the dog to be receptive to training. So if there is an old dog, you want to make sure they are healthy. (Also test their hearing, you would be surprised how often an old dog has lost their hearing but has adapted so well the owner doesn’t know. If they have lost their hearing use a collar with vibration) I like to wait till puppies are six months old.
No single collar is going to work well with both, but the PetSafe systems let you mix and match collars on the same system. I would use the PetSafe Small Dog collar for the Havanese and use a PetSafe Deluxe collar with the Golden Retriever. One little tip, train them apart. Especially when dogs are very close, they pay too much attention to each other and not enough to the training when you do them together.
The injustice will torment the little dog, particularly since she probably already has a Napolean complex! I predict a failed campaign to take over western europe will ensue, followed by her involuntary exile to Elba. No big deal, the Havanese will just learn she has different rules to her buddy. A lot of times the submissive dog will follow the lead of the pack leader and if you contain the pack leader you contain them both.
I have a concrete driveway with a spare (steel) pipe installed under it (about 12″ deep). Will the signal still work in these conditions?
Thanks, Dan
ADMIN – Hi Dan,
A foot deep should not be a problem, but you will have to turn the boundary width up to get through all that ground. This may cause problems in other parts of the yard where the signal is now too wide. If so, it may be easier just to put the wire in an expansion joint, or use a circular saw to cut a shallow slot across the driveway.
We live on a 80 acre parcel of land with a pond. What would be the best kit to purchase?
ADMIN – Hi John,
The only system that handles 80 acres is the SportDog SDF-100, which does up to 100 acres. It is a good system, with great waterproofing, but the collar is on the bigger side and only makes sense for dogs over 20 lbs.
We live on a creek and our retriever loves to play in it. Will the wireless fence work? Can you use the wireless system along in conjunction the underground system? We were thinking of putting the wireless system in the back yard where the creek is and then putting underground fencing on the rest of the property.
ADMIN – Hi Maggie,
The wireless systems do work with water (as do the wired systems). One thing to watch for if you opt for wireless, if there is a small valley where the water flows through the signals will often not get down into the valley. As always, we would prefer to see you use a wired system.
You cannot use a wireless in combination with a wired system. You would need two separate systems, with two separate collars, and neither would recognize the other’s boundaries so the dog would effectively be confined to the intersection of the two systems.
I think you will be able to achieve the layout you desire using just a wired system. If in doubt, email or fax us a diagram and we would be happy to help you design the containment system layout.
Can the wire be put through a culvert that goes under our driveway?
ADMIN – Hi Maggie,
You can run the electric dog fence boundary wire under the driveway in a culvert as long as it is not too deep. The signal starts getting really weakened when it is more there is more than a foot of concrete or dirt that the signal needs to go through.
We have a border collie, poodle mix. He has so much hair we can’t get the metal collar to come in contact with his skin. We have attached the longer buds for the collar, but we are still having no luck. We have only tried the indoor zone so far. We are reluctant to go through the full installation process if his fur repels all correction.
We are headed to the groomer to shave his neck. Do you have any other suggestions?
Marc Sweigart
Bridgewater, Virginia
Hi Marc,
You are going to want to trim some of that fur so that the probes will touch the skin. You don’t need to shave it down (but you can of course shave it if you were going to anyway), usually just trimming a bit with scissors does the trick. Our records show you have the IUC-4100, so I would use that collar fit mode to make sure you are getting a good fit.
I live in France with 220 voltage. Will the Innotek iuc 4100 work there? Please let me know. Thank you, Constanza Montana
ADMIN – Hi Constanza,
The units we sell are adapted for 110 volts. Innotek does make 220 volt models, your best bet would be a European or Australian retailer.
Which unit actually controls the beep and static shock? Transmitter or receiver collar? I have 2 cats and a med dog. I would love to find a single transmitter that would permit cat collars (smaller and lower strength) and normal for the med dog.
ADMIN – Hi Rainey,
It varies. In some units like the Innotek IUC-4100 and IUC-5100 the controls are actually on the base station. In other units like all the PetSafe inground units these things are all controlled at the receiver collar. Where you have a situation like yours where there are significantly different needs animals it is prefereable to have a system where you can control each collar individually like the PetSafe.
The PetSafe systems have collars available for cats. A good bet may be to get the PetSafe Cat system and an extra cat collar for the second cat, and an extra PetSafe deluxe collar for the dog.
I saw a question very similar to mine above in that I have an area of my yard that I am unable to put a fence in due to zoning restrictions. All we really want to do is close off the gap to our dog but I notice there may be an issue with running a straight line(or even creating a very mini loop) from fenced section to fenced section. Is this true? Also, will it confuse the dog is there is a physical fence in some areas and a deterrent shock in others, do we need to loop the entire yard even where there is a fence located?
Also if we only need 200 feet of coverage, is there a good system that does not also provide me with 25 acres of coverage?
Thanks,
Joe
ADMIN – Hi Joe,
If you are satisfied with the physical fence, there is no need to run the wire along the physical fence, although this may help you establish a loop. You will just run a mini-loop from fenced section to fenced section. (keeping the opposite sections of the loop more than 6 feet apart.
The dogs will be able to learn the difference just fine if we train them.
Unfortunately, there are no systems built for just 200 feet. You can use the larger capacity systems fine in smaller installations – they have a switch which lets you ratchet down the signal strength for that smaller size. The Pawz Away Outdoor Zone rock is an option for really small sections (under 150 feet of wire – since you need to loop it you effectively get around 70 feet of coverage), but i think that is going to be too small for you.
My sister recommended putting an electric fence a few feet inside our wood fence that our HIGH ENERGY pointer/lab/Aussie shepherd is jumping. We want the warning beeps to happen before the fence, but want the dog to have the whole area inside the wooden fence. Do the beeps/vibration happen as the dog approaches the wire, and the correction happen only when they actually cross it? Is training harder because unless she jumps the fence, she won’t get the correction? She is stubborn, so I’m guessing we should get that system and start low and increase correction IF we need to. And, we want to be able to add a second collar. Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Debbie,
The dog containment system gives the dog the warning as they approach the wire. Most people will want to set it up so that the warning starts 5 feet away from the wire (but you can adjust this distance). The first 1-2 feet will be warning, then the dog will get the correction for the next 4 feet on either side of the wire.
I would attach the wire to you existing wood fence. But, for training, you want to set it up with a fence so the correction happens before they actually reach the fence. Otherwise, it is very difficult to train the dogs, because most dogs will not attempt to leap the fence while the owner is around, and it is also hard to control the dog when they are leaping. Once the dog is trained, if you feel strongly about it, you can decrease the distance the signal travels so that the dog can get closer to the fence.
One word of caution. be careful not to confuse stubbornness with the amount of needed correction. What really drives the amount of correction you need is the dog’s pain tolerance. A dog may be stubborn when you have no leverage, but will often become very passive with even a very weak correction. Huskies are a very good example, they are generally very stubborn but are very compliant with even a very small correction. From your breeds, I would guess you would be fine on the medium setting of a regular strength system.
We currently have a privacy fence on only two sides of our yard and where it connects to our house. We were thinking about finishing off the fence, but it is really expensive, especially for only the back side and replacing a gate. My concern with the privacy fence is that it will hurt them. Also, if they get out, they won’t want to come back in and get shocked again. Also, we have a lot of bunnies in our yard that the dogs are VERY interested in. My concern is that they’ll see one of those bunnies, take off after it, and then be stuck outside the fence. Do you think an invisible fence is right for us?
ADMIN – Hi Andrea,
The correction is definitely unpleasant (that is after all the point), but not overly so. If you are concerned try it on yourself. It is a lot like the feeling you get when stepping out of a car and getting a static shock. It is a quick intense unpleasant sensation that is very surprising, but does not linger. The dogs should only get the correction a few times, then having learned their new boundaries they will rarely if ever get the correction.
If a dog breaks through, it does create a dangerous situation where the dog can get stuck out. This is why everyone places so much importance on training. A properly trained dog will not realize that breaking through is a possibility, and will think that turning and retreating is the only way to escape the correction. You will work with your dog in the final sessions of training on the distractions most tempting for them. So if bunnies or a neighbors dog are a concern, we will figure out a way to test them on that distraction and teach them that no matter how excited they are – the fence rules must be obeyed. Only once they have demonstrated that they will not cross even with temptations on the other side will you start giving them unsupervised time in the yard.
hi! I have an Invisible Fence transmitter and collar from my previous home but cannot afford the cost quoted to reinstall at my new home. How difficult is it to move the system myself? thanks
ADMIN – Hi Judy,
Moving an Invisible Fence system is the same as installing a DIY system. You just need to map out a new layout for your boundary wire, install the wire, and then retrain your dogs.
Our back yard has a six foot wood fence around the perimeter. It does a great job of keeping our 5 year old Goldendoodle in, but our new 8 month old Aussiedoodle is another story. She has found that she can easily dig under the fence.
I am really glad to read that I can run the wire on my fence, this will really make the job a lot easier. As I was reading some of the other letters, I saw the one regarding running the wire through an old hose for an underwater installation.
Since I will be attaching the wire to my fence it will be exposed to the elements not to mention my 4 and 6 year olds. Does it make any sense to run the wire through some type of waterproof tubing for protection and then attaching both to my fence?
Thanks, great website!
ADMIN – Hi Jack,
You could definitely increase the life span of the wire by running it through hose pipe or irrigation pipe (used for inground sprinkler systems). Personally, I would not bother, usually you will get a good 5+ years even in a really harsh environment with completely above ground wiring. Even when you get a break it is pretty easy to find when the wire is all attached to a fence. And replacing the wire after five years is not a big deal when it attached to a fence – because the whole thing should take about an hour or so. All that said, your way is definitely a better way to do it and can only help.
I need a system that will cover approx 2 acres. I do have an electric fence that goes three sides of this acreage. What is the best system to buy & can I fasten the three sides of wire to the existing electric fence posts that are probably 12 feet apart? Would it be advisable to run the wire through sprinkler tube?
ADMIN – HI Greg,
Interference between electric fences and dog fences is very hit and miss. Sometimes you can mount them side by side on the same post and nothing will happen, other times you need six feet of separation – the only way to tell for sure is to test out a small section.
You can definitely run the wire through the sprinkler tube and it will provide a little extra protection for the wire, but if you are going to mount it on the posts there is no great need.
Let us know if you need any further assistance!
I currently have two petsafe recievers model # PIF-275 will this work with the Innotex Ultrasmart
ADMIN – Hi Mike,
Unfortunately, the Innotek and PetSafe systems are mutually exclusive.
I don’t need a boundry around my house, I just need a boundry line so that my dogs do not go up the driveway to the street, which is the only concern I have – other than the drive, i want them to have the run of the property- any suggestions on a product?
ADMIN – Hi Rachael,
If you just want to block off a small area, instead of a full containment system, consider just getting one of the outdoor pods. They look like a fake rock and you put them down right where you want to block off the dog’s access and can either operate them wirelessly to block off a 16 foot area, or you can run 150 feet of wire off them. They are also much cheaper than a full system.
I was wondering how far from my electric horse fence does a petsafe. Fence have to be.
ADMIN – Hi Mechele,
It depends on the electric horse fence. Sometimes you can get right next to it, other times you have to stay six feet away. I usually test a small section before I do the installation, if you are lucky you can mount it along the same fence. But, if you want to play it safe, you can just lay it six feet away.
The online information manual on the Innotek UltraSmart In-ground systems says that you should “never leave the collar on the dog for more than 12 consecutive hours” or the dog might develop sores due to “Pressure Necrosis”. Makes sense, but I hadn’t really thought about needing to put on/take off the collar several times a day.
Are there any collars/systems that do not have that problem so that we can leave the collar on all the time, or is putting the collar on prior to releasing the dog into the yard and taking it off afterwards something we just need to live with?
Can the collar be left on all day and just taken off at night (24:00 – 08:00)? Tks
ADMIN – Hi Dave,
Plenty of people leave the collar on the dog more often, lots of outdoor dogs wear it 24/7. If you do leave the collar on longer, just check it frequently. For the first week check the neck every day or two, then after that check weekly. Not many dogs develop a sore, but it is worth checking the neck and being cautious, so that if your dog does have a reaction then you can catch it early.