Dog Fence Reviews

I have one dog collie/shepherd mix 55 lbs. We have recently moved and are trying to keep her out of the inground pool with no luck. What do you recommend? Thank you.

ADMIN – Hi Tiffani,

For a collie / german shepherd, the PetSafe Stubborn would be a good choice if the German Shepherd dominates (meaning she is likely to need a stronger correction), and the PetSafe Ultrasmart is a better choice if the Collie dominates (more sensitive dog). If in doubt, opt for the stronger PetSafe Stubborn, it can always be kept on the lower correction levels.

Hello! What a great site! I have a 5 mos. old Alaskan Husky mix who is around 25lbs. and will probably end up being 50+ lbs. He is very energetic but seems to be pretty smart and somewhat obedient so far for a puppy. We live on an irregular lot with a wooded section and fences on three of the five sides, all in all it is around an acre to be fenced with a driveway at one end.

Which system would you recommend we go with? Thank you!

ADMIN – Hi Gary,

For a Husky, with their thick undercoat, the PetSafe Ultrasmart with it’s collar-fit detector works really well. One of the biggest challenges with a husky is making sure the collar is fitted correctly and that it is making contact with the dog’s skin. The Ultrasmart has a fit-mode that helps you do that.

Do any of the fences allow your to let metal cages in them and metal poles.

ADMIN – Hi Chis,

All the wired fences will happily coexist with a metal cage. The wireless fences will work with a mesh-type metal cage, but not with a sheet-metal type cage. Neither wired, nor wireless would be bothered by a metal pole.

Hi, We have a 6 year old golden retriever how loves to run away and explore our neighbors’ properties to we have to leash him each time he is outside. We would like to install an electric fence that would keep him inside our yard, so he can enjoy running freely with us without bothering our neighbors. Our yard goes around the house and is about 10,000 sq. feet. What would you recommend?

ADMIN – Hi Vasyl,

Golden retrievers are generally very receptive to the training, which opens up a lot of options. My top choice would be the PetSafe Ultrasmart. It has one of the smallest collars, is rechargeable, and has a special collar fitting mode that is helpful with long hair dogs like Goldens.

I am moving to my retirement home in the next 60 days and need some advice on a couple of items. The home was built on a 1/2 acre lot in the East Mountains outside Albuquerque by me in 1994 and at that time I had the original Invisible Fence installed. Shortly after that I took a job away from the area and the fence was never used as I took my black lab dog with me. Now I’m moving back with a 5-month old blue tick hound mix who will be about 50-60 pounds when grown and a 9-year old 21 pound terrier mix. I plan to reactivate the fence (if possible) and use it for the pup. She is not high strung and gets along well with people, but is already protective of my rental fenced yard. The older one may or may not use it (I haven’t yet decided – a high small back yard fence may suffice as there are coyotes who roam the area).

1. Is the original wire still usable? I know of one break in it but there may be others below ground so I would have to find them. How would I find breaks? Should I relay the wire (very rocky terrain).
2. Is the original transmitter still usable? I would have to buy new collars so should I upgrade 20-year old transmitter technology?
3. Recommendations for the pup and the older dog would be appreciated.

ADMIN – Hi Dave,

(1) If the wire is 20 years old, it may fine but it could also have deteriorated in the ground and be not worth repairing. I would gently dig up a small section and see what kind of condition the wire is in. What you are looking for is to see if the wire insulation is still in good shape or if it has rotted out. If the wire looks in good condition, and we think there are only a couple of break, you can use the PetSafe Wire Break Locator to help you find the break.

(2) If it is 20 years old, I would replace the transmitter. It will give you a much better fence, and will also be significantly cheaper than getting new Invisible Fence collars.

(3) I would use a PetSafe Inground system. It has a small light collar, which is particularly useful if you decide to contain the Terrier. It also lets you have independent correction levels which will be useful having two dogs that are so different in size.

Hi we have a 16 acre property with 3 large hunting dogs, recently our dogs have escaped and harassed our next door neighbors pet goat. We are after a wired system preferably with a remote trainer and long battery life on the collars. We have heard that some invisible fences are solar powered and wondered how these compare to the mains wired for reliability and durability. They also play rough together so would need a collar (preferably slimline) that can withstand this and the swims in the dam that they love. Thank you, Michael.

ADMIN – Hi Michael,

The only good system with a remote trainer built in, is the Innotek IUC-5100. It meets most of your needs. It is rechargeable, has a long life battery life (around 1 month in fence mode), is reliable & waterproof. But, the 5100 remote can only control two dogs at the same time.

I haven’t seen any dog fences that are solar. I know there are solar electric fences (for livestock), but unfortunately there aren’t any solar options for dog fences.

Hi, I’m excited to have found your site. We are adopting a 9 week old black lab puppy in June. We want to be ready for her and wanted to get a in ground fence for her before she came. I’m not sure how much she will weight when we get her but was wondering when the right age to use the fence? Which fence would be appropriate for a lab? We live in a city with houses close by but we would love to get her out on her own eventually. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you

ADMIN – Hi Laura,

Congratulations, they are wonderful dogs. For pups, we usually wait until the dog is 6 months old before we start training them on a fence. At 9 weeks, you will notice that her attention wonders too much for any kind of formal training. It takes them until around 6 months for them to have the mental maturity for the training.

For a lab, the PetSafe Ultrasmart is a good choice, and has enough range that it could handle a larger property if you move out of the city.

Unless you need to install it in now, I would hold off on your purchase until just before the dog is ready for the training. At that time we will also have a better sense for her temperament.

I have a 10 lb terrier mix and I live on a 1/4 acre lot. I’m looking at getting a lab within the next year and just wondering what system will be the best without replacing it for a bigger system in the future. Also we get a lot of snow and want to let them run outside in the winter. Thanks!

ADMIN – Hi Mike,

For the terrier, we want to use the small collar from the PetSafe Little Dog system. When you add your lab, we can use on of the compatible PetSafe collar, such as the PetSafe Inground, or PetSafe Stubborn.

That PetSafe Little Dog system has enough transmission power that it can gets through around 3 feet of accumulated snow.

I have 2 dogs:

1) a 4 year old, 55 pound flat coat retriever mix who is generally good but will chase after deer, rabbits, the neighbor’s cat, etc off our wooded property and into our neighbors’ yards.

2) a 12 pound, 13 year old maltese/poodle mix who has lost a lot of his hearing. He meanders into the neighbors’ properties which is not good in our uptight community. He will also run into the street. He was attacked by a mountain lion when he was younger so his neck is a bit sensitive. Until now he has not worn a collar.

I’d like a system that both dogs can use.

Also as I mentioned above our property is narrow (only about 6-8 feet between our house and the property line) so we’d need something that can not beep or buzz until they get really close to the edge.

Your recommendation will be greatly appreciated!

ADMIN – Hi Theresa,

The PetSafe Inground plus an extra PetSafe Little Dog collar for the Maltese/Poodle mix would be a good choice.

The PetSafe Inground collar included with the system will fit well on the retriever mix and should have enough power to redirect him when he is in full chase.

The PetSafe Little Dog is more appropiately sized for the Maltese/Poodle.

Training can be harder if the dog cannot hear. Ideally we would use a vibrating collar, but those are going to be much too big and heavy for the Maltese. Check if her ears are pricking up when the boundary alert starts sounding. If they aren’t and she cannot hear the warning at all, you will want to put the collar on the lowest correction level instead during the initial part of the training, so at least she is getting some sort of sensory feedback.

On all the system you can adjust the thickness of the boundary. But, for training the dogs, you want the boundary to be at least 3 feet wide. That leaves a relatively narrow passage on the sides. I would not be surprised if the dogs don’t use the side passage, they generally like to have a buffer between them and the start of the correction. If it is important to you that they use the side passage, I would incorporate walking through the safe zone on the side passages as part of your training.

I have 2 beagles: 25 lbs and 28 lbs. We live on a corner lot and the beagle boys go nuts when families walk by and completely psycho if a dog is in near sight (barking and scratching the fence)…I swear they are good dogs other wise! The side neighbors have a German Shepard that loves to taunt the youngest beagle which in turn has my beagle digging to play with the neighbors dog.

I’m looking for an underground fence to keep them off the fences and in my yard. Also, something easy for me to install. I called a company, but simply can’t afford $1600.00. I will need 2 collars so am looking for something that is compatible with the system I purchase.

Thanks for your help!

ADMIN – Hi Cholly,

For two beagles, we would want to use a system with smaller collar, but still with a good strength correction. I would suggest a PetSafe Ultrasmart. With the extra collar that is going to end up running in the region of $400.

Hi. I live in a community where dogs are not welcomed due to the religious beliefs of the majority of the residents. A very few of us have dogs and even though I have two acres, I must keep them contained due to the fact, they could be shot if seen running loose. One of my dogs is of medium size and likes to “run” whenever she can sneak out a door and is an artist of digging under runs. She is 10 years old and a dear old thing but….. The other two follow me around and never go anyplace. I need something for Abby so that she may enjoy being outside during the summer months with me or just outside hanging out in Alaska summers while I am working in the garden. I really do not want to place her on a run in the back of house and away from the rest of us.

I was thinking about an L shaped are that would be a bit of the side yard and some of the front yard.

ADMIN – Hi Annitta,

A L-shaped that covered the front of the house and some side-yard would work. For a medium sized dog on 2 acres, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice.

I have a 4 year old rescue boxer/pit mix who has quite the attitude when people/animals are by the house. I am also looking at rescuing another pit mix. Our lot is about 1 acre. Suggestions?

ADMIN – Hi Erika,

With dogs that have Pit Bull in them, we often need a collar that is stronger than usual. Do for your rescue (and for the pending rescue), the PetSafe Stubborn would be a good choice.

Hi there, I have a German Shepherd that’s about 14 months old. She weighs around 70 pounds and while she’s very smart and obedient MOST of the time, we’re finding that sometimes she gets bored with us and runs away to neighbors’ property, regardless of how much we call for her. We live in the country so once she’s gone, she knows she’s done something that’s not approved of and will run away from us when we try to catch her. We really need something that is going to keep her in our three acre plot. Please lend me a recommendation!! Thank you!

ADMIN – Hi Katie,

For a German Shepherd, we want one of the higher powered collars. GSDs often need a higher correction strength to redirect them when something outside the boundary catches their eye. A good choice on 3 acres would be the PetSafe Stubborn.

I bought a new 2 year old cockapoo 4 weeks ago….for the past week she has become an escape artist. climbing our deck enclosed fence. She is about 14 pounds and will get her mom in 6 weeks. I can’t afford to have them out running our acre lot. I only want to enclose a small area in the back yard. What’s the best choice.

ADMIN – Hi Fran,

For two Cockapoos, we would want something with a small collar. The PetSafe Ultrasmart would be my top choice.

Hi, I was looking into an invisible fence for my dog. I have a 5 month old purebred Siberian Husky. He is about 26 lbs. and CRAZY! I have 1.7 acres (perfect rectangle) and want to run the underground wiring around the perimeter so he has some room to run and play. What would be the suggested package for him? What do you have to offer over Invisible Fence company or any of the other companies. I do like the fact of the training collar with remote because he is still in training and is a major biter so having that would be cool to correct him when he gets in his moods of biting and gnawing on flesh lol (ie. my arm!). Thank you

ADMIN – Hi Jared,

If you want a combination training collar, with a Husky, the Innotek IUC-5100 would be a good choice. The system includes a training remote as well as the dog fence functionality. The collar on the IUC-5100 is particularly good for Huskies because it helps you check that the collar is properly fitted – something that can be a challenge with the thick undercoat on a husky

Hello, I have a 1 year old Cockapoo (30 lb) and our yard is only .25 of an acre. Do you have a recommendation for a yard this small?

ADMIN – Hi Andrew,

For a cockapoo on one-quarter acre, either the PetSafe Ultrasmart, or the PetSafe InGround would be good choices. Both are excellent, and will do the job. The Ultrasmart is more expensive and has extra features such as a rechargeable collar. The InGround is cheaper, but is tethered to a disposable proprietary battery that you need to keep on buying.

Really interested in purchasing one of your units so need some advice on the best option for us. We have a one year old Bassett Hound and a one year old mini Eskimo that we need to keep on out 3 acre lot and off the road or neighboring field. Given the differences in both breeds temperaments what would you suggest as our best option?

Appreciate any advise!

ADMIN – Hi Lisa,

Since those two dogs are so different in size and temperament and given you are doing a larger area, the SportDog would be a good choice. The SportDog has a lot of versatility, and will let you use collar from the PetSafe Little Dog, Stubborn, and InGround systems. I would use the SportDog and use the included collar for the Basset Hound.

For the Miniature Eskimo we would want a smaller, less strong collar. If they are under 12lbs, use the PetSafe Little Dog Collar, and over 12lbs use the PetSafe Inground Collar.

Hi, we will be adding a male GSP to our family in the coming weeks. I don’t see Humane Contain on here and was wondering how their systems compare. Also, our house is on about an acre rectangle lot so i have been thinking wired would be better for our situation? Any other tidbits that you think are important to consider? Both Bitch and Sire are good size so i expect our boy to be 65-70 lbs.

ADMIN – Hi Paul,

We reviewed the Humane Contain reviewed in the table above and were very unimpressed. We also get a lot of complaints about build quality on those units.

With a German Shepherd, two important considerations are to get a system that has a long-prong option, and a system that has a strong correction.

Because of their thick coat, you need a system that has a long-prong option, so you can get good contact between the dog’s skin and the collar prongs. Many German Shepherds also have a very high pain tolerance, so it is useful to have a system that is capable of a strong correction.

The PetSafe Stubborn is usually my go to fence for GSPs.

Benji is a 23 pound terrier mix who has become an escape artist. He bolts out the door when opened and keeps breaking his long tie out cables. We’ve considered the underground systems but wondered about the weight of the collar and the stability in our occasional deep snow. What system do you suggest?

ADMIN – Hi Sandy,

With Benji, one of the systems with a lighter collars would be a good choice. And because you have accumulating snow one of the more powerful transmitters would also be useful. I would suggest the PetSafe Ultrasmart, the collar is light and it can deal with accumulated snow (up to about 3 feet).

I have two male mixed Labrador and Pitbull dogs. One weights 30 lbs and the second around 55 lbs. They are used to the indoors since we lived in an apartment and know but they are recently moved to a house. Usually they are inside the house but I wanna start training them to stay outside and enjoyed the garden. I tried to leave them outside but they were digging holes and tried to escape through the fence several times until they finally got it. I don´t like the idea of getting a metal fence, We have one and they get noisy and anxious as soon as they are contained . What product do you recommend? The garden is not big (about the size of a double car garage). Thank you for your help!

ADMIN – Hi Marisol,

Dog fences don’t work very well with small areas, because the correction zone ends up taking up a lot of the dog’s space. If the garden is a small as the double car garage, the dog’s won’t be able to use about half of that area.

You can solve this problem if you can bury the boundary wire outside the garden area, but I know most of the time this means you have to be on a neighbors property of the road which is not feasible.

A good system for those two dogs would be something stronger like the PetSafe Stubborn.

Hi, I’m in the market for an in ground fence system . I really liked the Dog tek EF-6000 . I understand there were some issues and it should be back soon . I like the option of using my own fabric collar and the on/off key chain fob . The dog comes to work with me every day, I’d rather not have to remove his collar each time we pull out of the driveway . By the way, he’s a 14 month old Lab.

I’d consider the Petsafe Ultra smart , I do like the form fitting rechargeable collar.

Here’s my big question . My property is a long rectangle with the house in the center . One end is the driveway , front of the house etc…. But, the back is a long lawn that ends at a lake. Is there any way to not have to double back my wire in order to create an opening for the dog to be able to walk on the dock ? Can I bury the wire extra deep , cover it with a piece of steel? Anything to not have to double up the wire run back to the control box?

ADMIN – Hi Mike,

For a lakefront, the alternatives to doubling back on yourself would be to run the wire up high, or down low, so that the wire is either much higher or lower than the dog. If there are trees nearby, elevating the wire is an option. I the water is deep enough, running the wire into the lake is an option.

Burying the wire deep underground is rarely practical (because you need to go 3+ feet down). There is unfortunately no way to shield the wire.

I have tinnitus and high frequency hearing loss. Testing the Dogtek EF 6000 requires you to hear the high pitch beeping sounds, which I cannot hear. Is there an alternate way to test the system?

ADMIN – Hi Darrell,

You can also look at the status light on the collar, or look at the dog’s ears and see when they prick up.

We have the Pet Safe wireless system and have had trouble with it. While our dog is in the perimeter the collar will beep randomly. Because it beeps she will not move around any because she fears she will get shocked. We have returned it for a new system but the collar still doesn’t work correctly. We have tried new batteries, resetting the system…pretty much everything we could figure out to do. Any ideas?

ADMIN – Hi Tracy,

When you say the collar beeps randomly when the dog is on the perimeter, do you mean that when the dog gets close to the boundary line, the collar is not consistent on where it triggers. (i.e. sometimes it will trigger a few feet early, and other times it will trigger a few feet late).

The boundary moving around is characteristic on wireless system, and is one of the drawbacks associated with them. If the boundary line is moving +/- 5 feet, that would not be abnormal, and the dog just needs to be taught to leave a buffer between them and the boundary line. If the fence is moving more than +/ – 5 feet, it may having be trouble getting a good signal in your location, and you can try moving the transmitter location to get a better signal or using the more accurate wired systems.

I have 2 questions since One of the borders in my loop ( one side of the square if you will) is a large body of water, so:
1. How far from waters edge does the wire have to be or can it be submerged at waters edge and transmit thru a few inches of water.
2. The dog is not a huge swimmer but likes to wade, so I am open to providing access to the water and marking with flags the path or access path and using the cross wire technique for that access spot. Do u have any suggestion or experience with that type of arrangement?

ADMIN – Hi Kirk,

1. You can submerge the wire in water. You do however want to avoid placing the splices in the underwater sections.

2. I am not a fan giving water access. My experience is that there are two problems. First, the dog will constantly be wet and tracking water into the house. The second is that when the dog gets wet, the dog doesn’t feel the correction, because the wet hair conducts the current without it passing through the dog’s skin. Most of the time the dog never figures out they can swim out, and many people happily live with water access, but I am not a fan. Most customers that provide water access end up cutting it off because of the mud issue.

I have 2 dogs, one being a stubborn Border Collie/Jack Russell mix and the other a mellow Rat Terrier/Fox Terrier mix. I have 2 1/2 acres to cover and have several requirements. 1. Different control levels for the different personalities 2. battery back-up 3. lightning protection Please help my dogs.

ADMIN – Hi Robin,

The PetSafe Ultrasmart will fit the bill for #2 (battery back-up) and #3 (lightning protection). But, it doesn’t allow for different correction levels. We have a work-around, using a resistor we can supply you (at no charge) for adjusting down the correction level on one of the collars separately.

There is unfortunately nothing else that will fit your bill. There are a lot more options if you relax requirement #2 (the battery backup)

We just adopted a Plott Hound mix, 10 Months, about 30 lbs…soon to be about 55-60 lbs. , and a Lab Mix, 3 months, about 15 lbs….probably maxing at 40 lbs. We have 2 properties, one less than 1/2 acre and another over 2 acres (mainly wooded). Our smaller property has Chemlawn treatments, where they aerate and have cut our leads with previous dogs. Do the hidden fences get affected by that? How difficult is it to install? Do we dig a trench to lay it or lay it on top?

ADMIN – Hi Kim,

If you aerate an area that has a dog fence wire buried, the aerator can often tear up the dog fence wire. To avoid that, you either need to be careful not to aerate in the area of the wire, or bury the wire extra deep and place it in a protective conduit.

The system is not difficult to install, but it is time consuming. If you are running the fence in a grassed area, the easiest way to get it installed is to rent a trencher with a wire-laying attachment which will cut a slot, bury the wire, and backfill in one pass (2 hours to do 2 acres). Otherwise, you can cut a trench with a shovel, or an electric edger, place the wire in manually, then backfill (10 hours to do 2 acres).

You will want to wait until the Lab is around 6 months before you start his training. His is not mature enough to get it at three months.

With those two Dogs, the PetSafe Ultrasmart or the PetSafe Inground would be good choices.

I have two dogs. A Pomeranian weighing 5 1/2 pounds and a Rat Terrier weighing about 30 pounds. What do you recommend?

ADMIN – Hi David,

With the Pomeranian, we will want one of the extra-small PetSafe Little Dog collars. For the Rat Terrier we want something a little larger and stronger such as the PetSafe Deluxe collar. The cheapest way to get that would be to get a PetSafe InGround system (which includes the collar for the Rat Terrier) and to add an extra PetSafe Little Dog collar. Those two collars are intercompatible.

Wow – so glad I found your website! So much info on electric fences! Have you heard much feedback regarding electric fences for the shiba inu dog breed? They are willful with a cat-like personality, with a very strong prey drive to chase other animals and anything moving. Our situation won’t allow us to get a regular fence, so we are considering an electric fence so our 1+ yr old shiba can be out without being on a line or leash. But I’m worried that she will run right through it if a rabbit runs by. We have a typical suburban subdivision lot, maybe a 1/3 acre, but back to an open park district field with a playground and woods with lots of deer, rabbits, squirrels and other critters. We would want to keep her in the backyard to minimize the temptation of running after the light street traffic. But we would still probably circle the entire house, somewhat tightly, so that she cannot go up the sides of the house, but could be out on the front porch only when we are out there and still stop her from darting out the front door when kids come and go. She’s large for a shiba inu, but still only about 30 pounds, and has a somewhat thick mane, almost looks like a miniature version Siberian husky. With your experience, I’m curious if you would recommend an electric fence for a strong-prey-drive dog, and if so, what kind? Thanks so much!

ADMIN – Hi Terry,

Shiba Inu’s aren’t a problem. While they can be very willful, they are receptive to the correction, a regular strength collar will do the trick. As long as you do the training, you will get her contained.

The only thing to be especially careful of is to make sure the prongs are getting good contact with the dog’s skin. If they aren’t, then the dog doesn’t get the correction. To help, you want to use a system with long prongs, and you may need to thin the hair out a little along the neck with some scissors.

The PetSafe Ultrasmart is a good choice, because it has a built in fit-detector that lets you know if the collar is properly fitted with the prongs contacting the skin.

I have a 9 month old terrier who is about 65lbs. I have a yard that goes to the street where other people walk their dogs. I am worried that if something catches his attention his momentum could carry him across the electric fence line. Any thoughts/experiences? Thanks.

ADMIN – Hi Tony,

A dog that has been properly trained will not go through no matter what the temptation. Terrier tend to have higher prey drives which makes containment a bit harder, particularly when they are excited, but if you do the training it should not be an issue.

We address temptations in the last couple of days of the training, thinking up the most exciting temptations we can muster (like having a neighbor work their dog into your dog, play with your dogs until they are in a high energy state, then leave the yard) to make sure the dogs will be completely contained no matter what.

What would you recommend for : 1 acre lot in town with a yellow lab with an attitude? We would like to bury the wire 4-6 inches down so we can aerate our lawn. Thanks

ADMIN – Hi Michelle,

Since you are burying the wire so deep, a system with a more powerful transmitter would be useful. The PetSafe Ultrasmart and SportDog SDF-100A would both be good choices for a lab with an attitude. Both are good systems with powerful transmitters. The PetSafe is a little more expensive, but has a smaller and rechargeable collar. The SportDog is a little cheaper but has a bulkier collar and a relies on a disposable collar.

Are there any in ground systems that have control units that can be placed outdoors? So far everything i have found require that the unit be placed in doors. Thanks Dwight

ADMIN – Hi Dwight,

The only transmitter than can be mounted outdoors and exposed to rain and snow is the Humane Contain (but it is awful).

If you need to put the transmitter outdoors, you can use any model and place it in a waterproof box (available in the electrical section of hardware stores).

Hello, First of all great website. Which system and/or collar would you suggest for a 14 lb. tenacious Jack Russel Terrier. The property size is about a 1/4 + acre. Are the collar batteries rechargeable or readily available and affordable? Also, we have a decorative pond that we would like to keep him away from that’s contained within the yard, other than running the wire around the pond would you suggest the PAWZ away system. Are these and the remote controls compatible with Pet Safe and other systems?

Thanks.
Ivan

ADMIN – Hi Ivan,

For a tenacious Jack Russel, it will be important to use one of the smaller collars. Two systems I would recommend and that fit the bill are the PetSafe Ultrasmart and the PetSafe Inground. The Ultrasmart is rechargeable and the more expensive of the two. The Inground is cheaper, but uses a disposable proprietary battery.

The PAWZ away rock does a good job or blocking off small areas, and is much easier than running wire. The PAWZ away outdoor pods (the rock), is compatible only with the PetSafe Ultrasmart and the Innotek IUC-5100.

Love the website. But I still have no idea which system would be most beneficial for my dogs.

I have a 2 year old boxer mix and a 6 month old boxer/american bulldog mix. My two year old is rather subdued by my puppy is wild! I’m looking for an underground fence that keeps both dogs with different personalities contained. We have a rather small lot so putting up a privacy fence would be awkward looking. I’ve also been quoted a huge sum of money for someone to professionally install an invisible fence so I think DIY is definitely the way to go. Also something to think about is my neighbors also have an underground fence. Will this cause interference? What is the best system for multiple dogs? Any advice you can offer would be appreciated!

ADMIN – Hi Ryan,

With two dogs with such different personalities, a system which lets you have different correction levels for each dog is a must. Also with a neighbor having an underground fence, a dual frequency system that can avoid clashing with the neighbors fences is also on my must have list.

I would suggest the Perimeter Ultra, it is the only system that is going to address both those needs. http://www.dogfencediy.com/reviews/perimeter-technologies/

Which ones also have a doggie door component? I’d like our min pins to be able to go out when we’re at work. Invisible fence quoted us at $3100.

ADMIN – Hi Lori,

The DIY electronic doggie doors, such as the PetSafe Dog Door, usually have a special tag that you attach to your dog’s collar that makes the door open when the dog gets near. You can attach this tag to any of the brands of dog fence collars.

The only company that makes an integrated system (where you don’t need the tag and it is integrated into the basic dog fence collar) is the Humane Contain system. But, we would avoid using this system – it is notoriously buggy.

Hello, thanks for all the help you’ve provided to the many loving dog owners out there! My situation is we just got a 10 month old lab/healer mix (will probably be 70-75 lbs.) from the humane society who had unabated roaming allowance with previous owner. My lot is small (less than 1/4 acre) so we’d want a system that didn’t have wide back-off from the location of the wire. In other words, we’d want the dog to be able to get as close to the fence-line as possible without a correction so we could maximize our space. Then, at the same time, we plan to move to a 3 – 5 acre lot so we’d want to be able to upgrade by adding more wire to the system to cover the larger lot. Which would be the best system for us?

Thanks!!
Scott

ADMIN – Hi Scott,

All the systems will let you vary the boundary width from a minimum of a few inches up to a maximum of 10+ feet. With a small lot like that and a lab/healer you will probably want to set the boundary to be about 3 feet on either side of the wire. All the systems will also be able to work up to 5 acres.

A couple of good options would be the PetSafe Ultrasmart and the SportDog SDF-100A. The PetSafe has a smaller caller and a rechargeable collar. The SportDog has a larger collar and uses a disposable 9 volt battery, but is also a little cheaper. Both will do an excellent job.

Hello, my husband and I have a Great Pyrenees, he is 9 months old and a great dog, just like to roam a little. We live on a 2 acre lot, but next to a busy road. We have aluminum siding on our house. I like the idea of the wireless systems as they can easily be moved and can be used immediately as their is still snow on the ground. But I am wondering if this would not work with this siding at all? i don’t think anything eles on our lot would interfere with the system. Would this be an effective system or should we just wait and do the underground system. Also wondering on both types of systems, what would be the best to use with this breed? Thank you

ADMIN – Hi Julie,

The Havahart (and all the other wireless systems) do not work well on homes that have aluminum siding. You would have much better results with a wired system. With a large dog like a great Pyrenees, one of the stronger collars such as PetSafe Stubborn would be a good option.

Hi. I have two dogs. A 2 year old male English Bulldog and a 3 year old male American Bulldog. We recently moved to the country and have 10 acres, mostly wooded, with horses and cows next door. We are interested in getting a pet fence, but not sure which to buy. We have looked into the Pet Safe Stubborn and the DogTek EF 6000. The English Bulldog is fairly calm and doesn’t need much training, but the American Bulldog as soon as he gets out the door or off his chain he runs and doesn’t come back. We would like to give them 2-5 acres to play and not have to worry. What do you suggest as far as which system to buy and also what size wire gauge do you think is best?

ADMIN – Hi Elyssa,

With Bulldogs, it is useful to have the stronger and more powerful PetSafe Stubborn collars. You may not end up needing to use the collars at their highest level, but with the English and American Bulldog, it is useful to have in reserve.

Hello, I’m glad I found this website we have 2.1 acres which runs the length of the road shaped as a rectangle and we have a pond on the property as well. But we have a very active 8 month old beagle,shes 21 pounds ans loves to run, but we want to be able to let her run around with the kids outside instead of being on the leash or the run line. Please can you suggest what system we should venture into, thank you.

ADMIN – Hi Kallea,

For a beagle, it will be important to have a small but still strong collar. I would use either a PetSafe Ultrasmart or a PetSafe Inground Fence. Both systems have among the smallest and lightest full strength collars. The difference between those two is the Ultrasmart has a rechargeable collar, while the Inground relies on a disposable collar but is also a little cheaper.

Foremost, thank you! Seems to be a lot of work to maintain and monitor this site, and I have found it incredibly useful in researching fence options, so thank you!

I have two dogs – a 75lb collie/retriever mix (long hair, high anxiety w/people and other dogs but loves to play/run/chase) and a 40lb shephard/collie mix (short hair, low anxiety, really loves to run/chase). Both are moderately obedient in the absence of another animal distraction, and both have a low pain tolerance (ie: PetSafe Stubborn is not an option). Most importantly, both are extremely intelligent and I am concerned about the jumping reports I’ve read amidst user reviews.

My fence area is just over a half acre square with a primarily wooded (dense in summer) perimeter.

My budget is $150-225 for the system, knowing I need to spend an additional $70-$100 for an extra collar and possibly added wire.

On the inexpensive side of that, I like the DogTek EF-4000 because of the comfort and weight of the collars, and because its downsides are issues I’m not concerned with. On the expensive side, I like the SportDog SDF-100A, because of the 9V battery and the ability to increase range.

All of that said … you’re the expert. Thanks again!!!!

ADMIN – Hi Andrew,

Those two systems you mention are both good options and will get the job done. I would also add the PetSafe Inground to the list. It is an excellent system and is going to be at the low range of your budget. It also has the benefit of having a smaller collar than the SportDog, but it does use a proprietary battery.

Hi, I have a little terrier who runs around like a crazy dog!! He doesn’t go anywhere far, but I don’t want him going into the neighbors yards like he does! I want to get an invisible fence, although I’m seeing so many choices!!! I’m only on probably 1 acre and I see the one I want goes up to 25 acres. My question is can I change the setting on the box to go to any perimeter I want it to go?

ADMIN – Hi Anna,

Yes. The capacity listed on all the systems is the maximum capacity, and you can adjust them downward for smaller yards.

Well done website! THEN, I discovered the question section. Only one concern regarding the site: I wonder why Havahart, High Tech and Border Patrol brands are not discussed.

Now on to the real question. Our lot is very irregular, very rocky, surrounded by very steep downhills and woods, with a creek running through it. This can be a raging torrent at times and at other times is virtually dry. We have lost dogs to the highway and have not had success training them to stay on the property. We had a wired system once, years ago, which worked well until winter and the deer got to it. Because of the topography and the rocks, we had laid the wire on the surface in the woods. One other problem we had then: the receiver collar stopped working as it would dip in the water when she drank.

We want another Boston Terrier and are going to try the wires again, having decided that the steep slopes will not work with wireless (what a disappointment!). Of course this time, technology and competition have evolved. Does it make sense to try to sleeve the wire in hose where I can’t bury it? Or would just going with a 14g wire work? We can get the wire across the creek by the road bridge, but getting it back to close the loop means I’d have to recross it by stringing it 3 feet or more above the normal surface, not a good height for deer to miss. Or should I just forget about giving access to both sides of the creek? That is an option.

And the usual question: which Brand/model should work best for out application? Thanks so much.

ADMIN – Hi Roland,

I think we have reviewed all those systems you mention. The Havahart and Border Patrol Fences are reviewed in our wireless section. The High Tech Pet is listed under Humane Contain. If there is something we are missing let me know and we would love to check and do a review!

Sleeving the wire in hose or irrigation pipe is ideal, but you will find it very time consuming for a large lot like yours (I get the impression from your note that it is many acres of beautiful terrain!). If you sleeve the wire, then go with the cheaper 20 gauge wire. If you don’t sleeve the wire, 14 gauge would be a good second-best option, and will add a lot to the durability of the unprotected wire on the surface.

Most of the collar are now completely waterproof, so that should eliminate that weakness.

Creeks are always tricky, because of the issue of crossing the creek. If you do want to included it, an alternative to running the wire in the air is to put it in some hose pipe and either staple it to the creek bed, or weigh it down with some big rocks. The wire does tend to be vulnerable during flood times, and you will inevitably need to replace it every so often.

I encourage people to restrict everyday access to the creek – non-swimmers don’t ends up using the area, and swimmers are wet all day and track mud into the house. When we do an installation with a creek, at least half of them end up getting us to come back and end creek access for that reason. With a Boston Terrier, I am not sure they will do a lot of swimming.

I think the SportDog SDF-100A would be a good choice. It is a nice durable collar with excellent waterproofing and it can comfortably do up to 100 acres.

Great Website – Very Informative

I sure would appreciate your guidance on what type of in-ground wired fence to buy – Please
I have an 8 year old golden retriever that has never been contained by an electronic fence. He is my baby boy, and I love him more than you can image so I want the best were cost is not a factor. I have approximately 3/4 acre and my next door neighbor has an in ground fence that he just installed for his tiny 7 pound dog. My dog loves to chase deer and greet other dogs… He may be eight years old and somewhat mellow he is still in great shape and loves to run. Please let me know your thoughts as we were thinking maybe the innotek iuc – 4100, or sportdog sdf-100a or possible the dogtek ef-4000.
Thanks in advance, and I am really looking forward to reading your reply as a subject matter expect your feedback will really help me make my final decision. Regards,

ADMIN – Hi Jeff,

You are in luck because Golden’s are usually among the easiest to train, so you can use almost anything.

The one issue I would flag, is that if the neighbor is going to run their fence near the common boundary you may get interference issues. (The wires for his fence and your fence need to be 6-12 feet apart). If the neighbor is running the fence right at the boundary and that kind of separation is impractical or uses up too much of the dog’s space, then the dual-frequency, Perimeter Ultra, system that is going to avoid the interference would be a good choice.

The systems you mention would all work well, and if interference is an non-issue my choice in order would be the Dogtek EF-6000, the Innotek, and then the SportDog (but again they would all do the job).

Very informative website!!! A few questions – we have a small terrier mix (about 16 pounds). She can be aggressive wanting to meet other dogs that walk by our property. We want to fence in approximately .4 of an acre which has a significant slope front to back. Based on other recommendations it appears the Dogtek EF-6000 would be the recommended choice – agree? Any issues with the system working properly or special installation instructions given the elevation change? Is the standard wire sufficient? – We will have some tree roots in a few spots but are not installing in a wooded setting – just Pennsylvania shale soil to deal with. Appreciate your input and keep up the great work!

ADMIN – Hi Steve,

Thanks for the kind words. The EF-6000 would be a good choice. Slope is a non-issue for wired fences such as the Dogtek (it is an issue for wireless fences).

Tree roots are troublesome. If it is an area that is not grassed (so you will not be mowing it), I find it easiest to just staple the wire to the ground. Otherwise, I try and weave around the major roots, and use a trencher to help me cut through the minor ones.

Thanks for the kind words. We intend to keep it up, if our customers aren’t delighted, we are going to have to go out and get real jobs and wear suits and stuff!

Hi, We have a black lab retriever rescue dog about 3 1/2 years old. Our cabin in northern Mn has an area 50′x75 with a slight slope which would be good for our dog to use. Our next door neighbor has some sort of electronic fence for their little dog. What type fencing would you recommend? Thank you!

ADMIN – Hi Pam,

Labs are generally among the easier dogs to contain and will do well on most systems. Having an adjustable frequency system would be useful, because it can switch frequencies to avoid clashing with the neighbor’s system. Something like the Perimeter Technologies Ultra would be well suited to a Labrador and lets you adjust the frequency on the system to avoid interference.

Need a little help..
I have a German Shepard 2 yrs old 85 lbs she has a sable coat (long Haired).. Who goes absolutely crazy jumping on the Gate and fence in the yard (she dislike other dogs).. i need to keep her off the fence (1 )she has cut her foot already (2) she has so much force running she had broken the gate..If your wondering why my neighbor has a Retriever that just walks around there (her) yard and my dog just wants to play so she keeps jumping on the fence … Now on the Gate side she dislike my other neighbor so she is always trying to get him when he passes to take out the trash..

So I am thinking about a wireless fence.. As replacing my chain link with privacy is way to costly…

Thanks
Steven

ADMIN – Hi Steven,

If you already have a chain link fence in place, your best bet would be to use a wired fence, and run the included wire along the existing fence. With a chain link fence, you could just zip-tie it in place or weave it through the chain link. That type of installation should take under an hour. You will get a cheaper and better fence than you would if you went with a wireless option.

Two good options for a German Shepherd would be a Dogtek EF-6000 or a PetSafe Stubborn (in that order).

Someone is giving us a dog that is currently contained by a system installed by Invisible Fence. They are giving us the collars and system. I am debating whether or not to use the installation company or start the DIY process. My question is: are there any systems that are required to be installed by their parent company? At this point all I know is that the system is by Invisible Fence. I just didn’t want to start planning and making preparations only to find out that I cannot do it for some technical reason.

ADMIN – Hi Drew,

You should be able to easily install an invisible fence system, just like you would a regular DIY system. They all work the same way. The only pitfall is that you cannot adjust the correction level on the collar without a special computer – but that is a non-issue for you since the collar has already been programmed for the dog.

If you have the old system, you may well be able to get it installed by Invisible Fence for a relatively modest sum. It is only around $200 for the installation by our local franchisee, although we have had customers get quotes as high as $600 for a basic suburban installation. Where they really get you is the system, the collar, the training, and the batteries. But if you already have all that stuff, the installation price can be modest depending on your local franchise operator.

Hello! We currently have a chihuahua and a shepherd mix (around 30 lbs.) that we recently rescued. We have a fenced in back yard, but the chihuahua has learned to push the wire out at the bottom and dig under the wire. The shepherd can easily jump over the fence or climb if she is not on a runner. What type of fence do you recommend with what collars, and would it be preferable to attach it to the top of the fence or dig a channel around the perimeter of the area we want to secure? Thanks for your time!

ADMIN – Hi Lucy,

With a small dog like a Chihuahua, the PetSafe Little Dog collar is great because it much smaller than a regular collar and has a lower correction. We want something a little bigger and stronger for the Shepherd mix, so a PetSafe Deluxe collar would work well.

The most cost effective way to get that setup would be to get the PetSafe Inground system, using the included collar for the Shepherd mix. Then add an extra PetSafe Little Dog collar for the Chihuhua.

Both attaching the wire to the fence and burying it will work equally well. I would attach it to the top of the fence because it is easier and it is less likely to get damaged by someone doing yard-work.

We have a very active German Shepherd. We are looking to fence in about 1/2 acre. What would you recommend for our big boy?

ADMIN – Hi Dianne,

For larger dogs, and particularly guardian breeds like German Shepherd, one of the stronger collars is useful. Two I would recommend in your situation would be the Dogtek EF-6000 and the PetSafe Stubborn. Both are good collars and will get him safely contained. The Dogtek is a little more expensive, but is also rechargeable and gives you more control over the perimeter boundary. The PetSafe is a little cheaper, but uses a disposable battery.

Hi, I have a 2 year old female Boxer weighing between 45 and 50 pounds. She is very strong and loves to escape and run free around the yard. Problem is we live near a major highway and I am so worried she will get lose and get hit. I was all set to buy a wireless system because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of burying wire and worry about breaks in the line, we have 1 1/2 acres, but would only need 1 acre coverage.

Then I read it will not work if you have any type of metal and we have aluminum siding which we are going to replace within the year but we need coverage now. I am tired of having her stuck in a kennel or on a runner and want her to be able to run “free” and play outside with the kids. She is very strong and can pull even my large hubby but she is very sweet and loveable. I was looking at the stubborn system but noticed its not recommended for dogs under 50lbs, which she is just under and the collar looked a little bulky. I want a collar that is also slim and not bulky as I worry about her taking it off as she has chewed thru three collars until we got the harness one she has used for the last year. She is Houdini!!! Which system do you think would be best for my dog? I am also interested in upgrading the wire too, do you think that is a good idea?

ADMIN – Hi Sara,

For something slimline, but also strong enough for a Boxer, the Dogtek EF-6000 would be a good choice. You could also use the PetSafe Stubborn you suggested, and that would work well too, but it is going to have a much larger collar as you mentioned.

Upgrading the wire is helpful in preventing line breaks. When you are doing a small area like 1-acre, it is not a big price difference and is worth doing.