PetSafe UltraSmart PIG00-13619 Review
Pros
- Rechargeable Lithium Ion Collar Battery
- Slimline Collar with Collar Fit feature
- Indoor/Outdoor Pod Compatibility
- ReadyTest feature to ensure collar contact
Cons
- No independent correction setting
- Rubber collar band
Rating
Retail Price
$359.95
Our Price
$299.95
Availability: In Stock
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Summary: Excellent Value for Money
The PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 (formerly Innotek IUC-4100) has enjoyed a long run as our top-choice. It is an excellent and reliable system at a good price.
Sound Fundamentals
We still love the fundamentals on this system. Build quality is great, the collars are slimline, and the batteries rechargeable. The system also includes nice-to-have features such as battery backup, indoor/outdoor zone compatibility, collar-fit testing mode, and progressive correction.
No Independent Correction
Out of the box, the system doesn’t support independent correction levels for different dogs on the same system.
Lightning Protection
PetSafe have started including the lightning protection module free with the basic system. This is one of the few systems where this is not a $40 an optional extra.
Collar Transmitter Wire & Accessories Warranty Conclusion Video Review Manual Specifications Questions and Answers (440)
Slim Rechargeable Collar
The killer feature of the PetSafe Ultrasmart is the collar. The system is built around a slimline rechargeable collar. It performs the magic act of being one of the smallest collars, but still being powerful and full of features.
Slimline and Lightweight Collar
The PetSafe Ultrasmart collar is the thinnest full-sized containment collar. While the collar is small, PetSafe stretched the collar to achieve the slimline finish. This makes the collar less visually obtrusive on your dog. While many collars can appear like a big box hanging under your dog’s neck, the PetSafe PIG00-13619 has a much smaller visual footprint.
The collar is also lighter, allowing it to be used with dogs as small as 12 lbs. For dogs smaller than 12 lbs, a dedicated small-dog system such as the PetSafe Little Dog Fence is more appropriate.
Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery
The Ultrasmart collar is fully rechargeable. To charge, simply place the collar in the included charging cradle. The collar light remains red while charging, then change to green when it is fully charged. A full charge takes 2 hours and lasts about 4 weeks.
The battery and collar have shown excellent longevity and are proven to last. Owners of the previous iteration of this collar, (the Innotek IUC-4100) report collars and batteries continuing to perform after 6 or more years of use. That said, the collar battery is not user replaceable so if the battery does fail you will need to send the whole collar back to PetSafe for replacement (around $35).
Long and Short Contact Prongs
The standard system includes both long and short contacts (prongs) in the box. The collar prongs can be unscrewed with the included tool and replaced with the long prongs for long hair dogs, or the regular prongs for short hair dogs.
No External Controls
There are no controls on the collar itself. Instead, the controls are located on the transmitter box. Having the collar free of buttons and knobs makes it smaller and more durable because controls on a collar are more likely to break or malfunction.
The system includes a pair of yellow no-correction caps that can be placed over the prongs to prevent a correction being felt by the dog. This is useful in the first week of training where you want to be able to teach the dog the boundary without issuing a correction.
Plastic Collar Band
The collar has an integrated integrated design. It is made of high quality plastic, and some of our team considers it modern and sleek, but most of us would prefer a cloth band. The collar is waterproof and wears really well. Our oldest collars appear new with the exceptions of a few scrapes. The collar closes using both a traditional buckle and quick release buckle for adjustments and fitting.
Three Progressive Correction Levels
The correction level for the collar is set at the transmitter. The collars have three progressive correction levels: Low, Medium and High. The correction starts at the level you set, but then increases the longer the dog lingers in the correction zone and the closer the dog gets to the boundary wire.
The correction range on this collar is suitable of almost all dogs, but may not be quite strong enough for the most hard-headed breeds. Dogs that are particularly insensitive to the correction such as fighting and guardian dog breeds may need something stronger. (e.g., Pitbulls, Dobermans) These dogs would likely benefit from a stronger system such as the PetSafe Stubborn.
No Independent Correction Levels
While the lack of controls on the collar is a positive feature for durability, it also means that you cannot set the correction level for each dog independently. (There is a workaround, the resistor hack.) Every dog must to be on the same starting correction level. Thus if you have two dogs that are very different in size (> 30%) or temperament, then the PetSafe Ultrasmart is not the best choice. Instead consider a system with independent correction such as the Dogtek EF-6000 or the SportDog SDF-100A.
Quiet Beep
The warning beep on the collar is not loud enough for the human trainer to hear. To make the collar durable and waterproof, PetSafe sealed the speaker inside the collar. While this is great for waterproofing, this leads to a muffled warning beep that is hard to hear for adults (children and dogs seem to be able to hear just fine!). This means that during the training phase you need to either have keen ears, or rely on the collar indicator light and/or the dog’s body language to know if the collar has been triggered.
Collar Fit Test
The PetSafe Ultrasmart collar helps you get the collar fitted properly. Improperly fitted collars are the second most common reason (after lack of training) an in-ground dog fence doesn’t get 100% containment. Improperly fitted means the probes do not make contact wit the dog’s skin. When this happens the dog does not consistently get the correction and learns that the boundaries can be ignored. This issue is particularly relevant to long-hair dogs where fitting the collar can be tricky.
The Ultrasmart has a ReadyTest mode where the collar makes a clicking sound when it is properly fitted. This eliminates guessing and lets you get a perfectly fitted collar every time.
Transmitter
The transmitter (aka. base station) connects to the boundary wire and creates the radio signal that is picked up by the collars. The transmitter is the brains of the dog fence system. The Ultrasmart transmitter has all the regular features, plus a few extras.
25 Acre Capacity
The transmitter can create a boundary of up to 25 acres (around 5,000 feet of boundary wire). This makes it one of the highest capacity systems. If you need an even higher capacity, the SportDog SDF-100A can contain a 100 acre property.
Includes Lighting Protection Module
The Ultrasmart includes a lightning protection module standard with the kit. You run the boundary wire into the lightning protection before running it into the transmitter. This module protects the transmitter in case the boundary wire gets struck by lightning. This is particularly useful for large installations in areas where lightning strikes are common. Having the lightning protection included standard is a nice extra that is seen in few other systems and saves you $39.95.
Adjustable Boundary Only
The boundary zone, the distance between the boundary wire and the point where the collar starts beeping, can be adjusted using a dial on the transmitter. You can set the boundary width anywhere from a few inches to 10+ yards wide.
The correction zone, the distance from the boundary wire that the collar starts correcting the dog, is always set at 80% of the boundary zone. Unlike the Dogtek systems, the boundary zone cannot be independently set.
Battery Backup
The transmitter has a battery backup so it will keep working even if there is a power outage. Insert 8 AA batteries in the back of the unit and if there is a power failure, you get 2-3 days of power before the batteries are drained.
Battery backup is a useful feature in places where power outages are common. But, for most urban dwellers with reliable power, this is not terribly useful. If power failures are only occasional, your dogs will not realize that the fence is off.
Boundary Wire
Direct Burial Rated Wire
The wire is direct burial rated, meaning that it will hold up better in the ground than standard electrical wire. The boundary wire is surrounded by a PET jacket. This protects the wire against the elements better than standard PVC coated electrical wire that will tend to rot, particularly in acidic soils.
Professional Gauge Wire Available
The standard 20 gauge wire can be upgraded to 18, 16, and 14 gauge wire. 14 gauge wire is considered professional grade and is what you would see on an Invisible Fence installation. With professional grade, the copper wire and protective insulation are both four times thicker and stronger than the standard wire. This makes the wire stronger and more durable and therefore less likely to break.
For small installations, upgrading the wire is a no-brainer. A modest additional cost reduces the likelihood of you needing to hunt for wire breaks.
For very large installations, the thicker gauges of wire are useful because of their superior transmission characteristics. However, the additional cost becomes significant.
Standard 500 Feet of 20 Gauge Wire
The Ultrasmart basic kit includes 500 feet of standard 20 gauge wire, 2 wire splices, and 50 marking flags. This is sufficient to cover 1/3 of an acre. Extra wire, wire splices, and marking flags can be purchased in our store. The 20 gauge wire kits cost $30 and include an extra 500 feet of wire, 2 splices, and 50 marking flags.
| Area (acres) | Wire Required (feet) |
| 1/3 | 500 |
| 1/2 | 1,000 |
| 1 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 2,000 |
| 4 | 2,000 |
| 5 | 2,000 |
| 10 | 3,000 |
| 15 | 4,000 |
| 20 | 4,500 |
| 25 | 5,000 |
Tester Tool
The system includes a blue tester tool that lets you check if the transmitter and collar are working. Hold the tester tool against the collar probes and when the collar is activated by crossing the boundary line, a light on the tester tool will glow.
Indoor / Outdoor Zones
The PetSafe Ultrasmart is compatible with wireless indoor and outdoor zones. These wireless battery powered pods can be used to create small circular exclusion zones from 2 to 12 feet in diameter to keep the dog out of small areas. For example, drop one of the indoor pods in a room to stop the dog going into the room, or slip it under a sofa cushion to keep the dog off your couch. Or use the outdoor pods to keep the dogs out of flower beds or a fish pond.
The Ultrasmart is the only system that has these indoor and outdoor pods available. The PetSafe Deluxe, PetSafe Little Dog, and PetSafe Stubborn Dog Fence systems have indoor zones available, but no outdoor zones. No other system has either indoor nor outdoor zones.
Warranty
The system also has a limited lifetime warranty – that is a clever way of saying it has a one year warranty. After the year there is a fixed charge for repairs. The repair charge depends on what part breaks (around $30 – $50). Build quality on these units is excellent so hopefully you will never need it.
Conclusion
The PetSafe Ultrasmart has enjoyed a run of nearly ten years as our go-to system. It is a good reliable fence that does all the basics well. In addition you have some useful features such as the slimline rechargeable collar, the collar-fit test, and the compatibility with indoor & outdoor pods.
The Ultrasmart does have a few deficiencies, most notably not being able to adjust the correction level for each dog independently. But, if you don’t need the extra features, the PetSafe is an excellent choice.
Specifications
| Model | Petsafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 |
| Type | In Ground |
| Collar Battery | Rechargeable – Lithium Ion |
| Correction Levels | 3 Levels + Progressive Correction |
| Beep Only Training Mode | Yes |
| Collar Warning beep | Yes |
| Collar Vibration | No |
| Independent Correction Levels | No – all collars have same correction level (Independent correction level workaround) |
| Collar Dimensions | 2.5” (L) x 1.2” (W) x 0.7″ (D) |
| Collar Weight (with band) | 4.4 ounces |
| Collar Weight (with band) | 1.5 ounces |
| Collar Neck Size | 7″ – 32″ |
| Collar Water Resistance | Waterproof |
| Collar Fit Test | Yes |
| Maximum Number of Dogs | Unlimited |
| Minimum Dog Size | 12 lbs |
| Minimum Age | 6 months |
| Maximum Containment Area | 25 acres (5,000 feet) |
| Boundary Width | 0-10 feet (adjustable) |
| Control Box Dimensions | 6” (L) x 5.5” (W) x 2.25“ (D) |
| Control Box Power Source | Wall Outlet (110V) |
| Control Box Battery Backup | Yes – 8 AA batteries |
| Indoor Pod Compatibility | Yes – ZND1000 |
| Outdoor Pod Compatibility | Yes – Pawz Away Rock |
| Included Boundary Wire | 500 feet + 2 wire Splices |
| Included Boundary Flags | 50 |
| Training Materials | Manual |
| Other | Collar recharger |
| Package Dimensions | 12” (L) x 8” (W) x 6″ (D) |
| Package Weight | 11 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
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Containment Guarantee
Your dog will be completely contained to your satisfaction within 30 days, or we will give you a full refund. That is a better deal than you would get from a $2,000 invisible fence. You have nothing to lose.
FREE Dog Fence Guide
The PetSafe Ultrasmart come with a FREE copy of our Dog Fence Experts Book on installing a dog fence and training your dog (instantly downloadable in PDF form). The book has 90 pages of great information and tons of illustrations to make installation easy, and training effective. It will save you hours and get you complete containment faster.
You get the book immediately with your purchase. Your order confirmation email will include an instantly downloadable copy of our book. Value $24.95.
30 Day Easy Refunds
If you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason you can return your system within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price. Getting a refund is easy, just email us at returns@dogfencediy.com or call on (888) 936 – 4349.
Our returns are easy and hassle free:
- It is no problem if you used the system, that was the point! We will still take it back even if there is some wear-and-tear
- Did you bury the wire? No problem, we will still take it back. (If you can’t or don’t want to dig the wire back up, we will just charge you the regular price for the wire you kept)
- The 30 day period starts from the time you receive the package so you have plenty of time to do the installation and training. If you need a little extra time, let us know.
- The only time we don’t take returns is if it is well after the 30 days, or the unit is seriously damaged.
FREE Wire Break Kit
RF choke. The RF choke causes the dog fence boundary wire to make a noise that you can hear on any AM radio. Simply follow the boundary wire and use your radio to listen for the point where the noise becomes weaker and there you will find the wire break.
To fix the break, the kit includes extra wire, two wire nuts, RF choke, and two waterproof capsules to keep your splice watertight. Value $14.95.
Free Fast Shipping
Shipping within the continental US is free.
Orders placed before 1pm EST ship out the same day. We have warehouses spread across the country so you get your package in 2-3 business days.
12,000 Happy Customers
We had more than 10,000 happy customers last year, and are hoping to have even more in 2012. We understand how important it is to keep your dog safely contained, and understand the trust you place in us when you make an order. We want to make containment as easy as possible. We value your business, and we want you to refer your friends.
Low Price Guarantee
We strive to have the lowest prices of any PetSafe authorized retailer. If you find any of our products at a lower price from an authorized retailer, please let us know and we will be happy to match the price. For a price match, call us on (888) 936 – 4349 or email pricematch@dogfencediy.com.
PetSafe Authorized
We are a PetSafe authorized retailer. This means you are guaranteed the full manufacturer’s warranty, and a brand new system. Beware of unauthorized retailers that sell grey-market systems. Systems coming from unauthorized retailers do not receive a warranty.
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Can I do an hourglass layout with this unit? I need to be able to allow the dog in both the front yard and the back yard but not be able to cross between them without going through the house.
ADMIN – Hi Mike,
Yes, you can do an hourglass (figure-8) layout with the Ultrasmart (and indeed any other wired system), where you do a complete loop of the property, but pinch inward on the sides, to prevent the dog from passing back and forth between the front yard.
i have 2 dogs 1 is a dachshund who varies in weight form 8-12 lbs and a boxer 60 lbs. Will this system be ok for the dachshund when she goes below 12 lbs? Thanks
ADMIN – Hi Jennifer,
Why is she going up anf down in weight so much?
Those two dogs aren’t a great fit for the PetSafe Ultrasmart, because that system doesn’t let us have different correction levels for each dog on the system (and a Dachshund and a Boxer need very different correction levels). Also the collar is going to be too big for the Dachshund.
For the Dachshund, we want to use the small and lightweight PetSafe Little Dog collar. For the Boxer, we will need something stronger like the PetSafe Stubborn or the PetSafe Inground collar. The setup I would recommend is a PetSafe Inground system, using the included collar for the boxer. Then add a PetSafe Little Dog collar for the Dachshund.
We’ve had our system for several months. We were skeptical of the amazing results. However, we must say it truly is amazing!! We’re so excited about how well the system works. We live in the country and our dogs are used to no boundaries. We “fenced in” a 1000 foot space. They were very responsive to the beep sound. We followed the training manual that is suggested. In fact, we had a hard time getting one of them to even feel the correction. Now he stays about 15 ft. from the flags. He will sit and whine, but not cross the flags. Now we are going to “fence” our entire 14+ acres FULLY confident of the system. We can’t say enough about how AMAZING the system works. It’s a God send!
Hi i am purchasing my first home, it has a wonderful wood fenced yard already. But, I am concerned about my 6 year old 60 pound AmStaff (American Staffordshire Terrier) digging out while I am at work (he has had a doggie door his whole life so I cant imagine not installing one at the new home). I want to run a line either underground along the fence line or attach it to the bottom of the wooden fence. I also want to be able to have the front porch area of the home secured somehow with a wire or even a pod in case he ran out the front the door. Now his bread it stubborn, so I’m not sure what would be best for him. I was looking into have a professional “invisible fence” install something but am afraid I will not be able to afford them after I close on the house. PLEASE HELP.
-Whitney L H.
ADMIN – Hi Whitney,
For an AmStaff, I think you are right that we will need something stronger, particularly when those dogs are excited, they can need a strong correction to get them to refocus and pay attention to the boundary.
The PetSafe Stubborn is a good choice with the highest correction levels available. It is also compatible with the PetSafe Indoor pods in case you want to use a wireless pod to block the front poor.
We bought the PetSafe Ultra Smart about a year ago for our 2 dogs, and it has worked very well for us. Our only problem is that the smaller of our 2 dogs (a blue tick coon hound/beagle mix – she’s about the size of a beagle and only about 25 pounds) collar will not stay on. She manages to get it off all the time, in just her normal everyday activities. (She has never purposely tried to get it off. It just comes off) We think it is a combination of how tiny she is, how active she is and the plastic material that the collar is made of. Is there a cloth collar that would be compatible with the Petsafe Ultra Smart that we could use with her? We have 11 acres for the dogs to roam, so when her collar comes off, we don’t always find it and are forced to buy another collar. We’ve gone through 3 collars so far for her in our year of having the fence.
ADMIN – Hi Laura,
We heard a few other folks with that problem with the Ultrasmart. With the collar being plastic, it doesn’t have enough friction to stay on some dogs – particularly if the dog has a thick neck relative to their head.
Because of the way the collar is designed, there aren’t any off the shelf collars that will work with the Ultrasmart, but we have had customers unscrew the old collars, then sew a new cloth collar using nylon webbing material and a pair of quick-snap connectors.
We have also had people zip-tie the Ultrasmart collar to a regular cloth collar, so that when the collar falls off – it at least stays with the dog and doesn’t get lost. It is a kludge, but at least you don’t keep having to replace collars.
Hi, I have a 8 week old bloodhound. We have a nice large back yard approx. an acre to 2 acres that is surrounded by creeks, horses, and barns. Our house is very close to the road (approx 50 ft.). We previously had a bloodhound and while we were playing fetch he ran across the road to use the restroom and on his way back, 2 cars came and the first on missed him(they were on their side) and while he was standing waiting, the next car came through in the middle of the road and hit him right in front of us and he died on our way to the emergency vet. After watching that first hand and seeing him suffer, I never want to make that mistake again. We live on a small country road and with not many travelers, but as I learned the hard way it just takes the wrong person at the wrong time, and your baby is gone. Loving bloodhounds they are big and typical fencing does not work. They seem to make it their life quest to get out of whatever kind of fence you get, whether it be climbing, or digging they seem to find a way out. So I was wondering if you know of people with bloodhounds using this type of fencing. It will only be for daytime when I’m outside and during playtime, and potty time. He is primarily and indoor dog. Also which specific one would be best. Thank you!!!
ADMIN – Hi Rebecca,
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Losing a dog is heartbreaking in any circumstance, but to lose one in that way is beyond terrible. Unfortunately, we hear similar stories all the time. You are so right about it only taking one-time or one-mistake. Thank you for sharing the story – if it nudges just one reader to take extra precautions with their dog then perhaps there will be some small positive from the event.
Bloodhound typically require one of the stronger collars. We get great results with Bloodhounds using the PetSafe Stubborn Dog Fence.
Your pup is much too young to start on the dog fence training at the moment. You will want to wait until he is 6 months old, and perhaps keep him on-leash when outside until them. When we train them too young, it doesn’t really click – they usually don’t have the attention span or cognitive capacity to absorb the training until they are six months.
As I’m sure you know the training phase is very important. Particularly the last step where you test the dog with the most extreme temptations you can think of for your particular breed and dog. For a bloodhound, you might want to run a scent line through the boundary so the dog gets very excited and goes barreling toward the boundary. Or get a neighbors dog to come play in your yard and when your dog is most excited have the neighbor exit with their dog and see if your dog follows.
We always want to have complete confidence the dog is completely contained before you start to let him off-leash. Training problems are easy to fix early, but become harder once the dog gets in the habit of going through the fence. And as you reminded us, it only takes one stroke of bad luck for something terrible to happen.
We have two very active nine month old Beagle pups. Smokey is 30 Lbs. & Bandit is 35Lbs. We are looking at the PetSafe 4100 series fence, but wanted your opinion. As you know, Beagles are great dogs, but are known for their stubbornness. Also, our neighbor has an “underground fence” weaved into the bottom of their chain-link fence. I understand there must be a certain separation distance from this exposed wire, and need to know about how many feet. Again, his wire is above ground if that makes a difference in the recommended distance.
ADMIN – Hi Travis,
The PetSafe Ultrasmart (formerly the Innotek IUC-4100) would be a good choice on a pair of beagles. Beagles are stubborn, particularly once their prey drive kicks into full gear, but in our experience they are sensitive to the correction and don’t require an extra-high strength collar like the PetSafe Stubborn.
The wires need to be separated 6-12 feet depending on how wide he has set his boundary. The wire being above ground will not make a difference to that distance. If that is too much space and is going to eat into the dog’s space, consider the Perimeter Ultra. The Perimeter is dual frequency which allows you to install it right beside the neighbor’s wire.
My preferred option is to sneak out in the middle of the night and cut the neighbor’s wire
I have three Whippets. One is a digger and loves digging under the stockade fence and escaping the confines of the yard. I am looking for a reliable invisible fence for the perimeter of my yard which could be buried underground, about two to three inches. My Whippet who digs is about 22 pounds..Any advice and or suggestions? Thank you!
ADMIN – Hi Tom,
For a Whippet, one of the systems with a smaller and lighter collar would be useful. The PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice, as would the PetSafe Inground. Both are reliable and will work well with your dog. The Ultrasmart is rechargeable, the Inground is cheaper but uses a disposable battery.
FYI – since you already have a physical fence in place, you could staple the wire to the fence instead or burying it, if that is easier. The main reason we bury the wire is to keep it safe from the lawnmower – it doesn’t need to be buried to work.
We are looking at getting a 10 month old Saint Bernard. We live on the edge of a small town on about half acre, which system would be best for us? Thanks. Matt
ADMIN – Hi Matt,
With a Saint Bernard, I would be looking for one of the systems with a strong correction. With big dogs, like St Bernards, you sometimes will need the higher correction levels, so it is good to have a system with those higher correction levels available. A good system for a half-acre lot would be the PetSafe Stubborn.
We have a rural property that is being decimated by deer. We are now thinking of using some sort of invisible fence and getting a pair of huskies to patrol about 5 acres. The dogs would be outdoors 24/7, with appropriate shelter, food and water. The fence would need battery backup as we occasionally lose power (weather related). Cornell has researched this to protect orchards. I would be getting puppies that I can train as well as develop strong bond. Huskies have very dense fur and like to roam but, having owned one before, I know they are quiet – don’t bark, just sort of “talk” if you encourage them. What system do you recommend and does this sound feasible (would take care of the rabbits and woodchucks, too, I imagine.) Also, much of the area is wooded – does the fence have to be buried or can I attach it to trees?
ADMIN – Hi Amy,
The PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice with a pair of Huskies. The system has a battery backup. The collars also have a special fitting mode that is useful for getting the collar properly fitted on their thick undercoat.
http://www.dogfencediy.com/reviews/petsafe-ultrasmart-pig0013619/
We have a lot of rural customers that use dog fences with dog that guard a herd, and your application sounds very similar. Since you are leaving the collars on continuously, I would just make sure you inspect their neck once a week or so, to make sure they are not getting any kind of sore as can occasionally happen with continuous wear.
The boundary wire on the dog fence does not need to be buried. You can either attach the wire to trees, or even staple if to the ground (as long as it is not in an area that is mowed).
PS – Huskies may not be the best choice. My limited experience has been that they don’t like being left alone and need to be around people. Perhaps having a pair fixes this problem or I am misinformed. I’m sure your breeder would know more about this than me.
We inherited a two year old Welsh Terrier. He’s always been a city dog and now lives in the country with us and our 10 yr old chocolate lab. “Elvis” is about 25lbs and proving difficult to train. He runs off every chance he gets and has absolutely no”car sense” — actually tries to attack cars whether they are stationary or in motion. We’d like to put in an invisible fence and keep him away from both road and driveway. We have a garage attached to the house and would like to know if we can run the wire through the garage so that we do not cut into the driveway and he can never reach any cars or traffic. Will that work by running the wire on the ceiling? Also, which system do you recommend for a feisty terrier of this size? Thanks. Trish
ADMIN – Hi Trish,
For a Welsh Terrier, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice. It has a smaller collar, so will fit well on Elvis and is fast and responsive enough to train even the feistiest terrier.
You can run the wire through the garage instead of running it across the driveway. I am not sure exactly what you are proposing, but if you sketch out a rough diagram for me, I would be happy to take a look.
Hi, I have a lab mix that is about 30 pounds, low to the ground (maybe part beagle). She has severe separation anxiety and has dug her way under my fence a few times. I have a square shaped property surrounded by a wooden fence. The ground is all dirt so I can put in wires easier. I need a secure system to keep her in my yard. I am looking at the innotek 4100 product because of the rechargeable battery and the smaller collar. Any other recommendations?
ADMIN – Hi Alex,
The Innotek IUC-4100 (PetSafe Ultrasmart) would be my top choice for a 30lb lab-mix. You have a ton of options with that dog. The other system I would usually tell people in your situation to look at is the PetSafe Inground, it is equally small, and uses a disposable, but is also significantly cheaper.
I have a Jack russell terrier that we are looking to contain in our 1 acre yard. We have a barbed wire fence that surrounds our property. Is it possible to just wrap the wire on the fence above ground or must it be buried?? I am thinking about getting the Innotek Ultrasmart fence system. Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Andrea,
You can indeed run the dog fence boundary wire along the barbed wire instead of burying it. I find zip-ties are the easiest way to attach the wire, but wrapping it will also work.
The Ultrasmart would work well with a Jack Russel over 12lbs. (Under 12lbs, the PetSafe Little Dog is a better choice).
Hi. I have 2 Corgis. One is 8 years old and the new one is 8 months old. Both males. The 8 year old was very easy to train. He has never left the yard. No fence, no leash, etc. The new puppy is another story. He is wild. He runs very fast. Even though he is a smaller dog, I am concerned about an electric fence actually stopping him from leaving the yard. He is currently @ 15 pounds. Will probably be no bigger than 25 pounds. What system would you recommend?
ADMIN -Hi Chris,
For Corgis, I would want a system with a small and light collar. The PetSafe Ultrasmart and the PetSafe Inground would be good choices.
We have had the Pet Safe Pro TX-1 invisible fence system for the past many years for our dogs, a Shih Tzu-Maltese and a Maltese-Poodle. We recently added two 5 mo.-old Shih Tzu/Poodle puppies to our family and were wondering what our best options would be to start training the pups with our existing Invisible Fence. The original Pet Safe collars that came with the Pro TX-1 that we used for our other dogs may be too big (especially the probes) for these new little guys. Because of the proprietary battery issue with the Little Dog collars, I would prefer to go with different collars (maybe the Ultrasmart?) that would be compatible with our existing transmitter (the Pro TX-1). Since we already have the wiring in-place for the Pro TX-1 system, what would our best options be?
ADMIN – Hi Michael,
The PetSafe Pro Line (a line of PetSafe systems sold by installers) is not compatible with the regular PetSafe line. If you wanted to use a different set of collars to avoid the accursed proprietary battery, you would need to replace the transmitter as well as the collars, but you could use the existing wiring.
The choice of system would depend on the size of the dogs. If they are under 12lbs, the PetSafe Little Dog with it’s proprietary batteries is unfortunately the only good choice. If those dogs are over 12lbs, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good rechargeable option.
Looking for an underground fence for 2 dogs. We have a 4 year old Cockapoo and a 2 year old Golden Retriever. The Cockapoo is rather high-strung and has some anxiety issues and the Golden is very docile and actually kind of wimpy! Just wondering what sort of suggestions you would have for us. We would prefer rechargeable collars, and our yard is approximately 3/4 of an acre. Thanks in advance!
ADMIN – Hi Marc,
With those two dogs, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good rechargeable choice. The other option would be the older Dogtek EF-3000, which is also good but has larger collars.
I am in the market for an underground fence and have two dogs, a 12 year old black lab and a two year old golden doodle. The area I’m looking to contain them in is between 1/3 and 1/2 acre. What invisible fence should I get?
ADMIN – Hi Jay,
with those two breeds, you have a lot of options because they are generally among the easiest dogs to train. If you wanted something rechargeable, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a great choice. If you can live with a disposable battery, the PetSafe Inground would also be a good choice.
Hello, I have 2 dogs, an 8 year old Boston Terrier, whom is fairly well behaved, and a 9 month Doberman Pinscher who is very rambunctious, loves chasing squirrels/birds, and likes to run out of the yard any chance she can get! I have about 1.5 – 2 acre’s worth of yard around my house. What type of gauge should I get and is getting the PetSafe UltraSmart fence a good choice? I’m not sure about the lack of correction control the PetSafe UltraSmart has since I have 2 completely different sized dogs! Help!
ADMIN – Hi Jordan,
Any gauge of wire from the basic 20 gauge though the thicker 14 gauge wire will work perfectly in your yard. The big difference is around price and resilience. The 20 gauge is cheaper but also more prone to breaks. The 14 gauge is more expensive, but more resilient.
The Ultrasmart isn’t going to be a great choice for your dogs, because they are so different in size and breed/temperament. I would suggest getting the PetSafe Inground and using the included collar with the Boston Terrier (I presume he is over 12 lbs). I would add the stronger PetSafe Stubborn collar for the Doberman.
I’m finding myself in a dilemma. I have two younger dogs, both redbone coonhounds. One of them, has an incredibly high pain threshold. I purchased the stubborn dog system approximately 1 year ago, and believed it was working, until I was informed by one of my neighbors that my one dog was coming to their property on a daily basis. I would much prefer to use an underground fence system, over kenneling my dogs all day, but I also want to make sure they stay on my property. I have changed the settings on the stubborn dog system multiple times, and my younger dog continues to cross the boundary line. I have seen some references to the sport dog system, but it appeared in some of the reviews that the stubborn dog system has the strongest correction, which in my case, is not stronger enough. What suggestions would you have?
ADMIN – Hi Sarah,
The PetSafe Stubborn is indeed the strongest fence, and should be strong enough for even a coonhound. I would start to diagnose the problem by observing the dogs when they escape and seeing if they have any reaction when they cross the line.
If there is no reaction at all, the most likely explanation is they are not getting any correction, either because the prongs are not contacting the dog’s skin and the band is not tight enough, or because the system is not properly working.
If the dogs react but still go through, we need to make the fence a little wider, turn up the correct (I presume you are already on the highest level), and do a bit of remedial training.
In some rare circumstance, people will put a second collar on the dog, but I rarely find this necessary. 99% of the time, the above measures fix the issue.
We have a 4 foot cedar board on board fence around our small backyard. Our 125 bullmastiff will jump and chew at the fence when the next door neighbors small dog barks at him. He has broken numerous pickets and our elderly neighbor is afraid of him. He is contained by the fence already, but I don’t want him jumping at it or tearing boards up. I was considering getting petsmart ultrasmart to reinforce the boundary so he doesn’t jump at the fence or chew on it. He was very responsive to an electronic training collar in the past. Will this be a good fit for our needs?
Thanks.
ADMIN – Hi Kinsey,
Usually for a Mastiff I would suggest something stronger, some dogs of that breed need the higher correction levels to get their attention. But, since you have experience with a training collar and he was responsive, a regular strength collar like the PetSafe Ultrasmart would work well. If you think he might need something stronger, the other model I would suggest looking at is the PetSafe Stubborn.
Hello, We have a huge dilemma here! We live in town and have a total of four dogs. Two mini schnauzers that are 1 year, and 6 months, a Pomeranian that is 11 years, and the newest, most rambunctious addition is a 3 month old Golden Cocker Spaniel.The latter are my sister’s dogs, and the two mini Schnauzers are mine.
The problem is, the cocker spaniel NEEDS to go outside all day because she’s currently staying in the guest bathroom. I want her to be outside during the day and then she come in at night to sleep in her kennel. My dilemma is I need something that can contain ALL the dogs when they’re let out to do their business, but I also need a solution for the cocker to stay outside permanently during the day.
I have heard of the invisible fences that if the dog is brave enough to run through the fence, say to chase a car, that the dog wouldn’t be able to come back into the fence if she decided to come home. The puppy is new and very, very excited ALL the time. I’ve been quoted over $2,000 to install chain link and wood and it’s just not practical for my yard or my budget.
As I see it, I have decided to get a chain link pin that’s plenty big enough for the cocker to be in during the day, and install an invisible fence around the back yard so that all of the dogs are contained when they’re let out to take care of business. Could you help me with this? All these dogs are 8-12 pounds with the exception of the cocker, she’s going to be growing and will probably be 10-20 lbs depending.
If you have ANY advice, I’m willing to listen! If you don’t mind, you can e-mail me directly.
Frustrated,
Dustin
ADMIN – Hi Dustin,
The dog fence will be able to keep all four dogs contained, but none of them will be able to help with keeping the Cocker Spaniel in a separate containment area. For that you will need a different containment solution like the chain link pen you mentioned.
A good system for getting them all contained would be the PetSafe Inground. With that system, you could use the included collar with the larger Cocker Spaniel. And for the smaller dogs, I would use the compatible PetSafe Little Dog collars.
Dogs running through the fence is not an issue if the dogs were initially trained on the fence. When the dog is properly trained, they believe the only way to stop the correction is to retreat and have no concept that you can go through the fence. Running through is typically only a problem if the dogs were never trained on the system, and were just let out – in this case they often think the way to stop the correction is to keep running.
We just adopted a one year old female rotty/lab mix(so we are told.) She is very sweet, has had some obedience training prior to coming to us. She does well with most commands, struggling with “stay.” In one week she has pulled her head out of her collar with leash attached and bolted, crawled under the chain link fence, jumped over the chain link fence and has attempted to bolt from both front door when opened and through the gate in yard when opened. She weighs approx 60 lbs. We live in the suburbs, have a 3/4 acre lot with an ancient chain link fence that we hope to replace in the future but it probably won’t be this year. She loves to stand with her 2 front legs on top of the fence, visiting with her neighbor buddies, some Beagles in one direction, a Bassett Hound in the other.. She loves to chase birds, and any moving critters esp cats.
She is smart and learns pretty quickly. She is calming down really well over the week., little hyper at first. Now she sleeps spread eagle with her tongue hanging out of her mouth so I think shes’ adjusting well enough. I am crazy in love with this dog and do not want anything to happen to her before we can get her trained more adequately. Please recommend a fence to fit our needs. I believe we can do the installation. Besides keeping her in the backyard I would like to be able to keep her out of the garden in the upper right corner of the yard, and off the couch so her Pops will be happy. I found your site with the reviews to be very helpful. I was not really more than barely familiar with the electronic dog
fences until I found your site. Please respond asap before my baby sails over the fence and gets into who knows what kinds of trouble. Thanks very much.
ADMIN – Hi Michele,
With that dog, I think you have a lot of good options, I would expect training to be uneventful.
The PetSafe Ultrasmart would work well if you wanted something rechargeable and with a smaller collar. The PetSafe Stubborn would also be a good choice and is a little cheaper (but uses a disposable battery and has a bigger collar).
I have two labs, one is 17 months old labs and 100 lbs and the other is 75 lbs. I have around 3 acres that I want to run the fence what do you think is my best option of fence and gauge of wire to run?
ADMIN – Hi Sarah,
Two good options for those two labs on three acres would be the PetSafe Ultrasmart and the SportDog SDF-100A. The differences between the two systems are that the PetSafe has a smaller collar and is rechargeable, while the SportDog has a larger collar and uses a disposable battery but is a little cheaper.
For an area like 3 acres, that is well inside the system limits, you can run any gauge of wire. The advantage of running the thicker gauge is that the wire is less likely to develop a break.
Hello, I am currently installing a PetSafe system, and need about 50 more feet of wire to complete the loop. Can I use copper wiring from the local store to finish the job? Thank you
ADMIN – Hi Richard,
You can indeed use regular single-conductor insulated copper wire. Getting direct burial wire is strongly preferred, because it will last longer in the ground. But, that is often hard to find at the hardware store, so for a short run I would be comfortable using regular wire (but know that you will end up having to replace that section eventually because it will only last a couple of years).
I am so confused by all the different fences!!.. I have 3 dogs.. a 100 pd lab and 2 small 16 and 24 pound schnauzers. I am wanting a good reliable fence for the lab and the male schnauzer (24 pounds) .I have a very large yard and farm. I just need them to stay away from a fast moving road in front of our home. And suggestions? We are using a training collar at the present time , But my male schnauzer refuses to go out with his training collar on.
ADMIN – Hi Shan,
What that much difference in size between the Labrador and the male Schnauzer, a collar that gives you independent correction levels would be important. Also a smaller collar would be useful for the Schnauzer. Two good options would be the PetSafe Inground (non-rechargeable collar) and the Dogtek EF-6000 (rechargeable collar).
Hi! I have a 23 lb jack russell mix who is very fast and agile and would like to get another dog that would be about 25- 35 pounds in the future. Which fencing system would work best for us and what gauge wire should we get? We have about 3/4 of an acre. Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Jessica,
For a smaller dog like a Jack Russell, a lighter but still full-powered collar like the Dogtra EF-6000 or the PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice.
Thicker wire is going to be more durable and is a worthwhile upgrade if it fits in your budget.
I will soon be installing an underground fence system. I’m looking at the PetSafe UltraSmart PIG00-13619. I have a metal fence on 3 sides around our yard. We will be containing about 2.5 acres. Will this metal fence affect or hurt the performance expected with the UltraSmart unit? If not, should I put the wire for this system through the metal fence that already exists? Thanks.
ADMIN – Hi Timothy,
You can place the wire on the metal fence. A sheet metal fence can sometimes act as an amplifier and make the fence boundary wider in the are where it runs alongside the fence. A chainlink, or rail fence will have no effect on the fence.
TIMOTHY – The metal fence is a cattle panel. A 50 foot section of the fence has a wire that gives power to an electric fence. Will that interfere with this type of dog electric fence?
ADMIN – A wire based fence like an electric cattle fence will not cause interference.
I purchased the PIG00-13169 to replace a cheap Radio Fence that I purchased from Home Depot. The Home Depot system worked well for seven years. The Innotek system does not contain our two Siberian Huskies. We hired invisible fence to look at it. The installer says that it is working as designed, but that it is an unreliable system. I called Invisible Fence, but they could not help.
ADMIN – Hi Jon,
To diagnose the issue, we need to know a little more. When you say the dog’s aren’t contained – what happens when they cross the line, are they reacting (yelping, etc) and crossing anyway or are they seemingly unaffected. If it is the later it is either the system not working, the collar not being fitted right, or the correction levels being too low. If it is the former, they likely need a bit of remedial training.
I was wondering if the collar for the Ultrasafe Contain and Train (5100) would also work with just the fence part of the Ultrasafe Fence (4100)? I have a 3 year old rescued Irish Wolfhound who often goes for playdates with other Irish Wolfhounds who are in the Ultrasafe fence 4100, but I would like the extra benefits of the Ultrasafe contain and train 5100 for at home along with the fence part, but I need something that is compatible with the Ultrasafe fence 4100 for his playdates and dog sitting. Would this work?
ADMIN – Hi T,
Yes, the Innotek-5100 (Ultrasafe Contain and Train) collar will work with the fence part of the PetSafe Ultrasmart (previously the Innotek IUC-4100). The two collar are intercompatible in their containment functionality. The setup you describe would work perfectly.
You are awesome! I purchased the Innotek 4100 and it has worked perfectly. Even when the collars arent on my dogs they stay in the boundaries because they remember the zone. The issue i have is with the collars. I’ve gone through three replacement collars in two years and now another collar no longer gives a warning beep. Have you seen reports of these collars failing? Is there an update to the collar? Do you think the new dogtek fence’s collars are built better to solve this problem or are they built similar or to soon to tell? Thanks and keep up the great work. I always recommend people to your website.
ADMIN – Hi Brian,
Sorry to hear that. So I understand, the collar no longer warning beeps – but it still corrects? Does it beep when it is correcting or is it silent then as well? Did this same issue happen to all three of the collars, or was the issue limited to this one collar? What correction level are you on?
There was a period around 2010-2011 where lots of the collars coming out of the factory were duds and would fail in the first few months, but I haven’t heard your issue where they fail a year later.
The Innotek IUC-4100 was renamed the PetSafe Ultrasmart, but the new collars are electronically nearly identical to the ones you have, and aren’t different enough that I would buy new collars. I prefer the Dogtek collars, but again not enough to make me switch systems once I had already paid for the Innotek.
My best guess is you just had bad luck. I would get the defective collar replaced by Innotek (should be around $30 if you do it under the Limited Lifetime warranty), and hope that is the last you hear of it. Please keep us in the loop, we would be interested to know if the new collar develops issues too.
Hi, I am trying to figure out what system would work best for my three dogs. I have a male Irish Wolfhound, male Lab Pit mix and a Female Boxer Pointer mix. The lab mix has a very high pain tolerance and my wolfhound is 150 lbs plus. Both dogs have a high prey drive and will chase small animals and deer. Because they chase I want to make sure they have plenty of warning time to stop and not go through the fence. We have roughly 20 acres to fence in. What system would you recommend?
ADMIN – Hi Christian,
With those dogs, I would want a system with a good strong correction. The SportDog SDF-100A would be a good choice, it can do up to 100 acres so would have plenty of power to let you create nice wide boundaries. To the basic system, I would add two PetSafe Stubborn collars which will give you the higher correction strength for the Wolhound and the Labrador Pitbull mix. The included SportDog collar would work well with the Boxer-Pointer mix.
We have 3 acres and our German Shepherd/Pit mix is about 75 lbs. She is 7 years old and a pretty calm dog. She is a 24/7 outside dog. I am trying to decide between the stubborn dog and the ultra smart. We will eventually add another puppy. I like the idea of the rechargeable collar, but am afraid that since it has to be removed to be charged she may try to make a run since she is an outside dog. I guess an alternative is to tie her up while the collar is being charged. I am also thinking of upgrading the wire to 16. What fence do you think would be the best option for us?
ADMIN – Hi Kristen
You won’t go wrong with either of those fences. With her being part German Shepherd and part Pitbull, I would lean toward the PetSafe Stubborn because that extra strong correction may come in useful. The PetSafe Stubborn also gives you a little bit of extra flexibility, allowing you to use the smaller PetSafe Little Dog and PetSafe Deluxe collars with the new puppy in the event that they are a smaller dog.
If you want to make the PetSafe Stubborn rechargeable, you can buy a rechargeable 9V battery and charger at a local Wal-Mart of Radio Shack.
We just rescued our first 6 week old Aussie Shepard/Lab mix. He is very active and requires lots of space. very smart and so far easy to train. We have about 1-2 acres clear in our backyard and another 4 acres of woods that we would like to “keep him out of.” What system will work best for us? I do have an inground pool that is fenced in directly in the center of the backyard. I would like to install it this summer so that we are ahead of the game once he is old/big enough to venture off the leash.
ADMIN – Hi Jerry,
The Dogtek EF-6000 and the PetSafe Ultrasmart are both good choices. Both have small collars, are reliable systems, and have rechargeable batteries. For only 1-2 acres, the Dogtek would probably be the better choice out of the two as it has some additional features such as the adjustable boundary and correction zones, and is a little cheaper.
I have a 1 year old Husky that when outside with us is on either a 25 foot or 50 foot lead to allow running and playing with our 12 year old. I would like to keep her out of some newly planted areas. But due to sloping I am unable to relocate the run and don’t want to shorten it either. The area I want her out of is irregular shaped and runs along the house, a low retaining wall, a walkway, and a water feature. What would you suggest?
ADMIN – Hi Lisa,
The PetSafe Ultrasmart would be a good choice if there are lots of landscaping features you want to keep the young Husky from digging up. You can simply run the boundary wire around the main yard. Then use a series of the Pawz-Away wireless pods (they look like small fake rocks) to keep the dog our of all the garden beds.
We would like to upgrade our system from ( HT-023 useless ) to the pet ultra smart 13619, we have a cavoodle 9kgs and on an acre, battery back up for power failures, slim line transmitter, rechargeable, correction levels not an issue. the dog is an escape artist. Also with the old system the wall unit (garage) on very low the transmitter will still beep when next to house, i have come to the conclusion that the termite mesh they installed between the bricks at ground level picks up the signal from the unit, is this a problem. I live in Sydney Australia. Thanks
ADMIN – Hi Marco, to solve this signal issue, you’ll need to use twisted wire coming out of the control unit until it is 10 to 15 feet clear of the termite mesh. As long as the signal is completely clear of the mesh, you should not have interference issues.
What would you recommend for a high energy dog like an Australian Shepard. Would like for her to have free range of our 2 1/2 acres most of the time, so something she could wear often would be a big plus too.
ADMIN – Hi Eric, I would recommend the Dogtek EF-6000 for your Australian Shepherd. It will cover the range needed and offers a slim rechargeable collar with 8 correction levels that suits high energy dogs well. If she wears it often, we only recommend removing it every couple of days to inspect and confirm her neck looks healthy and clean. Add in an additional 1,000 feet of wire to have enough wire for your property.
Hello. We have a 2 yr old Pit Bull. She is a big girl about 75 pounds. We have a chain link fence but somehow she manages to squeeze herself under it. She is very intelligent and very active. We also have a big yard, is it possible to just do a portion of the yard for her? What would you recommend for us?
ADMIN – Hi Tanya, the PetSafe Ultrasmart would work well with your Pit Bull. You can run the wire along the base of the fence or attach it to the fence. The system works in a closed loop, so you’ll need to run it along the whole property.
Hi! i have a 10 month old Alaskan Malamute. I’m wondering if any of your fences will work for him, he’s very stubborn and loves to run. He will chase any small animals, and I’m worried he will just run right through the shock. Thank you!
ADMIN – Hi Layla, Alaskan Malamute’s are sure independent, but when it comes to correction resistance, they are typically big wimps. We typically recommend going with the PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 for Malamute’s. The Ultrasmart has a slimline collar that is rechargeable.
Hi, I have a 55 pound boxer mix female that is about 3 years old. She loves to chase squirrels, rabbits, birds, anything that moves, etc. She can jump a fence within seconds, very athletic. We used to have a cattle fence around the perimeter of our yard and she figured out that if she was in mid-air and wasn’t grounded she wouldn’t get shocked, therefore would just JUMP the 5ft fence instead of climb it. Very smart and very stubborn. I like all of the qualities of the PetSmart Ultrasmart except for the fact that the stubborn dog system has a stronger correction. With proper training, do you think the Ultrasmart will still fit her needs? She is incredibly fast and has a high pain tolerance so it worries me that if she catches a scent or sees a squirrel, she’ll just dart after it and jump the fence quickly so she doesn’t feel the shock for long. Thanks for the help!
ADMIN – Hi Mandie, for a boxer mix with a high pain tolerance I would highly recommend going with the SportDog SDF100A. It will have plenty of correction levels for your boxer mix and will solve your containment issue immediately since you can combine it will a physical fence.
Hello, I have a 6 month old German shepherd puppy that is growing a little too big to keep inside. She is pretty smart, but is still a puppy so she can be stubborn at times like any animal. We have about 6 acres of land for her to run around on, but I do not know which fence will suit her best. Any suggestions? I was looking at the petsafe ultrasmart PIG00-13619. But it says it only includes 500 ft of wire. I’m open for ideas. Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Dylan, the Ultrasmart would be a great fit for your Shepherd. It has a slimline collar that is rechargeable. For 6 acres, you’ll need to add an additional 2,000 feet of wire to your order. We highly recommend upgrading to the 14 gauge for the strongest wire to withstand tree roots and the ground fluctuating through the seasons.
We are adopting a 14 yr old 20 lb Heinz 57 dog. We live in the city and have a fenced back yard except the driveway. We have an electric gate across driveway but need to secure that span maybe 12 feet wide. What are your recommendations?
ADMIN – Hi Deborah, I recommend going with a Pawz Away Outdoor rock. You can find this on our Accessories page inside our store. On the product page you can bundle in a collar, charger, and wire to give you all that you need.
I’m on 4 chain link fenced Acres. The chain link was installed level which left gaps at the bottom of the fence in MANY areas that my boxer slips under and neighbor dogs slip under for a visit. I’d like to run the wire through the chain link instead of digging a trench. I have Areca Palms planted along the inside of the whole chain link fence line. About 8 feet in from the chain link fence I have a strand of electric braid fence about 3.5 feet off the ground strung up on fiberglass posts around much of the perimeter of the yard to keep the horses back from the Palms and fence. Will the electric braid fence interfere with the wire dog fence system? How High off the ground can I mount the wire on my chain link fence? My dog is a 13 year old boxer keeping in mind I may have a different sized dog some day.
ADMIN – Hi Amanda, the electric braid fence will not interfere with your dog fence. We’d recommend installing the wire halfway up the fence. This will prevent your dog from going over or under the chain link. I recommend the PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 cause it will be great on most dogs 12 lbs and up and have an average temperament.
what is the cost to upgrade to the 14 gauge wire? I would need about 1000 feet. Thx
ADMIN – Hi Phil, upgrading the wire in the box $70. One additional boundary wire kit cost $89.95 and includes a roll of wire, 50 boundary flags, two wire nuts and two waterproofing capsules.
Ok, I have been reading and rereading all these systems for several weeks now and still am stumped on which one I should choose which would be the best to suit my needs. Help me please: I have a year old Rottie, who is an absolute weenie, but has pretty thick skin; and then a rescue German Shepherd that I’ve had a bark limiter on. She’s pretty sensitive to electricity based on her actions with this. She does have a barking problem, but I’m thinking with a lot more room, this should be greatly reduced. My question is which system would be the best for the both dogs? I have two acres. Also, I have horses contained within a paddock that had a electric fence which is fed by a solar powered/battery back up system (within these two acres). Will this be a problem for my system? Thank you!
ADMIN – Hi E Romero, the electric fence will not be an issue. As for your Rottie and Shepherd, I would not look any further than the PetSafe PIG00-13619. It has plenty of correction strength for what you described. For 2 acres, bundle in an additional 1,000 feet of wire. I recommend going with the very strong 14 gauge wire versus the thin 20 gauge that comes with the system.
Hi, I am interested in installing an in-ground fence. I have three dogs, two are large Malamute/shepherd mixes and one is a smaller spaniel mix. The two larger malamute dogs are sweet but like to run away when no one is home. The spaniel mix is very gentle and sweet. I am wanting to fence in approximately 1/4 of an acre. Since the dog’s temperaments are varied, I’m unsure which system would fit my needs. Would I need to buy different brand collars? I would sincerely appreciate any expertise you can share with me. Thanks
ADMIN – Hi Angela, the best bet is to go with a PetSafe system and mix and match the other collars. I would recommend the PetSafe Stubborn system with an extra Stubborn collar. For your Spaniel, you can add in the PetSafe Deluxe collar. The fence comes with enough wire to cover up to 1/3 of an acre so you should have plenty. You may consider adding in a roll of twisted wire.
We have a 5-month-old 20-lb Beagle-Pointer mix that doesn’t look to max out past 30 lbs. We are currently on a huge plot of land that measures about 1100 ft in perimeter, so that is the amount of wire we expect to buy.
I have narrowed my choices down to the SportDog SDF-100A and the PetSafe Ultrasmart/ Innotek IUC-4100. The SportDog option comes with the wire necessary, but every place I look seems to suggest that I would want to upgrade to the 14 gauge wire. How necessary is this upgrade for 1100 square feet of wire, and how fragile is the 20 gauge wire?
ADMIN – Hi Mike,
For a smaller dog in the 20-30 lb region, the smaller Innotek IUC-4100 collar makes it the better choice. Particularly while he is in the 20lb range, the SportDog collar is going to be a little too big.
The 20 gauge wire is by no means fragile and will work fine over any distance up to the system maximum (around 5,000 feet). The advantage of the 14 gauge wire is that is reduces the chance of getting a wire break. It is a nice-to-have upgrade, it is not at all necessary.
We recently got 3 puppies, their mother was a pure bread Akita and their father was an unknown (probably mostly German shepherd, but that’s only a guess). They are currently 2-1/2 months old. We have over 11 acres, with a river cutting through it. We would like to install an electric fence so that we can let them run free (they are indoor dogs, but they need lots of exercise and we want to give them as much space as possible. What system do you recommend? Also, how do you recommend we handle the river? (Ideally I would like a way to electronically fence off only the portion of the property on the side of the river with the house, this is the majority of the property 9+ acres. However, I would like them to be able to play in the river with the kids and such when supervised.) I would appreciate any suggestions Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Michael, according to your goals, I would recommend excluding the river and fence in your 9+ acres. I highly recommend you upgrade the wire to 14 gauge. The 20 and 18 gauge are too thin to hold up to that amount of acreage. The SportDog SDF100A is with the added thick fur probes is the system I would recommend for your Akita mixes. The manufacture is the only place to find the thick fur probes. For 9+ acres, you’ll need to add an additional 2,000 feet of wire to your order.
Hey Stewart. I have a back yard with a chain link fence. My dog has never attempted to jump over it, but the last few weeks he has started jumping more and more. He can now clear my sectional couch with ease. Would you recommend this model as just a precautionary measure or is there another model you would prefer? Thanks for the great website!
ADMIN – Hi Jared, this would be a great fence for your backyard containment solution. You can run the wire along the top of the fence. I would recommend you review the backyard loop layout options on our layouts page located under Installation on the menu bar at the top. Back yard loops require a bit of extra planning since the fence operates in a closed loop only.
Hi there….as we have a pretty diverse range of dog sizes in our household, was just wondering if the PetSafe Little Dog collars would work with the larger PIG00-13619 system. Essentially, how do you get best-of-both-worlds benefits from a single dog fence solution? We like most everything we read regarding attributes of the better rated systems, but concerned that it may be too much for our Yorkie vs. our Chocolate Lab. Any suggestions? Thanks, -mp-
ADMIN – Hi Mike, the Little Dog collar will not work with the Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 unfortunately. For your mix of dogs, we recommend going with the PetSafe Deluxe and bundle in the little dog collar.
We were looking at the Innotek ICU 5100 but decided we don’t need the trainer, so we figured we just needed the ICU 4100. Is the IUC4100 the same as Petsafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619? We have 4 acres and a golden/lab mix puppy – we expect him to be about 40 lbs. Thanks!
ADMIN – Hi Debbie, yes they are the same fence. The only difference is that the PIG00-13619 includes the lightning surge protector. This will be a great fence for the size of lab mix you have. We recommend you upgrade your wire to 14 gauge for maximum strength wire and you’ll need to bundle in an extra 1,500 feet of wire to cover 4 acres of property.
We are on a farm and would like to enclose 5-10 acres. What is the cost for extra wire and flags over the cost of the system?
ADMIN – Hi D Folk, the cost depends on the gauge. For a 500 foot roll of wire, 20 gauge is $21.95, 18 gauge is $31.95, 16 gauge is $69.95, and 14 gauge is $79.95. We recommend upgrading to 14 gauge on installs greater than 500 feet. 14 gauge will withstand the wire breaks from tree roots that simply snap the smaller gauges. For 5 acres, you’ll need a total of 2,000 feet of wire and for 10 acres you’ll need a total of 3,000 feet of wire.
I’ve installed the Innotek 4100 system (CORRECTION – It is the Innotek SD2100E, not the 4100) and it has worked well for 10 months to contain our English Setter in just over five acres of woodland and olive grove. The wire runs mainly in the bed of streams – these have only got water part of the year. Previous breaks in the fence (caused by wild boar) resulted in the system alarm sounding and were easily repaired. This week, however, after torrential rain and flooded streams, the wire has been broken in several places and the broken ends are separated by several meters. The alarm does not sound, and the green light is steady on the control unit. I thought that it may be a problem with the broken ends being under water and therefore providing some continuity – so I pulled one end out of the water. Still no alarm! If I remove one end of the wire from the control box the alarm sounds (as it should). Have you any suggestions as to why the alarm is not sounding? After some thought I can only imagine that there is also a break of the insulation in a part of the dog fence where the wire is twisted. Thus, if the wire shorts a continuous loop will be made and the alarm will not be activated. The water is flowing too strongly to check this at present, but I am certain that it will be the answer. I am pretty confident that there is not a fault with the control unit. Thanks, Frank
ADMIN – Hi Frank, I believe what you say will be the answer. The ground can “complete” the loop as we have seen in our testing. So, sometimes, there can be a break but no alarm.
hello my name is randy and we live in town I have a long but narrow yard and I’m looking for a fence recommendation for my German Shorthair. she is only 6 months old now but I would like to put in a fence so she can come and go from the garage as she pleases! What do you suggest?
ADMIN – Hi Randy, for a German ShortHair, we’d recommend the SportDog SDF-100A. It is designed for hunting dogs that tend to ignore corrections. This will get her attention and should be a great fit for your GSH. The 1,000 feet of wire that comes with the system should be plenty. Make to refer our Planning/Layouts page to find an appropriate fence layout plan for your needs. You can locate our Planning/Layouts page on the drop down menu under the main heading “Dog Fence Installation” on the main menu bar.
I have a rescued adult West Highland Terrier whose mission in life is to hunt for mice, moles, etc. and will ignore me when on a mission. She weighs 14 pounds. We live in a rural community on 3/4 acre with neighbors on all sides. A highway is 2 blocks away and corn fields are 2 blocks in the opposite direction. I’m concerned about her breaking through the barrier and not being able to find her. What do you recommend for a small dog on a mission? Thank you
ADMIN – Hi Shirley, if you’re worried about the size of the collar for a 15 pound dog, I would recommend going with the PetSafe Little Dog fence. Though it’s recommended for dogs 12 pounds and under, it will work great for dogs up to 20 pounds. With great, consistent training, you should expect 100% containment. Our dogs do not run through the boundary.
Can you confirm the difference between the former Innotek IUC 4100 and the newly named PetSafe Ultrasmart? Lots of reviews talk about the IUC 4100, but when I select it in the shopping cart , it only appears as a PetSafe Ultrasmart (No reference to IUC4100). Since your reviews seem to treat these as exactly the same, I want to ask the question directly – Did Petsafe make any changes (Positive or negative ) to the IUC 4100, when they took over the product line? Thanks for the great site.
ADMIN – Hi Dan, it is the same fence. The only difference is the branding and it now includes a surge protector. Otherwise, it’s the same fence. Sorry for the confusion.
Hi. We have two rambunctious dogs. Both are rescue dogs. One is an English Setter mix (around 60 pounds), the other a Husky/Doberman mix (around 50 pounds). They love to roam the country side and have gotten into porcupines numerous times, as well as skunks, etc. We live in the Texas Hill Country on 11 acres. The terrain around here is very rocky. Which system would you recommend for our dear dogs?
ADMIN – Hi Amy, I would recommend the SportDog SDF100A for both your Setter and Husky mix. The collar offers plenty of correction levels and you can set separate correction levels for each dog. I would recommend upgrading your wire to 14 gauge since you plan to install so many acres and you have such rocky ground.
i have a 50 pound lab mix and a 10 pound min pin. I am looking for a system with rechargeable batteries that would work for both dogs. Would this system do the job?
ADMIN – Hi Luke, With such a difference in sizes, you will have to go with a PetSafe system with different collars. I would recommend going with the Deluxe fence with an added Little Dog collar. The downside is that the batteries are disposable, not rechargeable.
We have a one year old rescue that seems to be a blue heeler/hound mix. He is super sweet and sort of dopey. He will stay in the unfenced yard as long as we are paying attention to him. He is a very muscular sprinter dog that loves to fetch balls. If he happens to see squirrels and deer, he super sprints and ends up anywhere…on the road, neighbors down the street. He likes to go visiting. We are on a quiet road, but off a main and blind curves road. We think we have about a 1/3 – 1/2 an acre to deal with and it backs to a county park. We need a solution! What is your suggestion?
ADMIN – Hi Trish, I’d recommend the PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 dog fence. It’s a great fence for Blue Heeler sized dogs. The 3 correction levels should be plenty and the sleek collar should fit nicely. If you have closer to a half acre, you’ll need to bundle in an additional 500 feet of wire with your order.
I’m looking for a fence system that would have the in-ground wiring, for use at home and a mobile unit to have when taking the pet away from home. Do you offer systems such as this? Thanks, David
ADMIN – Hi David, Unfortunately we do not offer any cross products like you mention.
Hi! We have a 1 year old American Brittany who has taken to digging under our fences and roaming around, which worries me a lot. He is a friendly, well-tempered dog, but is certainly stubborn. He never escapes while we are at the house and awake, but starts digging the moment we pull out of the driveway or, often, when we go to bed at night. What system would you recommend for us? Thank you in advance for your help!
ADMIN – Hi Maurine, for a hunting dog like your Brittney, I’d recommend the SportDog SDF100A. It has the stronger correction levels necessary to get a hunting dog’s focus.
Hi, I have a 10 month old labradoodle that we are wanting to contain using a wired or wireless system. My question is, he is a chewer and has been chewing through his cloth harnesses/collars. Could he easily chew through these collars? We are currently using bitter apple sprays to prevent the chewing but I can’t figure out if that would work on this type of collar if it is made of rubber. Thx!
ADMIN – Hi Molly, yes he could easily chew through any dog fence collar. And yes, the Bitter Apple spray is exactly what we recommend as a solution.
HI! I am thinking about getting a system. My dog is about a year old and runs out of our yard often. She is about 25lbs. She listens sometimes as long as she is not going after a squirrel or chipmunk. We need to cover our whole yard about 1/2 or 3/4 acre. Which system would you recommend?
ADMIN – Hi Dawn, for a mild tempered dog of your dog’s size, I’d recommend the PetSafe PIG00-13619. You’ll need to bundle in one additional roll of wire to cover 1/2 and acre up to 1 acre.
Hi I just purchased the Pet Safe Ultrasmart on your website, but now I’m a little unsure if it is the best fit for me. I can always re order if there is a better option. I have a five month old Australian Labradoodle who is fairly easy to train and likes to go outside our yard on occasion. We live on a quarter acre lot in a suburb with no fencing. I would like to contain our backyard and leading up to our house so that she can remain fenced when we are not home. Which option is the best for us? Do you think I should consider a wireless fence? By the way, this is a great website. Very easy to follow.
ADMIN – Hi Ken, I believe you have the best fence option in your hand. A wireless fence is just too unreliable. I think you’ll love the PetSafe Ultrasmart fence.
I just moved on 5.4 acres. I am looking to put in a underground fence for my dogs. I have a Scottie, border collie and a lap mixed. What would be the best system for me? What gauge wire do you think I should used?
I have tried a underground fence from petsmart in the past and had no luck with it. It was just a waste of money. Thanks for your help. Chris
ADMIN – Hi Chris, with such a mix of dogs, you’ll want to go with a PetSafe fence. For stubborn dogs/large dogs, you’ll want to go with the Stubborn collar, for averaged tempered dogs 12 lbs and up go with the PetSafe Deluxe collar and for dogs 12 lbs and under go with the PetSafe Little Dog collar. For any installation over 1/3 of an acre I highly recommend upgrading the wire to 14 gauge. This offers the strongest wire to pretty much prevent wire breaks. No matter the system you get, as long as you train correctly, and the collars are set to appropriate correction strengths you should expect complete containment.
Hi, I read some posts to see if I could get a rough idea as to what I am facing. I didn’t see quite the answers that satisfy. I am trying to get a sense as to how much material and cost it would take to enclose my 10 acre site. The boundary is about 2700′, and much of it is dense woods. We have a Great Pyrenees that wants to roam the countryside without me. He doesn’t understand the limits, but I do, and need to rein him in. Appreciate your reply. -Paul
ADMIN – Hi Paul, I’d recommend the SportDog SDF100A for your Great Pyrenees. With all 2,000 feet of wire your cost is $359.75 for 20 gauge. For 10 acres I do recommend upgrading to the strongest wire, 14 gauge. The cost for this with 14 gauge is $739.75.
Hi, We adopted a beagle from a rescue group. He is very loving and sweet (especially with our 4yr old daughter) He is for the most part very well-behaved. However, he is a victim of his own nose and instincts! He finds a way out of our privacy every time I let him out.( even when I stand outside with him …and call him back to me… with a piece of ham in hand!) Sometimes he will come to me after I catch him in the front yard, but I am so stressed. I am constantly worried about him getting hit by a car or someone picking him up. I am worried that his nose will win out even with the fence, he is around 25- 30lbs and we live on approx 150x 100 ft lot and we are thinking of moving in the next year. I thought about a wireless fence because I would like to take him on vacations… to my parents house… or easy re-setup when we move, but it seems like the wired fences are much better. Please help! What do you suggest- thank you
ADMIN – Hi Jenn, I think the wireless is great idea for your setup and need to have a mobile unit.
Hi…I am looking for a fence for my lab/brittany spaniel mix. She is very well tempered, good mannered dog, about a year old. She used to stay in the yard, even when we would drive away, she would stay at the end of the driveway. Now she is getting more curious and venturing onto the road. We live in the country and are looking at fencing in 3-4 acres, as she has trained her self to do her business in the field! Also, wondering how the system works with snow coverage? We live in northern Minnesota!!
ADMIN – Hi Kayla, the Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 is a great fit for dogs that are well tempered and good mannered. If your dog had more Brittany Spaniel traits, I may be more inclined to recommend the SportDog SDF100A. For the cold Minnesota terrain, I’d recommend investing in your wire by upgrading it to a professional grade wire like the 16 gauge or 14 gauge. this will offer the best guarantee to avoid time consuming wire breaks. For your property, you’ll need to add an additional 1,500 feet of wire to your order to cover up to 4 acres. As for snow, you will simply turn up the signal width as the snow builds up and then dial it back down as the snow melts in the spring.
Hello, we are moving to a house with no fence. We have a 11 year old Golden Retriever who will stay in the yard and a 3 year old chocolate lab mix that will not stay in the yard. We adopted her and not sure if this system of underground fence will work with her or what her prior owner may have done. Just not sure if this system may bring out some issues if by chance she was abused prior to joining our home. She doesn’t show signs of abuse but you never know. She is very passive but takes off as soon as she has a chance. She will listen and is trainable. We currently have a fenced in yard so this is not an issue. Which system do you recommend we get?
ADMIN – Hi Ryan, for a chocolate lab, the Ultrasmart is a good fence choice. It’s not going to over-correct and you’ll be able to manage the amount of corrections given per training session. We usually limit it to two per session.
I have reviewed your site. And am still unsure what system to buy. I am on quite a few acres but looking to only enclose about 1 acre. Should be no problem burying the lines. I have 5 dogs (2 shelties, 2 Pomeranians, and 1 lab). Three of the dogs don’t really wander, but the lab and 1 Pomeranian will (males). The lab is very sensitive and responds well to all training so might not need a bigger charge? We will only use the underground fence when I am in the front with them (or when they “get out”). They already have a fully enclosed back yard with physical fence. What do you recommend?
ADMIN – Hi Peter, your best bet is to go with a PetSafe system so you can mix and match collars. I would recommend going with the PetSafe Deluxe fence and use the collar on the Lab. All the others that are at least 12 lbs can also wear the Deluxe collar. All those under 12 lbs will need the PetSafe Little Dog collar. These fences work in a closed loop. So, if you’re planning to fence just the front yard, you’ll probably need to run the wire up into the gutters in order to suspend the wire high enough along the front of the home so your dogs can travel underneath the signal out of range when the exit and enter the front door. You can see an illustration of this layout by clicking on “Dog Fence Installation” -> “Planning the layout” -> “Backyard only”. (Link is located in the contents box under #4.)
I am looking at these fences for my son’s Coon Hound. (he just had one get killed in the road) Although, we live in the country, the traffic can be bad. We have about 2.5-3 acres that will need to be covered. He is looking at getting a young dog..any suggestions that you think will help would be greatly appreciated.
ADMIN – Hi Tracy, what breed does you son plan to get? If it’s another Coon Hound we’d recommend the SportDog SDF100A. If it is a dog over 12 lbs and with an even temperament we’d recommend the PetSafe Ultrasmart fence PIG00-13619. For 2 to 3 acres, you’ll need a total of 2,000 feet of wire. 1,000 feet come with the SportDog and 500 feet come with the Ultrasmart. We’d recommend considering upgrading your boundary wire to 14 gauge for the strongest wire available. You can upgrade the wire on any product page in our store.
Hi there! I have a 3-1/2 month old Great Dane puppy. She is about 30 lbs now, and her 14″ collar fits loosely around her neck. She is very easily trainable (with treats!), and already knows “sit” and “down” and “crawl” (my daughter taught her that one!), so I think it’s time to get the fence. I’m leaning towards the UltraSmart PIG00-13619. I’m wondering how well the system (collar, mostly, I guess) will grow with her. I’m also wondering if this is the best system package to buy, considering we need 1500′ of wire, and lightning protection would probably be a good idea. Also, for underground fences in general, if there’s a break in the fence (like if a small mammal chewed through it), how hard is it to find where that break is? I’d hate to have to dig up 1500′ of wire to search for the problem area. Thank you so much for your help. This website is a fantastic resource!
ADMIN – Hi Annalisa, for your Great Dane, I’d recommend the PetSafe Stubborn Dog. It is better suited for larger dogs. It will be a fence your pup will be able to grow into as well. It is a cloth nylon collar that you can adjust to their neck precisely. If you were to receive a wire break, you’d need the PetSafe Wire Break Locator which is an item you can purchase in our online store. You will not have to dig up all your wire to locate the break. While, the Stubborn does not include the lightning protection, it is a good idea. I’d recommend adding on to your order.
We’ve been reading about this (Petsafe UltraSmart) dog fence (and all the comments) and are thinking it’s the one for us. We have a 100lb black lab/shar pei mix, and we’ve recently purchased a new home without a fence. Two questions: 1. How would we account for a two car width driveway in the front of our home? Can the fence be set up to include it as well? 2. Does the fence come with manual correction ability? I’ve seen that some have clickers that work with the same collars — just wondering if this has that option (even if they need to be purchased separately). Thanks in advance.
ADMIN – Hi Brian, you can cross the driveway by laying the wire down into the grooves of the concrete and caulking over the groove. The Innotek 5100 includes the remote trainer for manual corrections.
Hi there, I am looking into purchasing the PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619 as soon as I figure out how to overcome some layout issues. I already have an Innotek-2000 from a few years back that I never took out of the box and I was wondering if I can combine the two wires if the need arises (not sure if 500 ft will be enough yet). I am also wondering what the smallest recommended boundary width setting might be and if the Innotek 2000 collar is compatible to the Ultrasmart transmitter (to possibly use in the case we adopt a second dog). Thanks in advance!
ADMIN – Hi Peter, You can definitely add on to the existing boundary wire. Make sure to match the same gauge of wire though so that the system will see it as full loop. The smallest boundary radius is 3 feet. The Innotek 2000 is not compatible with the PetSafe Ultrasmart fence (formerly the 4100).
Hi, we have a 9 month old hound mix dog. He is very sweet but very stubborn. We recently bought a new house without a fenced in backyard. Our dog will not stay in the yard. If we get a fence he simply digs and digs along the fence line. Do you recommend an invisible fence and if so, what kind? We would also like to consider one that has indoor capabilities. Our dog is very smart, sometimes too smart. We tried a shock collar but it had no effect at all.
ADMIn – Hi Scott, our dog fence collars operate in a similar fashion to a remote correction collar in that it delivers a static correction in a specific situation. For dog fences, a static correction is delivered when the collar crosses into the boundary zone where the radio frequency is being transmitted. Proper training is the key to successful dog fence containment no matter the system or the dog breed. For your dog, if they have a high tolerance against correction, I would recommend the PetSafe Stubborn fence over the PetSafe Ultrasmart PIG00-13619. However, if they are simply independent but have a normal pain tolerance, then go with the Ultrasmart fence. For the fence collar to properly give a correction, both probes must be making solid contact with your dog’s skin. Without this, nothing will happen and your dog will respond as if nothing has happened. In most cases where it is assumed that there is no effect at all, the culprit is usually a improperly fitted collar. Both the Ultrasmart and Stubborn have indoor capabilities. The Ultrasmart works with the ZND1000 indoor zone and the Stubborn is compatible with the PetSafe Indoor radio fence.
I was looking for a recommendation on which fence would work best for my situation. I have a miniature Eskimo (so I have to consider the thickness of his fur) and a Boston terrier who are both around the 17 pound mark. I also have a Great Dane who is only 10 months and well over 100 pounds. Is there a system that will meet all of their needs? I only need approximately 250 feet of fence. I am looking for a quick solution until I’m ready to shell out the money for a 6′ privacy fence. Thank you…and this site has been most helpful!
ADMIN – Hi Melissa, Yes, for such a mix of dogs, I would recommend the PetSafe Stubborn Fence. I’d put the Great Dane on the Stubborn collar and bundle in two Deluxe collars for the Eskimo and Boston Terrier. The fence comes with 500 feet of wire which will cover your yard nicely.
I have a ham radio station I am worried about interference – the collar being activated by the ham radio transmissions and also the fence system interfering with ham radio reception. Can you give me some guidance – like what is the frequency range of the fence systems and are and less susceptible to interference?
Admin- Hi Don,
No worries, the Ham Radio transmitter will not interfere with your dog fence collar. But, it is possible that your dog fence may interfere (cause static) with his Ham radio.
I have a fully fenced back yard but have no gate across the single car driveway. I need something to contain my lab from going down the driveway. It is only 18 feet across. What system would you recommend?
Admin- Hi Judy,
If you are only worried about your dog escaping the front gate, than you could simply run the boundary wire across the drive blocking the exit point. You could install the transmitter in the garage and lead twisted wire to the gate area where you will create your loop. Please see our single side diagram under dog fence installations.
Have you had any experience with a Keeshond and any of the underground fences? She is a year old, very stubborn, but normally comes running when I call her back to me. The reason I say she is stubborn, is because when I try to correct her she will test me and stand her ground. As as example, I also purchased a training collar is prevent her from jumping up on people and to keep her off the furniture but I had to turn it up to one of the highest settings to get her to react and stop the bad behavior. She also figured out that she could paw at the collar enough to turn if off. I returned it after about 2 weeks of use. She has been the most difficult dog that I have ever had to train. We live in a country neighborhood setting with 4 to 6 acre lots so I don’t think we will have any issues with the neighbors dog fences. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
ADMIN – Hi Backer’s, Keeshond’s a double coat which makes it difficult for dog fence collars to be effective. If your Keeshond is over 12 lbs, we’d recommend you go with the PetSafe Deluxe fence and purchase the thick fur probes from the manufacture, PetSafe, where these probes are exclusively sold. You may have to thin the fur with scissors or maybe shave the spot where the collar probes are. Both probes must make good contact with the skin in order to work. Otherwise, they will not feel the correction.
Hi,
I’ve just moved from a fenced in .25 acre to 7 acres with no fences. We have a 6 year old Great Dane and an 8 year old Bichon. I’m planning to only use under ground fencing on about 2-3 acres. I know that the innotek 4100 is the unit that you normally recommend but will this be ok with the size difference of our dogs? Is there another unit you could suggest instead? Or are there additional collars that can be purchased for the 4100 that are for smaller dogs? Thanks In Advance for any advice.
Admin- Hi Jay,
The PetSafe Stubborn Dog system will be the best fence for you because it offers independent correction levels for all the collars on the system. You will use the included collar for the Great Dane and bundle in a PetSafe Little Dog collar for the Bichon, which is the only collar I recommend for a Bichon. The system comes with 500 feet of wire and to cover 2-3 acres, you will need to bundle in an additional 1500 feet of wire giving you a total of 2000 feet.
Hi there. I have a IUC5100 collar without the system. I am interested in purchasing the 4100 underground fence system. I have 2 dogs, if I purchase the IUC4100 system will my IUC5100 collar work with the IUC4100 transmitter? I plan on buying the IUC4100 system and using the included collar for one dog and using the IUC5100 for my other dog. Will this work? Thanks
Admin- Hi Rachel,
Absolutely, the PetSafePIG0013619(IUC4100)and IUC5100 systems operates with the same transmitter box/unit. Therefore, you can use the 5100 collar with the PetSafe13619(IUC4100) transmitter and vise versa. Note: the main difference between the two collar is the IUC5100 collar is compatible with a hand held training remote and the PetSafe13619(IUC4100) collar is not.
Hi there. I have 2 medium sized boxer dogs, a boy and a girl 50 and 70 pounds. The girl is pretty good but if the boy even sees another dog/bike/person he bolts crazy fast out of the yard. If I have a collar on him that isn’t snug he pulls it off and chews it. Both dogs I have to keep on long leashes because as of right now they wont stay in the yard. My subdivision will not allow me to put up a fence and my poor boxers deserve to run free. Will the Innotek 4100 work well for 2 medium boxer dogs? will the collars fit snug? Will this work well for a boxer that bolts out of the yard? I am wanting to purchase this asap if you think it will be a good fit for my kids (dogs). Thank you!!
ADMIN – Hi Rachel, Considering your male boxer’s tendency to bolt, remove loose collars, and chew them up, I’d recommend the PetSafe Stubborn Fence with the PetSafe Deluxe collar for the female boxer. The PetSafe Ultrasmart fence (formerly the 4100) has rubber collar bands on the collar that may be easier for your male dog to pull off and chew up. The Stubborn fence collar is one of our most toughest collars and does deliver the higher correction levels if necessary. It will fit snug on your boxers as well. The collars bands are a nylon cloth with a quick release buckle. You can adjust the collar strap to fit appropriately. As for bolting, the key to pet containment is in training your dogs well. The correction doesn’t contain them, it only refocuses them to obey the boundary rules you’ve trained them to follow. If you train your boxers according to our Training guide, you can expect 100% containment.
Hi, I have rhubarb planted around the perimeter of my back yard and want to keep my two dogs out of it. My backyard is fenced in already with a chain link fence but I want to run an invisible fence around the perimeter about 4 feet in from the edge of my property. I have a westie about 20 lbs and a coton de tulear that is about 13 lbs. Can I run the Innotek 4100 straight from one end to the other or does it have to be a circle? My backyard is about 150 ft total.
ADMIN – Hi Mary Rose, The dog fence will need to set up in a complete loop to operate. If you install the fence 4 feet inside the perimeter, the signal will also be a minimum of 3 feet from the wire. This means that you’re dogs will be keep off the fence at least 7 feet. We’d recommend running the wire at the fence and adjust the signal strength to the distance you want to keep your dogs from the fence.
we used to have 2 labs and they were trained with the innotek smart dog system. after they were trained the fence was struck with lightening and destroyed the transmitter. Since the dogs no longer wandered I did not replace the unit. Now we have a 1 year old husky and we need to replace the unit. I don’t know if the wire is intact but I’m hoping that I don’t need new wiring. (we have 10 acres) What would you suggest that I do to proceed? Should I get just buy the unit and collars and then test the wire? Then if necessary just repair/replace the wire? I was thinking of the PetSafe Ultrasmart dog fence (PIG00-13619). Thanks, dgb
ADMIN – Hi DGB, Your unit is still covered under the manufactures warranty. I would contact PetSafe for a replacement transmitter. It should be discounted.
I’m thinking the PetSafe Ultrasmart fence PIG00-1361 would be suitable for my dog (boxer-husky mix, 65+ lbs). He is very industrious and often successful in his efforts to dig under the existing fence and escape — and never misses his opportunity when the gate is open! Would you recommend this particular model for this kind/size dog? We have 2.5-3 acres to enclose and would zip tie the wire to the existing fence. What kind of wire is used for the fencing: solid copper or strands? (At the hardware store I see both.) I’m thinking I’ll need a LOT of wire!
I have another dog (ridgeback-hound mix, 50 lbs) whom we don’t know whether to train or not on the fence. He is a very skittish, fearful dog, and we think the correction of the collar might not go well. If the collars were independently adjustable, perhaps it would work: a medium correction for the larger dog and the warning vibration for the skittish one. What do you think?
ADMIN – Hi Joan, This is a great fence for your boxer/husky and yes you can definitely attach the wire to your existing fence. Make sure to attach the wire in a way that does not damage the wire insulation. We use insulated staples on a wood fence for example. For up to 3 acres, you’ll need to bundle in additional 1,500 feet of wire with your order to cover your property. We sell 4 wire gauge options, 20, 18, 16, and 14. Both 20 and 18 gauge are solid and the 16 and 14 are stranded. If you decide to incorporate both dogs, I would recommend going with the PetSafe Deluxe with an extra collar so that you adjust separate correction strengths for each dog.
We have two labs 70lbs and Labradoodle. We will be moving to house that have five acres. In reading about theses fences, looks to be an easy and affordable option. The boys mind pretty well and have been trained; one of the labs follows his nose and puts his head downs as soon as door opens. My question is once they go past the boundary; will they be freaked out to come back? Chocolate lab probably will run right thru it and be scared to come back?
Thanks for the love of dogs
Admin- Hi Craig,
Yes, if your Chocolate Labs run through the boundary they would have the same boundary signals upon returning. The key here will be training. Labs are easily trainable with the boundaries; you might only have a run through once or twice initially but with good training on the boundary signals (warnings and corrections), your Labs will understand where the boundary lies and not cross.
We have two 10-year-old German short hair pointers, 66 lbs. and 55lbs. We also have a four-year-old Boston terrier/mini dachshund; she weighs 30 lbs. but has a small neck. They have never been fenced in and have never had a correction collar. Our dogs have always been easy to train but don’t know how they will take to this system. This is new to all of us. We have an acre to fence in. We are thinking of the PetSafe Ultra PIG00-13619 (Innotek IUC-4100). But your advice is needed.
1) If you do suggest the PetSafe UltraSmart PIG00-13619 will a small dog collar work with it?
2) During the winter months, will the fence work through three feet of snow?
Thanks, looking forward to your response.
Admin- Hi Andy,
1) The PetSafe UltraSmart collar band is adjustable from 7”- 32”. Typically most 30-pound dogs do not have any issues with collar.
2) Yes, once snow starts to build on the boundary. You will simply turn the signal strength on the transmitter to a higher level. This will allow the signal to project up through the snow covering.
I just purchased the PetSafe UltraSmart and am concerned I will not be able to use it for my purpose. I was going to put the wire around the perimeter of the yard and bring it in from the perimeter 3 times to go around my sprinkler heads to keep the dogs from eating them. Also I have a flowerbed that is basically in the middle of the yard so I have in essence to complete circles going. Can I just twist the wire around itself to create a line that the dogs can cross? This way I can connect the 2 circles. I hope this makes sense. Sorry I am not very good at explaining this. Also I have 2 separate entrances into my backyard from the house. How do I make it so that the dogs can come in the house without getting a shock first by crossing the wire?
Admin- Hi Justin,
1) I recommend first installing the boundary wire around the property. To create the signal around the sprinkler heads and flowerbeds, you will splice twisted wire into the closest outside boundary wire than lead it to the sprinklers and flowerbeds areas to create a small loop. This setup will be identical to our exclusion zones layout (see the layout under the dog fence installations tab).
2) Since you are only installing the boundary wire in the backyard, you will need to run the dog fence wire up one side of your house to the gutter or trim level to cross the backside of the house. This will allow your dogs to cross underneath the wire without getting corrected entering your house.
hi,
have a 4 month old english lab. looking at the 4100. how old does the dog have to be to train on the containment fence? i would like to set it up now, but i am not sure he is old enough. thank you, bill
ADMIN, Hi Bill, your dog will be ready to train sometime between 3 and 6 months old. Typically, if you can successfully train him on basic commands like sit and stay, he’s ready for dog fence training.
Does it come with enough wire to handle an installation for a 2 acre property? Is there anything else I will need to purchase?
Admin- Hi Joshua,
The Petsafe UltraSmart PIG00-13619 come standard with 500 feet of wire that can contain 1/3 acres but the transmitter can contain up to 25 total acres. For 2 acres, you will need 1500 feet of wire. The only other feature you might need will be twisted wire. The twisted wire will create a dead zone between the inside transmitter and the outside boundary.
What is the difference between the Petsafe Deluxe Little Dog fence and the Petsafe Elite Little Dog fence? We have a 7 month old Coton de Tulear/Shih Zhu hybrid puppy. Breeder said he would get 10-12 lbs when full grown. Am on the bubble between getting one of the PetSafe systems with the smaller collar or the PetSafe Ultra PIG13619, because of the rechargeable battery. Any advice?
Admin- Hi Dan,
You are going to limited on which system you can use based on the oton de Tulear/Shih Zhu neck size. If the neck on your oton de Tulear/Shih Zhu is at least 8 inches around, than the PetSafe Ultra PIG13619 collar will fit. However if his neck is smaller, your best option is going to be the PetSafe Little Dog system. We are not aware of a PetSafe Elite Little Dog system. The retailer that is advertising this system could simply be adding a small feature (lawn staples or twisted wire) to the package than changing the name. The transmitter and collar will still be the same.
I am ready to order the electric fence but I need to know what is a boundary width listed in the dimensions refers to. Does this refer to the area between the edge of the fence installation and the correction?
Thanks
Admin- Hi Beth,
The boundary width is the distance at which the collar receives the signal from the physical boundary wire. Example: If you have the boundary width set on 6 feet. As your dog approaches the boundary wire, the collar will receive the warning tone at 6 feet away from the physical boundary wire.
Great and helpful site! I’m wondering if the PetSafe Venture Series Little Dog 400 Yards Add-A-Dog collar is compatible with the PetSafe UltraSmart PIG00-13619 system, for our second (small) dog (8 lb terrier/Chihuahua mix)? If this collar fits it seems to be a better option than the ‘in-ground deluxe little-dog receiver’ because of the rechargeable battery. Thanks.
ADMIN – Hi Zack, Unfortunately, there isn’t a compatible PetSafe collar for the Ultrasmart fence. The reason is that the Ultrasmart fence came over to PetSafe from the Innotek brand of products.
Have a 1 year old Akita. They have 2 coats and huge neck. 23” Looking at the iuc4100. Will this be a good fit? Also, when they break the barrier, for whatever reason, what is the best way to get them back inside?
ADMIN – Hi Randy, This is a great fence for an Akita. With the thick undercoat, you’ll need to probably purchase the thick fur probe from PetSafe and then also trim the fur a bit with scissors around the area where the collar will sit on their neck. The collar band will fit their neck.
Dog’s that break through the boundary can be brought back by removing their collar. A dog that breaks through either has a improperly fitted collar and the probes are not contacting the skin, or the dog needs more training. Make sure that breaking the boundary does not become a habit. Re-training becomes more difficult the longer they are allowed to leave.
We have about 1200 feet of 12-gauge twister wire encircling our 3-acre lot. We have about 150′ twisted wire getting us connected to the transmitter that is located in the garage. We have cross all utility lines at right angles and are not aware of any metal near the boundary wire and are at lease 3′ away from any metal at the transmitter location. We have an RF125 transmitter and have noticed that when the transmitter is set at B or C and the dial is turned up over 8 the boundary field expands to over 70′ from the boundary wire. At setting 10 the whole property is receiving the signal. Is this normal for this transmitter, or is something amplifying the signal? If it is amplification, what could be causing it?
ADMIN – Hi Jean, it sounds like you are receiving amplification from one of your utility lines. Crossing the utility lines at a right angle minimizes the interference risk but does not mean it still cannot happen. I would turn down the boundary signal as far as possible and check the width again.
We purchased the Innotek 4100 system from you, and installed it on an existing fence, around approximately one acre. We have had it almost a year, and it is great. One of our four dogs was always getting out and running away, and now she never tries to get out. However, now I regret that I did not get the collar with the remote trainer, because if she ever gets out a door, she’s gone and no one can catch her for hours. That seldom happens, but it only takes once. She just knows she is free, and will not let anyone catch her. Is it possible to buy only the remote trainer portion, because we do not need the wire, etc. Or is it possible to buy a different collar that will work for both the fence and the handheld remote?
Thanks.
Admin- Hi Holly,
There isn’t an easy upgrade option to get the 5100 collar and remote. While, we sell the 5100 collars, we do not have the remotes in stock. Unfortunately, the remotes are only packaged and sold with the 5100 fence. Now, you may be able to locate these remotes on the web, but I imagine you’d have to locate a site that sells refurbished equipment.
Can you tell me how high the wire has to be to not affect the dog. We use the back of our house which has both sliding glass and a back door for exits onto a raised wooden deck. If we ran the wire “over” the doors (approx 8 feet) is that sufficient to keep the signal away? Also, if the main component is plugged “INSIDE” the house, does it affect the dog inside. The location we would place it inside is in the same room the dog sleeps in? I would appreciate any answers before we decide to purchase. Thanks.
Admin- Hi Tracey,
1) The minimum boundary distances projecting off of the wire is 1-2 feet and the maximum is 10-12 feet.
I am not sure that applying the wire above the door will give your dogs enough room to pass underneath. I recommend installing the wire at the trim or gutter level if possible.
2) The transmitter inside the same room could send a signal to your dogs collar. You will want to run twisted wire off of the transmitter to kill the signal around the transmitter. However, you will want to take the collar with the tester and test inside the room to verify that there is no signal.
I enjoy seeing all of your replies to comments. My question is that I only need to protect my front yard. I have had my dogs get out of our garage and the backyard, however, only one dog is the problem in that when he gets loose he is running all over the place and does not listen to any type of commands. In this situation, would I be best off placing the fence to go in front of the fence and garage, or would I be better giving him some room and place it at the edge of the yard against the street? I would be using this on one large dog and one small dog, and I saw that I could do the resistor hack which would not be a bother for me.
Admin- Hi Brian,
1)If you are only worried about your dog escaping the front yard, than you could simply run the boundary wire along the front of your property blocking the road. You could install the transmitter in the garage and lead twisted wire to the frontage road than create the loop separating the road and your property. Please see our diagram for signal sided boundary under the Dog Fence Installations tab.
2) The resistor hack works really well for smaller dogs. The resistor will reduce the amount of correction by 50-75 percent.
We have a heavily forested one acre rectangular property. How difficult is it to bury the wire through a forest, trees, etc, as well as crossing a concrete driveway ?
Admin- Hi Steve,
The wire only needs to be buried 2-4 inches in the area that you will be mowing. For the rest of the loop through the forest, you can install the wire on top of the ground and take a garden rack to rack some natural ground cover over the wire for added protect. You will want to install the wire with lawn staples as well to help the wire stay flush to the ground. For your the concrete driveway, the easiest method to cross will be to install the wire inside the expansion joint.
Hi – I own a German Shepherd and a Basset Hound (both are 2 years old). We live on 2 acres and need to install an underground fence. Should we go with the Stubborn dog system or the Innotek 4100? Also, we have a pool where the dogs like to take an occasional dip in the summer. Thanks!
Admin- Hi Cheryl,
We would recommend the Stubborn Dog for your Shepherd and Basset Hound over the 4100 since your hound will be smaller. You tend to need the additional correction levels to refocus hunting breeds and the Stubborn dog system will give you the flexibility to adjust the correction amounts for each dog. Plus, the Stubborn collar is really waterproof which is another great reason for you go with this fence.
We have a 4 month old German Shepard/mix and are looking at possibly getting the Innotek 4100. We have a flat rectangle lot but in order for the dog to get to the yard, he has to go through our large driveway. Is this unit possible to use so that we can just let him out the backdoor? We will be happy to join the waitlist, as he will be a good age to start in June.
Thanks!
Admin- Hi Kate,
You will be able to install the boundary wire around the property so that your German Shepard can enter and exit the backdoor. Please see our diagram page underneath the “Dog Fence Installation tab” on the home page. We will add you to the waitlist.
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