Wired or Wireless? Which is the better dog fence?

Wired Pet Containment System

In a wired pet containment system, you bury an antenna, or "wire," around the area of enclosure, or perimeter. A transmitter in your garage monitors the perimeter. Your dog wears a receiver collar. If he crosses the boundary created by the wire, he receives corrective stimulation by electric current. By negative reinforcement, your dog learns to stay within the perimeter.

A wired system has the advantage of flexibility. You lay it out to fit your own individual yard. It can be large or small. It can be any shape. You can enclose your yard, then you can enclose areas within your yard, such as a flowerbed or tool shed.



Wireless Pet Containment Systems

In a wireless pet containment system, the transmitter creates a circular field. If your dog travels outside the boundary of that field, he receives that electric stimulation. Again, by repetition and training, he learns to stay inside the field.

A wireless system is easier to install. But it doesn't adapt to the shape of your yard. Say, for example, that you want to reduce the radius of the field to the edge of your front street. You may also wind up restricting your dog's movement to only a portion of your back yard.

A wireless system is most effective for a home that's centered on your property. But since most people's homes are not so perfectly symmetrical, a wired system is probably best.

Choosing features

Lightning protection

Both wired and wireless pet containment systems operate through the generation of electric fields -- wired systems, from the antenna or ground wire; wireless systems, from the transmitter. Because your system is powered by your home's AC current, it can be vulnerable to power surges.

A surge protector may protect your system from problems emanating from your power company, but it will not protect it from lightning or even a buildup of static electricity in the atmosphere during a storm.

If your system fails, your dog is free to wander outside the perimeter. We recommend lightning protection to keep your pet and your investment safe.



Battery back-up

If the power to your system's transmitter fails altogether, you need a back-up power source to keep the system operational. We recommend battery back-up as a precaution.



Audible line break warning

A wired system operates in a closed loop. If the loop (or wire) breaks, the system fails.

An audible line break warning clearly alerts you to a problem. To locate the disruption in the ground wire, we recommend an "RF choke" device available at most electronics stores. Once you've installed this device, you can use a simple AM radio to find the problem and fix it.

We recommend an audible line break warning so that you don't have to depend on your own monitoring of the transmitter.

Installing your pet containment system

Wired systems

Once you've chosen the layout that's right for your property, you'll want to leave the wire aboveground until you've tested the system for gaps.

Installing the wire below ground is simple. Use a shovel to "slice" open the soil, then place the wire no more than 1-2 inches below the surface. An electric edger is also effective. After installation, just brush the dirt back over the seam.

Wired pet containment systems must be installed in a loop. The transmitter is placed in your garage and operates on your home's AC current. It joins the loop together. If the loop is broken, the system will not function. We'll troubleshoot problems later in this document.



Basic Installation -- Front and Back Yard

This setup is probably the easiest and most common installation. Your entire lot, including your home, is enclosed in the loop.

You may run the wire across a paved or concrete driveway by several methods:
• Through an existing seam or crack in the driveway.
• Through an existing drainage pipe under the driveway.


Since the wire will be deeper below ground, your field width may be narrowed. Test the system in this area to ensure that the receiver collar is receiving a signal.

Through a seam you cut yourself using a circular saw with a masonry blade. After inserting the wire, fill the cut with heavy caulk or asphalt patch.

Basic Installation -- Back Yard Only

Use this setup to enclose a defined area, such as the front or back yard.

Note that this kind of installation does not give the dog access to the house. Because the boundary must be a loop, it blocks rear entrances.

Double Loop Installation -- Back Yard Only

We recommend this setup for most yards. It's the most flexible, it gives the dog access to the house, and it creates a correction field twice as wide as normal.

Caution: To avoid gaps in the fields generated by two sections of wire close together, lay the wire aboveground and test the system prior to burying the wire.




Double Loop Installation -- Back Yard with Pool or Shed

Use this setup to deny your dog access to smaller areas within the perimeter, such as a pool or tool shed.




Double Loop Installation with Existing Fencing

Avoid placing the wire close to metallic objects like chain-link fences. If a fence interferes with the strength of the corrective field, move the wire farther from the fence.




Gate Blocker Installation

Use this setup to block a dog's access to a gate or opening in a fence or other boundary.




Flower Bed Protection

Use this setup to keep your dog OUT of certain areas like a flowerbed.

Avoid placing the wire too close the exterior walls of your home. The corrective field may extend through the wall, and your dog could receive stimulation from the receiving collar while indoors.

Check to see if your dog receives stimulation while indoors. If so, move the wire farther from the walls outside.

Combination Installation

Use this setup as an example to custom fit your pet containment system to your own property.




Wireless Systems

Wireless System -- Single Transmitter

In this setup, a wireless transmitter creates a circular containment zone with a 90-foot radius (180 feet in diameter). Adjust the size of the containment zone to fit your property.


Wireless System -- Multiple Transmitters

Multiple wireless transmitters create overlapping containment zones on larger properties. Your dog may pass from one zone to another without receiving corrective stimulation.
Wired or wireless? | Choosing features | Installation | Training your dog



Training your dog to live in a pet containment system

You can't expect any pet containment system to be effective without training your dog. It's not like a fence. It's invisible. Your dog will be confused. Plus a determined, untrained dog will withstand the stimulation long enough to break free.

We recommend that your dog be at least six (6) months old and weigh at least ten (10) pounds before you consider a pet containment system. Any younger, and your dog probably will not accept the necessary training. Any smaller, and the receiver collar will not fit snugly.

If you do not train your dog to live with your pet containment system, he may not go into the yard at all. Or he may find a spot, afraid to move, and sit motionless.

Your pet containment system is a safe, humane way to discipline your dog, but it won't work without you.

Learning the containment system's corrective field

• Let your dog wear the receiver/collar for 3-7 days before activating your pet containment system. He'll get used to the collar. He needs to learn that the perimeter, not the collar, issues corrective stimulation.
  
  
• The receiver collar must be snug against your dog's skin. You may have heard of the "three fingers" rule, where you are able to slip three fingers under your dog's collar to ensure a relaxed fit. A snug collar is safe, comfortable, and necessary for your system to work properly.
  
  
• Do not allow your dog to wear the collar more than 12 hours at a time. Because of the corrective prongs on the underside of the collar, wearing the collar 24 hours a day can lead to skin irritation. When your dog is not wearing the receiver collar, he should be inside your home or kenneled.
  
  
• Use flags to mark the boundaries of the perimeter at first. Your dog will need visual cues to learn. Leave the flags up for 15-30 days.
  
  
• Your dog needs to be on the leash the first time he receives corrective stimulation. Walk your dog on a leash. When he crosses the corrective field, pull him out and issue "sit" and "stay" commands.
  
  
• You direct your dog to appropriate behaviors. He must learn from you.




Creating the "invisible gate"

You'll need to train your dog to leave the perimeter when you want him to.


• To do this, pick a spot on the perimeter.
• Deactivate your pet containment system.
• Command your dog to "sit" and "stay" in the perimeter at that spot.
• Cross the perimeter and issue a "come" command. The dog will exit the perimeter without receiving corrective stimulation.
• Use the same spot every time to let your dog exit the perimeter. This is your "invisible gate."