Are you thinking about getting a wireless fence to contain your dogs and want to learn more about them? You have come to the right place. Our goal is to inform you on everything that you might be wondering about a wireless dog fence. We present you with unbiased product reviews in order to make your buying decision easier. We are also here to help you determine if a wireless system will work for your home in the first place. Once you have purchased your wireless dog fence, our guides and articles will walk you through the installation process, training your dog and troubleshooting any problems you may be having. If you are worried about if this type of fence can harm your pet, or are just looking for more general pet training advice, we suggest our friends over at Lifestyle Pets.
Will a Wireless Dog Fence Work for You?
The main appeal of a wireless dog fence is that they are very simple to install. With no wires to bury, what more could you ask for? All you need to do is plug in the transmitter, set the size of your containment circle and put a special collar on your dog.
The first aspect to consider is the shape of your yard. Notice the term “containment circle.” This means that if your yard is rectangular-shaped, chances are that a wireless system won’t be able to meet your needs. With a wireless dog fence, you are not able to customize your border to accommodate your specific requests.
You also need to see how large of an area that each wireless system is designed to contain. Should your yard exceed this, you would need to purchase extra transmitters, to expand your boundary to your required acreage. This makes wireless dog fences an unideal option for very large properties.
There are several other property limitations with a wireless dog fence. There are several situations that will cause the wireless signal to be blocked. One of these is if you have aluminum siding or stucco on your home. Another is if you have sloping in your yard, large trees or heavy landscaping. Lastly, you cannot have any large vehicles or metal buildings existing within the containment area. If you see that a wireless dog fence isn’t going to work for you, choosing an electronic dog door instead is recommended.
Wireless Dog Fences vs. Underground Fences
As previously mentioned, wireless dog fences are appealing because they offer hassle-free installation. They are ideal choice for those who are renting their home or for people who wish to take the unit on vacation with them, for instance.
Looking at the cost factor, first determine whether or not you would be paying to have an underground dog fence installed for you or not. If you plan on having the invisible fence® company come out and install your underground fence for you, this will cost you about 65% more than if you install an underground fence yourself. If you take a look at do-it-yourself underground dog fence kits, you will find that their cost is about equal to what you will pay for a wireless dog fence.
The last thing to consider when deciding between a wireless dog fence and an underground version is if you need for your border to be customizable or not. With an underground dog fence, you can put the border exactly where you want it to be, such as around flowerbeds for example.
With a wireless dog fence, a circle is what you get. This means if your yard is unusually-shaped, it will be difficult to get the border exactly as you want it. Another drawback in terms of the border is that it tends to be unstable at times. As a best case scenario, the border line will fluctuate about 2 feet at times.
Training Your Dog to Respect the Boundaries
For detailed information, be sure to read our guide to training your dog. To give you a basic idea of how it works, you begin by placing training flags along the invisible boundary of your wireless dog fence, spaced several feet apart. Next, you spend a few days training your dog to avoid going beyond the flags, without the batteries in the collar. Then, you will put in the batteries, and walk your dog into the boundary zone, so that they are able to hear the warning beep. As soon as this happens, you pull your dog back away from the border and praise him.
After a few days have passed and your dog has learned to react to the beep, it is time to introduce him to the static correction as well. You follow a similar procedure to the one outlined above, over a period of about 2 weeks. Lastly, you will conduct what is called “distraction training,” which is where you throw a ball or treat across the line and train your dog not to chase after it.
About Wireless Dog Receiver Collars
The wireless signal given off by the transmitter is detected by your dog’s receiver collar. Should he attempt to cross the border, he will receive a static correction through two metal contact points attached to the collar. In order for containment to be successful, it is important that the collar is fitted properly. The metal points should be making contact with the dog’s neck, but not digging into the skin.
The receiver collar should never be left on 24 hours a day. Ideally, 12 hours is the longest the collar should be on your dog. A leash should never be attached to this receiver collar, as pulling on it could cause the contact points to dig into the dog’s neck.
Wireless dog fences generally only come with one receiver collar. This means that if you have more than one dog, you will need to purchase additional collars. Another thing to consider is if the collar comes with both short and long probes. If your dog has longer hair, you will need to have the longer probes in order for them to make proper contact with your dog’s neck.
The static correction delivered by the collar is adjustable. When you begin to train your dog, you will need to make sure that the intensity is put on the lowest setting. If your pet does not react to the lowest setting, you will need to bump it up a notch until you can tell a difference in his reaction.
What Your Wireless Dog Fence Kit Will Contain
When purchasing a wireless dog fence, the retailer will list exactly what the kit contains, but in general, here is what you should expect to receive.
- A transmitter that typically has an LCD screen and button controls. It should be kept indoors or in a weatherproof location.
- One AC cord used to power the transmitter
- One wall anchor for the transmitter, that should be mounted at least 5 feet above ground level
- One dog receiver collar
- Batteries for the collar, which may be replaceable or rechargeable. If the batteries are rechargeable, a battery charger will also come with it.
- Training flags
- Installation DVD and/or manual, and a dog training manual
Now that you know what to expect out of a wireless pet fence, take a minute to read through our wireless dog fence reviews and related informational articles to learn more.
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash.