Can’t Build a Physical Fence on Your Property?

If you have a dog, it is very convenient to have a fence on your property to contain him. However, due to neighborhood housing regulations, some people are not allowed to build a fence. In addition to this, erecting a fence can be quite an expensive undertaking. If you cannot build a fence on your property for one reason or another, good news. There is another option, called an electric dog fence. Sometimes referred to as an invisible fence®, an electric dog fence is an alternate way of keeping your dog in your yard.

An electric dog fence keeps your dog within your property, preventing them from running onto the road and potentially getting hurt or killed. While keeping your dog safe, they also teach them the boundaries of how far they should go.

You begin by burying a special wire around the perimeter of your yard, wherever you want your boundary to be. The electric dog fence comes with a transmitter, which you keep in a weatherproofed location. You simply plug it in, to get it to work. The transmitter emits a radio signal that communicates with the wire. The third component is a special collar that your dog wears.

The collar that your dog is wearing has two metal contact points coming out of it. These contact points touch your dog’s neck. When your dog approaches the boundary, he will hear a warning tone, coming from the collar. If your dog ignores the sound and keeps going, he will receive a mild, static shock. With a bit of training, your dog will learn to stay within the boundaries you have set for him.

There are also wireless versions of the electric dog fence that are available as well. The advantage of a wireless system is that you don’t have to go to the trouble of burying a wire in your yard. However, one drawback is that you don’t get to customize your border like you do with a wired fence. This is because the wireless unit casts the signal in the form of a circle.

All you do to set up a wireless dog fence is just plug it in and set the size of your containment circle. This makes a wireless fence perfectly portable, so you can even take it on vacation with you. However, a wireless dog fence will not cover as large of an area as a wired fence will. In order for it to cover a larger area, you will need to purchase additional transmitters to create overlapping circles.

There are also some other limitations that come with a wireless fence. For example, you cannot have heavy trees or landscaping in your yard. There also cannot be any sloping. You cannot have aluminum or stucco on your home or any metal buildings within the boundary area or the signal will not work.

In comparing wired systems versus wireless, you will find that they cost around the same amount. The difference is in how they perform. Along with a wireless dog fence comes a bit of signal variability. The signal may fade in and out from time to time. However, with a wired system you get signal consistency. Overall, a wired fence is far more dependable than a wireless one is.

Another great thing about installing an electric dog fence is that it will add value to your property. Whether you choose wired or wireless, an electric dog fence is a great way to keep your dog in your yard, while allowing him freedom to roam.

Guest Author Bio:

Jon Alonso is an DIY electric dog fence expert for Flexpetz.com, With more then 17 years experience they manufacture their own electric dog fence wire and they sell electric dog fence systems.