Do Invisible Dog Fences Work? 5 of the Best Reviewed

There’s no doubt that fencing is one of the best ways to prevent your dog from becoming a nuisance in the neighborhood. However, this is just one side of the story. Fencing also keeps him safe from misfortunes related to free-roaming such as getting hit by a vehicle, exposure to contagious diseases or being stolen from you. While fencing may solve these issues, the small matter of what type of fence you should get may pose a headache, especially when factors like neighborhood codes come into play.

Why Invisible Fences Are Better Than Physical Barriers

A good way to get around this problem is opting for an invisible dog fence which does not interfere with the aesthetics of your compound. Invisible fences rein in your dog by sending a warning sound followed by a shock through his collar whenever he crosses the electric boundary. While the cost of an invisible fence may be on the higher side, it can be justified when compared the cost, time and effort involved in installing a traditional fence, especially if it’s the high-end kind recommended in some neighborhoods.

An invisible fence is also a better option compared to alternatives such as live fences which a dog can dig under or climb over. It also eliminates problems associated with human error such as forgetting to close the gate in households where there’s a lot of movement in and out of the compound.

The Cons Of An Invisible Fence

That said, you should be aware that invisible dog fences come with their fair share of challenges. For one, they can lead to harmful behavior over time such as barrier aggression, a condition where the dog becomes irritable and aggressive when he realizes he can’t interact with his furry friends or humans on the other side of the fence. This is why it’s important to put in several hours of training to help your dog understand what beeping sound means and why he gets shocked when he crosses the fence, otherwise, you’ll end up with a very confused and frightened dog. An essential component of training is marking the boundary with flags and walking him around on a leash until he’s accustomed to the boundaries.

Although an invisible dog fence keeps your dog from straying outside, it does not stop other creatures from wandering into your property. If your neighborhood happens to be in an area populated by wildlife such as coyotes your dog may effectively become a sitting duck because he’s restricted while other animals are free to access your compound.

Invisible fences work with only certain types of terrain and the area that is covered depends on how powerful the transmitter is. Their functionality is also affected by metal objects and electronic equipment such as wi-fi systems.  Containment systems are also only suitable for certain types of dogs. Guard dogs, aggressive dogs or dogs with health issues should not be contained using electronic fencing.

Continuous wearing of the stimulation collar can create soreness and irritation because it contains receiver probes that press against his coat. Ideally, he shouldn’t wear the collar for more than 12 hours a day.

Tip: Always test the boundary wire above ground before burying it to avoid the hassle of having to dig up the fence in case there’s a problem.

Top 5 Invisible Dog Fences Reviewed

1. SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System

The SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System is a containment system designed to fence in an area of up to 11/3 acres.

Features:

1. Comes with 1000 ft of 20 gauge boundary wire and 100 flags.
2. Can be expanded to cover 100 acres by purchasing extra SDF-WF Wire & Flag Kits.
3. Includes a waterproof collar receiver with 4 static correction levels.
4. Its wall-mountable fence transmitter has a built-in lightning protector to help avoid damage from a lightning strike or power surge.

What we liked:

1. Is fairly easy to set up as no special tools are required.
2. It comes with a detailed operating guide and training DVD that guides you through a 2-week training schedule that simplifies the dog training process.
3. Has testing devices that allow you to test the boundaries prior to use.

What we didn’t like:

1. Digging the trenches and laying the cables can be time-consuming and tedious, although this is not unique to the SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System.
2. For larger acreages purchasing extra heavy duty wire (16 to 14 gauge) may be necessary and more costly to install.
3. Doesn’t come with a surge protector.

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2. PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment System

The PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment System is designed to cover an area of up to 1/2 Acre and is suitable for Dogs over 8 lb.

Features

1. Includes an adjustable waterproof receiver collar with 5 levels of static correction.
2. Uses a tone-only mode for training.
3. The boundary can be adjusted up to 90 feet radius from the indoor transmitter.
4. Has a portable containment system that’s easy to set up.

What we liked:

1. It’s easy to set up and comes with clear training documentation. Installation takes less than 2 hours.
2. The transmitter is portable allowing the dog owner to use it on camping trips.
3. The receiver collar is can be adjusted up to 28 inches in case you have a bigger dog.
4. The boundary area can be expanded by using 2 units simultaneously.

What we didn’t like:

1. The transmitter may be affected by certain kinds of WiFi routers.
2. The electronic boundary is circular and cannot be adjusted to a square or rectangular shape.
3. The boundaries can be quite inconsistent, sometimes by as much as 5′.
4. The collar doesn’t fit smaller toy breeds.

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3. Electric Dog Fence Wireless Dog Fence Alternative Advanced Digital Technology

The Electric Dog Fence Wireless Dog Fence Alternative Advanced Digital Technology is a containment system is designed to cover areas up to 25 acres in size.

Features

1. Includes a completely waterproof collar receiver.
2. Comes with 3 antennas, 12x battery check.
3. Is fully customizable and can be set up to fit practically any layout design.
4. Has a lifetime warranty on the extreme dog fence wire.

What we liked

1. It is fully customizable to fit different perimeter shapes whether it’s a rectangle, triangle, 1 Sided or 2 Sided shape.
2. It comes with a heavy-duty cable which is highly durable.
3. It’s fairly easy to set up (depending on what distance you wish to cover) and comes with instruction materials.

What we didn’t like

1. Although the fence wire is sturdy, the collar has some durability issues.
2. Batteries require changing quite frequently.

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4. Electric Dog Fence eXtreme Dog Fence – In-Ground Electric Dog Fence

The 2nd Generation eXtreme Dog Fence® is a containment system designed to cover up to 25 Acres.

Features

1. Includes a completely waterproof collar receiver.
2. The transmitter can accommodate multiple collar receivers
3. Comes with 3 antennas, 12x battery check.
4. Is fully customizable to fit practically any layout design.
5. Has a lifetime warranty on the extreme dog fence wire.

What we liked

1. It is highly stable in extreme weather.
2. You can add as many collar receivers as you like to the system.
3. It is fully customizable to fit different perimeter shapes.
4. It includes a heavy-duty cable which is highly durable.
5. Setting up is fairly easy and the DIY kit comes with a set of instructions that are easy to follow.

What we didn’t like

1. Their alarm system goes off 3’ away from the boundary setting which can be a problem for a small yard.
2. Battery size is quite large and makes the collar heavy. Replacing is also tedious, having to unscrew 4 tiny screws.

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5. Invisible Wireless Dog Fence System Outdoor Electronic Wireless Dog Fence System

The ProfessionPet invisible dog is designed to form a radial-shaped boundary which is adjustable up to a radius of 500 feet from the transmitter.

Features

1. Has an impressively long remote control distance up to 200 meters radius.
2. Includes a waterproof, chargeable, durable receiver collar with automatic sleep function.
3. The lithium battery has approximately 12 hours’ standby time.
4. Works with multiple receivers simultaneously.
5. Has digital display support.
6. Has 1-100 Levels of sensitivity and covers up to 500 Meters Radius.
7. Comes with 3 different electric shock levels: “strong”, medium”, “weak”.

What we liked

1. It is extremely easy to use. The setup is straightforward, signal synchronization is fast.
2. It is rechargeable so you don’t have to keep buying batteries.
3. Great customer support.
4. Collar size is adjustable 6 inches -26 inches and can work for all manner of dog sizes from small, medium to large dogs.
5. The signal is stable provided you keep the transmitter away from metal walls and metallic objects.
6. The receiver collar is waterproof.

What we didn’t like

1. Instructions not written in fluent English and are incomplete.
2. The system is only suitable for a small area.

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