An invisible dog fence is a safe and effective alternative to a solid fence. If your dogs enjoy getting their paws dirty, they probably love wreaking havoc in your garden.
All the soil, plants, and yummy vegetables are enticing for mischievous dogs, and there’s just so much space to dig! Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved with invisible fences to keep dogs out of the garden.
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Top Pick
Best Value
Product | Our Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. PetSafe Wireless Dog and Cat Containment System |  | | |
2. COVONO Electric Dog Fence |  | | |
3. SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System |  |
What is an Invisible Dog Fence?
If your dogs are avid diggers, a traditional fence won’t stop them from burrowing their way into your garden. With an electric dog fence, they’ll be unable to dig underneath the boundary line.
Electronic dog collar fences are much more effective when it comes to digging dogs who don’t mind getting their paws dirty to get what they want.
An invisible dog fence can also be preferable to a traditional fence because it won’t stop you from entering your garden. During peak gardening times, you may be going in and out of your garden frequently.
Why Use an Invisible Fence to Keep Dogs Out of the Garden?
A traditional fence would also have to be tall enough that your dogs couldn’t jump over it, which would mean the view of your garden would be blocked.
With a traditional fence, you’ll have to open, shut, and lock the gate each time, and if you forget, your dogs will notice their opportunity to get in. An invisible fence is much more convenient!
Do Wireless Dog Fences Really Work?
The key to making your electric dog collar fence work is consistent and thorough training, so make sure you follow the fence manufacturer’s training instructions to the letter.
It will take about 15-30 minutes a day for 2 weeks to teach your dogs, so don’t install an invisible fence unless you are able to commit to that time.
How Does the Best Electric Dog Fence Work?
These fences consist of three main elements:
- A wire boundary line – This delineates the boundary of the area you want to enclose, just like a regular fence. The difference is that it consists of a wire line that you bury underground along the boundary.
- A transmitter– This is a small unit that uses a radio signal to connect the wire boundary line to the dog collar wirelessly.
- A dog collar – The collar that comes with the system has a little battery-powered receiver that communicates with the transmitter. When the dog gets close to the boundary line, it triggers an audible beep warning.
If the dog gets very close to or crosses the boundary line, it triggers a correction that feels a lot like a static electricity shock. It can usually be calibrated to different strengths, but the shock is minor and is more of an unpleasant surprise.
Is the Invisible Fence Cruel to Dogs?
No. The shock (static correction) is very mild – about the same shock you get if you rub a balloon vigorously then touch something metal. For that reason, it’s called a static correction rather than a shock.
It’s unpleasant, it gets your attention and you don’t want to do it again, but it’s not particularly painful and it isn’t cruel. With the right training, dogs learn to respond to the warning beep that occurs before they get too close to the fence, so static corrections are rare.
How Old Does Your Dog Need to Be for an Invisible Fence?
The most important element of an invisible dog fence is training your dogs to understand and respect their new boundaries. Unless your dog is pregnant, very ill, or younger than six-months-old, they can be successfully trained on an invisible fence.
How Safe are Invisible Fences?
Invisible fences are very safe when used as an invisible fence to keep dogs out of garden areas, and they are also popular boundary fences used around the world.
They cannot cause seizures or other health problems and are calibrated so that they cannot go off unless your dog is too close to the boundary line.
Of course, they cannot prevent people from entering the space or prevent dogs that do not have the electric collar from coming in. As long as your dog is 6 months or older and in good health, it’s safe for you to install.
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How Much Does an Electric Dog Collar Fence Cost?
Compared to traditional fencing materials and installation, invisible dog fences are one of your most affordable options for enclosing a space. Generally, a good quality product will cost around $300, but check out the products and reviews below for a range in prices.
Where is the Best Place to Use an Electric Dog Collar Fence?
This depends on what areas of your garden you want to enclose and prevent your dog from entering. Popular places for invisible fences include around flower beds or vegetable gardens, at driveways or gates (to prevent dogs from running into the road), or even along the entire boundary of the property.
How to Enclose Your Garden
There are several different options for enclosing your garden with an electronic dog fence. The most reliable method is burying the dog fence wire around the perimeter of your garden, at whatever distance you’d like your dogs to stay.
If you are using an electronic dog fence around your entire property, you can create an exclusion zone around your garden with additional wire or a wireless boundary. This will allow your dogs to roam anywhere in your yard except the garden.
Selecting the Best Electric Dog Fence
There are a number of different invisible fences on the market, all with different features for different homes. For example, some systems have battery backup, some systems have remote training capabilities, and some systems have limitations on the number or type of e-collars they can support.
There are both underground and wireless systems. If you want to go with a wireless dog fence, it will cost slightly more money, and it will have a smaller range than wired systems.
How to Install an Invisible Fence
Hiring a professional to install your electronic dog fence will cost about $1200, but you can entirely eliminate that expense by installing the fence yourself.
As a gardener, you’re already more comfortable with DIY than most people, and putting in a DIY electric fence isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Because of the design, they can be quickly and easily installed on almost any terrain, including where there’s a steep gradient, water or wooded areas.
If you’re burying the wire, don’t forget to Dial Before You Dig to have your utility lines marked. After that, it will take just a few hours over the course of a weekend to get your new dog fence up and running.
There are lots of resources available online to help you troubleshoot your installation.
Best Invisible Dog Fence Reviews
1. PetSafe Wireless Dog and Cat Containment System
Source: Amazon
For a good price, you get a complete kit of everything you need to set up your invisible dog fence – transmitter, waterproof adjustable collar, 50 training flags, and a test light tool, all with a one-year warranty.
This fence is especially easy to set up as it’s completely wireless, so there’s no need to dig a wire boundary into your garden. This is one of the best options on the market and it’s easy to see why.
All you do is plug in the transmitter, use a dial setting to set the perimeters of your boundary zone, and put the collar on your pet – simple!
Pros:
- Very simple installation in 1-2 hours
- Can accommodate unlimited pets, including cats
- Wireless and portable – can be taken on holiday
- Fully adjustable up to a ½ acre of coverage around the transmitter
- Short and long contact point collar options for short or long-haired pets
- Static free re-entry – your pet does not receive a static correction when the re-enter their space if they break out
- Multiple correction settings, including tone-only settings and 5 levels of static correction
- 1-year warranty
- Established global leader in pet products
Cons:
- Battery powered collar needs recharging every two months
- Transmitter must be placed at least 1 meter from large metal objects and modems to avoid interference
Source: Amazon
This is an affordable, effective one or two-dog system that can be installed above ground or buried into the ground.
You control the width of the boundary by adjusting signal strength, and it has a useful speed detection feature. It automatically increases the static correction level if a dog is racing towards the boundary or ignores previous corrections, which is ideal for dogs with stronger prey drives or who are more excitable/stubborn.
Pros:
- Almost 200 meters of extra thick, 20-gauge boundary wire
- Adjustable to cover up to ¾ of an acre
- Audible and visual wire break alarm
- Suitable for dogs 4.5kgs and up
- Collars are waterproof and rechargeable
- Speed Detection function increases correction intensity according to the speed the dog is running towards the boundary
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Limited to one or two dogs unless you buy more collars
- Not wireless – wire must be installed above or below ground level
3. SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System
Source: Amazon
If you have a bigger property and want to use this system for a full boundary, this is a great option. It covers one-and-a-third acres and can be easily expanded to 100 acres with additional wire if needed.
The collar is waterproof and battery powered, but a standard 9-volt battery should last about 6 months.
You get 4 levels of static correction along with the tone and vibration warnings, and it has a useful anti-linger feature that prevents the battery from getting drained by dogs standing in the boundary zone.
It’s got some great additional features too, like a wire break alarm for if your dog gets through the boundary and lightning protection.
Pros:
- Covers 1 and 1/3 acres of land for one dog
- Can be expanded to cover 100 acres using additional wire and flags
- Waterproof collar takes standard 9-volt battery
- Unlimited number of dogs, as you can buy additional collars
- Delivers a tone and vibration warning before static correction
- Adjustable to 4 levels of static correction for different dogs
- Wire break alarm and built in lightning protector in transmitter
- For dogs that are 4.5kgs or bigger
- Anti-linger feature to prevent draining the collar battery
- Easy installation above ground or buried
- 2-year manufacturer’s warranty
Cons:
- Not wireless – wire must be installed above or below ground level
- Not rechargeable, so you have to buy batteries
- Not ideal for very cold environments, as you may have to upgrade to a single core 14-gauge irrigation wire to cope with very cold conditions
- Not suitable for dogs under 4.5kgs
Our Top Pick - Best Electric Dog Fence Australia
Best Electric Dog Fence of 2024
We’ve chosen the PetSafe Wireless Dog and Cat Containment System as the best electric dog fence of 2024 because you get a complete kit with everything you need at a good price point.
The installation is very simple, it can accommodate unlimited pets (including cats and small dogs), is wireless and portable, and has multiple correction settings. It also comes with a 1 year warranty for your peace of mind!
Best Value Electric Dog Fence
The COVONO Electric Dog Fence is our best value-for-money pick, and is ideal if you’re on a budget. It covers up to ¾ of an acre, allows you to control the width of the boundary with signal strength, and has a speed detection feature that strengthens the correction depending on how fast your dog is moving towards the barrier.
It comes with a lifetime guarantee and is easy to install – keeping in mind that you have to dig the wire into your boundary.
Check out our list below for more tips on creating a pet-friendly garden, plant safety, and ways to enhance your gardening experience with your canine companion.
Invisible Dog Fences to Protect Your Gardens Buying Guide Summary
Dog containment system aren’t as scary as they sound and, with some positive training, your furry family member will know just where they can and can’t go in your garden.
They’re easy to install yourself too, especially if you choose a portable wireless system.
These invisible electric fences to keep your dogs out of your garden are a safe, effective way to protect your flower beds or vegetable garden, and unlike traditional fences, they don’t affect your view and they can’t be jumped over or dug under.
Published on October 30, 2020 by Jim Horton
Last Updated on October 14, 2024
Amanda Jane liked this on Facebook.
I have a 9 month old boxer, named Toby. He loves going on the boat and barking at every fish he sees. One time we were on the river and Toby decided to go fishing. So he’s sitting on the front deck of the boat. Before I knew he’s dives in and comes up with a talipia. He swims back to shore where I was sitting and brings me the fish. Then immediately returns to the boat. All in all he got two fish out of probably 100 tries. Now ever time we go to the river he’s trying to catch fish.