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In a different article I discussed the three types of outdoor electric fences available for pets, Inground Fencing, Instant Fencing (known as a Wireless Fence), and Above Ground Fencing. Here I will explore the wireless fence system. At the time of this article the electric wireless fence product that dominates the market is made by Petsafe which is a RADIO SYSTEMS CORP brand. Radio Systems makes both Petsafe and Innotek products.

Why purchase a wireless dog fence?

You can read the benefits of electric pet fencing in a previous article. Basically it offers pet owners and pets significant freedom over other containment methods. They also cost less than traditional fencing. The specific benefits of wireless electric fences are:

• The units are portable and can be taken with you. Although you need to consider retraining your pet to a new boundary area. This is not a one day event.
• You basically turn on the unit to operate. There is no installation to speak of. Inground systems require that a trench be dug to lay the wire which defines the boundary. This can be a time consuming process. The boundary wires also need to be attached to the transmitter which must be mounted in an enclosed area (garage for example) that has access to the boundary wire.
• The boundary is formed by a signal emitted from the transmitter that forms circle with the transmitter as the center. This circle boundary can be increased or decreased with the turn of a knob. There is an inherent flexibility with this feature.
• The basic draw backs of wireless fences (as compared to inground fences) are are cost and boundary definition. Inground fences can have larger available boundaries and more complex boundary definition capability.

Note that you can use this product with a cat if they will tolerate the collar receiver size and weight.

How Does Wireless Fencing Work?

Installation is performed by setting the transmitter in the center of the circular boundary you wish to define and adjusting the transmitter signal strength to get the desired boundary diameter. The signal is received by your pets collar receiver while they are within the boundary area. When your pet approached the perimeter the collar receiver then responds by emitting a warning tone. If the dog approaches further and/or hasn't retreated, the tone is followed by a mild electrical stimulus. The receiver stimulus can be set to different levels to match pet temperament. Animals properly trained typically learned to avoid the boundary very quickly and do not test the perimeter. The system also detects if a power failure occurs and will shut down the collar receiver so that it will not shock your pet.

What to consider when buying

Fortunately, the wireless fence product offered by Petsafe has an LED indicator on the collar receiver when the battery is low on power. This is probably the most important product feature as a low collar battery is the most common reason that pets breach the boundary. Therefore this is not a consumer concern.

Make sure that a circular boundary is sufficient for your needs. Consider things like gardens, flowers, pools, etc. that you may not want your pet to have access but are within the boundary area. If this is a major concern than perhaps an inground system is more appropriate for you.

Also consider the maximum boundary diameter of the product. You can extend the range of the boundary by adding a second transmitter who's boundary overlaps the first transmitter. This works if you have a second location protected from the elements that has electrical power the second transmitter can be located in.

I currently use a wireless electric fence and have no complaints with it's performance. As I stated before, I would not do without an electric dog fence. The freedom it offer my pets as well as myself is worth far more that the cost of the item.

Labels: Containment, Electric Pet Fence, Innotek, Petsafe

There are three types of outdoor electric fences available for pets, Inground Fencing, Instant Fencing (known as a Wireless Fence), and Above Ground Fencing. Above ground fencing is typically used for larger animals, although there are some products available for pets. The most popular electric fencing is inground fencing. I will focus on this type of product. The main manufacturer that I am aware of is RADIO SYSTEMS CORP . They make Petsafe and Innotek products.



An electric pet fence allows your pet to roam in the front and rear of your residence. This allows your pet to enjoy the activities and surroundings all around your house as opposed to just the backyard (if it is fenced in). Pets are naturally curious and enjoy being able to monitor the activities, sights & sounds that surround their house. Note that there are models available for cats and dogs.

With no perimeter fencing (I have this situation) we need to contain our pets in a pen or on a lead if we are not present. This allows for very little mobility. I have found that an electric fence offers a tremendous amount of additional freedom for myself and my pets by having the ability to open my front or rear door and let them out without worry. Pet ownership has enough responsibilities and restrictions without having to personally take your pet out every time they want to go outdoors. The safety this provides our pets is immeasurable. This is evidenced by the ASPCA's support for the use of wireless fences.

Fencing also allows you to create restricted areas that you do not want your pet to enter such as pools, flower beds as an example.

Finally, this saves you from the expense of putting up what can be an unsightly traditional fence. Some home owner associations do not allow this. Additionally dogs can dig under a traditional fence to get out creating multiple obvious issues.

There are a few features that I have found to be very important while others are nice to have but necessary. The following is a list you should consider.

• The transmitter needs to have a warning light or audible tone when the boundary wire has been broken. In this situation the fence is no longer operating properly and it is necessary for you to know this immediately. Most units now have this feature. When installing the fence use some natural boundary markers so that you are aware of where the wire is buried. I have been frustrated by trying to find the wire location without an aid in the past.
• The receiver collar should have an indicator (typically an LED light) to tell you when the battery is getting low. A low receiver battery is the number one reason pets breach the fence boundary. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing only the more expensive models have this feature. This is a critical feature I will not do without. I would expect this feature to be more universal in the future. Note that battery life is typically less in the winter months.
• In some cases with the more expensive models that Innotek and Petsafe make, the stimulus can be set to different levels to match pet temperament. Some may add the feature that the stimulus is boosted as a pet further approached the boundary after an initial correction to help prevent run-through. I have not had the need for this feature but depending on how aggressive the nature of your pet it may be necessary.

Labels: Electric Pet Fence, Innotek, Petsafe