5 Common Installation Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

After helping thousands of dog owners install their underground dog fences, we have seen the same mistakes pop up again and again. Here are the top five installation errors and how to avoid them.

Not Calling 811 Before Digging#

This Can Be Dangerous

Hitting a gas line or electrical cable can cause serious injury or property damage. Always call 811 2 to 3 full business days before you plan to dig. The exact notice period varies by state.

The 811 service is free and will send someone to mark all underground utilities on your property with colored flags or paint. For state-by-state notice periods and what the markings mean, see our guide to calling 811 before installing.

Burying the Wire Too Deep#

A common mistake is burying wire deeper than 6 inches on the theory that deeper is always safer.

Recommended depth: 4 to 6 inches for most yards, the depth pro crews use. It clears core aerators, spike aerators, and dethatchers, the tools behind most wire breaks. The 1 to 3 inch trench in the kit manual works and the fence performs the same, but shallow wire sits within reach of aerators and edgers, so it takes more breaks over the years.

Why it matters:

Burial is optional protection for the wire, not part of the signal. Always test the loop above ground first
Depth does not change the correction. The field your dog feels is set by the transmitter's boundary-width dial and a flag walk test, not by how deep the wire sits
Going deeper than 6 inches buys no added protection, makes repairs harder, and is past every manufacturer's range. Save deeper burial or PVC conduit for erosion-prone slopes and heavy-equipment zones

Our guide on how deep to bury dog fence wire covers the full trenching process.

For paved driveways and patios, lay the wire in an existing expansion joint when you can, or cut a kerf about 1/2 inch deep with a masonry blade and seal it with a caulk that matches the surface. For gravel or dirt paths, run the wire through a piece of PVC conduit for protection. The driveway and sidewalk crossings guide walks through both methods.

Poor Wire Splices#

Wire connections are the number one cause of system failures. If water gets into a splice, it will corrode and break the circuit.

How to Make a Proper Splice#

Click steps to mark them complete

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Strip the wire ends

2 min

Remove about 3/8 to 1/2 inch of insulation from each wire end using wire strippers (check your manual for the exact spec).

Twist wires together

1 min

Twist the exposed copper wires tightly together in a clockwise direction and cap them with a wire nut, leaving no copper exposed.

Add strain relief and seal

2 min

Tie the joined wires in a loose knot 3 to 4 inches from the nut so a tug cannot pull the splice apart, then seal the whole connection inside a gel-filled capsule from a waterproof splice kit (our store). A bare wire nut will fail.

Test and record

5 min

Use a voltage meter to confirm the signal is passing through before burying, then write down the splice location. Most future wire breaks happen at splices.

Strain relief before the capsule. Strip 3/8-1/2 in to bright copper, twist the ends together under a wire nut sized for your gauge with no copper showing, then tie both wires in a loose knot 3-4 inches from the nut so a tug loads the knot, not the joint. Only then push the nut into a gel-filled capsule until gel surrounds it and snap it shut. Bare wire nuts, electrical tape, and crimp-only connectors all fail underground; sealed in gel, the splice lasts the life of the wire: 15-20 years. Pull-test, rebury to the run's depth, and record the spot on your yard map: most future breaks happen at splices.

Already have a failed splice somewhere underground? The wire repair guide covers finding the break and redoing the splice so it lasts.

Incorrect Boundary Width Settings#

Every dog fence transmitter has adjustable boundary width settings. Setting this incorrectly causes either:

Too narrow: Your dog can slip through the field before the correction registers, a top cause of run-throughs
Too wide: You lose usable yard, and if the wire runs along an exterior wall the collar can even trigger inside the house

How to set it: Aim for 12 to 24 feet of total detection width. The dial numbers are signal strength, not feet, so calibrate with a walk test: hold the collar at your dog's neck height, walk toward the wire until it beeps, and place flags at the beep line every 10 feet. Our guide to setting boundary width and testing walks through the full process.

Rushing the Training Process#

Do Not Skip Training

The most expensive fence in the world will not keep your dog safe without proper training. Budget at least 2 weeks for the core training program and about 4 weeks before unsupervised yard time.

Training should happen in phases:

Days 1 through 3: Boundary awareness with flags only, no corrections
Days 4 through 10: Leash work with the warning tone first, then the lowest static setting
Days 11 through 14: Distraction-proofing on a long line, still no off-leash
Weeks 3 and 4: Supervised off-leash in the yard, then gradually introduce unsupervised time around week 4 (some dogs need longer)

See our complete training guide for detailed instructions.

Bonus: Common Troubleshooting Issues#

If your system is not working after installation, check these common issues:

Troubleshooting Checklist

0 of 6 items complete

Transmitter power light is on

Collar battery is charged

Wire loop is complete with no breaks

All splices are waterproof and secure

Boundary width is set appropriately

Collar contact points are touching the dog's skin

If the checklist doesn't turn up the problem, the fence troubleshooter starts at the new-install branch and works through first-week problems one question at a time.

Need Help?#

Hit one of these mistakes mid-install? Send us a message and we'll help you troubleshoot. We reply within a business day.