Frequently Asked Questions

An underground dog fence (also called an in-ground or electric dog fence) is a system where a buried wire creates a perimeter around your property. The dog wears a receiver collar that delivers a warning tone, then a static correction, when they approach the boundary. The wire connects to a transmitter mounted in your garage or basement.

In-ground (wired) systems are still the gold standard for reliable coverage on any property over 1/4 acre or with irregular shapes. Wireless systems are easier to install but create a circular coverage area, can't avoid metal structures, and tend to drift in size with weather. For lots over half an acre or any L-shaped property, choose in-ground.

For a typical owned lot under about 3 acres, in-ground wire is the more reliable choice. A GPS collar has no physical boundary. It estimates its position from satellites, and that estimate drifts 10 to 16 feet by the GPS makers' own published numbers, more under tree cover or beside the house, which is why those makers tell owners to keep the boundary 15 to 25 feet back from any road. A buried wire's trigger line never moves. As of mid-2026, GPS collars also run about 25 to 70 hours per charge (versus 1 to 3 months for wired receivers), fit only dogs roughly 10 pounds and up where wired reaches 5 pounds, and some require a monthly subscription to work at all. GPS genuinely wins on very large or multiple properties, portability, and tracking a dog that gets out. See our GPS vs in-ground comparison for the full breakdown.

As of mid-2026, DIY kits run $200-$450, with boundary wire around $65 per 500-foot roll (about $0.13/ft). Professional installed packages are Budget $1,000-$1,200, Standard $1,200-$1,500, and Premium $1,500-$1,800 for up to 0.50 acre, one dog, and a standard driveway. Larger or more complex projects receive a mapped estimate and final site-reviewed quote.

Loop capacity is set by the transmitter's rating, not the wire gauge. A standard in-ground transmitter is rated for around 8,600 feet of 20 AWG wire (about 100 acres), while typical consumer units are marketed to about 25 acres. The limit is wire-loop perimeter length, not square footage. A big square is one modest loop, but a meandering perimeter may need a stronger transmitter. See our large-property guide for multi-acre planning.

Most DIY installations take 4-6 hours for an average half-acre lot. Professional crews finish in 2-4 hours. Large lots, rocky soil, or driveway crossings can extend timing. See our complete installation guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Yes. Call 811 and wait 2-3 full business days before digging. The exact notice period varies by state. The free service marks utility-owned lines (gas, electric, water, communications) on your property. In most states the law applies at any digging depth, and even where shallow-dig exemptions exist, lines can sit just inches down, so always call. Our 811 guide covers the state-by-state rules.

Bury wire 4 to 6 inches deep for most yards, the depth professional crews use. It clears core aerators and edgers, the tools behind most wire breaks. Most manufacturer manuals allow 1 to 3 inches, which works but sits within reach of those tools, so shallow wire breaks more often over the years. Depth does not change the correction in that range: the field is set by the boundary-width dial and confirmed by a walk-test, not by how deep the wire sits. Test the loop above ground before burying. See our burial depth guide for the full walkthrough.

Yes. Use an existing expansion joint first if one lines up. Lay the wire in and seal it. Otherwise, make a single cut about 1/2 inch deep with a circular saw and masonry blade, lay the wire, and seal with a product that matches the surface: concrete caulk or silicone on concrete, asphalt caulk on blacktop. For gravel or dirt driveways, sleeve the wire in PVC conduit or an old garden hose (never metal pipe). Our crossings guide covers each surface step by step.

Usually, but large metal sheds, long metal edges, rebar, and buried utilities can distort the signal field. Keep the wire several feet away when possible, then walk-test the entire route with the collar at your dog's neck height. If the beep line wavers, move the wire farther away and test again. See our boundary width and testing guide.

The core program is 14 days, and most dogs are ready for unsupervised yard time around week four. Stubborn or high-prey-drive dogs can take longer. Manufacturers call for three 10-15 minute sessions a day; treat two a day as the floor. See our boundary training guide for the full 5-phase program.

Puppies should be at least 6 months old and reliably know sit and come before any static correction is used. The weight floor is 5-8 pounds depending on the receiver. Check your collar's rating. Flag recognition and tone-only training can start earlier with no collar. Our puppy fence-training guide covers the full readiness checklist.

The correction is a brief, low-energy static pulse designed to interrupt behavior, not punish (startling and uncomfortable rather than damaging). Use the lowest adjustable level that gets a subtle response (ears up, head tilt), and raise it one step at a time only after checking collar fit. The documented injuries from these systems are pressure sores from collars worn too long or too tight (not burns), which is why the wear rules matter: 12 hours a day maximum, reposition every 1-2 hours, off overnight.

Work the five-step ladder in order: (1) dead or weak collar battery, (2) poor contact between the contact points and skin, (3) boundary width too narrow (target 12-24 feet of total detection width, set by walk-test), (4) correction level below your dog's arousal in the moment, and (5) gaps in training. A survivable run-through teaches your dog to push through, so fix the cause and retrain rather than just turning up the dial. No system is escape-proof. In a JAVMA owner survey, 44% reported their dog got past an electric fence at least once (lifetime, self-reported). Our run-through guide walks the full diagnostic.

Used correctly with proper training, the correction is a brief, low-energy static interrupt, appropriate for healthy dogs at least 6 months old and above the receiver's weight floor (5-8 pounds depending on the model, check the collar's rating). Avoid use on dogs with seizure conditions, severe anxiety, or an aggression history. The main physical risk is skin damage from over-wearing the collar, so keep wear under 12 hours a day, reposition it every 1-2 hours, and take it off overnight. Not sure your dog is a good candidate? Our honest fit guide walks through it.

It can if it's worn too long in one position. The documented injuries are pressure sores (pressure necrosis) from extended wear, not burns. Prevention: reposition the collar every 1-2 hours, limit wear to 12 hours a day, take it off overnight, use a one-finger fit, and check the skin daily. Long-coat breeds need longer contact points to reach skin without extra pressure. If you spot a sore or bald patch, stop use and see your vet. Our collar sores guide covers prevention and recovery.

The system only communicates with dogs wearing a compatible receiver collar; it does not keep wildlife, stray dogs, or people out. Supervise yard time whenever incoming animals are a concern, especially for small dogs or dogs that cannot safely retreat from a trigger.

There is no independent certification body for static-correction systems. Intensity standards are the manufacturers' own. When comparing systems, look for adjustable correction levels and run-through protection (outbound-only correction). Context worth knowing: a major brand settled a California class action (the Hernandez settlement) over containment-safety marketing claims, which is why we skip the reassuring marketing language and focus on conservative training and strict collar-wear rules instead.

It's signaling a broken loop. Check connections at the transmitter first (loose, corroded, or wet terminals account for most cases). If terminals look good, the break is somewhere in the buried wire, usually at a splice, sharp turn, or driveway crossing. See our signal troubleshooting guide, or let the Fence Troubleshooter walk you to the diagnosis.

Free checks first: disconnect the loop at your splices and test halves to narrow the section (divide and isolate), or try the AM-radio trick: tune near 530-600 kHz and walk the wire; the static fades past the break (the wire must stay energized, and it doesn't work on every brand). If you need to pin it down, rent a wire locator ($30-60/day) or use our store's Locate & Repair kit: the locator plus everything to fix the break, yours to keep. A locator narrows the break to within a foot or two, but it can't find partial breaks.

Every 3 months on a fixed schedule, not when it dies (every 6 weeks in freezing weather, since cold cuts battery life by 30-40%). Replacement batteries run $5-10. A weak battery causes inconsistent corrections, which is the leading cause of training regression.

Transmitters last 10+ years when surge-protected; plan on a whole-system refresh around 10-15 years. Wire lifespan tracks gauge and jacket. Standard 20 AWG kit wire sits at the shorter-lived end, while 14-gauge pro-grade jacketed wire can run 20+ years, and sealed waterproof splices matter at every joint. Lightning is the most common premature failure, and a power strip won't help because surges arrive on the buried loop wire: use our store's fence-rated surge module that clamps the AC line and both loop terminals, and unplug the transmitter and disconnect the loop wires before storms. When it's time, our replacement guide shows how to reuse the buried wire.