Best Electric Dog Fence Based on In-Depth Reviews

What is an electric dog fence?

An electric dog fence is an electronic system that you set up to keep your dog inside a designated perimeter, most commonly in your backyard. The term “fence” is a misnomer, as there isn’t a physical fence per se, but rather an invisible perimeter that you set either through a buried wireline (an in-ground fence) or via a wireless transmitter (a wireless fence). 

For the perimeter to work, your dog wears a collar containing a sensor, whose function is to shock it if it ever leaves the perimeter. The collar will first beep to warn your pet to move away from the boundary—this is termed the “warning zone.” If your pet ignores the signal and passes through the boundary—known as the “corrective zone”—he or she will receive a mild electric shock to deter them from crossing the perimeter further. 

Typically, an in-ground fence kit comes with 500 feet of wire, which covers around 1/3 of an acre, but if you want to set a larger perimeter, you can always buy extra wire directly from the company or through a third-party like Chewy or Amazon. With wireless electric dog fences, their signal range varies from product to product, although setting the wireless transmitter correctly plays a great part for signal reliability. 

The static correction collar included in each kit typically has three to four correction shock levels, but there are other models that increase and even double this number. Having more correction levels is beneficial for your dog, since it gives you the option of choosing an appropriate shock level that startles your pet, but doesn’t harm them.

Which fence type is better for you and your pet?

We won’t beat around the bush. The best fence option for your dog is an actual, physical fence, since it provides a protective perimeter for your dog while preventing it from leaving your backyard. Most importantly, with a physical fence, there isn’t a need to use corrective shocks, so it’s definitely a win-win for you and your dog. However,  there may be several obstacles to a physical fence. First off, it isn’t cheap. Depending on your yard’s size, the materials you use, and the cost of labor, setting up a physical fence can cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000. It’s little wonder, then, why people see electric dog fences as the next best thing.

If you live in a fenceless community, chances are that your neighbors won’t like you setting a physical fence in your premises. If this is the case, although there are other, more expensive options available, an electric dog fence can be a good solution. 

You’re Going Electric - what’s next?

Once you’ve decided to buy an electric dog fence, you then need to choose between two types of models: in-wire or wireless. 

If you’re unsure which option is best for your dog, you first need to consider the size of your home and backyard, and the weight of your pet. If your home has two floors and a large backyard, an in-ground electric dog fence would be your best bet, since you can customize the perimeter to your specifications. This isn’t possible with wireless electric dog fences, since they rely on the signal sent by the wireless transmitter. If the signal range is too small for your backyard, your dog will be confined to a smaller space, and if it leaves the range of the transmitter, the collar will activate the static correction.

Why should you consider your dog’s weight? Each DIY electric dog fence kit’s collar is designed with a minimum dog weight in mind. If your pup doesn’t meet the weight requirement, chances are that they won’t withstand the corrective shock caused by the collar. The typical weight requisite for dogs using corrective collars is 5 to 12 pounds, so make sure that you always read the weight requirements before purchasing. 

To help with your overall decision, we’ve designed this chart that provides all the pros and cons of an in-wire, wireless, and a physical fence.

Are corrective shocks a good idea?

Is using shock correction beneficial or detrimental to your dog’s physical and mental wellbeing? This question has created a debate among the pet owners community since the 1980s, when the shock collar became a popular training option.

Some argue that negative reinforcement, i.e. using a shock collar to correct unwanted behavior, is physically harmful, instilling fear, anxiety, and/or anger into the dog for its lifetime. Others argue that negative reinforcement is just as useful as using positive reinforcement, which rewards the desired behavior through treats. 

There is merit in both perspectives: dogs trained via negative reinforcement learn to bark or sit just as well as those trained via positive reinforcement. Moreover, with the various shock levels that static correction collars have today, the chances of physically harming your dog are slim to none. With this in mind, can the lowest electric discharge actually anger or scare your dog? The answer is yes, but it depends on the dog itself.

A 2012 study conducted by UK-based BioMed Central (BMC) concluded that, although static correction collars are a valid method of training your dog, positive reinforcement had more successful results when teaching recall and chasing behaviors. Furthermore, a 2013 study by the Department of Environment Foods and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) analyzed the welfare of dogs trained with static correction collars and concluded that some dogs’ mental wellbeing was affected during training sessions, even with professional trainers who used non-threatening shocks. The study also found that negative reinforcement training wasn’t more effective than reward-based training.

In conclusion, electric dog fences and static correction collars aren’t for every dog, and reward-based training, even for boundary training, is a valid alternative. 

If you’re considering an electric dog fence for your yard, and you want to train your dog using the included static correction collar, you really need to know whether your dog can withstand the training. For example, if your dog is a rescue and has a known history of aggressive behavior, you shouldn’t consider an electric dog fence, since it might react hostilely and try to attack you. Similarly, if your dog is old, has health issues, or is recovering from abuse, placing it in a stressful situation might harm and traumatize it. If you’re still unsure if your dog could handle negative reinforcement training, you can always contact the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and inquire about your dog’s particular situation.