Best Electric Dog Fence Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 200+Hours of research
- 50+Sources used
- 10Companies vetted
- 3Features reviewed
- 4Top
Picks
- The device isn’t foolproof, as your dog can still escape the premises.
- Train your dog and follow all instructions included in the user manual.
- Do not buy if your dog has a history of health issues or behavioral problems.
- Every electric dog fence has its own dog weight requirement.
How We Found the Best Electric Dog Fences
Our Top Picks: Electric Dog Fences Reviews
Say you have a golden retriever named Roxy and she loves chasing after everything she sees. The mailman? Check. Possum? Definitely. Her own shadow? You bet. But since you live near a street with heavy traffic, you fear that not having a fence can spell danger for your fluffball in the long run. What options do you have?
The traditional route would be building a physical fence around your backyard’s perimeter, but these can be very expensive, since you’ll likely need to hire a building crew (unless you have the know-how to go the DIY route). Another alternative is an electric dog fence: you set it up, put on the correction shock collar, and the rest is smooth sailing, in theory. It turns out, however, that there are two types of electric dog fences—in-ground and wireless—and a wide number of elements to consider before purchasing your very own kit.
First, the dog’s weight must be taken into account, since electric dog fence collars have upper and lower weight limits. Further, different products come with an array of different features you’ll have to familiarize yourself with in order to choose which ones you actually need.
Our comprehensive guide is here to help you understand the ins and outs of the electric dog fence industry. We’ve even gathered four top options that can help you hone in on what you and your dog need for your electric dog fence. All you have to do is sit down, relax, and read on!
Important disclaimer: The following product reviews are based solely on online research, as we were unable to review each product in-house. We researched online for customer reviews and other feedback and evaluated each product based on the three factors previously mentioned above.
Dogtek review
Best for Correction Levels
Screenshot Amazon.com, September 2020
- Fence type: Wired.
- Range: 500 feet of wire.
- Price: $198.95
- Dog weight: 8 pounds or more.
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Fur thickness and skin sensitivity vary from dog to dog. With 8 levels of static correction, DogTek’s EF-4000 gives you double the amount of typical correctional collars, which average 4 levels. The kit also comes with a set of short and long collar contact points to make sure they penetrate your dog’s fur to gain direct contact with the skin. Additionally, the DogTek EF-4000 also lets you set up two different boundary lines via the kit’s control panel, and you can adjust each one independently. This means that for each section, you can customize the boundary line’s “warning zone”—which sends a beep warning to your dog, and the device’s “correction zone.”
PetSafe Basic review
Best for Affordability
Screenshot Store.petsafe.net, September 2020
- Fence type: Wired.
- Range: 500 feet of wire.
- Price: $134.95
- Dog weight: 8 pounds or more.
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty, 90-day warranty for refurbished devices.
Due to its lower than average cost, PetSafe’s basic in-ground fence offers more bang for your buck. DIY electric dog fences ordinarily cost around $200, but with PetSafe’s basic kit, you’re saving yourself around $65 dollars. The kit’s collar comes with a tone-only mode, which helps train your dog to react to a warning tone without a correctional shock. Additionally, the collar comes with an automatic safety shut-off feature that prevents your pet from receiving extended shock corrections if it remains in the correction zone for 30 seconds or more. The collar is equipped with a replaceable RFA-67 battery that lasts between one to three months. The collar also comes with a static-free reentry feature that prevents the dog from being shocked when reentering the perimeter. On the downside, the collar has only four levels of static correction, which hinders your ability to customize it.
Perimeter Technologies review
Best for Collar Comfort
Screenshot Amazon.com, September 2020
- Fence type: Wired.
- Range: 500 feet of wire.
- Price: $189.95
- Dog weight: 12 pounds or more.
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty, limited lifetime warranty.
Typically, the contact points on a static correction collar aren’t covered, so that the metal makes direct contact with your dog’s skin. However, Perimeter Technologies’ Basic Ultra Comfort in-ground fence’s collar includes two sets of rubber tips that decrease the friction between the device and your dog’s skin. The collar also comes with 5 levels of static correction and it has a patented battery check feature that monitors the battery status every 2 hours. Unfortunately, the kit isn’t suitable for every dog, as it’s only meant for those that weigh 12 pounds or more. Although the kit comes with a limited lifetime warranty, the fine print states that, after a year, Premier Technologies gets to decide whether or not to repair, replace or upgrade any defective components. This means that there’s no sure way to know for certain whether they’ll comply with their stated warranty once that time period lapses.
PetSafe Wireless review
Best Wireless Dog Fence
Screenshot Amazon.com, September 2020
- Fence type: Wireless.
- Range: 105 feet in all directions from the transmitter.
- Price: $309.93
- Dog weight: 5 pounds or more.
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty, 90-day warranty for refurbished devices.
If you don’t want to set up your electric dog fence’s perimeter by digging and burying a wire, you can opt for PetSafe’s Stay & Play wireless fence instead. While the device is the most expensive on this list, it comes with great features, including five levels of static correction, short and long contact points, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that lasts for 15-20 days. The wireless transmitter is portable, so you can take it with you during RV ventures or camping trips. Just like with PetSafe’s basic in-wire electric dog fence, the Stay & Play collar also comes with automatic safety shut-off and static-free reentry features, so your dog will be safe if they ever leave the transmitter’s range.
Further Insight into Our Methodology
When we looked at various companies and their products, we found four key characteristics shared by all electric dog fence DIY products: device features, total costs, warranties, and customer support. However, as we dug deeper into the industry’s pros and cons, we learned both that every electric dog fence has different dog weight requirements, and that many companies patent their collar features, meaning that some correction shock collars have unique characteristics. With this in mind, we spent over 200 hours of research, vetted 10 companies, and decided to focus on the following three factors: features, affordability, and customer experience.
Features
Although all electric dog fences share common components—i.e. a wireless transmitter/buried cable wire perimeter, a static correction collar, 500 ft wire setup, and training flags—each company integrates unique features into their devices, such as a vibration feature for training purposes or a rechargeable collar battery. Kits that had little to no features scored lower on our list, while those with useful safety traits, such as the “static-free reentry” function, ranked higher. We found that one of the biggest concerns pet parents have with electric dog fences is that after crossing out of the inground or wireless perimeter, their dog won’t walk back into the yard for fear of being shocked again. The “static-free reentry” function assures that this won’t happen, so your dog can safely come back into your yard.
Affordability
Choosing an electric dog fence kit with great features is important, but so is not breaking the bank with your purchase. That’s why our top picks balance functionality with affordability. A professionally-installed electric dog fence can range from $800 to $2,000, depending on the size of the perimeter you want, number of collars, and, if you’re not considering training your dog yourself, if you add professional dog training to the bill. This is far more expensive than DIY electric dog fence kits, which generally cost no more than $400. Yes, you’ll have to set the wiring or the wireless transmitter yourself, and you’ll be on your own when training your dog. On the upside, you’re saving a lot of money and time, since most electric dog fence DIY kits can be set up in a weekend’s time. For this reason, we decided to focus our electric dog fence list on DIY kits. You’ll notice that our picks average around $200 and cost no more than $310.
Customer Experience
The most common electric dog fence complaint we found online s was that the collar would stop working after a year of use, so we looked at consumer reviews on four websites: Amazon, Walmart, Chewy, Home Depot, and Wayfair.com, to make sure that the fences we chose had little to no negative reviews regarding their product lifespan.
If your electric dog fence ever stops working, however, you’ll need a reliable warranty and customer support. Companies with a warranty of a year+ scored higher with us. As regards customer support, we researched the aforementioned websites for customer reviews that dealt with this element and made sure that there were little to no negative experiences with customers. We also checked that each company had an official website with a support section, and that there was more than one way of communicating with the company. All of the electric dog fence brands we chose have a phone number you can call, an email address, and a fillable contact form.
Helpful information about Electric Dog Fences
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.
What to Watch Out for With Electric Dog Fences
Electric dog fences are not foolproof
Because an electric dog fence isn’t a physical fence, even when a dog learns how the system works, they can still escape or run away. The only thing stopping your dog from doing so is the knowledge that, if it crosses the perimeter, it will be shocked. But what happens after the shock? Let’s say that your dog Rufus is in your backyard and sees a squirrel. His instincts will tell it to chase the rodent. If Rufus’ desire to chase the squirrel is greater than the fear of being shocked, he can pass the correction zone, get shocked, and continue chasing the squirrel without a problem.
What if you forget to change or recharge the collar’s battery, so the dog walks towards the warning zone and doesn’t hear the collar’s beep warnings? It will keep on walking and leave the perimeter. Worse yet, let’s say that your dog crosses the correction zone, gets shocked, and wants to walk back into your yard. Your pet will think that it will get shocked again, so it could hesitate and go elsewhere.
Finally, what if another dog enters the perimeter and becomes aggressive toward your pet? Your dog will have no other option than to confront the dog, since leaving the perimeter will shock it and not the other dog. Electric dog fences simply aren’t as reliable as physical ones Even when you’re confident your dog won’t leave the premises, there are many environmental variables that might affect its actions.
Proper training is essential
Your dog won’t learn about warning beeps, perimeter limits, or corrective shocks by itself; you need to guide it through the process. Since dogs learn through associative stimuli, you need to be the one that teaches it to associate the warning signs with not leaving the perimeter. The best way to do so is by following the training steps found in your electric dog fence’s user manual, or by looking for guidance online. This assures that your dog will learn the ropes accordingly and that the electric dog fence will achieve its purpose.
Read the manual’s setup instructions carefully
Just as your dog needs to learn how to remain in your backyard’s perimeter, you need to learn how to set up your electric dog fence properly. Follow all instructions to make sure your electric dog fence works as intended. It sounds a bit cliché, but one misstep is enough to render your electric dog fence useless.
For example, a wireless fence model won’t work if you place the transmitter in your home’s second floor, since the manual states that the transmitter must be at ground level for it to work. You also can’t place the transmitter near large, metallic devices, such as a refrigerator or washing machine, since these could interfere with the wireless signal it sends out. Finally, failing to read the instructions carefully has the potential to harm you or your dog, as setting the correction shock at an inadequate level can cause physical harm.
Clean the collar once a week, and avoid leaving it on for more than 12 hours a day
You should always remember to clean the collar’s contact points at least once a week since they can get clogged with hair or skin oil. A clogged contact point won’t apply correctional shocks efficiently, giving your dog the opportunity to leave the premises without being shocked. Additionally, it’s important that you remove the collar every 12 hours to save on battery power, or for recharging if the collar has rechargeable batteries. If you follow this step to the letter, you’ll always know that your dog’s collar will function properly if they ever walk towards the perimeter’s edge. It’s important that you monitor the battery’s health, too, as battery life typically lasts from three to six months.
FAQs about Electric Dog Fences
Is an electric fence right for my dog?
An electric dog fence can be a good solution for pet parents who worry about their dog running away, chasing people or animals, or wandering off and getting lost. However, it’s important to know that electric dog fences aren’t right for every dog or pet parent. Dogs that are aggressive, difficult to train or anxiety-prone may not react well to the electric fence. Take your pup’s personality and behavior into account when making your decision.
Can the shock from the electric dog fence hurt my dog?
The shock delivered from the sensor collar, usually between 1,500-4,500 volts, is considered mild by providers. There is a risk for injury if the voltage is too high, so we suggest you follow the directions found in the device’s manual carefully. Just to be sure, many pet parents first test the system on themselves before putting the collar on their pets. If you have concerns about using an electric dog fence on your dog, consult your veterinarian on whether it’s the best option available.
Are Electric dog fence cables different from your run-of-the-mill cables?
Electric dog fence kits typically use 20-gauge cables, which are common in the hardware industry. However, some come with thicker, 18-gauge cables, and they can go as low as 14-gauge. The lower the number, the thicker the cable.
How much does an electric dog fence cost?
Electric dog fences usually cost around $200 for DIY kits, but they can be as expensive as $2,500, with professional installation and dog training. Setting up your DIY electric dog fence kit can take as little as one to two days, but if you feel like professional help is important, you can look for companies that offer this service.