Fences: Building Your Dog Friendly Backyard

As a dog owner, keeping your pet safe and secure is priority number one! For pets who love spending their days enjoying the outdoors, a fence is a necessity. The options for dog fencing on the market today range from structural fencing to in-ground electrical wire fencing to electric wireless fencing- most of which can be self-installed by you. Here we take a look at the pros and cons of dog fencing options.

Structural Fences

Structural or conventional fencing comes in a variety of forms: pressure treated lumber, vinyl, wrought iron or chain link to name a few. A physical fence can provide peace of mind when containing a pet; however there can be restrictions in planned neighborhoods as to what type of fence you can build. Additionally you should consider if your dog would be likely to jump over a fence or attempt to dig under the fence.  

Wired Electric Fences

These fences consist of a buried electrical wire that is connected to a main transmitter in your home or garage, and a receiver collar worn by your dog. The wire is run from one end of the transmitter, buried underground along the perimeter of your property and then connected again at the other end to the transmitter. It necessitates digging your yard to place the wire underground and possibly cutting through your driveway.  Basic maintenance will be needed if there is a break in the wire or the wire becomes exposed.  

This system has a signal field (anywhere from 2-24 feet) that you will set, taking into consideration the temperament of your dog. This signal field is the area where your dog will be corrected either through a tone or static correction (that you select), deterring them from leaving the wired fence boundary. 

Electric Wireless Fences

These fences come be found in two forms. One that forms a circular boundary around your property and one that allows you to customize the shape of the boundary based on the unique features of your property.

A wireless fence works by transmitting a radio signal from the base station in your home to the desired fence boundary. As the name implies, there are no wires to bury, so no digging necessary.

If your dog crosses into the “trigger zone” at the edge of the fence boundary, he or she will receive a tone or static correction (that you select) through the collar receiver. This will encourage the dog to move back into the safe area or roaming area inside the fence boundary. This “trigger zone” can range from 2 feet to 12 feet. 

Wireless fences will encounter limitations in certain environments. For example, you might not reach optimal performance if your home has aluminum siding. Other obstacles are extensive heavy landscaping or if the home sits on a densely wooded lot.