Best Wireless Dog Fence in 2018: The Complete Buyer’s Guide & Product Reviews
It would be fair to say that owning a dog prompts every single emotion you can think of. It’s fun, exciting, loving, scary and in some ways, just like raising a child.
Unfortunately, some neighborhoods are more suited to dogs than others. If you happen to reside in one that isn’t really suitable, it probably means that your yard isn’t enclosed, and there are busy roads nearby which pose a real risk to the safety of your dog.
It’s for the above reason that wireless dog fences have become so popular over recent years. The technology surrounding them has come on leaps and bounds and through the course of this guide we will not just talk about the types of wireless dog fences you can buy, but also review some of the best products in the market. Armed with this knowledge, you can hopefully make life for your canine friend much, much safer.
Top 5 Best Invisible Wireless Dog Fence: Reviews
Firstly, let’s take a look at the five best invisible wireless dog fence reviews that are available on the market right now.
PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System
For those of you who have a small yard, the PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System could be just the option. Let’s take a look at a breakdown of the product:
- PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System prides itself on being completely portable and being one of the easiest systems to set up. Many owners even take it camping with them; it can be moved instantly.
- It is perfect for those of you with a small garden. The system covers half an acre – with the range reaching as much as 90 feet in every direction.
- An unlimited amount of pets can be attached to this system – it’s not limited whatsoever.
- PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System is completely fine for big dogs. The collar can fit pets with a neck size as large as 28 inches.
- The collar is waterproof, meaning that it works fine if the weather takes a turn for the worse.
Cons
- It only covers a circular shape yard, which might be restrictive for some of you.
- If you have a large garden the PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System isn’t going to be sufficient.
- It is not designed for any dog under 8 pounds; meaning that the likes of Chihuahua’s are completely unsuitable.
Buy the PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System
Sit Boo-Boo Hidden Dog Fence
This next product is much different to the last one we looked at, with the Sit Boo-Boo Hidden Dog Fence not being strictly wireless. Instead, the wires are based in the ground, meaning that they are completely hidden to the naked eye anyway. Here is a breakdown of the product:
- The Sit Boo-Boo Hidden Dog Fence is designed to cover a similar area to the previous product and is ideal for any of you who have a yard that’s around half an acre in size.
- If you do want to cover a larger area, it’s possible to buy extra wire to attach to it and cover as much as 5 acres.
- The fact that it uses in-ground cords means that it’s very easy to set up.
- There are five correction levels on the collar; allowing you to customize it specifically to your pet.
- The collar is waterproof and makes use of rechargeable batteries. In other words, there’s no need to scramble around for disposable replacements.
- Sit Boo-Boo Hidden Dog Fence arrives with a lifetime warranty. This is a major plus point and something that most competitors just don’t offer.
Cons
- Some people might not like the idea of wire being laid across their garden, particularly because it’s quite delicate.
Buy Sit Boo-Boo Hidden Dog Fence
Petsafe PIF-300 Wireless 2-Dog Containment System
This next system is completely wireless and regarded as one of the most advanced systems on the market. Let’s move onto the breakdown:
- The Petsafe PIF-300 Wireless 2-Dog Containment System will cover those yards that are up to half an acre in size.
- Unlike some products, the Petsafe PIF-300 Wireless 2-Dog Containment System arrives with warning beeps. This means that your pet will be warned as they approach the boundary, before receiving a static shock.
- The product is completely waterproof, meaning that it is ideal to be used in wet conditions.
- The system can facilitate many dogs; you don’t have to buy multiple ones for each pet in your house.
Cons
- The system will not work for pets who weigh less than 8 pounds.
- There are some concerns regarding the product’s consistency in comparison to others.
Buy Petsafe PIF-300 Wireless 2-Dog Containment System
Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence
- The Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence uses a combination of wireless technology, and an in-ground wire, to ensure that your pets are kept completely safe. Here is a full overview of the product:
- The cord supplied can cover up to 1/3 of an acre or, for those of you with particularly big yards, this can be extended to 5 acres if you purchase more cable.
- Unlike some products, the Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence is designed to work across all landscapes and terrains. It doesn’t matter what the shape of your garden is.
- The collar is waterproof to ensure that it works effectively across all seasons.
- It’s possible to use the product for more than one dog.
- This product has one of the biggest ranges of all. In fact, in comparison to other wireless dog fences, its range is on average 10x bigger.
Cons
- You will not receive a low battery warning if the life starts to decline.
- It is not originally designed for large yards; you will need to purchase more wire for this.
Buy Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence
PetSafe Stay + Play Wireless Fence
This final product is seen as one of the most portable around. Here is a breakdown of it in full:
- The beauty of the PetSafe Stay + Play Wireless Fence is that it’s exceptionally quick to install. It means that anyone who is traveling is immediately catered for.
- It also covers much more space than most of the other options that have been looked at today. It can span up to 4 acres, which means that it’s perfect for even large yards.
- It doesn’t matter how many pets you have, the PetSafe Stay + Play Wireless Fence allows unlimited dogs to be added to the system.
- The battery life is impressive and will last for up to three weeks.
- The collar arrives with five levels of correction, which means you can adjust the product based on your own pet’s attributes.
- The collar is waterproof and weather resistant; it will work even if your pet decides to go swimming.
Cons
- Even though the system covers a large area, it’s only really designed for orthodox shapes.
- Only breeds which are more than 5 pounds can use the product.
Buy PetSafe Stay + Play Wireless Fence
The guide to buying an invisible wireless dog fence
Now that we have taken a look at some of the best products in the area, it’s worth looking at the technology behind these devices. In other words, just why you need them, and how they work.
A wireless dog fence is effectively an invisible fence. It’s invisible as it works on electrical signals, which creates a border around your property. Every time your pet crosses this border, the collar they are wearing will deliver a small electric shock which states to them that they have ventured too far away. Generally, the transmitters can track your pet with a distance between 15 and 90 feet.
The difference between a wired dog fence and wireless dog fence
One burning question which a lot of owners like to ask is the difference between a wired dog fence and a wireless dog fence. It goes without saying that aesthetics plays a big part here; and some owners just prefer the wireless option as they are invisible and don’t detract from a house’s frontage in the slightest. There are other major differences between the two though, and we will now analyze both types of products in-detail.
Wired dog fence
The first option we will look at is the wired dog fence. The dog will wear a collar with a receiver, while antennas are placed in the ground along the perimeter of the yard and linked to each other by wires. In short, as soon as your dog passes one of these antennas, the receiver will activate and deliver the small electric shock.
While a wired dog fence can work very well in most yards, it goes without saying that those which are a peculiar shape, or have intricate corners, might have difficulty installing something which involves so much wire. The same can be said of larger gardens, which will need huge amounts of wire.
This is also a very permanent solution. In other words, if you change your mind regarding the location of the fence or decide to move home, removing and re-installing in a different location is very difficult.
Wireless dog fence
If we now turn to the wireless dog fence, the obvious downside here is that some people might think it’s a little more difficult to install. Wires are not linking the antennas, meaning that the method of installation is a little more technical. At the same time, particularly if you have a large garden or one of an awkward shape, installing a wireless solution is probably much easier than one where wires are trailing around all over the place.
Nevertheless, few would disagree that the way in which a wireless dog fence works is very smart and will be suitable for most homes. The transmitter is this time placed near your home, usually inside, before you define a radius away from the device. Once your dog, wearing its collar, ventures beyond this radius the electric shock will be delivered. It means that gradually, the dog can start to learn how far they are allowed to go.
What should you think about before buying a wireless dog fence?
As you might expect, a wireless dog fence tends to be slightly more complex than the wired alternative. If you have decided to take the plunge and opt for this route, let’s take a look at some of the factors you should consider before you make your purchase.
How much area can the fence cover?
This should probably be your main concern before you make y our purchase. One of the big differences with a lot of wireless dog fences is the amount of area that they cover. For example, some transmitters are only able to cover about an acre, which makes things very restrictive for your dog. At the same time, others can cover 25 acres, which is ideal for anyone who has got an enormous garden.
It’s not just about hard and fast numbers here though. One of the other transmitter considerations is how the signals are emitted. For example, some can only transmit with a circular radius, which presents problems for those of you with a yard that’s not of an orthodox shape. It might also mean that the transmitter doesn’t cover every inch of your yard, which would be almost defeating the point.
A final point should be made about the way in which some transmitters emit their signals. Some are quite weak, and won’t pass through heavy structural materials like wood or metal. If your home is surrounded by a lot of these, you will need to consider this when purchasing.
How easy is the fence to install?
On the most part, for those of you who have at least some technical knowledge a wireless dog fence is easy to install. You don’t have to hammer anything into the ground, or anything else overly physical, all of the setup revolves around the transmitter. This tends to involve unpacking the transmitter, before setting it up on your computer. Generally, this process takes about an hour to complete.
In fact, some would suggest that the hardest part is finding a suitable position for your transmitter, as it needs to be away from possible barriers and also within close proximity to a 120-volt outlet. Additionally, ensure that the area is of a suitable temperature, meaning that it’s not below freezing.
How many dogs can be programmed into the fence?
It probably won’t come as a surprise to read that some of these products are able to facilitate multiple dogs. At the same time, you might only be able to “track” one with others. This is mainly determined by the number of collars that the transmitter is able to accept.
Do you receive a warranty?
This next point is something that you have most probably already considered, as it’s something that most of us do when buying anything electrical.
The standard warranty with a wireless dog fence is one year, which tends to be sufficient as most issues relate to the initial installation of the product.
What about the features of the wireless dog collar?
This section follows on from the previous one. In other words, you might have found the perfect system in terms of the size of the area it works in and all of the other factors we have discussed, but what about the collar itself? To complete your system, your dog needs to wear a collar that contains certain must-have features. Let’s now take a look at some of these features.
Correction levels
This is one of the most important areas of the collar and put simply, needs to be as wide as possible. It looks at how intense the electrical shock is which is going to be administered to the dog in case it wanders beyond the boundaries you set. Suffice to say, the more correction levels that are available, the more flexibility you have within the product.
This flexibility is key, particularly if your dog is going to “grow up” with a wireless fence. For example, a puppy is not going to be able to withstand a high correction level. At the same time, if you have a large dog, the correction level needs to be high enough to ensure that it makes an impact and prevents the dog from venturing beyond the boundary.
So, the number of possible correction levels is one thing you should look out for, but there are more. Some products also warn the dog as they approach the fence, usually with a beep. In a lot of cases, these noises are sufficient to keep them plenty of distance away from the boundary.
There are also products that gradually release stronger static shocks as the dog gets further away from the boundary.
Battery life
This next feature is probably a given as again, it’s relatable to most electronic purchases. Just like pretty much every niche, there will be some products that have longer battery lives than others. Some will last a couple of months before needing to be charged, while others may only last for a few days.
A lot of these products now tend to have rechargeable batteries, but there are still some out there which take disposable batteries. Naturally, this is a cost decision that you need to weigh-up.
Size of the collar
The size of the collar is something else which is really important. If the collar is too loose, it can mean that they don’t feel the vibrations that are emitted when they break the boundary. At the same time, a collar that’s too tight has obvious health implications.
Fortunately, the majority of collars are quite flexible when it comes to size. To ensure that it does fit well, measure your dog’s neck beforehand. This size can then be matched to the size of the collar which should be on the product packaging.
Is the device water resistant?
This next point is only going to be applicable to some of you who might be surrounded by water. However, some devices are water resistant and if you do live next to a lake, it stands to reason that you need to purchase one of these. Not only that, in some cases a device which isn’t water resistant is unlikely to work if it rains, so this is something else that you need to consider. In the case of this, it might be acceptable to purchase one that is weatherproof, which is generally fine at withstanding rain and other adverse weather conditions. Weatherproof collars are also able to function completely fine under the rays of the sun or harsh winds, which might be more common in your area.
At this point we should also make you aware of the differences between waterproof and water-resistant. The latter is much more formidable and if you do think that your dog might swim in water for long periods of time, this is the option you should be choosing.
