Invisible Fence Installation

[bjaspud]

Does anybody have any experience installing an invisible dog fence. My new house has a receiver but no collar and a broken wire somewhere in the yard.

I'm thinking of renting a 'trenching' machine and spool of 14 gauge wire and installing it myself. It all seems pretty straight forward.

Can anybody tell me about potential pit falls?

Where is a good place to get a collar / transmitter?

Are there any compatibility issues between collar and transmitter I need to watch out for?

It's all new to me. Any schooling would be appreciated.

Spud

 

[HammerMechanic]

You can rent the trencher from Home Depot and get the wire there. The trencher will lay the wire and bury it, so it is very fast. I did a large area in about 2 hours. I was able to do it and get the trencher returned all for the 4 hour price.
As far as the collar goes, look on ebay for the model receiver you have and buy one there.

 

[SweetD]

How long is your wire line? We have a small lot (~1/3 acre), so my wife and I laid the wire manually. I used a straight blade spade and she came behind with the wire and a push stick of some sort. It's only buried an inch or two deep.

Don't know if you've had a wireless fence before, but if you train your dog correctly, it works great! Good luck -

Dave

EDIT: Yes, I believe you need to match the transmitter / head unit to the collar for compatibility. Tons of info on line about the training - it's not that hard.

 

[mbatarga]

Would a wireless system work? We've got one that covers a 90 foot radius from it's central location inside the house entry foyer. Our dog can go all the way to the front side walk, right sidewalk (corner lot), back property line, and just into the neighbors driveway. No trenching needed! We're on about a 1/3 to 1/2 acre lot, and he has free roam upon it.

 

[darkk]

Does anybody have any experience installing an invisible dog fence. Can anybody tell me about potential pit falls? Any schooling would be appreciated. Spud

Don't know if you've had a wireless fence before, but if you train your dog correctly, it works great! Good luck - Dave

You could use a tone generator to find the break in the wire.
Some dogs, *like mine* are real assholes and wouldn't think of letting a little electro-shock therapy bother them. Some dogs are determined, especially if the battery weakens. Then it only zaps for a second or two. By that time they're on the other side eating your neighbors prized cat.

 

[DEEDDUDE]

We have done this several times. My yard is very big and the last time we did it we borrowed my neighbors Polaris ranger. Put a large piece of all thread, maybe 1½”, in the ball receiver and dragged a trench all around the yard. Took about 5 minutes to drive around, very hard dirt, and about 2 hours to put it in the hole and cover.
I need to do this again and my neighbor said he did his again using a weed eater and an edging blade. We’ve had to do this more than once because the lines are solid and are getting broke from all the dump truck traffic through the yard.

 

[HandsomeDan]

If you're going with the wire, then renting the trencher is your best bet.

The only pitfall I can think of is a break in the line.
Our neighbor has a wired setup, and they've had a couple of breaks over the years.
They actually lost their dog last year because he found a break, and was hit by a car.
I think most companies recommend that you check for breaks occasionally.

One of my friends has a wireless setup at his place. I think if I were going to get an electric fence, I'd go wireless. They're completely adaptable, you can add transmitters for a larger area, and you can bring them with you if you go somewhere.
:shrug:

 

[Falcon67]

We have one in the back yard. It's a PetSmart brand unit with matching collar. I use their wire, HD can order it online for cheaper than a pet store will sell it. Works for us, but it works for this dog because it runs around the outside of our 6' wood fence. Any breaks need to be repaired with sprinkler quality waterproof wire nuts. Anything less will eventually cause the controller to go crazy. You should not have to "check" for breaks, the controller should alarm because it has to have a continuous loop. If your controller does not, you need a better system or the controller is damaged.

We have to keep Rusty at least a couple of feet from the fence and any tree close to the fence. Yes, the 45 lb half boxer/half kangaroo/half ******* dog climbs trees. When I run it under ground, I only run it an inch or two. The rest of the run is on the lower back board of the fence, closer to collar level. With the collar on 4, which is one step below a phaser on kill, he will still run through if he feels the urge. And yell and flop like you shot him. Idiot dog. But it keeps him in the yard with the gates closed and nothing near the fence that would give him a way to get to the fence without sounding the collar. He self trained well and very quick. Wife asked me if we needed to train him, my response was "As much money as we've spent over the years trying to keep that squirrel legged ******* in the yard, let him figure it out." And he did, much to our amusement. We're both going to dog hell. We did re-run the wire this year so it would go around the new shop and Rusty could come in and be a shop dog. The other little spare dog doesn't escape and causes no trouble except for shedding like a ball of fuzz.

We also have a bark collar because he's a loud SOB sometimes. I call him idiot, but the damn dog knows which collar is on.

I did read a review online from a person that told about their German Shepard. That dog figured out to sit near the fence with the warning beeper going until the battery died, then walk away.

 

[ponjohn]

I used Pet Safe products who in the last 2 years bought invisisble fence and are combining technologies marketed under the Invisible Fence brand name.

Be aware that a company that has distributors AND retail sales ( big box) they are generally different levels of product. Much like John Deere at HD and JD at a distributor.
The box store devices usually are limited in the level of prgramming you can do.

It is by far the best 1100 we ever spent. We contain 4 German Shepherds on about an acre that is wired.

The wire will be twisted in the area that goes from the transmitter to start to containment area.

 

[hammertime1]

I worked for Invisible Fence in college and did service repairs on other companies. Their is a hughe difference between store bought and Invisible Fence. Even the ones I repaired usually ended upgrading to the IF systems. They do work.you can't just swap to another companies collar etc, they all operate on frequency. The frequencies have to match.
If it is an IF fencing system they used a good quality wire and it can be easily repaired. There is a system used to find the break or breaks. It not their porpitarty tech all sorts of line companies use em. If its a box store I doubt the wire is worth trying to save.
We used a big **** tiller with a large blade on back and tube to feed wire behind it. It worked very quickly and good non rocky soil allow you to get down deep. I have seen a few places rent a similar set up.
Also had customers who knew their soil was super rocky, have us put their line in PVC all the way around the house. In most cases it will work. But dealing with signals, you house and a ground goofy things can happen. Those tubes will hold water and in those off situations water makes the signal field bigger. I have only seen it happen a few times and I suspected bleed off into the coverage from other types of devices and service carriers help create the issue. It was a PITA to get things exact.
you can get a heavy duty coated wire on spools from your local electrical supply. I forget what we used buy I know the owner I worked for had me using the thicker stuff period even then other vendors for IF. If you need to connect to wires under ground or a break you can knot the wire so it don't pull apart at the break or connection. and wire nut it then you get one of those black plastic plugs that look like a tampon filled with Ky or whatever is inside to keep water n such out.
IF's thing is they get you with their propeteiry batteries (been almost 20 yrs so not sure if it still that way) but their are places that wholesale them a lot cheaper. They don't last as long but they work. you just need to figure out who long. that all depends on your dog and how much the dog tests the systems.
I would personally price out an IF installed and see what they will sell you a system outright. remember its like buying a car serious negotiation is involved. may even check ebay or elsewhere to get prices. I highly recommended the surge protector if they haven't built them into the system. I saw lots of units fried because people did not want to spend the extra $40.00 and paid the price later for one and a new unit.
when I worked for IF we had the best system period. No one had anything close. Our service was the best too. IF is sold as individual franchises so Im sure they can be a degree of variation. Back then I recommended friends and family. I still recommend people to IF. No one has ever complained either. I have had more then one person tell me the IF sales rep told em that I had batteries for life If i ever put in a I fence. MY mutts know better, but I spent a lot of time to get there. Dogs pick up that I F quick. thats the other nice thing bout IF is you get you, dog, training and service for dog not learning etc with a complete install. The sales girl and I both did them. I never saw a person get billed who bought a fence and dogs/customer needed help learning. Went back several times. Those cases were rare but do happen just like a dog needing a heavy duty or second collar. IF's collars were at the time some of the strongest (adjustable) .
I train hunting dogs. We have been using shocker collars for years and not ones found at box stores back then. I tested the competition and most weren't capable of giving a good static shock. The IF's hung with the adjustments on are hunting collars.
most times your dog isn't even going to get a static shot. The collars can be set to giving an audible warning. most times dogs hear the warning and stop in their tracks.
The flags are key to teaching your dog the boundaries. Most dogs have the boundaries done in two weeks.
I know there are few new players on the market and since I never had to deal with them I cannot answer to their quality. one of the quickest signs if the wire looks about the thickness of an iPhone cable or the old indoor phone lines its not going to last or hold up to being in the ground. The wire should have the thick black plastic ground rating covering and be at least 3/16 plus. wish I could remember the size of stuff we used.

 

[jhelrey]

We have one in the back yard. It's a PetSmart brand unit with matching collar. I use their wire, HD can order it online for cheaper than a pet store will sell it. Works for us, but it works for this dog because it runs around the outside of our 6' wood fence. Any breaks need to be repaired with sprinkler quality waterproof wire nuts. Anything less will eventually cause the controller to go crazy. You should not have to "check" for breaks, the controller should alarm because it has to have a continuous loop. If your controller does not, you need a better system or the controller is damaged.

We have to keep Rusty at least a couple of feet from the fence and any tree close to the fence. Yes, the 45 lb half boxer/half kangaroo/half ******* dog climbs trees. When I run it under ground, I only run it an inch or two. The rest of the run is on the lower back board of the fence, closer to collar level. With the collar on 4, which is one step below a phaser on kill, he will still run through if he feels the urge. And yell and flop like you shot him. Idiot dog. But it keeps him in the yard with the gates closed and nothing near the fence that would give him a way to get to the fence without sounding the collar. He self trained well and very quick. Wife asked me if we needed to train him, my response was "As much money as we've spent over the years trying to keep that squirrel legged ******* in the yard, let him figure it out." And he did, much to our amusement. We're both going to dog hell. We did re-run the wire this year so it would go around the new shop and Rusty could come in and be a shop dog. The other little spare dog doesn't escape and causes no trouble except for shedding like a ball of fuzz.

We also have a bark collar because he's a loud SOB sometimes. I call him idiot, but the damn dog knows which collar is on.

I did read a review online from a person that told about their German Shepard. That dog figured out to sit near the fence with the warning beeper going until the battery died, then walk away.

Pic of said dog?

I've used an edger after I scalped the area in which I was going to run the wire. For driveways, just make a inch deep cut with a diamond blade on a grinder next to a 2x4. Run the wire and pull tight on each side. Fill in the crack with either concrete caulking or sealant for tar.

 

[olytdi]

You can locate breaks in the wire by using a radio. I can't remember if it's am or fm but you go to one end or the other of the frequency spectrum and listen for changes in the static. Works well for Invisible Fence, anyway.

 

[Deltarat]

I just trained my dog to stay in the yard. He won't leave our yard or put his foot in the street. He won't even follow me across the street or chase a cat or squirrel pass the edge of our yard. I go across the street to visit and he will sit at the end of the drive and wait on me to come back. He has done this at both houses we have lived in and when I carry him to my son's house and he won't leave his yard either. You just have to teach them where the boundary is.

 

[Rickster]

Yes, use a portable radio set to the AM band. Plug in the invisible fence control unit. It should start beeping indicating a break in the line. Follow the two twisted wires away from the unit until you get outside where there is just a single wire in the ground. Here you have to bend down and get within a foot of the ground with the radio and scroll the am band. At one point you'll get a solid buzzing sound, that's the radio output from the system. Just tie a string to the radio and walk the line gently swaying the radio back and forth listening for the buzzing. When you get to a point where the buzzing stops that's where the break is.

You don't need to trench these lines down. Typically there just below the grass. Over time they may get pushed up out of the ground where the soil is loose like in a flower bed, but you just use a hand shovel to set it back in place. It's a pretty heavy wire and typically doesn't break by itself. Mine has been cut several times while doing yard work; planted a small tree, edged the lawn and got too close the driveway where they snaked the line over the drive in the expansion joint. The last one was while trimming the bushes, the line had come up in spot and the trimmer sliced it. We have had the invisible fence unit installed for a long time now and it's one of the best investments I ever made.

 

[Hmrhead]

Ditto on IF, we've had one for 8 years and it works great! I've fixed several breaks over the years after accidently cutting the line and used the AM radio trick to locate the line when I had to have a new cable tv/internet/phone line cut in to the lawn. Keeps our 2 dogs, a lab and an Aussie, in an area of about a half acre. Only thing I would differently would be to just keep them in the backyard, now they have free range all the way around the house.

IF still has their own batteries but if you have a Battery Giant or Batteries Plus type store you can purchase refurbed batteries at far less than from IF. Some of the best money spent for the home.

 

[RVDan]

There's a lot of different systems and they don't all work that well.

My uncle had one that sensed proximity and beeped faster the closer it got but wouldn't shock until it got pretty close. His dog would just wander out until it started to beep and lay down there until the battery died.

Ours seemed to be just a timer, it would spark after a certain period time within range. If the dog ran over the line quick enough it was the same as approaching the line and backing off.

 

[denis4x4]

I put an IF system in 12 years ago and it works really great. Deer know exactly where the line is and tease the dog who will not cross the line. Had a line break and our first dog didn't know the difference for almost a year. Had it repaired and the dog knew it was working again. IF installers and trainers were most helpful.