Best Wireless Dog Fence Reviews and Ultimate Buying Guide (2022 Edition)

A constant worry for any dog owner is that their pet will wander off on its own, but keeping a dog indoors all day long is not fair on the animal and not everyone wants to go to the expense of building a high fence all around their property. Wireless dog fences, which are sometimes called electric dog fences, are an affordable and effective solution to this problem. Wireless dog fence and In-ground dog fence provide a means of keeping your pet dog within the boundaries of your property without the need to build a physical fence or a wall.

For those of you who are not familiar with wireless dog fences, we have compiled this useful wireless dog fence buyer’s guide that explains how these fences work, what to look for in the best wireless dog fence and we have also provided you with our reviews of Top wireless dog fence systems.

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If you have a yard or garden with no fence and you have a dog that you want to let out without a leash, then you have two options. You can either build a physical wall or a fence, or you can use a wireless dog fence system

Building a wall or a fence around an average sized yard is likely to cost thousands of dollars and you may not want to fence yourself in and block out the view with a high fence. Two of the less obtrusive fence options would be a wooden fence or a chain link fence.

A ranch-style wooden fence could cost as much as $15,000 if you were to have it installed professionally, and around $5,000 if you were to build the fence yourself. A ranch style fence will only be of limited use too, as smaller dogs will easily get through it.

A chain link fence would be a cheaper option. You could probably build your own for about $2,000 or, if you brought in a professional, it might cost you about $5,000. While a chain link fence would be more effective than a wooden ranch style fence would be, they are not very attractive to look at and they do rust over time.

The other option would be to keep your dog indoors all the time, but that really wouldn’t be fair on the dog. Wireless dog fence systems area fraction of the cost of a physical fence and they are very easy to install, which is why so many people choose them over the other dog fence options.

Take a look our wireless dog fence reviews, and that will give you a better idea of some best wireless dog fence systems that are available on the market today.

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When you purchase additional receiver collars for wireless dog fences, it is important that you purchase the correct dog collars to go with the wireless dog fence unit that has bought. Here is a description of three of the best PetSafe receiver collars along with advice on which PetSafe wireless dog fences each of them will work with.

Electric dog fences come in two main types. There are those that use a cord buried in a shallow trench around the perimeter of your property to trigger the dog collar and there those that operate on and adjustable radio signal that triggers the correction. Here are the main things to bear in mind when you are looking for the best wireless dog fence for your dog.

​Pet Safety

The mild electric shock that wireless dog fence collars give when the dog crosses the boundary are perfectly safe and harmless, but you do need to set the correction level to suit your dog’s size and temperament. It is also advisable to check with your veterinarian before you use a wireless dog fence collar. Your vet will be able to advise you on the use of the system and will tell you if your dog has any medical conditions that might be aggravated by the use of an electric dog collar.

Practicality

The main practical consideration when choosing between different models of wireless dog fence systems is that size and shape of the area that you want to restrict the dog’s movements too. While a cordless dog fence is easy to set up, it does cover a circular area only. If you have an irregular shaped yard or garden, an in-ground system might suit you better. You will also need to check the maximum range of any system that you look at to make sure that it will be large enough for your needs.

One of the big advantages of an electric dog fence over a physical fence or wall is, of course, the expense. To erect a fence that is high enough to retain a dog around the average sized yard or garden would cost thousands of dollars, whereas the very best wireless dog fence would only cost a few hundred dollars.

There is also the visual impact of a tall physical fence to consider. If you live in a beautiful area and you have great views, you simply may not want to block out those wonderful views with a tall man-made structure.

Many people find that the correctional features of a wireless dog fence only need to be triggered a few times before the dog learns where the boundaries lie. After that, the dog does not even attempt to wander off. Once that has happened, you know that you can relax safe in the knowledge that your pet won’t be roaming around being a nuisance or getting in harm’s way.

Another major advantage of an electric dog fence is that, should you move home, you can take the fence with you, which is obviously impossible with a physical fence. If you have a cordless style wireless dog fence, there will be no cost involved in moving it at all. Even if you have a dog fence that does use buried cords, your only additional cost will be the cords themselves.

Wireless dog fences give your pet the freedom that it needs to be happy while giving you the control that you need. No dog likes to be cooped up indoors all day long and an electric dog fence will allow your pet to run and play in your garden without you having to worry about it running away. You don’t even have to be present all the time to keep your dog within the boundaries of your property.

Wireless dog fences are easy to install and easy to use. The mild corrective shock that they give is perfectly safe and harmless and you can adjust the intensity of the correction to suit the breed, size and the temperament of your dog. The sensation that a dog feels when wearing one of these collars is no more than you would feel with a static electricity shock that you might get in your home, but it is enough to teach the dog not stray outside of the boundaries that you have set.

Wireless dog fences are far cheaper than a physical fence, they take only an hour or so to set up and, with some models, you can take the system with you on vacation too. Electric dog fences give your dog the freedom to be happy and you the freedom to let your pet roam free, safe within the confines of your own back yard.

The installation of a wireless dog fence is very simple. It will vary with different models, but the basic steps are the same for all types of electric dog fences. If you have a chosen an in-ground model, like the Friendly Pet Products Wireless Dog Fence we mentioned in our wireless dog fence system reviews, you will need to dig a shallow trench to place the cord in but, other than that, the process if virtually the same for both types of wireless dog fences.

Step 1: Locating the transmitter

The first step is to find a suitable location for the main transmitter for your wireless dog fence. Ideally, this will be in a garage or a shed, but it will need to be somewhere dry, somewhere with a power outlet, and preferably on an outside wall. If you are installing a cordless radio type wireless dog fence, remember that wherever you install the transmitter will be the centre of your perimeter. It is also advisable to locate the transmitter away from large metal objects and other electronic equipment because they could cause interference.

Step 2: Setting the perimeter

The next step is to set your wireless dog fence. If you have an in-ground model, you will do this by placing the cord in a shallow trench around the perimeter of your property. If you have a cordless wireless dog fence, you will need to set the radius by walking with the collar out towards the perimeter until you hear the warning beep. This is best done with two people; one holding the collar and the other adjusting the transmitter.

Step 3: Setting the correction level

Most of the wireless dog fences have at least five levels of correction that can be set in the collar. As a general guide, a small dog will respond well to correction level 1 or 2, a medium dog to 3, and a large dog will respond to level 4 or 5. You do, however, have to take your dog’s temperament into consideration as well, but it is always better to start off low and increase the setting if you feel that your dog needs it. An electric training dog collar should startle a dog, not make it yelp in pain.

Step 4: Training your dog

Above all else, a wireless dog fence is a training aid and the ideal outcome of using one is that your dog ceases to even attempt to cross the boundary. The first step to training your dog is to set up flags around the perimeter so that there is a visual reminder. Then, you can set the dog collar to beep first as an audible warning for our dog followed by the correction if he crosses the perimeter. Most people find that their dogs learn not cross the perimeter after just a few corrections.

A wireless dog fence is a very effective way to keep your dog safely in the confines of the perimeter that you set, without the need for a physical fence or wall, but they need to be used properly and they need to be used consistently. Here are the main things that you need to be aware of when using a wireless dog fence.

1. Train your dog

It is important to remember that a wireless dog fence is a training aid. Your dog will need to be introduced to the collar and taught that, if they cross the perimeter, they will receive the correction.

2. Be consistent

Your dog will need to understand that, whenever they are wearing the collar, they are not allowed to cross over the perimeter. If you want to lead the dog outside the perimeter, remove the correction collar and replace it with another collar and a leash. That way your dog will clearly understand when it is OK to go beyond the boundary and when it is not.

3. Check the batteries often

You will need to test the batteries on the collar regally to make sure that the collar is still working. If you don’t, you might just find that your dog has wandered off one day.

4. Remember that a wireless dog fence doesn’t keep people out

A wireless dog fence is an excellent way to keep your dog in, but it does nothing to keep people or other dogs out. For this reason, it is not a good idea to leave a dog unattended for any length of time, even if you do have a wireless dog fence.

5. Never use a wireless dog fence to tease or punish a dog

A wireless dog fence should only ever be used for the purpose for which it was designed. Whilst the static shock that electric collars give is mild, if you or anyone else abuses one, it will lose its effectiveness and, more importantly, it could cause physiological harm to the dog.