How a Wireless Dog Fence Works

A wireless pet containment system includes two important components. The first is the transmitter, which is a medium sized electronic device that needs to be plugged in. The second component is the receiver collar which is placed on the dog.

The transmitter needs to be located indoors where it won't get wet. Most people prefer to hide the unit in an out-of-the-way spot like a garage or closet. The transmitter sends out a signal that literally encompasses the surrounding area to whatever radius you desire, from only a feww feet all the way up to the limit of the device which can be usually 60 - 250 feet depending upon the price of the unit. Most transmitters have an easy control dial to adjust the range of the signal.

You then place the special receiver collar on your pet. When the pet comes near to the boundary of the signal, the collar emits a warning beep. If your dog continues to go past the transmission range, it will receive a mild static energy pulse which is startling, but not harmful. With just a little training, your pet will learn to heed the warning beep and will not get "zapped" too often.

The main reason so many people love the new wireless pet containment systems is because they are so easy to set up. There are no wires to bury, no trenches to dig. It is literally plug and play ready. The only thing that takes time is to train your dog. While optional, this step is highly recommended so that your pet knows its boundaries right away without having to learn the hard way. Most system also come with small wire flags that you can use to mark the boundary area as a visual cue for your dog.

The pros are pretty obvious: easy setup, quick installation, no need to do construction or disturb your yard.

There are a few downsides, however, and you should consider them first before you buy a wireless pet containment system.

First of all, the unit is only as good as the transmitter and receiver are functioning. They will not work during a power outage or if batteries fail. You need to consider how important it is to contain your dog in those types of events. One thing, though -- many dogs, once trained to stay in their "area," will not go past that area since they don't want to get zapped, so they may be "psychologically contained even if the power is out.

The second problem is that the containment area is a circular radius around the transmitter. If you need to define more speific areas, rectangular or irregularly shaped containment zones, you will need to either use a buried cable containment fence or a combination of traditional pet fence in conjunction with the wireless fence.

Finally. some people are opposed to the "shock" that the pet receives when going astray. My own vet assures me that the impulse is harmless, but I'm not sure how you test something like that. I was tempted to put it on myself to see how it felt, but I chickened out. My Golden Retriever only got zapped a couple times before she learned not to go beyond the "beeps," but when she did get zapped, she jumped and made a brief whimpering sound. But she make that noise anytime she is startled, not just when she is hurt.

I'm a big fan of the wireless pet containment systems. It seems to be a great use of the current technology that we have. If you live in the country or have a large, unfenced area that you would like to let your dog roam in, but still need to contain him, a wireless pet fence can be a real bargain. There are plenty of different units out there, but one of my favorites is the Instant Fence brand which is what I have used very successfully.

For more information, especially on the difference between a WiFi wireless dog fence and a radio signal wireless dog fence, see the article, How a Wireless Pet Fence Works.