Wireless dog fences allow you to set up a safe containment area for your dogs without the hassle and added expense of buried wires. Just plug the transmitter in and you'll instantly have a perfect circular wireless boundary up to a certain size around your home and yard. Wearing the special receiver collar, your dog will be able to move freely within the circular boundary. As your dog nears the boundary a warning tone will sound, alerting her to the off-limits zone. If your dog continues into the boundary zone, she will receive a harmless but surprising static correction. As your dog completes the training process and learns to associate the warning tone with the static correction, she will learn the boundaries of her new found freedom and stay within the limits.
Wireless dog fences are different from in-ground dog fences. In-ground dog fences require a boundary wire to transmit the signal around the perimeter. The advantage of an in-ground fence is that the perimeter can be just about any shape. Wireless dog fences don't use a boundary wire, but rather transmit the signal wirelessly in a circle around the transmitter. This means that the boundary must be a circle. There are a couple of exceptions to the radial-shaped wireless dog fences but these custom-shape wireless options are shaky at best, with poor reliability. We do not recommend any of the custom-shape wireless dog fences currently on the market.
Wireless dog fences have a few qualities that set them apart from their wired counterparts. Wireless dog fences offer a less permanent pet containment solution, they require virtually no set up, and you won't need any special tools to install your system.
The Pros & Cons Of Wireless Dog Fences
Less Permanent
Because wireless dog fences don't require buried wire, there is no need to modify your home or yard.This makes wireless fences a great option for people who rent their property, intend to move in the near future, or simply don't want to install something quite so permanent. Wireless dog fences are so easy to set up, you can actually take them with you if you travel with your dog. Perfect for a vacation home.
Hassle-Free Set Up
Wireless dog fences require very little set up. Using the term 'installation' is a big overstatement. 'Installing' a wireless dog fence is a simple as plugging in the transmitter, adjusting the boundary settings, and fitting the collar to your dog. With a wireless dog fence you can get right down to the business of training your dog on the system.
Less Expensive
In general, wireless dog fences are less expensive than in-ground fences. The price of the system itself may be comparable, but when you add on to that the price of wire and other installation supplies and tools needed for an in-ground fence, you'll end up quite a bit above the price of a wireless fence that comes with everything you need to start using it.
No Special Tools Or Skills
Installing an in-ground fence is a fairly straightforward weekend DIY. However, it can be tricky depending on your layout and it does require some manual labor and some tools that most people don't own. A wireless dog fence is ready to go right out of the box, no special tools, skills, or good weather required!
Maintenance Free
Wireless dog fences are essentially maintenance free. There are only two components - the transmitter and the receiver collar. If either malfunctions, breaks, or is lost. They can be sent in for servicing or replaced fairly quickly and easily.
Less Reliable
Because wireless dog fences don't rely on a physical wire for signal transmission, they are less reliable than an in-ground, wired dog fence. Wireless fences are prone to a phenomenon we call 'signal wobble'. This means that boundary can move slightly depending on things like weather conditions, air temperature, and obstacles in the signal field. Some systems are more reliable than others and signal wobble is very much specific to each property. The problem with signal wobble is that it can make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the dog to learn where the boundaries are.
Circular Boundary Only
This is not entirely true, there are a few custom-shape wireless dog fences on the market. The problem is they aren't very good. The most reliable wireless dog fences are the ones that transmit a wireless signal in a circle around the transmitter. The custom-shape fences are riddled with problems from correction timing issues, to major signal wobble. The radius of the circle is adjustable but it's a circle so chances are the corners of your property will be off-limits to your pet whether you want them to be or not.
Smaller Properties Only
Wireless dog fences don't have quite the range of capacity that in-ground fences do. Whereas some in-ground fences are capable of powering up to 100 acres, the largest wireless fence is capable of reliably covering a circle with a radius of about 250 ft. Although some systems claim to have a father reach, the signal wobble gets pretty bad if you go much bigger than that.
Slightly Larger Collars
Wireless dog fences have collars that are on average an ounce heavier than inground fences. This is only an issue for really small dogs. If you have a dog under about 8 lbs. A wireless dog fence is probably not a realistic option.
