Homemade Invisible Fence

Many companies sell electronic fence kits for do-it-yourself installation and dog training. A kit usually includes a system control box (often called the "transmitter"); a receiver, which is a small, square object worn on the dog's collar; boundary wire and warning flags. Installation can be time consuming and labor intensive, depending on the size of your property. The dog must be trained to understand how to react when he hears the warning. If he ignores it, he will receive a light shock.

  1. Deciding on a Wired or Wireless Invisible Fence

    • If the area your dog will be allowed to access covers ½ acre or less of flat land, you can use a wireless fence. For anything larger, or if the land is hilly, a wired fence is needed. If you use a wireless fence, simply buy a wireless fence kit, plug in the transmitter and then determine how many feet from the transmitter you want to allow the dog to access. Set the transmitter for that amount of room, make sure it is working, and then train your dog to understand the signal (see section on training below).

    Determining the Area the Dog May Access

    • Determine the area you will allow the dog to access. You will need to string a boundary wire, which will be invisible when installed, from the transmitter along the boundary of that area, and then back to the transmitter. The wire must form one continuous loop from the transmitter, around the dog̵7;s area, and back to the transmitter. The transmitter should be located in a dry place, such as the house or the garage, and somewhere you will see or hear it beep and/or flash a warning light to indicate a break in the wire.

    Laying the Boundary Wire

    • A wire must run from the transmitter (call it Point A) to the edge of the boundary (Point B), circle the area the dog may access, and finally return back to Point B. From there, twist the wires together as you proceed back to the transmitter (Point A). The dog will not be shocked when he walks over twisted wires. Using this basic set-up, you can be quite adventurous as to how you lay out the wire to give the dog access to certain areas and deny him access to others. Wires can run over bare ground, alongside fences, over driveways and paths, etc. Remember two basic principals: The wires must form a continuous loop from the transmitter and back to it, and twisting the wires together stops them from shocking the dog.

    Making the Fence Invisible

    • Bury wire wherever possible, to prevent it from being torn up by lawn mowers, tractors, cars, other animals, children or other interference. Create a groove one to two inches deep in bare land, using a flat-edged spade or pick. A lawn edger easily cuts a groove in a lawn. Tuck the wire into the groove, and cover it with loose dirt or lawn. If you run wire over asphalt or concrete, you can rent a heavy-duty asphalt or concrete cutter to make a small groove, ¼ to ½ inch deep. Push the wire into the groove and cover it with asphalt or concrete-like caulking compounds that match the color of the drive or walk.

    Training the Dog to Understand the Invisible Fence

    • The dog must be taught to run back towards the house when he hears the warning beep, so that he won̵7;t get shocked. Small flags are often placed at intervals along the boundary so that the dog will see the flags as well as hear the warning beep. When the dog becomes used to reacting to the beep, the flags may be removed. You will need to set the distance from the boundary wire that the warning beep will first sound, and also the correction level of the shock the dog will receive. The manufacturer̵7;s instructions for the invisible fence kit will guide you in this. Most dogs only feel the shock once or twice before they learn to heed the warning beep and not go over the boundary wire.