Update: A big thank you to the suggestions left in the comment section. As always you all had great ideas!
We had a representative from Invisible Fence come out the other day and give us a quote. I almost fell off my chair when he told us it would costs us $2701 {with tax} to have one installed…holy canolies, that is expensive! It broke down like this: $695 for the wire and labor to install it and another $1795 for a collar, a 1 year supply of batteries and a few training sessions plus tax.
In an effort to do a little price comparisons, I hopped on Amazon. I found a Petsafe Wireless Pet Containment System, which is an Amazon top seller for only $249.95. It is wireless, covers up to 1/2 acre, and comes with everything except the training. Am I missing something–is the company we had come out really making over $2400 profit?! I also found an Innotek Basic In-Ground Pet Fencing System for about $95. This one looks like you have to install underground wires, and it only covers 1/3 of an acre, but how much space does one dog need–and I am kind of a do-it-yourself type gal anyway.
In the interest of covering all of my bases, I also found one at Cabelas. They had a SportDOG In-Ground fence with great reviews for about $240. You can buy additional wire so that it can potentially cover up to 100 acres, but it does have to be installed. Again, though, I feel pretty confident that for $2400 in savings, I could install it.
I guess before I made any decisions, I wanted to ask if any of you have an invisible fence type system? What would you recommend? $2700 installed is insane, right? Or am I missing something?
~Mavis
Gwen in L.A. says
Don’t know anyone who has used these types of fences. Wondering, do they really work? Do you know any satisfied customers?
How would the price compare with standard fencing?
Stephanie says
They really do work and have been amazing. Grew up with our family dogs using them and now looking to install one for our 3 babies in my first home. Looking at a $3750 price tag though (wasn’t expecting that) but we do have a financing option and it does come with its perks and a lifetime loyalty program that allows you to move it with you should you decide to move, trade up your collars etc. Will be looking at other quotes but have always been so pleased with Invisible Fence.
Em says
I know someone who has the invisible fence. I did not know it was so pricey, but it has worked well for her and her multiple dogs–until the dogs figured out the batteries in their collars had died. Then the dogs wandered a but (but did not go far or get hurt). On a positive note, she called the representative and he drove out with new batteries for the collars.
My wise dad pointed out that while the invisible fence might work fine to keep your dog in, it won’t keep other dogs out of your yard.
For the money you were quoted, we could have a real fence installed in my part of the country.
PattyB says
Hummmmm…. good point about the other dogs.
Rudolph J. Treichel says
Batteries are available at Home Depot, any pet store and online.
E in Upstate NY says
Worked a few years ago with woman who had one installed for her two dogs. Knowing her, she didn’t pay that kind of money. However, after a few years, burning brush piles, the in ground wire was shorted, defeating the system. At that point, her now elderly dogs didn’t need the invisible fence.
Re installing a system yourself, burying the wire, is the hardest part: dealing with stones [we have LOTS of them around here], tree roots, and other buried “treasures” [construction debris.]
Beth says
We have used the petsafe underground system for about 18 years. We installed it ourselves and it covers approx. 1/2 to 3/4 acre. Original cost was about $200 with two collars and two receivers. It is a lot of work and we have had our share of issues. We dealt with cut wires and wires pulled out due to construction and our own digging. Bought new wire and connected it to old wire and buried again and again. Even expanded our coverage with one repair. Replaced the transmitter numerous times due to lighting, despite an installed ground wire. Replaced many collars and receivers that died due to all kinds of situations. We have adopted 4 dogs since installation and our sweet Missy lived to age 17. We now have a doberman that is wild and runs like a horse, but has never crossed the boundary. Our other dogs have escaped on several occasions, usually chasing a squirrel or an unrestrained dog. Beware and do not let batteries die, or a party will begin:) I used flags and followed training instruction diligently on every dog, even repeated training if they “fell of the wagon” and began breaking boundaries. I garden a lot and they can’t get into my garden, that makes me happy! I could go on and on, but let me say….I would do it all over again! We have never boarded our dogs when on vacation and they do not have to be tied or kept on a leash. Our dogs have given us joy and love beyond description and I believe they have lived happy lives due to the freedom and love we have given them. Get yourself an invisible fence!
Tonia Michelle Brown says
Where did you buy your at?
Riley says
My sister has one, and it certainly kept the dog in, but now the poor thing is always afraid to leave the deck when she has the collar on, even though they have about half an acre of yard for her to run around in. The dog was still a puppy when they started using it, so that may be why it affected her so badly but I would still be wary of this sort of thing as the psychological effect can be profound on some dogs.
Nancy says
This will not happen with proper training. Proper training is essential. My guess is that your sister did it herself using Dr. Google. It is possible to fix, but it is difficult. She needs to 1) turn down the shock level to a very low level 2) make sure that the yard boundaries are fully marked with white flags 3) start going out into the yard with her dog every day — feeding the dog out there, playing with it, and doing whatever the dog likes. I have fixed dogs that have been screwed up like this but it is easier to just do it right. Pay the money and get somebody who knows what they’re doing! There are other companies besides invisible fence so do-it-yourself is not the only option. Some companies provide all the services and use PetStop equipment.
Sherry in Sumner says
Mavis, we have the Petsafe wireless system and have been totally happy with it. Your dog will eventually learn to not go past the imaginary line even if you happen to have the collar off or turned off. At first I felt really bad about the fact that our dog had to wear this collar, but he has adjusted so well to it and it is a great peace of mind to us not to have him possibly getting hit by a car. I would definitely recommend this one.
Jenny says
We have one too. The radio in the house has an adjustable range so you can make it as big or small a circle as you want. When it is at the full range ours covers about 2 acres but we live on a hill which can affect the range. You can add another radio to expand the circle if you want. Each dog has a collar, which adjusts to how big a shock the dog gets.I believe there are 10 levels. First it beeps when the dog approaches the edge of the boundary. If the dog continues, it will shock them. And it will shock them again if they don’t come back. But after 30 seconds it will stop as a safety feature. It has a safety feature if the radio suddenly loses power it will not shock the dog. The battery will flash when it is getting low and we generally have to check them weekly. I have a hard headed dog that is constantly checking the boundaries to see if she can escape so she runs the batteries dead much quicker than average. Our dogs never get shocked and respond to the beep. Most dogs figure the system out really fast. We liked that we could travel with the system and there was always a safe way for the dogs to roam around.
Fabiana Bettencourt says
Awesome! Are you willing to post the brand or post a picture of the system.? Thanks
Jael Sylva says
Could you please tell me what kind you have?
Heidi says
I was using this same system and it is great! However, we moved & their is a steep hill in the back yard at the new house. This system does not work unless the ground is level.
Cecily says
No its not an insane price. There is probably a lot more cost associated with the system than you think. My DH is a concrete contractor and we occasionally have people who say we are insane for quoting them $5000 for a new driveway, but what they don’t understand that there are more than just material and labor costs. There are taxes such as B&O, workers compensation etc. There are fees such as rental, recycling, permit, licensing etc. There are third party and maintenance costs. While all businesses have different profit margins (ours is approximately 30%) I can guarantee that they are not making a $2400 profit.
Mindy says
I paid $1200 for half an acre in 2012. A regular fence would have been 10-12 k.
Libby says
Mavis,
We don’t have an electric fence but we do use GPS collars from Tagg. They send an alert when our dogs accidentally get let out of our house, right to our phones and then you can locate your dogs location on a map. http://www.pettracker.com
Even of you have an electric fence this is a fail safe and also can be used while traveling.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you!
Windy says
We live in the Midwest where no one has a fence and we use the Petsafe wireless one you looked at on Amazon. We love it, it works great. You can adjust the radius to what works for you and you can take it with you when you travel. Nothing to bury and not a huge cost up front. Even though the batteries need changed every 3 months or so you’ll be money ahead. $2700….CRAZY
Theresa says
We have the wireless pet fence. We love it so much that when we moved we took the receiver with us and just had them run the wire for us. We paid about what you’ve been quoted for almost 2 acres in upstate NY. We now have over 5 acres fenced and it does the job. Our black lab almost never has the collar on and yet she still stays in her boundaries. She will test it from time to time. When she does we just put the collar back on her and go through the drill of tell her back and wave the flags at her. She backs up right away. We have been using this system for over 7 years now . We say it is some of the best money we spent. We love our dog but she would bolt on us in a minute. Now we can relax and know that she won’t run to the road and get hit by a car.
Mary G says
We’ve had an Invisible Fence system for about 3 years. Ours was roughly $1300, including tax, the collar (with lifetime replacement), and 3 training sessions. The area we had the system to include is a bit less than 1/2 acre and closes off the majority of our driveway (didn’t want our dog near the road) and the surrounding woods. For us, this has worked out very well. Our dog can run around our yard (she knows the boundaries) and stay contained. Our property is loaded with rocks of all kinds and sizes. There was no way we would have be able to install a system like this ourselves. I guess it depends on what your property is like and how much time you have.
Sylvia says
Please get a real fence! Someone is going to steal Miss Lucy. 🙁
Diane says
We sell the Petsafe ones at work. They are easy to install. The wires only go 3″ deep. I have heard from customers who have dogs that are now afraid to go outside to go potty though. It all depends on the dog.
I prefer wooden fences. Does your neighborhood forbid fences?
D Duplechain says
My dog will dig until she reaches China! I have a chain link fence and a wooden fence. She digs under both. I have placed an add to rehome her but kids are begging for me to not let her go. If you have any suggestions please im open! I am on a limited budget and am 69 and disabled. Ill have to pay for installation.
Jillbert says
My neighborhood is full of invisible fences — some have been installed professionally, some not but they all seem to work to keep the dogs in. My neighbors installed their own about 10 yrs ago and it works fine. I think he rented some tool to cut through the driveway to install the wire and then caulked over it. They have trained two dogs to it. We have a wood fence in our back yard for privacy but not really for dog containment — our dog doesn’t leave our yard unless on leash. She is never outside without us and stays close — even in the front yard. She loves to lounge on the front porch while I garden. I know most dogs wander but she just seems to be wired to be by our side. I do have to say, a pet peeve I have about invisible fences are those that leave their dogs out all day to sit in their front yard and bark endlessly or to run frantically up and down the front line of the property barking as we walk by.
Rochelle says
If she gets excited and ignores the zaps to chase a squirel off your property, won’t the fence zap her when she tries to get back in?
Glenda says
Real fences come in all types of styles, colors, and heights these days. We have two Golden Retrievers that are our 4 legged children. We installed fences with gates that lock. No one can see our dogs to steal them and they can’t see people walking their dogs to bark.
An invisible fence is less expensive, if you install it yourself, but it affords little protection from dog nappers. Your dog is so cute and precious, please consider a real fence.
amy says
i second going for a real fence because the underground fences do not keep dogs out, and there is nothing quite lie having to wade into a dog fight to retrieve a pet that has been attacked in its own yard!
Marie says
I agree with Amy. We have lived with several invisible fences and as others have stated-Lucy stays in and other dogs just seem to know she has boundaries, cross over and invade her space. She is trapped! Be adventuresome, Build a real fence!
Amanda says
Hey Mavis.. Here is what I can pass along to you. I have had Inotek and petsafe in ground pet containment systems. Hands down Inotek wins. They are cheaper to purchase ( $185.00 from pet smart vs $320.00 for petsafe), the receiver that goes in your house is easier to understand, and the batteries in the iInotek last me aprox 9 months vs petsafe which only last aprox 3 months. Both of the systems are super easy to install. I fenced in 1/2 an acre and it took me 2 hours with an edger and bury the line. I have buried the line using just a shovel when I moved and it took 3 hours to do the same 1/2 acre. The line only needs to be buried deep enough in the ground to keep you from running it over with a lawn mower, it does not need to be buried very far in the ground at all. I have used the inotek for 3 1/2 years and got rid of the petsmart after only 6 months. The petsmart fence would start beeping (signaling a fence break, or dog over the line) all times of the day and night for no reason. I have a 4 year old German Shepherd Dog and even with her thick coat the fence works like magic. If she hears her collar beeping, she RUNS away from the boundary line. You will have no problem at all with Lucy.. Just take the time to walk her along the fence line posted with the supplied flags that come with your fence kit in place and within a few days she will see the flags, hear the beep, hear you say something like “OUCH FLAG, NO” and she will “get it”.. Remember this, however,.. Your dog will not cross your fence line, but any other animal will be able to get in your yard. I watch my dog when she is out in the yard even though I know she will not cross the line. I have had raccoons, other dogs, and deer come in to my yard and my dog has come very close to going over her line chasing off the offenders. Hope this gives you a point of reference.. Good Luck
Tanya says
Mavis,
I had the Invisible fence installed at my first house in CT, then just brought the system and collar with me when we moved to Indiana. We paid a little over $800 to have wire installed on 3.5 acres. We got another dog and invested in the second collar. We then moved to the Florida Keys and again brought the system with us and had wire installed. It was nearly double the price for the wire installation for just shy of 1 acre this time. Location, location, location I suppose. Point is, I love my system. It is costly but way less than a vet bill for a dog hit by a car or worse losing my dogs. I have had 2 Beagles, one large Boxer and a Lab on the system and it has worked for all of them.
The only problem I have ever had is whatever roams into my yard. My dogs see it as fair game. Their yard, their rules and that meant beware to the moles in CT; muskrats, raccoons, cats, dogs and mice in Indiana; snakes and iguanas and mango rats here in the Florida Keys.
Shelley Hunter says
I love our invisible fence. I Think we paid 1100 to install on 3/4 acre, but our collars were about 400 each.
Shelley Hunter says
I also tried the DIY method….results not so good 🙂
Michelle Wright says
HI there Mavis: To really keep Lucy safe you would need a real fence because the invisible fencing won’t keep her in if she really, really, really wants at something. Also, it won’t keep other things out at all, like other dogs, raccoons, possum, etc.
My old German Shepherd, Ashley (love of my life) went right past the electric fence for something she saw across the street, and nearly got hit by a car . It was SO close and very terrifying. Too close of a call that could have gone the other way. So I had a real fence put up and all was good! Hope this helps, your Lucy is just adorable!
Caitlin Johnson says
I would absolutely recommend you do it yourself. At our old house we had purchased the PetSafe system, and extra spool of wire (from Home Depot, not PetSafe) and rented an edger for a day to dig the little wire trench. It was a little bit of labor, but super easy to do. Occasionally we would damage the wire and have a broken circuit, but it was always easy to find and splice together the cut parts. That’s where the extra spool of wire also comes in handy!
Helen in Meridian says
Be sure to take those pesky trees out before you install the invisible fence.
Jennifer says
Like you I found the cost of having a wireless fence installed way too expensive. So I looked into installing one myself. It was much cheaper, not as cheap as yours because I’m in Canada. I bought it and went to install it and that’s when I found out that there were a bunch of conditions on where the receiver had to be placed in the house, ie not near other electronic things etc etc. Basically it came down to I’d have to drill a hole through the foundation of my house and I wasn’t willing to do that myself, so i returned the fence system and put up wire fence.
Mavis says
Seriously? Sheesh. Thanks for the heads up.
Caroline says
Also in support of a real fence. Invisible sounds like a bad idea for many reasons. You really just never know. A couple months ago two large dogs wandered into my yard and attacked a fawn, chased it into the woods and killed it. Lucy is such a small dog. Perhaps even fence a partial area?
Mavis says
That is terrible to hear. I know the cycle of life and all that, but how sad!
RebekahU says
We have tried underground and radio fencing. The underground fence was a disaster. The perimeter wire kept breaking, AND it was struck twice by lightening (even though we had installed a rod to prevent this from happening). The second time the lightening hit it, we were not home, but our poor sweet dog was in the garage and BOY OH BOY was he ever tramatized. So! After that, we moved to radio fence. Love, love, loved it! You can dial your radius larger or smaller, you can take it with you when you travel or move. AND best thing is, you can purchase it, plug it in, train your dog, and you’re done!
Karen says
We have used the wireless Petsafe system too and it worked great for us. It’s a wonderful option for renters who need a fence. Our dog was scared to leave the patio for a few days, but after she learned the boundaries she was perfectly fine with it and never tried to escape (and she is VERY prey driven when it comes it squirrels, etc). We later moved to a new house with a chain link fence that had a few gaps big enough for her to easily get out of which, of course, she instantly discovered. So I just put wireless fence flags in the gaps and she remembered that they were off limits!
If you decide on the wireless system be sure to check Craigslist. Many people don’t need the system any more once their dog is well trained to the boundaries. We scored ours used in perfect condition for super cheap!
Kathy says
Mavis, we went through the exact same thing. Got an estimate and it was nearly $2,000. Then a friend told us about his system he no longer needed and offered to sell it to us for $200. It’s the SportDog system, and it works like a charm. Yes, it is a bit of work initially to bury the cable. We’ve had to replace the collar once because the strap wore out. But all in all, the system is maintenance-free and keeps Goldie girl out of the road. I have also heard very good reviews on the wireless system, but the concept didn’t work for our situation. We only needed to invisibly fence off one side of our property since there is real fence around the other 3 sides (thanks to a neighboring farmer). I highly recommend some kind of fencing system, my anxiety level has gone down tremendously now when Goldie heads outdoors. Good luck!
Beverly says
My neighbors had the invisible fence installed quite a few years ago. They had Doberman pinchers, the big ones. They did all the training themselves, walking the dogs around the perimeter of their back yard. They allowed the dogs to get zapped once and that was all it took. Those dogs never even came close to their boundary lines after that. One time we had an ice storm and the power was out for a week. Those dogs never knew It was out because they stayed back from their boundary lines. I have cats and they would torment the dogs because they figured out the dogs could only come so close to our property line. The neighbors moved and the line is still there. The new people would only need to get collars and they would be good to go.
Dawn S says
We installed our own invisible fence and I am confident you can, too. The only trouble we ran into was eventually the dog was brave enough to run through it and accept the shock. We bought extra supplies and added it just inside the border where he wasn’t expecting it to be and that has helped so far. Make sure to get battery backup!
debbi says
Hi Mavis — first off I enjoy your blog A LOT! Secondly, this might be a little late, but as a dog trainer, I would like to add my two cents about electric fences. A lot of your readers hit on the facts….they do not keep other animals out, and if the batteries go down, you might be in trouble. I think that any dog with a strong enough mindset will just break thru the fence to chase the squirrel, to visit a female dog, etc. Also, with those fences, or any of those electric units, it’s all in the training. You can’t just set them up and expect no problems. You MUST train your dog, and spend some good quality time training your dog, to mind the yard borders. A portable one (out of the box) should work fine, but please make sure you do quality training. I would recommend follow-up training a couple times after also…..We don’t have electric fence for our dogs, because they are all supervised all the time (2 german shepherds and a Labrador–my babies!!), but we have electric fence for our horses, and after the first zap (around 10 years ago), they have never tested it. It goes out once in a while because of regular maintenance stuff, but they never go near it. (Not suggesting horse fence for your pug! 😉
Teri says
We have 2 dogs who were perfect partners in crime – running after deer or squirrels any chance they had when we first got them. After 6 months of this I was done! I had Invisible Fence come out and give us a quote and then someone from Puget Sound Pet Stop as well. We opted not to go with Invisible Fence for various reasons (bulky collars, they would not let us install the wire, and the sales rep wasn’t even nice to my dogs!) and chose Puget Sound Pet Stop. The reps were super!! I would totally recommend them. They were great with our dogs, helped us train them, showed us how to install and while we had the option to do it ourselves on our 1 acre lot, we had them install it after all. Mind you it had to be fixed numerous times after mowing or digging incidences – oops! The nice thing is that the base unit makes an awful racket when the circuit is broken and alerts you as needed. The dogs hear a warning beep if they get too close to the perimeter. After some initial nervousness and fear, our dogs quickly became used to the beep and rarely were shocked as a result. We moved two years ago from 1 acre to 10 acres. We have not installed fencing at our new house but the dogs respect the natural boundaries of any yard thanks to being trained on an invisible fence.
Other posts are correct in that it won’t keep other dogs/animals from entering your property and that is something worth considering. We have had two chickens taken by wildlife – large wildcat and an owl – yet we recognize that is part of living where we do and fences won’t keep everything out. We are lucky to have elk, deer, bears (yikes!), coyotes and more but that makes us vigilant animal owners and we don’t let our dogs out unless we are there too so they stay near. Good luck finding the right solution for you!
kcb says
Ask the Hillbillies (I hate that term). They have one. It breaks a lot & the dog has escaped it several times. Personally, I do not trust them. We looked at a couple houses in your neighborhood & were told that some types of fences could be used, but it had to be approved by the “committee.”
test says
lookie here
Mike says
Hello All, I have had a Pet Safe system for many years with several dogs with no problems except for replacing batteries. The way it works is the collar contains the shocking system, two prongs that are in contact with the dogs neck and are activated when the dog reaches the limit allowed by the system, about 90 feet. About 5 feet before the dog reaches the 90 foot limit, an audible sound is heard that warns the dog it is near the limit and when they hear that they back off so they don’t get shocked. It works well.
Because of my property size I am looking for a GPS type of system where you can walk the area you want to “enclose” punching way points as you go. The principle seems simple enough and it would work just like the previous system I described with an audible sound and then a shock if the dog goes any further. Has anyone heard of such a system?
Pat says
Has anyone had issues with wire breaks in the winter, we live in minnesota, many months of frozen ground, I got a broken wire finder from petsafe and it’s pretty complicated,, anyone have any ideas on how to find and fix broken wires in the winter?
SusieQ says
I don’t trust the invisible fencing. It doesn’t protect your dog from being stolen or being attacked by another dog or wild animal. Mine are too important to me. If you can’t have a fence, take her out on a leash.