Reviewing the 12 Best Electric Dog Fences of 2022 and Buyer’s Guide

If you have a dog, there’s a good chance they like to roam. This can make it extremely hard to let them out to go to the bathroom or exercise. If you’re worried that your dog may get into trouble or get hurt, you may need some help keeping them close to home. One popular way to accomplish this is to find the best wireless dog fence.

Electric fences for dogs are popular tools people use all over the United States to safely contain their dogs. It’s a humane way to give your dogs an idea of their boundaries without having to put them on a leash. These fences are invisible and easy to install.

We understand how difficult it can be to try and soft through the numerous electric fences for dogs. This is especially true if it’s the first time you’ve bought one. We’ve picked out the 12 best wireless dog fences and provided short reviews of each. After the reviews, we’ve included a comprehensive buyer’s guide that will outline everything you want to know about these fences. By the end, you’ll be able to make an informed decision and keep your dog safe.

The 12 Best Electric Fences for Dogs – Reviews

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – No
  
• Dog Weight Range – Up to over 100 pounds
  
• Size – Covers six acres

This heavy-duty kit covers up to six acres, and it’s our pick for the best invisible dog fence. There are five different fence sizes to choose from that range from 500 to 2,500 feet. The fence can contain one dog up to five dogs without a problem. This makes it a great alternative for multi-dog households. You’ll get a high tensile fence that is durable, and the fence comes with a coating to protect it from the elements.

The collar is submersible, and you can put it into 10 feet of water without it shorting out. Your dog can swim with this collar, and it’ll still work. Additionally, there are new collar upgrades that make them more durable and able to withstand rough use.

This package has a full year warranty against damage or defects. You’ll get the chance to extend your warranty to five years when you register your fence. The manufacturer brings more than 25 years of experience to each fence they create to give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a superior product.

The manufacturer makes the fence in the United States to strict quality control standards. This means it’s built to last, withstand wear, and safely contain your dogs. Each package comes with three antennas and 12 battery checks. It’s very easy to assemble. Also, the system works on both hills and flat terrain. You won’t have to think about it shorting out and letting your dogs go free.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Four
  
• Dog Weight Range – Any size
  
• Size – 1.3 acres up to over 1,000 acres

The SportDOG Brand electric fences for dogs has a very user-friendly kit that is quick and easy to install. You can cover over one acre with a single fence system. There is also the opportunity to get more flags and wire to expand your containment system to over 100 acres to give your dog plenty of room to roam.

The collar has a durable waterproof coating that allows your dog to go out in all weather conditions. Also, the collar works well for dogs over 10 pounds. It’s easy to adjust for a great fit that your dog won’t wiggle out of when you get it on them. The battery lasts between six and nine months before you’ll have to swap it out for a new one.

You can buy additional collars to have several dogs out and about at one time. When you buy the system, you’ll get the choice of three models. One model is just the fence, one is a training system, and one has a rechargeable collar. The collar will beep and then buzz to warn your dog that they’re out of bounds before it delivers a shock. There are four shock settings that you can adjust for your dog.

There is a lightning protector built into the system to prevent shorts or power surges in bad weather. The transmitter has a wire break alarm that will go off if something happens to your fence. The system also comes with a full warranty that lasts for two years from the date you purchase this fence system.

You can customize your layout to suit your space too. For example, you can loop the fence around your yard to contain your dog. If you have a pond or pool, you can loop this area off within the larger yard boundary to ensure your pet stays out of the pool and in the yard.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Yes
  
• Dog Weight Range – 10 to 120 pounds
  
• Size – 650 feet

You’ll get 650 feet of boundary wire when you buy this system, and you can purchase more if you need to expand your dog’s area. The wires go into any shape you’d like to maximum flexibility. Additionally, you can shrink or expand your dog’s area quickly and easily.

The collar will beep if your dog gets close to the boundary to warn them that they’re it’s there. The first shock will come before your dog crosses the border. The longer your dog stays outside of the boundary, the higher the static correction will be to teach them to say inside the fence. You can set the shock from mild to stronger without causing any lasting pain to your dog.

The system supports multiple receivers for people who have more than one dog in the house. You can use this system on dogs from 10 to 120 pounds without an issue. You can add as many pets as you like by buying more receivers, and the receiver is waterproof, adjustable, and durable.

There are a host of exclusive features with this containment system that lets you pick the boundary width by adjusting your fence’s signal strength. There is a speed detection function that automatically dials the shock intensity up based on how quickly your dog runs toward the boundary. You can get a wire break warning too.

If you’re not 100% satisfied with this product, the manufacturer offers a full refund if you return the product within 90 days of purchasing it. There is also a lifetime warranty available that protects your fence against damage or defects.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Five
  
• Dog Weight Range – 5 to 120 pounds
  
• Size – Half of an acre

This fence has an adjustable circular range that expands up to a half of an acre from the receiver box. This is one of the best wireless dog fence options available because you don’t have to bury a wire to create a boundary. There are bright white boundary flag markers in each kit as well.

This fence also has a unique feature where it won’t punish your pet from going back into the boundary if they leave it. The simple setup makes this fence a convenient option to take with you if you need to contain your dog while you travel or camp. The battery will last for up to two months before warning you that it’s time to replace it.

The collar is waterproof and adjustable. It fits dogs ranging from five pounds up to 120 pounds. Your dog can get it wet without worrying that it’ll stop working or short out. The collar also has a durable clip to hold it in place once you get it on your dog.

There are five shock levels on this collar that you can quickly and easily adjust to suit your needs. The shock levels can climb the longer your dog is outside of the boundary. Your dog can get warning shocks as well that lets them know they’re getting too close to the fence’s boundary line.

The fence has a single collar to start. However, you can add up to an unlimited amount of collars to contain multiple pets. You will have to buy specific batteries for each of the collars to keep them in good working order.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – 90
  
• Dog Weight Range – 10 to 110 pounds
  
• Size – 10 to 900 feet

You can safely contain one or two dogs with this fence system. The system adjusts in increments of 10 feet. You’re able to adjust it from 10 feet up to 900 feet quickly and easily. This gives you maximum flexibility to set the distance dog can wander from your home.

The fence has dual antenna transmission with a 433MHz channel frequency that helps improve how efficiently the transmitter sends out a signal to the collar. This radio wave comes with a stronger penetration ability to allow you to transmit over rough ground or longer distances. In turn, the dog collar can correct your dog more accurately and quickly when they stray outside the barrier.

The dog collar is fully adjustable and waterproof. You can use it safely in humid or rainy environments without it shorting out or quit working. There is a rechargeable battery built into the collar that makes it easy to ensure the system is ready to go when your dog is. You can also set different collars on separate correction levels. If one dog needs higher shock levels, you can adjust their level without adjusting all of your dog’s levels.

Every collar has two sets of conductive posts that you can adjust depending on your dog’s size and coat length to ensure they feel the shock when the collar goes off. If you don’t want the collar to shock, you can set the collar to vibrate instead to give your dog a more subtle warning. The collars will automatically power down when the unit shuts down to prevent excess vibrations or shocks.

This system works on a broad range of dogs starting at 10 pounds and going up. This is great news for people who have multiple breeds and want to keep them contained. Additionally, the system adheres to strict quality control standards set by the United States.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Three
  
• Dog Weight Range – 11 to 154 pounds
  
• Size – Up to 10 acres

This fence sprawls over 10 acres and comes with one or two collars. The remote collar is extremely portable and easy to move. It’s also easy to adjust the fence length.

You can use this collar as an electric fence that comes with three levels of progressive correction that stops your dog from leaving your yard. The collar correction levels come in two modes ranging from vibration to shock. There are 10 intensity levels to train your dog and alter their need to run.

If you don’t need this fence to cover the full 10 acres, you can create a shorter fence to suit your space. You can add up to three different dogs on one containment system by buying additional collars. Additionally, you’ll control each collar independently. This means you can use different intensities or shock or vibration without setting them all to the same thing.

The 20-gauge wire is durable enough to withstand the elements without breaking, cracking, rusting, or corroding. You can bury the wire, hang it above the ground, or lay it on top of the ground. The system has waterproof layers up to 3.3 feet for both the collar and the fence.

The battery recharges in a few hours, and the battery can last for days on a full charge. Each purchase gets a full year warranty attached to it. There is also a money-back guarantee that is good for 45 days from the date of purchase. You can send it back for a refund with no questions asked.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Seven
  
• Dog Weight Range – Over 10 pounds
  
• Size – 500 feet

The solid copper wire this system uses is very durable and resistant to corrosion. You get 500 feet of wire in each purchase, and you can add more wire to expand the fence’s containment capabilities up to 20 acres. It’s durable enough to work in freezing or wet conditions without failing or shorting out.

You can submerge these collars and the fence into three feet of water or snow without impacting how well it works. This means that snow, mud, or rain will be no problem for this system. It’ll contain your dog the entire time they’re outside. You can use as many collars as you like. This lets you to have several dogs out at one time.

There are seven different correction settings with this setup that allows you to choose how you train your dog. You get tones, static, and shocks that you can adjust according to how well your dog is learning where the boundaries are. The built-in surge protection can protect your dog from overloads or lightning strikes to keep them safe.

When you purchase this system, you’ll get a full year warranty. Under this warranty, you can replace your entire system quickly and easily if it fails or doesn’t work to your specifications. You can also purchase additional collars for your dogs that will work with this system.

The copper wire has a flexible protective coating that is a bright color to make it very easy to see. This helps when you’re trying to set up or adjust your fence. You won’t have any trouble seeing the wire out in the daylight. This will also give you an idea of when the static or shock settings kick in because you’ll be able to see how far your dog is from the boundary.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Five
  
• Dog Weight Range – Five pounds and up
  
• Size – Quarter of an acre up to on acre

This system covers a quarter of an acre and a single dog, but you can purchase additional wire and collars to hold unlimited dogs in the space of an acre. You’ll use vibrations, tone, and five different levels of correction to train your dog to stay inside of the boundaries.

When your dog walks up to the cable, the collar will emit a short tone followed by vibration if your dog keeps going. The last step is a shock. You’ll choose from five shock intensities. You can adjust these intensities at any time. The battery is rechargeable. You can plug it in when your dog isn’t using it to be sure it’s ready to go when they are.

The collar features a waterproof build that allows your dog to go out in wet or humid conditions without the moisture negatively impacting how well the system works. You can outfit any dog that is above five pounds with this collar to train and contain them. The collar has a secure fit that helps to ensure it won’t slide off when your dog is out and about.

You’ll get the flexibility that comes with being able to choose your boundary size and shape. This means this system works for both small and large yards. You can move it and adjust it as your circumstances change as well. There is a button that lets you decrease and increase the boundary width. This will dictate where the collar sends a tone, vibration, and shock.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Training mode plus five static
  
• Dog Weight Range – Eight pounds and up
  
• Size – Half of an acre

This system gives you a half of an acre circle for your dog to roam without getting into trouble. You’ll use a wireless boundary with a radio transmitter to ensure your dog stays close. This makes it easy and quick to set your system up from the first time you get it.

Your pet can return home without the fence shocking them when they pass through it as long as they’re heading back inside the boundary line. The indoor transmitter is excellent for camping or taking with you when you’re on the go. You can choose how wide or short your dog’s area is by adjusting the height and width of the circle.

The collar is completely waterproof. This coating lets you take your dog it in wet or humid conditions without worrying about it not working correctly. There is a training mode you can use on your dog that won’t shock them when you first put the collar on. You can graduate your dog up to five different static levels to encourage them to stay inside the boundary.

There are bright white flags to mark the boundaries of this wireless dog fence very clearly. This way, you won’t accidentally take your dog over the boundary and cause them to get a shock. The package has a single collar included. However, you can purchase more collars and add an unlimited amount of dogs. Each collar has individual settings. So, if you have one dog that stays inside the boundary and one dog that likes to get out, you can adjust their collars accordingly.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Yes
  
• Dog Weight Range – 10 pounds and up
  
• Size – One quarter or an acre up to 100 acres

You get the choice of standard or professional-grade wire when you order this electric dog fence. Both sizes work well, but the professional-grade wire is slightly more durable and able to withstand a lot of wear and tear.

The fence comes with lightning protection that can save your dog from power surges if the system takes a lightning strike. They won’t get a shock. Instead, the system will shut down until you can see if it’s still good to use or not and boot it back up. The package has a single collar. However, you can purchase additional collars and contain multiple dogs.

You can use this system on your dogs if they are over 10 pounds without a problem. There is a very simple and straightforward design. This is the key to installing it and getting it running with minimal hassle. You can bury the wire or lay it above the ground. The manufacturer does recommend burying the wire to ensure that it lasts a long time.

Your dog will get a warning when they get too close to the boundary before a shock comes through. The collar will shock when your dog gets right up to the boundary or crosses it. The shock will startle your dog back across the line and keep them in your yard.

You can expand this containment system up to 100 acres with the purchase of more wire. The smallest area it covers is around a quarter of an acre. This makes it a good choice for people who have restricted spaces to sprawling acres.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Yes
  
• Dog Weight Range – Five pounds and up
  
• Size – 105 feet from the transmitter

This fence system trains your dogs to stay within a set boundary around your home. You’ll be able to let them out to roam around without worrying that they’ll get hurt or get lost. The simple wireless design covers areas up to 105 feet. This means your dog will be able to go in a circle 105 feet away from the transmission point.

There are no wires to bury, and this makes it one of the best wireless dog fence options available. This makes this containment system easy to put together and run. You can also bring it with you for a hassle-free fence when you go camping or visiting. The system uses a radio frequency to transmit a signal to the collar. When your dog goes out of bounds, the transmitter will signal the collar to set a gentle corrective shock. This shock will continue until your dog gets back in bounds.

You’ll get adjustable correction levels that let you choose how much shock your dog gets. You can adjust it by size or your dog’s personality. For example, a more stubborn dog may require more significant shocks to get their attention, while a milder mannered dog may only need light shocks.

There are three different systems you can buy. You can get the standard system, three dog system, or the two large and stubborn dog system. Each one works very well. However, they match certain personalities better to be more effective.

Features

• Adjustable Correction Levels – Three
  
• Dog Weight Range – Up to over 100 pounds
  
• Size – Up to 300 meters

This system works for one or two dogs. All you have to do to set it up is plug in the transmitter and pair it to the receiver. There are no wires to bury to contain your dog. This makes it a very quick and user-friendly system to set up and maintain.

There is a vibration mode, static shock mode, and a training mode with these collars. You can use the training mode to show your dog where the boundaries are without shocking them. When your dog is ready, you can switch it out to vibration or shock to keep them inside the boundaries.

It’s 100% waterproof. Your dog can go outside in humid conditions without the collar malfunctioning. Your dog can also play in the sprinkler or water. The boundary has five adjustable levels that let you choose how powerful of a shock your dog gets when they get too close. You can also set up different boundary settings with warnings.

There are adjustable ranges that start at 30 meters and go up to 300 meters. The rechargeable batteries are easy to charge between uses to ensure they’re always ready to go. You’ll also get a more accurate and stable transmission with this system that won’t cut out or let your dogs get away. The collar works well with small, medium, large, and extra-large breed dogs.

Electric Fences for Dogs – Buyer’s Guide

While it can be a time-consuming process to choose your new dog fence, you can easily sort through them using a set of buying criteria. We’ll outline what important points you want to keep in mind when you shop. Additionally, we’ll go over how these invisible fences work, why you’d need one, and more.

Why You’d Use an Invisible Fence for Your Dog

An invisible fence creates a safe barrier for your dog to keep them contained in a certain area. With traditional fences, your dog can easily go under, through, or over it and run away. An invisible fence works differently because it uses a system of radio frequencies, transmissions, tones, vibrations, and shocks to show your dog where they can and can’t go.

When your dog goes up to the boundary line, the collar will send a vibration or signal. This tells your dog that they want to turn around and go back toward your home. If they continue on, the collar will send a small shock through to convince your dog to stop. As your dog moves back in the boundary, the shocks, tones, and vibrations quit.

This system humanely teaches your dog where they’re safe. They’ll eventually start avoiding the boundary to avoid the shock or vibration. In turn, they’ll stay in your yard without you having to put an actual fence up for them.

How Invisible Dog Fences Work

Some invisible fences have a wire that you bury a few inches below the ground to set your perimeter. There is a transmitter connected directly to the wire that emits a radio signal. This signal travels along the wire in a continuous motion. You outfit your dog with a specialized collar that has a receiver built into the design. The receiver detects the radio signal as it travels along your buried line.

If your dog approaches your buried perimeter wire, the receiver in the collar will emit a short warning sound that only your dog hears. If your dog keeps walking toward the wire or crosses it, the collar sends a static correction.

Many people call this a shock, and this is why there is controversy surrounding these fences. However, the correction is very mild and generally harmless. It’s meant to get your dog’s attention instead of causing them pain. It’s similar to when you walk across the floor with socks on and touch something metal. You get a small charge that startles you.

When you train your dog, you teach your dog to stop when they hear the warning sound. During training, you want to mark the boundaries with flags. This will give both of you a visual cue to where the boundary is.

Your dog will learn through training that getting too close to the flags will make the tone go off. If they keep going, they’ll get a static correction. If you reward your pet from stopping short of the boundary, they’ll learn to respect it and stay clear. You can eventually remove the flags because the dog will know exactly how far they can go with the vibration, tone, or static correction.

Invisible fences went wireless as technology advanced. You can now use a wireless system to set up the fence that doesn’t require you to bury wires to set up a perimeter. Instead, you’ll use a wireless transmitter to send out a radio signal in every direction to create a circular area that you can adjust.

If you use this system, your dog’s collar will get a constant signal when they’re in the safe zone. If they start to get to close to the edge, they’ll hear a tone just like the wired system sends out. The wireless system will send out a static correction if your dog crosses the edge because your transmitter will start to lose the signal.

Both of these systems work very well. However, wired systems do better with hilly terrain or around areas with a lot of metal. Wireless systems like flat and uninterrupted land to create a circle and metal can interfere with the frequency.

Buying Considerations for Wired and Wireless Dog Fences

No matter which system you end up buying, you do want to keep several important buying considerations in mind. These things will ensure that you get a high-quality fence system that keeps your dog safe whenever they’re outside.

Range

One of the most important factors to consider with your wireless fence is the range. The range directly determines how large of an area your dog has to play and wander around without having the collar correct them. Before you make your final choice, it’s a good idea to measure the area where your dog will be.

This way, you can tailor your range to suit your needs. It’s adjustable as well, and this makes it easy to buy something a little bigger and scale it back. Take care to measure from wherever you’ll have your transmitter for maximum accuracy.

Collar Number
How many dogs do you have? Do you plan on adding more in the future? Some systems only support one dog. But, you may want to double-check the number of collars your system lets you have at once if you have more than one dog.

You can get a system that comes with several collars in the original package. Another option is to pick out a fence that lets you add multiple collars on by purchasing extra ones. Newer fences have an unlimited amount of dogs.

Correction Level Adjustments
Behind the range, the ability to adjust your dog’s correction level is extremely important. Some dogs require a stronger static correction to get their attention and keep them in the boundaries. Being able to control this level and adjust it as needed can keep your pet’s discomfort to a minimum.

Look for a system that lets you set each collar’s correction level individually. This way, you’ll know the static correction won’t cause milder dogs more discomfort than needed by having the levels set higher to accommodate stubborn dogs.

Battery Type

The fence battery can be a good or bad thing. If they come with single-use batteries, you can find yourself buying more and swapping them out every few weeks. Other companies use brand-specific batteries that can be very expensive to replace.

Another option is rechargeable batteries. These can save you money, but you’ll have to be vigilant to ensure the battery has good charge levels before you let your dog out with it. If the batteries die, the collar won’t work.

Power Surge Protection
One of the biggest dangers to an online-based or electrical system is a power surge. Most of the modern dog fences use an electrical current to transmit the signals to your dog’s collar and keep them contained. A power surge can overload the system. If this happens, it could shock your dog, fail to work, or fry and be useless.

This is why you have to choose a fence system that comes with surge protection built into the design. It could be on the package as lightning strike protection. This design can withstand a sudden electrical surge without malfunctioning. Not only is this safer for your dog, but it can also save you money because you won’t have to replace a fried system again and again.

Failure Notifications

Even with the best care, your fence can still break down. A battery can die, your transmitter may have trouble creating a complete perimeter, or a power surge can knock your system offline. If you let our dog out after any of these events happen, the fence won’t work.

You want to have a failure notification that lets you know something is wrong with your fence. Whatever caused the failure, you want to know as soon as possible so you can address it. Some systems have a light that blinks or a verbal alert, and other systems will send push notifications to your phone or device.

Easy to Run and Maintain
You don’t want to spend hours setting up or maintaining your new system. If you’ve never had a fence system like this for your dog, you want the process to be as easy as possible. A wireless system is very user-friendly because it doesn’t come with any wire you have to bury or maintain. However, there are more things that could go wrong.

Some electrical systems can stay above the ground, and this reduces the time you’ll spend installing it. This exposes the wire to the elements, though, and this exposure can cause the wire to break down and rust. Start with a simple system that has several static correction levels and a reasonably-sized collar. This will help ensure you don’t accidentally set it too high and shock your dog.

Waterproof

Waterproofing is critical if you live in a humid or rainy area. If your dog likes to play in the water, you want the collar to be waterproof. This waterproofing will prevent your system from shorting out.

It’s important that you pay attention to how deep you can submerge the collar. Some collars only recommend getting it slightly wet while other collars allow your dog to go feet under the water without a problem.

Warranty
This can be an expensive system, so it’s a good idea to make sure that it comes with a warranty attached. Some manufacturers will offer you a full year warranty on each fence or collar you offer. Other companies offer a short 90-day warranty or no warranty at all. Double-check with whatever system you look at to see how long your warranty is. Also, check to see what the warranty covers.

Bottom Line

Picking out an electric or wireless fence for your dog doesn’t have to be stressful. Our comprehensive buyer’s guide and reviews give you an excellent starting point while giving you buying considerations.

We invite you to compare our 12 different fences to see which one will work best for your situation. If you have questions, our buyer’s guide has several high-quality answers you can use to ensure you make the best choice to keep your dog safe and secure.