How To Install an Invisible Electric Dog Fence

Installing an invisible electric dog fence is not, nor should it be, a complicated task. It does however, take some planning and a little creativity to come up with the right solution that will work for your dog.
The average invisible electric dog fence can be purchased for $100-400 depending on features, amount of wire, etc. In order to have a professional installation performed, the system can easily cost in excess of $700. A little bit of planning and sweat will lead to substantial savings.

1. Determine which area you want contained. Do you want your front yard included? Do you need to keep your dogs out of the new garden you planted, as well as keep them in the backyard? Do you want your dog in your front yard OR your back yard? Do you want them in your front yard AND your back yard? Do you want to contain them inside a 25-acre lot?
   All of these containment options are available using most invisible fence packages. Identify the area you want to keep your dog in AND identify the area you want to keep your dog out.
2. Contact your utility companies. You do not want to dig into anything that might be underground. Also, you do not want to lay your fence wire parallel to any underground wire. Doing so may cancel out the signal, or at the very least, cause interference. Passing over any underground wires should be done perpendicularly. You will need to know the layout of utility wires prior to planning your fence layout.
3. Configure your layout. Once you have defined what is "in-bounds" and what is "out-of-bounds", draw your layout on paper, including your house. A simple figure is listed below.
   
   The dashed lines are fence perimeter, a single strand of wire. The "circle" lines connecting the house to the fence perimeter and connecting the garden to the fence perimeter are twisted wires. Twisted wires, generally 10-12 twists per foot, cancel out the signal. Your dog will still be able to walk over the twisted wire section. The design above creates an in-bound area within the yard perimeter. It also creates an "out-of-bound" area, the garden. Additional design ideas can be found at the Innotek and PetSafe websites found below.
4. Determine amount of wire needed.
   • In the above image, the yard perimeter would be measured. The perimeter of the garden will also be measured. Add these two numbers together and determine the minimum amount of single strand wire you will need. Add approximately 10% additional wire to give yourself some error, loss through connections, etc. Generally, these sections are sold in 500 ft increments.
   • In the above image, measure the distance from the front of the house to the yard perimeter. Also, measure the distance from the yard perimeter to the garden. Add these two amounts together to determine the minimum amount of twisted wire you will need. Again, an additional 10% should be added for good measure. These sections are generally sold in 100 ft increments.
5. Purchase your fence and any additional wiring that you will need.
6. Follow additional instructions that come with your fence package. The balance of the steps listed here are general installation guidelines to give you an understanding of the installation process. Please consult your manual for specific instructions.
7. Lay out your wires as planned. Do not bury them at this point.
8. Connect your system. If you are unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable with electricity, have an electrician splice the wires together and connect the system. If you've worked with electricity before, you can splice the wires together yourself (carefully).
9. Test the system. If all systems are functioning, disconnect the power. If there are problems, try the troubleshooting guidelines given by the company.
10. Bury the wires to the given depth. Depending on your make/model, this depth needs to be 1-6" underground. Note: When digging corners, create a gentle curve, not a 90 degree angle. After digging your trenches, gently place the wire in the trench to prevent breaking the wire or disrupting the splices. Allow some slack in the wire to minimize the risk of damage due to contraction/expansion. Test the system once more before burying the line with dirt.

Below are specific links to manuals for invisible electric dog fences produced by these manufacturers. Additional instructions and layout designs are available at these sites. As you can see, installation is possible for the average homeowner. By doing it yourself, you can easily save $300-500.

Innotek Manual

PetSafe Manual (Comfort Fit Model)