Wednesday, July 1, 2015

DIY Electric Dog Fences (with $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway)


Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored post written by me.  All of the opinions below are my own, formed from my previous experience using an electric dog fence. 

When we first moved to Virginia from Texas, we brought with us our beloved two dogs.  One was a rescue basenji/whippet mix named Cameron, and the other was a golden retriever named Monty.  They were used to being in a traditional fenced backyard when we lived in Houston, but where we moved did not have a fence, and the house was right next to a road, which left us concerned about our dogs’ safety.  While we had heard about electric dog fences, we never knew anyone who had one because we were coming from a city neighborhood. 
It didn’t take long for our dogs to find their way to trouble.  Monty, with his retrieving instincts, began spending his days doing his civic duty by wandering the road and bringing back any trash he found.  Every day we would come home from work to find our yard littered with debris.  It looked like the local dump.  Meanwhile, Cameron committed more serious offenses, by killing our closest neighbor’s chickens.  After replacing the chickens, we set out to find a fencing option.

Because we were renting, it did not make a lot of sense to invest money in a traditional fence.  An electric fence can cost as little as $300 if you install it on your own.  We decided to go ahead and put in an electric fence.  Using an electric fence allowed us to fence in a large area of land.  The cost of fencing in that much land with a traditional fence would have been staggering.  We also wanted to protect our dogs from getting hurt (from the sparse vehicle traffic or from hunters) and protect our neighbors from the dogs acting like nuisances.

One nice thing about the dog fence was its invisibility.  It didn’t block our view of the mountains and the land in any way.  You could walk right over it and not even know it was there.  We were able to curve it however we wanted around the odd shape of our yard, and work around the gorgeous flower beds that our landlord had painstakingly put in. 

There was also an added security with an electric fence in that we didn’t have to worry about gates – how many times have you heard stories of someone who lost their dog because someone left the gate open?  Electric fences don’t have a gate to worry about.  If you need to take the dog out, you just remove their collar.

In the end, Monty and Cameron adjusted very well to the electric fence.  We put up flags initially, so that they could see where the fence ran through the yard.  But after they became used to the barrier, we were able to remove the flags, and they knew not to cross the line, even though it could not be seen.  They wore their special collars every day, and we knew they were safe on the property when we weren’t at home.
Our current dog, Bo, who loves to run.
 
Want a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card?  You can enter through the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to click on the link to find out more about DIY electric fence - it will talk you through the steps so you can save money along the way.   
a Rafflecopter giveaway

153 comments:

Monkeywrangler said...

Our Charlie, a Ridgeback/Chow cross, used to know how to bark through a no-bark collar. He learned what the reset timing was, and just kept barking and after the initial 3 shocks, was free to bark his fool head off so long as he barked a lot. My fear is the electric fencing would be similar with our stubborn Ridgies!

Unknown said...

It's only 300 bucks and a weekend of work. A real fence cost at least 1000

Unknown said...

I learned that it works well for dogs over 10 lbs

Unknown said...

A lot of yards where I live, have the electric fence, and as you said, it doesnt block views and works just fine.

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

Bo is a beauty! Do you have an electric fence at your current home?

Sally said...

I don't personally know anyone with that experience. But, what a great way to keep them in when the owners are at work, and/or when the dogs need a potty break! :)

xoxo

The Cranky said...

I love the shot of Bo - he looks so happy! If we didn't already have a traditional fence, this is the option I would choose.

Slamdunk said...

Yes, the invisible fences certainly have cost and other advantages.

I hope you have a nice holiday!

Harry Flashman said...

Thank God I live out in the sticks where the dogs can run free. But if I didn't, I think I would go with the electric fence rather than pinning them in.

Tweedles -- that's me said...

We had an electric fence several years ago when we had a yellow lab and donkeys.. The eletric fence part was string,,, and could be cut and tied with scissors.. It worked great,, In face even replacing it with string worked,, because the yellow lab and donkeys thought it was real. The electric fence box was not very powerful- which was good,,, but you could even make it less powerful by letting a stick touch it,, and it lessend the voltage,,!

HS said...

The biggest benefit of an electric dog fence is that it is invisible.

Julie said...

It was definitely interesting to see the pricing. I didn't realize I could get a great electric fence for just $300

Small Kucing said...

It's a good idea for the dogs safety.

Annette said...

I didn't realize an electric fence could cost as little as $300 either. I definitely may consider this when we decide to have a dog again...

mail4rosey said...

We've decided to get a pup when we move into our new place. :) Depending on the yard size, I will def. consider an electric fence. I learned that this fence is the only system that lets you set the boundary to extend only outside your yard (instead of both inside and outside) so it leave more space for your dog.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Lisa, the electric fence does seem to be easy on the pocketbook. I am glad it is keeping your cute dogs safe. It would be a good choice for us if we did not already have a fence in area. Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your day and have a happy 4th of July.

PS, thank you for visiting my blog and for the comment.

Blogoratti said...

Great photo, and best wishes!

[SK] said...

that sounds like a smart option for you, keeping yourself as well as the two dogs happy :)

Unknown said...

I learned that an electric fence is a cheaper option than a physical fence.

Unknown said...

I learned that with an Electric Fence, you do not have to worry about gates. With a regular fence, you have to worry about someone leaving a gate open and then the dog gets out. You won't have these problems at all with an electric fence.

An Apel a Day said...

I learned that they are approved by the Better Business Bureau. It's a stand up kind of a company.

mun said...

Nice photo of your dog, Bo! So carefree running in the meadow.

Out on the prairie said...

I fenced an area in behind my home to protect my garden and pets. I have a pet door so they can go out anytime.

scatteredleaves said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I learned that they should not be used with aggressive dogs that you do not trust.

Ally said...

I learned that their recommended system has five levels of progressive correction.

Kelly said...

I learned they have a small dog system.

Unknown said...

The most popular system had a collar that let's you know if the fit is right!

johnnyp said...

I learned that it has a remote control that can be used to control the correction on the collar from a range of up to 100 yards

Unknown said...

$300 is way less than having someone else do it!

Jessica Peeling said...

I didn't realize that an Invisible Fence system can cost $2000! Wow. jessicapeeling@yahoo.com

Fizzgig said...

I learned about the PetSafe Little Dog system. I had no idea there were electric fence options available for small dogs.

mahnrafjtb said...

I learned that they cost about $300 which is a lot less than a physical fence.

Unknown said...

I am really Impressed that the power outlet can even be Indoors, great to know

Linda said...

Glad it worked out for you. Someone gave us one a few years ago but we didn't use it because I've heard too many stories of excited dogs running through them and then not being able to come home after they calmed down and realized that recrossing it meant another shock.

Karrie said...

Its a good safety for the dog. I thought the prices would be alot more and was suprised they were pretty good on pricing on them. Might look into one of those

Regina Malloy said...

lets you set the boundary to extend only outside your yard too

♡♥♬ Carolsue ♡♥♬ said...

I learned you can get up to 1000 feet of boundry wire with the 100-acre Sport Dog model
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

Emma @ Our Whimsical Days said...

I learned that this system is best for dogs over 10 pounds

Ashley said...

I learned they have a small dog option

Cat said...

Wonder if there are any dogs too dumb to be trained to an electric fence. Our neighbors got one and trained a 13 year old golden to use it. And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

SB said...

I learned that it isn't that hard to do it yourself and is a lot cheaper

Holly said...

I learned it can cost around $300.

Julie Waldron said...

I learned that they're good to have in the country.

beadsapp said...

is can only cost $300 what a deal if you don't want your dogs to get in trouble.

Rhonda Martin said...

I learned the DIY Dog Fence systems work in yards of up to 100 acres, however will not work unless you train your dog. You have to train your dog in order for this system to work. It takes about two weeks to train your dog and this isn't a good option for aggressive dogs.

Elena said...

The Ultrasmart is best for dogs over 10lbs.

dlhaley said...

This company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau.

dlhaley said...

Tweet:7-3 https://twitter.com/dlhaley17/status/617071530044841984

Unknown said...

I have a little dog who can actually slip through my fence so I would be interested to see if the electric fence would actually work to keep her in.

Miranda said...


I learned that a benefit of an electric dog fence is that it is invisible.

Anonymous said...

I learned that the PetSafe Little Dog has the smallest lightest collar.

Anonymous said...

I shared this giveaway on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/shala.darkstone/posts/962957143755729

Teresa said...

I love that their fence is self adjusting to the dog's persistance. My dog is a bit on the dumb side, and often tries to get out of our yard. We have a chain link fence and the electric dog fence both. Maybe he isn't dumb, he knows its a quick shock if he runs fast enough.

Anonymous said...

I learned that it is much less expensive than a real fence.

slehan said...

I didn't realize how many different kinds of dog fences there are. I don't have dogs so haven't paid much attention.
Thanks for the contest.

slehan at juno dot com

Unknown said...

I didn't know that you could set this fence to keep my puppies out of the garden!

Anonymous said...

I did find it interesting that they make a different set of collars and such for dogs under 10 pounds.

kathy dalton said...

I learned that this system is best for dogs that are over 10 pounds

sunflowerally22 said...

i learned a lot from that site!! But the one thing i really learned was that the dog fence training takes about 15 minutes twice a day for two weeks.

allyson tice
sunflowerally22@aim.com

Anonymous said...

I love that it allows an invisible option for those of us who don't want to put up a real fence. And I love that it works up to 100 acres. That would be great for the large yards!

Carly D.

jilliann said...

I think it is cool that it can auto adjust due to the persistence of the dog. That would be helpful

Barbara Montag said...

Something I learned - The Ultrasmart is best for dogs over 10 lbs.
thank you

Pam said...

I learned that there are five correction levels.

Unknown said...

That its not as costly as I previously thought

wen budro said...

I learned that this is a cheaper option to cover a wide area. I also love that it's invisible so it doesn't block any views.

Unknown said...

electric is cheaper option

meredith m said...

I learned Who Should Not Use a Dog Fence

Jessicca said...

I learned that a fence can start at around $300 dollars, which is a lot for us, but would be great to have!

Kim Reid said...

I learned that it is best to train one dog at a time!

kimberlybreid at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

This is all new to me. Yes, I've heard about these types of fences, but this gives me a closer look.

Andrea said...

I've never thought about training a dog with an invisible fence, but it makes sense that you'd have to do so on a leash initially. That's something I've learned!

Shelley said...

The petsafe yardmax has five levels of progressive correction.

Danalee said...

I learned it is a more cost effective option than a physical fence.

Unknown said...

I learned that an electric dog fence is more affordable than a physical fence, which is great for those of us that have a property that a physical fence doesn't work on.

MaryE said...

Wow, I had no idea electric fences were so much cheaper! Plus it is great if you live in municipalities that state you can't build a fence.

Kristie said...

I learned that the Ultrasmart is best for dogs over 10 lbs. The weakness of the Ultrasmart is that it can only contain a maximum of 10 acres so is not appropriate for very large installations.


kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

Kelly Skibbe said...

I learned that it is also the only system that lets you set the boundary to extend only outside your yard so it leave more space for your dog. I am getting a dog soon and this looks like a great option for us.

Cori Westphal said...

I learned Installing an electric dog fence system will costs around $300...

Anonymous said...

The electric dog fence is much cheaper than putting up a fence.

Unknown said...

I realized there is so much more to dog fences and tons of different kinds.

tashamwilkerson said...

It comes with a rechargeable battery!

Shooting Stars Mag said...

I learned that wired fences have a smaller retreat distance for dogs!

Arf2-D2 said...

I learned that training takes several sessions a day over a period of two weeks. I am a disappointed that the site did not caution owners that there are some dogs that are smart enough to figure out that if they run quickly, the pain will be over quickly too and they can escape. An electric fence will never work on this type of dog.

Emily said...

The collar lets you know if it's adjusted right.

Shea =) said...

I love that they have a system for not only big dogs but for smaller dogs as well!

Jeanne @NHCountryGal said...

It's very affordable

Kim Avery said...

It will work for my larger dog

mommy2luke2008 said...

I learned that you can set the boundary for outside your own yard. I would have loved to have this when we had our dog!

Unknown said...

I learned it is best for dogs over 10 pounds. I also had no idea this one was so inexpensive. I have paid a lot more years ago

jenspurg said...

It will cost about $300 for a basic and is easy to install.
huntandride@hotmail.com

Mammamayor said...

I learned that it has five levels of progression, for the persistent dog. I never knew you could install them yourselves ,natbelinsky@verizon.net

Matt said...

Thanks for the chance

Megan J said...

I learned that the system has 5 stages of progressive correction.

Unknown said...

I really didn't know that the pricing was so reasonable. I need one for my dogs.

Unknown said...

I didn't realize how affordable it was and that you can earn your own boundary!

maryjaco1 said...

It can be set for up to 100 acres.

Dawn said...

I learned that it comes with a remote for training and its best for dogs over 10 pounds.

LauraJJ said...

I learned that Richard Peck, a traveling salesman, invented what we now know as a dog fence in 1971! I didnt know it had been along that many years! We have thought about getting one for our dogs! I love that you can have them in the front yard too where we do spend alot of time!

Amanda B. said...

I learned it's mostly about training the dog to understand the boundaries of the yard. I've seen a dog run right through in an attempt to get to a human - they wouldn't go back into the yard because they knew they'd be shocked on the return. It was worth it to greet the human, but not worth the shock to go back through.

John Joseph said...

I did not realize electric fences could cover so much area up to 100 acres and its pretty cheap compared to putting up the wood or metal fence

Unknown said...

I had no clue that a minimum size of 15 feet was needed, although most yards are bigger, but it is impressive that it can go up to 100 acres of land! WOW The email that works best for me is fossil316@aol.com

Unknown said...

I really like that this system has five levels of progressive correction, that self-adjust to take into account the persistence of the dog.

Unknown said...

I learned that the system has five progressive levels of correction for the dog(s).

Sarah Hayes said...

I learned that they can be as cheap as $300

Sam Stamp said...

I learned that the system has 5 stages of progressive correction that self-adjust to take into account the persistence of the dog. That's cool as some dogs are more or less persistence than others. It makes the system seem more personable.

Unknown said...

I learned that it works well for dogs over 10 lbs

Helen said...

We use an invisible fence, and our dogs love it. They get to run and play on our four acre lot without having to worry about a real fence. It's great.

Jenalen said...

I learned that the PetSafe YardMax is the only wired fence that your dog cannot jump through.

Tracy said...

I wonder if our dog (pit bull/great dane) mix would learn boundaries with an electric fence. She's pretty strong headed when she wants to leave the yard to go play with her doggie friends.

Unknown said...

It only cost up to $300

Debbie said...

I learned that it is much more afforadable than even the cheapest physical fence.

Debbie said...

shared on fb here: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.kaye.5832/posts/412052872319414

KrazeKatLady said...

I learned you should not use these for aggressive dogs.

Unknown said...

They are more affordable than I imagined!

Unknown said...

I learned it's easy to install

Ryan said...

I love that you can set the progression

Deanna said...

I like that the yard max has a long-lasting rechargeable collar battery, and featherweight collar.

Carla D. said...

I learned that Dog Fence DIY is a BBB Accredited Business. That has to stand for something, right? :)

Jackie said...

I learned that an electric dog fence will be much more affordable than even the cheapest physical fence.

Ashley Metzger said...

I didn't realize there were different systems for smaller dogs under 10 lbs! That's perfect for us!

Yona Williams said...

From the website, I learned that training is involved. I never stopped to think that you had to train your dog to properly with a fence like this.

laurie nykaza said...

the only wired fence that your dog cannot run through. It is also the only system that lets you set the boundary to extend only outside your yard (instead of both inside and outside) so it leave more space for your dog. it amazing I have 3 dogs and didnt know about this system.

Nancy said...

I learned that : a dog fence that has been properly installed and more importantly, where the dog has been properly trained is better at containing a dog than a traditional fence.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

janetfaye said...

The YardMax is the first DIY inground fence that has run-through prevention. The dog cannot run through the fence no matter how far they go.

Rebecca Orr said...

I learned that an electric dog fence is more affordable than the cheapest physical fence. This would be perfect for my moms dog.

Tina W said...

I like that it has 5 levels and self-adjusts to the "persistance" of your dog. I used to have a very persistant Australian Shepherd.

carlaboo11 said...

I learned that the invisible fences are cheaper than traditional fences. sounds good to me!

Stacy said...

I learned the Ultrasmart is good for dog up to 10lbs.

Evans S said...

I learned that is was cheaper than the fence i have now and i can have it in neighborhoods with zero lot lines since there is no physical barrier needed.

Unknown said...

I learned that you can create an invisible fence for your dogs for only $300. Not bad!

Unknown said...

I learned that you can create an invisible fence for your dogs for only $300. Not bad!

freebiequeen15 said...

it is the only wired fence a dog can't run through

Unknown said...

I learned that you can fence up to 100 acres. My father once had a dog who kept eating his motorcycles - the seats, saddlebags, covers, grips, etc. Rather than make the dog an enclosure in the yard, he finally built an electric fence around the bikes. It still makes me laugh.

Terri. said...

I learned that they are less expensive than a traditional fence.

Karen said...

I learned you should not use this if you have an aggressive dog.

Audrey Griffis said...

wow you can build it for around 300.00 that is great and didn't sounds liek it would take ot much time great tips

wendy browne said...

You can fence in up to 100 acres with electric fencing at a much more affordable cost than traditional fencing.

blew415 said...

Its cheaper than a 'real' fence

Gail F said...

I learned that an electric fence is cheaper than a physical fence.

kdrae said...

I didn't know aggressive dogs shouldn't use invisible fences.

WendyP said...

I learned that an electric fence is a cheaper option than a regular fence.

Debbie Jensen said...

It is so much cheaper than regular fencing

Debbie Jensen said...

I love how it is cheaper than a normal fence.

Kwolek21 said...

I posted a question instead as I couldn't find the answer to my question. My question is about the ground freezing and the fence function. I posted it with the name Linda Kwolek.

Lissa Crane said...

I learned that this is a great price and works best for dogs over ten pounds, which is perfect for our dogs that are both way over ten pounds!

Michelle said...

I learned that It is also the only system that lets you set the boundary to extend only outside your yard (instead of both inside and outside) so it leave more space for your dog.

Jenny said...

I learned that these are better at containing a dog than a traditional fence because the dog cannot jump over, tunnel under or chew their way through the fence, and nobody can accidentally leave the gate open.

Jenny said...

I learned that these are better at containing a dog than a traditional fence because the dog cannot jump over, tunnel under or chew their way through the fence, and nobody can accidentally leave the gate open.

Leela said...

The Ultrasmart is best for dogs over 10lbs. The weakness of the Ultrasmart is that it can only contain a maximum of 10 acres so is not appropriate for very large installations.

Momma Darby said...

These are a lot cheaper than others!

Sherry said...

I learned for most installations they recommend the PetSafe YardMax.

Eat To Live said...

I hated using it, but we used to have a shocker collar because our dogs would run. It was more dangerous to let them run then to let them get a shock once in a while