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 |  | Medium: DIY Kits $100-$350 |  | High: Professionally Installed $850-$1,500 |
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An invisible fence (or electric, hidden or underground fence) keeps pets inside an invisible boundary via electronic underground wires that send signals to a receiver on the pet's collar.
Typical costs: |
- Invisible pet fence kits that pet owners install themselves are available at pet stores and websites like radiofence.com[1] and discount-pet-superstore.com[2] , and will cost from $100 to $350.
- A professionally installed invisible pet fence can be $850 to $1,500. Brands include PetStop[3] and DogWatch[4] . Advantages can include customized installation, training for the dog and training techniques for the owner. Some companies, like Invisible Fence[5] , also customize the receiver collar, so that it emits a stronger or weaker shock depending on the dog's size, age and temperament.
Related articles: Dog Training, Dog Daycare, Dog Walker, Pet Mircochipping, Fence
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What should be included: |
- Here's how electric fences work: a wire is placed under or on top of the ground around the perimeter of the area the pet needs to be kept inside. The pet -- usually a dog, but this works for cats as well -- wears a "receiver" collar that responds to the signal sent by a transmitter corresponding with the wire. If the pet gets too close to the wire, it receives a "correction," typically in the form of a small electric shock similar to a static burst.
- Invisible fences are considered a training enhancement tool, not a "dog sitter."
- Electric fence kits include a transmitter, a receiver, an adjustable collar, extra receiver probes, 500 feet of boundary wire, splice caps, boundary flags (to help with training) and a manual that covers installation and a dog training guide. Some kits also come with an installation and training video. The commercial site DogFenceDIY.com[6] provides a detailed description on how to install an invisible pet fence kit. Professionally installed systems typically include all of the above, plus training for the dog and/or owner.
Additional costs: |
- Additional collars for additional dogs cost between $55 and $130.
- A do-it-yourself kit may not include enough wire. Additional wire costs between $23 and $70 depending on length (usually between 500 and 1,000 feet) and durability.
- The collar battery will last between three months and a year depending on how often the pet "challenges" the system. Batteries cost between $5 and $15 through online pet stores like discount-pet-superstore.com[7]
- Since electric fences conduct currents of electricity, they attract lightning, although this is uncommon. If living in an area with frequent thunderstorms, consider buying a lightning protector. These cost between $35 and $55.
Shopping for an invisible fence: |
- Keep in mind that an invisible fence doesn't keep other dogs, animals or people out of the yard. The commercial site Dog-Fence-Guide.com[8] provides an overview and links to reviews of various invisible fence products.
- There is some debate online over the ethics of administering even light electric shocks to pets. Some feel any negative or painful training is wrong; others feel it's safe and necessary. DoggyBehave.com explains why good training is necessary.
- Visit HealthyPet.com[9] for a list of electric fence pros and cons.
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: notahavahartcustomer in Nashville, TN. | Posted: December 19th, 2010 08:12PM |
| Installed By: No one |
Havahart has been deceiving customers into thinking they are on the brink of releasing a custom-shape wireless invisible fence for MONTHS. What a marketing ploy! In October 2010 they claimed it would be released in December 2010. Every month they move the release date up a month and it never gets released. For all we know, they're YEARS from releasing it, so go on and buy a radial wireless invisible fence from one of their competitors. That's what we're doing. |
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| Posted by: Rio in Santa Fe, NM. | Posted: February 12th, 2010 08:02AM |
| Size Area Fenced: 1/3 acre | Brand: Havahart and PetSafe |
| Installed By: Myself |
I first purchased a Havahart invisible wired fence for $70 at Lowes and spent about 2 hours setting it up only to find my water table was too low for it to work. The grounding rod provided was only 2 feet long. I called their 800 number and talked to a very helpful real person who said I need to try a 6 foot grounding rod. How does one pound a 6 foot piece of rebar into hard ground? I never got it to work. Keep in mind you need to run a power cord to where the base is set up. I ended up a PetSafe wireless fence collar at PetSmart and it works great! It cost around $220 on sale plus I had to buy and extra collar (2 dogs). Only complaint is the batteries don't last long and it's a specialized battery, not a standard watch battery. |
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External Resources: |
- www.radiofence.com/
- www.discount-pet-superstore.com/
- www.petstop.com
- www.dogwatch.com
- www.invisiblefence.com/
- www.dogfencediy.com/installation/
- www.discount-pet-superstore.com/
- www.dog-fence-guide.com
- www.healthypet.com/PetCare/PetCareArticle.aspx?title=Underground_Fences
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