The Best Large Area Wireless Dog Fences and Containment Systems

Are you a dog lover? Would you like to let your dog roam and play in your yard?

But are you worried about your pet’s safety?

Wireless dog fences offer you the peace of mind that your pet dog is safely within four invisible walls. They are a fantastic option for dog lovers who want to allow their pets to play and explore the outdoors while staying safe within the boundaries of the yard.

Owning a large area of land around your house can make digging and planting a fence around the perimeter a lot of effort and very time-consuming. However, wireless dog fences are designed to function just as ordinary wooden fences. However, they don’t require anywhere near as much of the effort and expense of digging and planting an actual fence.

With a wireless fence, the only things that are required to keep your dog within the borders of your garden or yard are a remote transmitter and a dog collar receiver.

It’s also really easy to set up and use. And it doesn’t even require a shovel. They normally take approximately two to three hours after you get it home until it’s up and working.

The hardest part of dealing with wireless dog fences is choosing the best product on the market. There are many fantastic models out there, which can get rather overwhelming and confusing sometimes.

That’s why we’ve come up with a rundown of some of the best wireless dog fences for large areas. Let’s take a look at the guide to wireless dog fences!

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Best Overall

Best for Training - Customize Correction Levels

Best for 100 Acres

PetSafe Rechargeable In-Ground Pet Fence Receiver Collar for Cats and Dogs, Waterproof with Tone and Static Correction, Fits Pets 5 lbs and Up from the Parent Company of the INVISIBLE FENCE Brand

Dogtek Additional Dog Collar For Electronic Dog Fence System

SportDog Brand In-Ground Fence Systems – from the Parent Company of Invisible Fence Brand – Underground Wire Electric Fence – Tone, Vibration, & Static – 100 Acre Capability – Remote Trainer Option, Containment System

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Best Overall

PetSafe Rechargeable In-Ground Pet Fence Receiver Collar for Cats and Dogs, Waterproof with Tone and Static Correction, Fits Pets 5 lbs and Up from the Parent Company of the INVISIBLE FENCE Brand

Check Latest Price

Best for Training - Customize Correction Levels

Dogtek Additional Dog Collar For Electronic Dog Fence System

Check Latest Price

Best for 100 Acres

SportDog Brand In-Ground Fence Systems – from the Parent Company of Invisible Fence Brand – Underground Wire Electric Fence – Tone, Vibration, & Static – 100 Acre Capability – Remote Trainer Option, Containment System

Check Latest Price

PetSafe Wireless Pet Containment System, PIF-300

PetSafe is one of the most highly rated wireless dog fences on the market. It operates through radio frequency of around 18 KHz, which is surprisingly more reliable than WI-FI. It covers up to 90 feet, which may not be big enough if you have a really large yard.

Included are some boundary flags so that you can train the dog where the boundaries are. Once your pet has learned how the wireless fencing works, you can pull this out. Instructions about how to train your dog are also provided.

The collar fits dogs that weight up to 8 pounds and with a neck size between 6 and 28 inches. It also works in any weather conditions.

Another great feature is that it’s portable, so that you can take it on holiday. And, if your friends or family bring their dog, you can add them to the system as well. The system allows for an unlimited number.

Image credits: Dogtek.comImage credits: petsafe.netImage credits: SportDOG.com

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Dogtek Electronic Dog Fence System (EF4000)

The Dogtek Electronic Dog Fence System also offers a great performance for large yards with 500 feet of wire. It has a great feature in which it enables you to set different levels of boundaries and customize your warning according to your preference, including the options of beeping or static correction to warn your pet not to go beyond the boundary.

If you are looking for a kinder and gentler model, that provides your dog with the time to get used to the system. Then the DogTek model may be the most appropriate. It won’t cause your pet any discomfort.

The dog collar fits any neck size between 8 and 26 inches. It also allows for unlimited collars to be used at the same time. And finally, it’s waterproof and suitable for all weather.

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Elite Little Dog In-Ground Fence

The Elite Little Dog In-Ground Fence is another great popular product. It’s easy to set up and only requires you to plant the boundary wire around the area you want to have your wireless fence. Once you do this, the radio frequency will send out a signal that is subsequently transmitted to the dog collar.

Whenever your pet goes towards the invisible boundaries of the fence, he or she will experience a so-called warning tone. If it doesn’t respond to this, it will feel an electronic pulse. However, don’t worry it’s very mild and absolutely painless.

The product also includes flags for the training. While it only includes enough wire for a third of an acre, if your space is larger than this, then you can purchase extra wire up to 25 additional acres.

The collar is also suitable for all weather conditions and dogs with necks between the sizes of 6 and 26 inches.

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SportDOG 100-Acre In-Ground Pet Fence System, SDF-100A

If none of the above wireless dog fences are large enough for the area around your house, then perhaps this one will be.

The SportDOG model offers even greater capacity with 100-Acre wireless dog fences. It includes one thousand feet of wiring and a further 100 flags to train your dog.

However, the downside is that if you need to add more than one dog then you have to purchase another SDF-R receiver. It’s also the most suitable of the wireless dog fences if you have a larger dog, which means 10 pounds and over. It certainly isn’t for puppies younger than six months.

And of course, just like the other models, the dog collar is suitable for all weather conditions, rain or shine.

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How to install a wireless dog fence

Our friend Selim, owner of ByteBest.com, also write a nice review about Chew Resistant Dog Beds, you may also check this.

Corded vs. Cordless Fences

If you’re like most dog owners, then you might be surprised to hear that there are corded wireless fences on the market!

These actually don’t look like what you might think. They use a buried underground cord, which you put into the ground to act as an antenna.

This is the traditional style of wireless dog fence, so you’re more than likely going to want to install one. Cordless fences rely on little radio modules, which are every bit as confusing to pick between.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to wrap your mind around these as well!

Choosing Between Radio Fences & Wi-Fi Fences

Anyone who has put together a computer network before can tell you that Wi-Fi is a form of radio. Why do so many companies talk about radio dog fences replacing Wi-Fi ones then?

When pet supply places talk about radio fences, they actually mean frequencies that don’t rely on the microwave bands employed by Wi-Fi. These fences can handle an unlimited number of dogs as long as each one has their own collar synced up with the fence.

Wi-Fi fences can usually only handle two dogs at most, though you might not want to consider this option if you happen to have more than one dog.

Portable Dog Fences

People who have really large backyards may want to move their dog fence around from time to time. If that’s the case, then you’ll probably want to opt for a fence that comes with little beacon pods.

You can move these around to mark off different locations on a daily basis if you want. Owners of big farms can even pack them up and situate them wherever they want.

Keep in mind that the one drawback is the fact that each pod takes batteries!

Number of Dogs Supported by a Wireless Fence

Assuming that you’ve already looked through each option on the market, you’re probably debating which would be best for a group of dogs. You already know that you won’t want to use a Wi-Fi fence no matter how large your property is, but both radio-based fences and those with buried wires should support multiple dogs well.

Technically, corded fences will support an unlimited number of dogs in theory. You need to be careful, however. Many manufacturers don’t test their fences with multiple dogs, so they might only work with two or three.

If you have your own little zoo of dogs, then you’re better off going with a radio fence. The radio waves they put out are normally strong enough to let an unlimited number of four-legged creatures run around without interference.

Fake Dog Fences

Unfortunately, a lot of online retailers like Amazon are loaded with fake dog fences. While that probably sounds totally crazy, it’s true.

Shady manufacturers in China and other places have started to make extremely low-quality fences and pass them off as being marketed by reputable pet supply companies.

If a deal seems to be too good to be true, then it probably is.

Best Frequency for Dog Fences

Contrary to what you might have read, there’s no one single frequency that’s best for all wireless dog fences. It just depends on what the manufacturer decided to use when they designed the collars that come with it.

Just make sure that the frequency of your fences matches all the collars you buy. Pet supply companies are usually pretty good about telling you what collars are compatible with the equipment you’re using.

Water Damage to Dog Fences

Homeowners with huge yards might end up with water-related issues. Always make sure you disconnect the system when the weather looks bad. If the transmitter isn’t waterproof, then mount it in a garden shed or your garage. This will help prevent water damage.

Discard any equipment that’s no longer working due to the weather. Fortunately, most devices can handle heat fairly well. It’s just the rain and humidity that messes with them.

large area wireless dog fence

Wireless Dog Fences with GPS

Do you have a dog that really wanders around? If that’s the case, then you might want to look into a dog fence with an integrated GPS module.

These will let you track your dog the same way that the post office tracks mail trucks. This is a good idea if you live on a farm and your dog has a ton of area to cover.

Burying Wires for Underground Fences

While it might seem like a ton of work, putting together an underground dog fence is actually fairly easy. All you need to do is bury the wire to a certain depth, meaning you may not have to dig much of a hole at all.

Rather, you just need to snake the wire downward the way the cable company snakes in a new bit of coax. Some manufacturers recommend using conduit, but you almost never need to when working with temporary consumer-grade pet training equipment.

That being said, you might want to look into a little waterproofing up top.

Waterproof Large Area Wireless Dog Fences

Collars rather than cables are usually what get wet. It’s probably not hard for you to imagine your dog rolling around in the mud or something similar, so you can get an idea for why you might need a little reinforcement around the neck more than anywhere else.

Several manufacturers make solid receiver boxes that are more than capable of standing up to a little extra moisture.

Large Area Wireless Dog Fences in Summer

A majority of wireless fences shouldn’t care at all about the temperature, so you can use them in summer. Your dog, however, might not be so lucky.

If at all possible, avoid undergoing the awkward training period while your dog is potentially hot. This doesn’t mean going through heat but actually literally feeling hot.

According to a 2004 review study of 54 cases of heat stroke, it was proven that dogs are really susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Getting a whole bunch of electrical corrections to their neck is just going to make things worse.

Keeping Dogs within the Large Wireless Fenced Area

Rather than just teaching your dog to not go near the underground fence, you want to also show him or her that it’s great to stay close to home.

Leave your dog some food and a bowl of water. They might be more than happy to never test the underground wires ever again.

FAQ

Are large area wireless dog fences safe?

Despite what some people have claimed, the actual area that’s fenced off doesn’t make a difference when it comes to the strength of the correction your dog gets. Make sure to operate your system on the lowest setting that gets the desired result.

What’s the best way to train a dog to use a large area wireless fence?

You’ll probably want to let your dog wear the collar without any correction for at least a little while, to get them used to the weight and to prevent them thinking of wearing it as a punishment.

Once they’re used to the idea of a special collar, try teaching your dog the boundary lines and start to apply correction only after they understand that they’re not supposed to cross out of a certain area.

Otherwise, your dog might not entirely understand why he or she is being penalized for straying too far from home!

How Big of an Area can I Fence Off?

Owners of larger properties usually don’t have any lack of space when it comes to setting up a dog run. However, you have to pay close attention to the maximum amount of space that your fence works with.

Most manufacturers don’t certify their fences for much more than maybe a 70 foot radius. Check the developer’s site or box before making a purchase to ensure you get something that’s going to be the right size for your land.

If it doesn’t state anything, then consider it too small for your purposes if you plan on designating any huge regions for your dogs to run around in. Otherwise, you can probably use any standard underground or radio-based fencing equipment.

What is a Part 15 Compliant Fence?

All dog owners hopefully want to make sure that they’re working with equipment that’s going to be safe for their pets! If you see a fence on Amazon that’s marked as Part 15 compliant, then it means it adheres to all the US laws regarding unlicensed radiators.

While these laws have more to do with preventing interference between say neighbors who have different dog fences, they do include certain electrical guidelines too. That means official Part 15 equipment should be safer, especially if you’re using a single fence for multiple pooches.

How Deep do Wires Have to Be?

Depending on the type of soil you have, you’ll only need to bury a corded fence wire around three or four inches down. Save the dirt you dig up when making a hole for the cable.

Place the dirt you remove right over the top of the line. You don’t need to pack it too hard.

In fact, you’ll be able to easily remove wires that you don’t bury extremely deeply.

Final Thoughts on Wireless Dog Fences

All dog lovers care deeply about the welfare of their dog while wanting their dog to enjoy their own yard. That’s why wireless dog fences are the perfect solution to keep both the pet owner and their dog happy.

Now that you’ve got an idea of what wireless dog fences are on the market, you can make an informed decision that’s right for you and your pet.

There’s no need to worry about installation. None of the above systems require professional installation: you can do it all by yourself.

For many more posts about supplies for dogs and other pets, see our blog. If you have any further questions or comments about wireless dog fences or other pet supplies, get in touch with us.

Kevin "Ken" Davies

My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.