By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately challenging
Step1
Plot the layout on graph paper before you start installing the fence. Be prepared for obstacles and know how much wire you will need before you buy the kit.
Step2
Make sure your system comes with enough wire for your yard, a transmitter, a receiver and training flags. The transmitter is the power source, the collar is the receiver, and the flags are used to mark the perimeter until your pet recognizes the boundaries.
Step3
Use a garden trencher to dig a 2- to 3-inch groove along the perimeter of the yard.
Step4
Make the corners curved, not angled at 90 degrees. Sharp corners cause the signal to get lost or become overactive.
Step5
Cross the driveway or a sidewalk by laying the wire in an expansion joint. You can also cut a 1-inch groove with a circular saw using a masonry blade. You'll fill the groove with asphalt caulk once the wire is installed.
Step6
Put the wire in the groove.
Step7
Cover the wire with soil and/or sod.
Step8
Place the transformer near an outlet in a spot that's protected from the weather. Connect the wires as recommended by the manufacturer.
Step9
Walk the perimeter holding the activated collar. Use the flags to mark the areas where you hear a warning beep, not where shocks occur. You'll want the pet to realize where to stop, not where it's too late.
Step10
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for training your pet.
Comments
Anonymous said
on 6/30/2006 We have a small American Staffordshire terrier who learned to climb our 5' chain link fence. Not being able to trust her to stay in the yard (we live on a busy road) we installed the high tech pet containment system. Make sure to keep the wire at least 2' away from and under any chain link fence, the metal interferes with or can block the signal - causing dead spots or hot spots.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I don't heed anything MTV says. Underground fences are endorsed by the animal humane society.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 When you insert the wire into the trench, it never lays quite flat. If you cut your wire loop to the same size as your trench, you will not have enough wire. Try gently pulling the wire, as you're laying it in the trench, to straighten it out as much as possible. Plan on having an extra 1-2 feet of wire per 100 ft of trench span.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I have one of the breeds that the manufacturer indicates the fence will not work on. It took her a while, but she does not even need the collar now. She stays in the yard. I tested the shock on myself. It feels like a hard static shock. It does not hurt the animal...It just scares them.
Anonymous said
on 10/1/2007 1. Use a powered lawn edger (available from your local tool rental shop) to create a perfect trench on lawn or soil. Use the but end of a hammer to "crush" the top part of the trench once the wire is installed.
2. Plastic tie downs, like those used to secure a tent, can be used to hold the wire in place when the soil is not suitable for digging or trenching.
3. Use ordinary modeling clay every 6-8 inches to keep the wire stuck in the grove if you cut through cement or asphalt - it helps keep the wire in the bottom of the trench and allows the hols to be filled without worrying about the kink in the wire. Use a wood pait mixer to push the wire and the bead of clay down to the bottom of the trench.