How to Find a Broken Wire in an Underground Dog Fence

Underground fences might be the only option in certain areas.

An underground dog fence can help keep your dog safely in your yard while he is outside relieving himself, playing or just lying in the sun. You dog will learn quickly where the fence begins and ends and which parts of the yard can be accessed. You should not have an underground dog fence, however, unless you're willing to perform routine maintenance. For example, you will need to find any broken wires in your underground dog fence when the error light or alarm activates. One faulty wire will disable the entire fence, so keep your dog inside or on a leash until you've solved the problem.

Instructions

1. Walk along the entire perimeter of your dog fence. Keep an eye out for any damage in the grass or dirt that could have caused the break. Uses of certain equipment, such as an edger, can cause a broken wire in the underground dog fence.

2. Check the areas of your underground dog fence that are most likely to break, if you did not find anything during your visual inspection. These areas include the wire joints and the spot where the transmitter connects to the wire.

3. Set up an RF Choke if you cannot find the break yourself. This device can be purchased from any electronics store. Tune the AM radio to 600 and connect its two wires to the transmitter box of your fence. The transmitter signal needs to be at full strength to work properly. Touch each end of the wire leads to the legs of the RF Choke and wrap the insulated portion of the wire around each leg.

4. Walk along the perimeter of the fence again while holding the RF Choke. The device will be making a consistent noise as you walk. When RF Choke stops making a noise, you are standing over the wire break.

References

• Dog Fence DIY: Finding and Fixing a Wire Break
• Fix Dog Problems: Electronic Pet Fences Solve Dog Problems