Understanding Electronic Dog Fencing Installation
Derby’s Pet Fence has been installing electronic fencing for almost 20 years, so we sometimes assume that customers know what to expect. But, if you have never had one before, the expectations may be quite varied, and the wrong expectation may prevent someone from keeping their dog safe.
The installation of our type of fencing (sometimes commonly referred to as invisible fencing or underground fencing) requires that a wire get buried around the property, or the area where you want to contain your dog. It also requires that one part of the electronics be mounted inside the house.
Burying the Wire and Protecting Your Lawn
While hundreds of feet of wire must be buried, rest easy in knowing that it will barely cause any perceived disturbance to your lawn. The wire is a relatively thin gauge (thinner than the thickness of a pencil) and can easily be buried a few different ways that will cause almost no disruption to your lawn. If a homeowner does the install themselves, they may choose to simply use a spade and make crack in the soil, insert the wire and step on the crack when complete.
Professionals like Derby’s Pet Fence will use some special equipment designed specifically for the dog fencing industry. The professional equipment often uses a hydraulic powered saw blade that cuts a slit in the ground. As the self-propelled machine moves forward, the wire is being laid inside that crack at the same time.
Our technician will step on the crack as they go. If you have a nicely established yard, it is sometimes nearly impossible to tell where the wire was buried even immediately after the install. Certainly, after it rains and the lawn is mowed once or twice, it becomes impossible to see where the wire was buried. The only exception to this is when there are bare spots in the lawn, or any reason grass is not well established. With either method, the wire is only getting buried between 2 to 5” deep. Just deep enough to hide it and protect it from the mowers and the rays of the sun.
Depending on the situation, there are times when the wire cannot be buried. Perhaps in a heavily wooded area or over rocky terrain. The system performs the same even if the wire is not buried. In these circumstances, the wire should be protected in some fashion and hidden as best as possible for aesthetics. Derby’s has a number of tricks of the trade that we will use – depending on the circumstance.
A big question we often get is – how do we cross the driveway? The way the technology works, the wire must be installed in one continuous loop, usually around the entire property. This means the house must be inside the “loop” and the driveway must be crossed. Again, rest assured that when a professional company crosses the driveway, it will be aesthetically pleasing. Depending on the type of driveway, we use different techniques. At Derby’s, we will be sure of the following: it will be difficult to tell where the driveway was crossed, the wire will be safe from edgers, the wire will not be affected by road salt or other elements.
The last portion is that the electronic fence transmitter must be hung inside the house or garage to be protected from the elements. The transmitter (or wall unit) that we use is not very large and hangs with just two screws. I would say it is approximately the size of an iPad, but 2 or 3 inches thick. Since this unit hangs on the inside (typically a garage) – there must be a hole drilled to get the wire into the garage. This is done by our technicians drilling through wall with a drill bit about the width of a pencil. It is done where there will be no issues with electrical wires or plumbing. On the outside of the house, the wire will be in a protective conduit and kept fairly low to the ground and many times can be hidden behind some landscaping. The wall until must be hung within 6’ of a standard wall outlet so it can receive power.
After installing the wire and the wall unit, the technician will program the collar, fit the collar on the dog, lay out the training flags, and instruct the owner how to train the dog on their new system. We will actually do the first training session with the dog. The focus of the training will be to empower the owner to complete the training over the next 7 to 10 days. It is very easy and if you are a Derby’s customer, you can call us 7 days a week with any questions or concerns. Most reputable invisible fencing companies will also provide support after the installation is complete. Our goal is to keep the dog safe, and follow through on the training is very important.
If you are in Louisville, Lexington, Southern Indiana, or any of the surrounding areas, Derby’s Pet Fence will be happy to help you with your electronic pet fencing. We are local and independent company. We have a real live person answer our phone 7 days a week! We give free quotes right over the phone. In addition to installation of new fences, we are happy to service and repair any brand of fencing, regardless of who installed it. Call us at 502-314-7398 / 859-327-7760, or visit our site at www.DerbysFence.com. Prefer email? Steve@derbysfence.com
