How the Fence Works
How Dog Fence Works To Keep Your Pet Safe
DogFence offer a dog fence comprising a central control box which is connected to a boundary wire. The wire usually runs around the perimeter of the property forming a loop.
As with other brands of containment fence the control box sends a coded radio signal which is transmitted through a boundary wire. The boundary wire acts as an antenna and is simply broadcasting a digital radio signal. The difference between DogFence and other brands is that our signal is an FM signal.
When the cables leave the control box they are run as a twisted pair which cancels the radio signal. Once the cables reach the boundary the cables are split which starts the radio signal. The size of the signal emitted by the control box can be enlarged or reduced according to the customers’ requirements.
The computer collar that your pet wears, houses a tiny FM receiver. As the pet moves towards the signal the collar emits an audible signal to indicate to the pet to stop and turn back. If the pet continues towards the wire the collar gives a small impulse (similar to a static carpet shock) set to the pet’s individual requirements.
With the use of some visual training flags our expert installers will teach your dog how to avoid the no go area.
After completing the training your pet will quickly learn to understand warning beep, and will immediately turn back into the allowed zone. To aid the pet during training DogFence use a series of flags as a visual training aids. The pet therefore has something to hear, something to see and ultimately something to feel. Freedom Fences were orignally designed in the USA and have been given pets freedom for over 40 years.
Boundary Layouts
Not all properties are a nice neat flat square and the advantage of the DogFence System is that it can be customised to contain your pet within all sizes and shapes of gardens and property types from Semi-Detached or Terraced properties to stepped or hilly gardens and fields – we can even cross water if absolutely necessary! Due to the FM signal our cable can be run in conjunction with metal and stock fencing without loss of signal.
Below are some examples of some typical installation configurations but of course numerous other options are available.
Standard Layout
Boundary cable runs around the entire boundary, covering the front and back of the property as well as the driveway.
Rear garden only or semi-detached (banana loop)
Boundary cable runs around the area to fenced and then back on itself to form the loop. This type of installation is ideal for properties where a full loop is difficult to install. The boundary wires need to be run 2ft apart or more in order the signal to be emitted.
Front and or Rear garden (pinch loop)
Single cable around the boundary which is “nipped in” either side of the house – this prevents the dog from running from the front to back garden and vice versa whilst still protecting the entire boundary.
Single Boundary or Driveway (banana loop)
Ideal if only one or part of the boundary requires fencing – Boundary cable runs along the area to fenced and then back on itself to form the loop. The boundary wires need to be run 2ft apart or more in order the signal to be emitted.
Full Boundary excluding swimming pool and play area
As well as containment the freedom fence can be used to exclude pets from area such as pools, ponds, play areas or flower borders by adding in a loop connected to a twisted cable (twisting the cable cancels the radio signal)
Dog Fence Explained
As with Freedom Fence and Invisible Fence the control box sends a coded radio signal which is transmitted through the boundary wire. The difference between DogFence and other brands is that our signal is an FM signal. Freedom Fence and Invisible Fence systems use the older, less secure AM signals.
Transmitter
A small transmitter box is installed somewhere on your property. This needs to be in the dry and plugged into a standard electrical socket. The fence does not pass any electricity through the boundary wire but the transmitter requires a small amount of power to run the system. The average running cost = 5 – 8p per day. We usually recommend that the box is installed in garage, utility room, tack room etc.
Boundary Wire
A heavy duty 16 AWG boundary wire is laid around the perimeter of your property and runs back to the transmitter box. If we are installing for the customer this is generally buried using our burial equipment. The wire carries a safe encoded radio signal which uses our patented FM technology. The signal can easily be adjusted to make the invisible zone larger or smaller (from as little as 2ft to 16ft). The radio signal is usually zeroed from the point at which the wires leave the transmitter box to the boundary and the signal is only “live” around the perimeter or the designated area.
Receiver Collar
The pet wears a small receiver collar which is coded to only react to our FM signal. The DogFence receiver collars are the smallest & lightest available worldwide. When the pet enters the avoidance zone the collar picks up the radio signal. The collar then gives the out a high pitched “beep” to alert the dog or cat. If the pet continues further the collar emits a low static impulse (correction). All our collars have flexible training levels and can be set to audible only. Each dog or cat will have their own correction level tailored to their personality. DogFence systems are the ONLY system worldwide to give a 100% no false activation guarantee due to the patented FM signal. The FM signal does not use OOK (on off keying) and gives total protection around the boundary.
Training
Through our Gentle Touch Training process, using audible and visual aids, your pet learns to identify and stay within his boundaries. Cat training is slightly different using the patent pending training protocol. The pet learns to respond to an audible signal (a beep that comes from his collar). If he continues to go beyond the audible signal, he receives a mild correction from the receiver collar. To aid your pet the new boundary is marked with temporary training flags. All pets learn easily and quickly to respond the audible warning signal rather than the correction. There is no maintenance required for the system simply a battery change in the receiver collar every 6 months or 2 years depending on the receiver type.
Technology
Our new generation of freedom dog fences use wifi capability to keep you connected to your pets at all times. You can monitor the status of the boundary wire, transmitter and receiver collar. You can even see when your pet is active or inactive. click here to learn more.