Your dog is a member of your family. To have a happy and healthy dog, you must ensure your pooch eats the right food and gets enough exercise. You also must keep it away from traffic, the neighbor’s house and other potentially hazardous areas. If you frequently allow your dog to wander around outside, you need a fence.
Not everyone lives in a place with a fence. Whether you in an open area or a covenant-controlled community, building a fence may be impractical. Fortunately, with an underground dog fence, you can keep your pooch safe without having to erect a physical fence. As you may suspect, though, not every underground fence is a smart investment. How do you know the difference between a quality underground dog fence and an inferior one?
That’s where we come in. We did the research for you and compiled a list of the top five best underground dog fences. Continue reading to see which fences made our list.
Comparison Table
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Underground Dog Fence FAQs
Before we get to our list of the best underground dog fences, we want to make sure you understand some basic concepts about these products. Below are answers to some of the questions we hear most frequently.
1. What Is an Underground Dog Fence?
To keep dogs safe, owners must establish boundaries. While conventional fences often work well, they aren’t always possible to construct. An underground dog fence uses a receiver and buried line to train your pooch to stay in a specific area. When your dog reaches the boundary, a vibration, tone or shock signal tells it that it has gone too far.
2. Who Uses Underground Dog Fences?
A variety of dog owners rely on dog fences to contain their pets. These devices are most popular for homeowners who live in rural or undefined areas. Without having to build a traditional fence, these pet owners allow their dogs to explore without letting them go too far. In some places, homeowners’ associations or covenants prevent the construction of regular fences. Dog parents who call these places home often use underground dog fences to form an invisible barrier between their pooches and off-limits areas. Finally, some pet owners who have large yards use underground dog fences to confine their pets to limited places in the yard. These individuals often have gardens, patios or other places they don’t want their pups to visit.
3. How Do Underground Dog Fences Work?
Most underground dog fences are simple systems. These systems come with wiring that users install underground. A receiver attaches to the dog’s collar. When the dog crosses the buried line, he receives a signal that tells him he has gone too far. Depending on the type of underground fence, the signal may be a tone, a shock, a vibration or a combination.
4. How Much Do Underground Dog Fences Cost?
Underground dog fences vary considerably in cost. While the price tag on some of these systems can be as low as $, others cost more than $$$. Given the wide disparity in prices between different underground dog fences, we tackle this subject in greater detail in its own section later in this review.
5. Where Can You Buy an Underground Dog Fence?
If you want to purchase an underground dog fence to keep your pooch safe, you have a few options. Most pet stores sell a few of these systems. Likewise, many big-box retailers have an underground dog fence or two on their shelves. If you prefer to shop online, you are in luck. Third-party sellers, such as Amazon, have dozens of underground dog fences from which to choose.
How We Reviewed Underground Dog Fences
Our goal is to provide you with honest, reliable and valuable information. While preparing this review, we took an in-depth look at several underground dog fences. We were careful not only to evaluate published material and specifications about each fence, but we also considered the opinions of both professional reviewers and actual users of each product.
To earn a spot on our list, we expect each underground dog fence to excel in the following areas:
- Battery life
- Battery chargeability
- Wire length
- Notification options
- Notification levels
- Coverage area
- Collar size
- Affordability
We know rankings can be a bit misleading. After all, the differences between closely ranked products can be substantial. To help reduce confusion, we have assigned each underground dog fence on our survey a rating on a five-point scale. You can use these ratings to see how closely we think a fence compares to the one before and after it on our list.
Overall Price Range of Underground Dog Fences
As we mentioned in the FAQs section above, there can be considerable differences in the prices of underground dog fences. Like with other products, generally the more you spend on a fence, the more features you get. The following are common with pricier fences:
- Greater coverage areas
- Rechargeable batteries
- A variety of notification options
- Several setting levels
- Adjustable dog collars
- Longer wires
- Compatibility with certain sizes of dogs
While you can spend more than $$$ on an underground dog fence, you probably don’t have to break the bank to get a decent product. In fact, we found an excellent fence, the FunAce Pet Fence, which sells for under $. The rest of the underground dog fences on our list retail for between $$ and $$. Since your pup’s safety is involved, we don’t think you’ll mind paying a couple hundred dollars for the peace of mind that comes with an underground dog fence.
Please note that we have listed pricing information for all the underground dog fences that made our list. As you probably know, prices change all the time. Therefore, please only use the amounts listed in our review for informational purposes. For real-time pricing details, check with the store or online seller where you plan to buy your fence.
The Top 5 Underground Dog Fences on the Market Today
In our quest to find the best underground dog fences on the market today, we looked at several fences. We limited our list to five to avoid overwhelming you with information. While this list is comprehensive, it is far from exhaustive. That is, you may find a fence that works with your situation better than the ones on our survey. That’s okay. Our goal is to give you useful information to help you make a smart purchase. We don’t think you can go wrong with any of the fences reviewed below, though.
Here are the top five underground dog fences, in our opinion.
1. SportDOG SDF-100A Underground Dog Fence
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We think there is a clear winner in the race for the best underground dog fence. The SportDOG SDF-100A is the most complete dog fence we reviewed. We like this fence for its large coverage area. In fact, you get 1,000 feet of wire and 100 indicator flags with the SportDOG fence. That’s enough to allow your dog to run around in a large area. You can also pair the fence with additional fences to allow your pooch to explore up to 100 acres. Even for the most active dogs, that’s a lot of coverage area.
We like the SportDOG fence for its versatility. The collar emits a tone and vibration before shocking your pooch to encourage it to return home. You don’t have to zap your furry friend aggressively, either. With four static settings, you choose the one that works for your dog. If your pup is low-key, you may not have to shock it at all. The included collar is waterproof and uses a regular nine-volt battery.
The SportDOG fence isn’t perfect. While the collar accommodates small, medium and large dogs, the module is large and awkward. As such, your dog may find it annoying. Most users report, however, that their pooches acclimate to the module eventually.
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2. eXtreme Dog Underground Dog Fence
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The second underground dog fence on our list is also an excellent product. The eXtreme Dog fence allows you to set up a coverage area of up to 25 acres. That’s quite sizeable. Our favorite feature of this fence is its compatibility with multiple dogs. If you have as many as five, you can contain them inside the invisible barrier without investing in a separate system. Simply buy additional collars.
The collar that comes with the eXtreme Dog underground dog fence is adjustable. It easily fits dogs of many different sizes. Unlike the SportDOG fence, the module on this one is small and lightweight. We like that. We don’t like the hard-to-read setup instructions that come with this fence. Many users had to seek professional installation assistance to use the eXtreme Dog underground dog fence properly.
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3. FunAce Pet Fence Underground Dog Fence
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The third underground dog fence on our list is the most affordable. At only $, the FunAce Pet Fence is a steal. This fence is a great option for dogs that think they are kangaroos. If your dog frequently jumps, you must be sure it can’t jump across the buried fence. If it does, the notification collar won’t do much good. Since the FunAce fence has a six-foot signal distance, it is very difficult to jump.
We like the rechargeable battery that comes with the module. It should last for seven days before you need to plug it in. Still, the intensity settings on the FunAce Pet Fence concerned us. With only two settings, you have limited training options.
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4. PetSafe Stubborn Dog Underground Dog Fence
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While all dogs are good animals, not all are well-behaved pooches. The PetSafe Stubborn Dog underground dog fence is excellent for dogs that have a hard time listening to owner commands. The collar gives you the option of sending a vibration or shock. It is also adjustable, so it fits most dogs snugly.
The PetSafe Stubborn Dog fence allows you to create a safety area of up to 25 acres. It is a bit too aggressive for small dogs, however. While it is possible to use the fence for your stubborn Chihuahua, you are probably better off to reserve this fence for dogs that weigh over 30 pounds.
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5. Elite Little Dog Underground Dog Fence
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Unlike the PetSafe Stubborn Dog fence, which is appropriate for larger dogs, the Elite Little Dog fence is specific to small pooches. With this fence, you get an invisible safety area of up to 25 acres. The collar is waterproof and features both shock and tone correction options.
While the collar adjusts up to 26 inches, this fence is best for small dogs. If you try to use it on a larger dog, it may ignore the warning signals altogether. Our primary beef with the Elite Little Dog fence is the quality of the indicator flags. They look cheap and tend to blow over in high winds.
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Underground Dog Fence Comparison Table
Rating
SportDOG SDF-100A
4.9/5
eXtreme Dog Fence
4.75/5
FunAce Pet Fence
4.25/5
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
4/5
Elite Little Dog
3.75/5
Waterproof
SportDOG SDF-100A
Yes
eXtreme Dog Fence
Yes
FunAce Pet Fence
Yes
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
Yes
Elite Little Dog
Yes
Correction
SportDOG SDF-100A
Shock Vibration Tone
eXtreme Dog Fence
Shock
FunAce Pet Fence
Shock Tone
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
Shock Vibration Tone
Elite Little Dog
Shock Tone
Levels
SportDOG SDF-100A
4
eXtreme Dog Fence
5
FunAce Pet Fence
2
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
4
Elite Little Dog
4
Dog Size
SportDOG SDF-100A
Min. 10 lbs.
eXtreme Dog Fence
Min. 8 lbs.
FunAce Pet Fence
Min. 10 lbs.
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
Min. 8 lbs.
Elite Little Dog
Min. 5 lbs.
Flags
SportDOG SDF-100A
100
eXtreme Dog Fence
50
FunAce Pet Fence
50
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
50
Elite Little Dog
50
Coverage
SportDOG SDF-100A
Up to 100 acres
eXtreme Dog Fence
Up to 25 acres
FunAce Pet Fence
Up to 25 acres
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
Up to 25 acres
Elite Little Dog
Up to 20 acres
Wire
SportDOG SDF-100A
1, 000 feet
eXtreme Dog Fence
500 feet
FunAce Pet Fence
500 feet
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
N/A
Elite Little Dog
500 feet
Price
SportDOG SDF-100A
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eXtreme Dog Fence
[amazon fields=”B00ETAIE0A” value=”button”]
FunAce Pet Fence
[amazon fields=”B07HF7VPH4″ value=”button”]
PetSafe Stubborn Dog
[amazon fields=”B00K5U5VJ0″ value=”button”]
Elite Little Dog
[amazon fields=”B000JCJG36″ value=”button”]
The Verdict
We reviewed some excellent underground dog fences. While we think the SportDOG SDF-100A is the best underground dog fence on the market today, we found things we liked about all the fences on our list. When you are ready to buy, you must think about how you plan to use your invisible fence. You must also consider the temperament and size of your pooch. With a bit of effort, you can likely find the perfect underground dog fence.