How to Bury an Electric Dog Fence

As happy as you might be about having a highly active and adventurous pup, you’re probably always worried that about them escaping your yard. The fact is that you can tie up and keep your pooch inside forever; you have to search for a viable solution to this problem.

Luckily, the introduction of electric fences in the pet world has made life so much easier for pet parents. It allows dogs to enjoy the freedom of playing outdoors while providing dog parents with the peace of knowing that their pet is safe.

Installing and Burying an Electric Dog Fence

Installing a wired electric fence isn’t as challenging as you might think. You don’t need a bunch of tools, lots of money, or previous experience to install a wired electric fence. Instead, all you need is a solid layout plan and some extra time to spare.

Depending on the size of the property, it can take you anywhere between an hour to a day to install a wired fence. Although the fence will operate perfectly if the wire is mounted on the ground, we highly recommend placing the fence wire underground for the following reasons:

• To avoid wire breakage and damage
• To keep your dog from chewing the wire.
• To keep someone from tripping over the wire

Electric Dog Fence Layouts

After unpacking the containment system, the first thing to do is to reach for the user manual and read the instructions to get a clear idea about the product. The user manual typically contains some basic templates to help you create a customized layout for your yard. A few popular default layouts include:

• Full Yard – This layout includes coverage of the whole yard to provide your pup with maximum freedom
• Yard with Exclusionary Zones – This layout is meant to prevent your dog from entering certain areas, such as the garden, flowerbeds, and the pool area
• Split Yard – In this layout, you have to decide if you want to keep your pooch in the front or back yard

You’re allowed to get as creative with your layouts as possible as long as you stick to one foundational rule – creating a continuous loop. This means that the wire that comes out of the transmitter must circle and come around all the way back.

How to Bury an Electric Dog Fence

Once you’ve decided on the layout for your wired fence, here is how you can get started on burying your electric fence:

Test the System

Once you’ve fixed the transmitter in a well-ventilated room, spread the fence wire about the ground to test the system before digging up any trenches. Twist the wire to cancel out any signals when running the wire between the transmitter and the perimeter line.

Test the Collar

Walk around with the turned-on electronic collar to ensure that everything is performing as intended. Try out different transmitter settings that help in determining the distance before your dog receives a static stimulation.

Start Digging

Once you’re sure the system is functioning properly, it’s time to bury the wire. The best and most convenient way to dig up the ground is using a trenching tool, which is especially useful if you have a huge property. However, if you want to do this DIY project the old-fashioned way, get your hands on a shovel blade or an edging tool. Dig shallow 1 to 3 inches deep trenches and keep inserting the fence wire. Once you’ve buried the wire, cover it up with dirt and tap it.  

A huge challenge you may face is running the fence over a sidewalk or driveway typically made of asphalt or concrete. Concrete driveways usually have expansion joints where the fence wire can be placed. However, if that’s not the case, then you may have to use a circular saw with a masonry blade to create space for the wire.

The Bottom Line

If you’re wondering about how to bury an electric dog fence, don’t! This guide has got you covered. Hopefully, this article will help jumpstart your little project to help create a safe place for your pooch to enjoy themselves.