How Deep Should You Bury an Invisible Dog Fence?

An underground invisible dog fence can be a great way to contain your dog within your property without putting up a dull, above ground fence. It is essential to embed the wire below the soil. Specific depths must be maintained in burial mode to guarantee correct operation and safety.

Following Recommendations About Your Invisible Dog Fence

Nearly all invisible dog fence makers suggest how deep the boundary wires should be buried; the standard is three to five inches below the ground level. Still, it is worth remembering that each brand and model of invisible dog fence has their own specific suggestions for use. Certain invisible dog fences manufacturers may suggest several different depths. Adhering to their recommendations may help achieve the signal's optimum strength and better consistency in results.

Advantages of Proper Building Depth

Burying boundary wires at the correct depth provides the following benefits:

Consistency: Proper depth ensures a better and planned signal field zone without undulations at the braced margins. That makes the dog fence work effectively in confining your dog within the specified area.

Protection: Burying the wires deeply enough prevents them from being cut by tools and vehicles used in the yard.

Avoiding Signal Interference: Further encapsulation helps protect from obstacles in the path signal, such as metal objects at the surface, sprinkler wires, and the like.

Safety from Wildlife: Wires should be buried low enough so that it won’t attract wildlife like rats or field mice that might chew on it.

Avoiding Accidental Cuts: Appropriate wire depth eliminates the potential of accidentally trimming the wire while gardening.

Depth for the Soil and Climate Facts 

When choosing how deeply to bury the dog fence wires, you should also consider the types of soils and the climate in the area.

In northern parts that endure deep frost and heavy snow, the wire might need to be installed several inches deeper than the product’s instructions since the winter season can disrupt the signal. The freeze depth varies from one area to another. Check whether your yard regularly gets frozen at a greater depth than for which the wire will be buried during winter.

Where shifting occurs or in very sandy soil regions, erosion ultimately leads to the exposure of buried wires. If so, it is advisable to place the cables below the product recommendation to have a protective layer.

Where yards have extensive rocky grounds, making it hard to get to the desired depth, wire location in less rocky parts of the yard will allow for proper burial at the chosen depth.

Time Taken for Installation of Wires at a Consistent Depth

When installing invisible dog fence wires, make sure that you dig the cables at a similar depth around the compound's perimeter. Consistency of depth is key. If you maintain the recommended distances set out for a given system, you will eliminate inconsistencies of where the boundary line activates as far as the buried wire is concerned.

Examining the Right Depth of Installation

Once installation is over, temporarily check system stability by moving around the buried boundary wire with the dog’s receiver collar placed at ground level. The indicator warning tones on the collar should beep at an exact distance from the location of the wire in both directions.

Pay special attention to spots where it looks like the collar is triggered at more random distances to give clues about possibly uneven burial depths. Minimize the wire depth in those areas to ensure signals are not unsteady.

Help From Professionals

If you have doubts about the installation depth necessary in some yards, you can always contact dog fence companies, which can install the perimeter wire for you. Since they are used to having better wire burial depths, reputable underground dog fence providers can also evaluate the type of dog, the owner’s property, and the type of soil to recommend the best burial depth and method for that specific environment. This requires dealing with sprinklers, utility lines, and other buried items.

Though many invisible dog fence companies will have convenient do-it-yourself options, for some territories, professional assistance should be used to guarantee appropriate depth and setting up for optimum results. Some brands come with power of purchase services that may be useful if one has problems with burying and readjusting the system on his or her own.

Under the Manufacturer’s Directions

Follow the recommended methods for correctly burying the wire in the best and most appropriate depth and also spacing the lines. Product manuals and installation material are made with an understanding of correctly installing their specific systems. Following all these considerations as well as the soil and climate factors, and the yard’s topographical features gives you the best chance of success.

If you have problems with wires buried to the proper depths across all the boundary zones, contact your manufacturer or hire an installer.