What is a GPS Dog Fence System? What Makes it Different?

Electronic pet containment systems come in different forms, mostly with a buried wire feature. They might even be wireless, having a GPS integrated with it. A GPS dog fence system has distinctions with the conventional electric fencing systems, especially regarding the installation and working procedure.

They include advanced technology. Interestingly, a portion of users considers GPS fence quite beneficial, while the other claims it less effective. We don’t want to give our decision here, but we have some observations about their way of working and other differences. Once you go through the following discussion, you might have an idea to decide by yourself.

What is a GPS Dog Fence? How Does it Work?

To know a GPS fence, you need to know the regular electric fences, mainly their working procedures, types, features, installation process, etc.

Typically, an electric fence comes with a buried wire feature, where you need to hide the wire 2 to 5-inch under the ground. The wire creates a periphery around your house and connected to a mounted transmitter. The transmitter sends radio signals, harmless but strong enough, through the wire. A collar receiver worn by the pet receives those signals.

When pets, especially dogs, come near the buried wire, the collar gives a ‘beep’ sound, listening to which they become alert and stay away from the buried boundary line. You can make your dog accustomed to the beep by proper training sessions using boundary flags and a compatible collar. Your dog will gradually learn where the boundary line is, and when the alarm triggers. It can mark the safe area to play, and stay within that limit.

If your dog goes too close to the boundary line, the collar offers a brief shock or correction (technically known as “static impulse”). Getting those uncomfortable corrections, it tries to avoid the line. It’s proven that most pets, including dogs, avoid the alarming point and stay within the safe area.

Now, we can make you understand the GPS pet fence easily. An underground fence uses wire buried under the ground to make a boundary and carry the signals, while a GPS fence uses satellites to create a boundary map instead. In many cases, cellular technology is used to map the boundary.

The receiver collar has a GPS program integrated into it. It offers alert immediately when the pets (dog or cat) approach to the mapped boundary. If your pet ignores the alarm and continues to proceed, the collar starts to give static correction. You can use a remote control dog trainer to make your dog habituated to complying with the alarm and shock.

GPS Fence vs. Underground Fence – What Makes it Different?

Wired underground or GPS wireless both have similar goals, having a different way of execution. What makes one different from the other?

• An in-ground wired electric fence offers a consistent boundary unless you remove the wire. GPS fences, on the other hand, do not ensure a constant boundary. They can shift subject to signal strength or new adjustment on coverage. Consistency is essential, otherwise, it may make your pet confused about its safe and alarming spots, which might make the fencing less effective. Recognizing the area of containment by your pet is quite easy, with a consistent boundary system offered by an in-ground fence. With a GPS fence, in contrast, you can have the portability feature, which will make you capable of creating new boundaries anytime at anywhere. Therefore, getting your pet comparatively safe at times like camping is comfortable with a GPS fence, having said that, there is no solution to the problems arising out of inconsistent boundary.

• Traditional grounded electric fences use a replaceable receiver battery, having a life from 3 to 24 months. On the other hand, a GPS fence receiver uses a rechargeable battery. So far, our understanding tells that replaceable batteries last longer than the rechargeable batteries.

• A grounded boundary line does not get interfered with anything, making the fence quite effective in the coverage area, while a regular wireless containment or a high-tech GPS fence might lose its coverage due to signal weakness or interference like tall buildings. Therefore, the grounded one is good for short and sensitive zones such as near the road, where the risk of pet hazard is much, while the GPS mechanism is well-recommended for a wider area where immediate risk is low.

• A grounded electric fence does cost less than a GPS pet fence, with a higher installation charge compared to the latter one. For a GPS fence system, you will require no installation hazard like burying the wire, but it might cut your pocket later for subscription fees.

Last Words

We have said earlier that we don’t want to make any decision here. As you’ve got some of the critical observations about their way of working and other differences, we hope you can decide which one to prefer.