If you’re a dog owner looking for the best dog fence to keep your pet where you want it to be rather than cavorting around the neighborhood, you’ll probably want to install a type of fence that can safely keep your dog inside your yard and still complement your yard and home.

Deciding on the best dog fencing system that is also safe for your dog is not always an easy task. Your decision will more than likely need to take into account several factors like the size of your yard, the total cost to purchase and install a fence, and any city or homeowner ordinances .

A wooden fence or chain link fence used to be the only option a pet owner had to keep their dog from running away or wandering into areas that were out-of-bounds, say like the neighbor’s flower garden. These fences always had their limitations. Smaller dogs would dig under the fence and escape whenever the mood struck them. Larger dogs simply jumped over the fences and ran away.

Chain link fences were usually an eyesore and were not good choices for suburban neighborhoods. Wooden fences were a better choice but they were costly and required upkeep like yearly painting or staining in areas with severe seasonal weather.

Then along came a safe alternative to chain link and wooden fences. These were called “invisible fences” because they were buried under the lawn and proved to be very effective in helping owners contain their dogs. They could be laid out to restrict a dog to a particular area and keep it out of places in your yard where you didn’t want it to be.

The invisible dog fences utilized a wire buried several inches deep around the perimeter of the yard. A transmitter was installed nearby or could even be located inside a basement or garage. When the dog would get close to the wire, the transmitter sent a signal to the receiver attached to the dog’s collar and a beep would sound a warning. If the dog ignored the warning and crossed the wire while wearing the collar, it would feel a slight shocking sensation meant to discourage it from going any further. This was the method used to train a dog to know where its boundaries were.

Invisible fences use electricity and are not recommended for smaller breed dogs like a Chihuahua or toy poodle. If you have a dog that weighs less than 10 pounds you may want to consider other methods of containment instead of an electric fence. Also, if you have a very small yard, electric fences are not a good choice because the dog will be confined to an area too small and you’d be better off keeping your dog in the house and only taking it outside for walks on its leash.

Dogs have to go outside to do their business, and at those times they can become very distracted by the sight of other dogs, people or cars passing by, and odors from other dogs that have been around the area. A dog naturally wants to investigate all of these distractions which can end up creating a lot of trouble for an owner. Having a neighbor call to complain about your dog being loose can be frustrating, but worse would be having to make an emergency trip to the vet after finding your injured dog lying in the road.

While an electric “invisible” fence may deter a dog from leaving your yard and going places it shouldn’t be, it’s still possible for even the best trained dog to cross the shock barrier if it’s really determined to wander away.

Take the time to explore the pros and cons of the different types of fences that would work best for you, would look good enclosing your yard, and will not break the bank. A good place to start is a visit to Lowe’s or Home Depot to compare the best dog fences available. You’ll also find reputable companies in the yellow pages or online that specialize in installing “invisible” dog fences. Please keep your dog’s needs – and personality – in mind when you start shopping for the best dog fence for your particular needs.