PetSafe® In-Ground Fence™ Layout Do's and Don'ts

The layout of your fence will determine where your pet can and cannot go within your yard.

Choosing a fence layout is simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind when deciding where to lay your boundary wire.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

Boundary wire starts and ends at the fence transmitter

Do:
Start and end the boundary wire at the fence transmitter. This will create a complete boundary signal.

Boundary wire starts at the fence transmitter, but ends in the yard

Do Not:
Start the boundary wire at the fence transmitter, and finish in the middle of your yard.

Do:
Create soft rounded corners with your boundary wire to create a consistent boundary zone. We recommend having a 3 foot radius turn.

Do Not:
Create sharp corners with the boundary wire. This can cause gaps in your boundary zone.

Use twisted wire between the boundary and any exclusion areas

Do:
Use twisted wire between the transmitter and the boundary, or between the boundary and any exclusion areas. Twisting the outgoing and incoming wires together cancels the fence signal, allowing your pet to cross over.

We recommend learning more about how to splice twisted wire into your boundary zone.

Do Not:
Use twisted wire within the perimeter of your boundary.

Do:
Keep the boundary wire at least 10 feet from the road or other hazardous areas. This will keep your dog away from potential environmental harm.

Do not:
Place the wire close to the road or other hazardous areas. The wire is not a physical fence and has a larger boundary zone than a physical fence.

Fence Layout Examples

Single Loop Layouts

Single Loop:
This is the most common fence layout and the quickest layout to set up. This layout gives your pet access to your entire yard.

In-ground fence around a house with limit areas

Single Loop with Exclusion Areas:
This layout protects off limit areas, like pools or gardens, that you don't want your pet to have access to.

Create exclusion areas by running a single loop around an obstacle and then using twisted wire to connect it back to the perimeter.

In-ground fence around a house with existing fence

Single Loop with Existing Fence:
This layout can prevent your pet from digging under or jumping over your physical fence, or fix any gaps within your physical fence.

Double Loop

Use a double loop layout to create a boundary area around a specific part of your yard, such as your front or back yard.

Create a double loop by making a "U-turn" at the end of your containment zone and circling back to the fence transmitter, keeping the wires at least 3 to 5 feet apart. This layout requires twice as much wire.

Double Loop Front or Back Yard Only:
Contain your pet to only the front or back of your yard.

In-ground fence around back yard only with exclusion areas

Double Loop with Exclusion Areas:
Contain your pet to the front or back yard of your property, while also excluding him from objects like a pool or garden.

Include the object within the wires of the double loop.

In-ground fence completes a physical fence

Double Loop Front Boundary Only:
This layout creates a boundary to complete a physical fence.

In-ground fence allows access to the lake shoreline

Double Loop Waterfront Access:
This layout allows your pet to have access to your lake shoreline, while keeping them contained within the perimeters of your yard.

In-ground fence allows you to include an existing physical fence

Double Loop Attached to an Existing Fence:
This layout allows you to include an existing physical fence. This will help prevent your dog from digging under or jumping over a physical fence.

Contact Customer Care

If you need further assistance, please contact our customer care team.