Are you confused about which wire to use when getting your electronic dog fence. The 2 most common types of dog fence wire are 18 Gage and 20 Gage. Which should you choose for your situation and why? Obviously, both gages work for all underground fence systems or Innotek, PetSafe or other manufacturers would not pack their dog fence systems with 20 Gage wire. Perimeter Technologies pack their dog fence systems with 20 g or 18 g. This dog fence wire can often be very difficult to find, as individual rolls, unless the retailer actually sells the dog fence kits and sometimes they do not even sell the extra wire rolls separately.
However, there are some recommended guidelines that will help you decide which dog fence wire will be better for you. First 18 Gage is stronger and more durable and long lasting than 20 Gage Boundary wire. Solid core copper wire is better than stranded wire.
Here are some guidelines to follow:
Use 18 Gage if you have
Rocky soil or rocks
If you are not burying the wire
Many trees or vegetation
Larger than 5 acres
Use 20 Gage if you have:
Loose sandy or clay soil
Putting wire next to a fence
Few trees or vegetation
5 acres or smaller area
PLEASE NOTE - If installing an electronic dog fence above ground, you will need to use lawn staples every 5 feet to keep the wire in place. If the wire moves around then the dog will become confused about where his boundaries are. These are sold in packages of about 100 staples. One package will take care of one 500 foot spool of wire. Where you cut grass, it is best to bury the wire.
A few important tips to keep in mind when purchasing a fence system:
-Installing the wire underground the best tool to use is an edger, a gas powered edger or an edger that also lays cable at the same time, it could be called a cable layer or edger-trencher. The wire only needs to be buried 2 -3 in but can go deeper if you want.
-Never mix 2 types of wire! Mixed wire can give you signal problems and affect the functioning of your system. If you use 20 Gage stranded to start, then stick with 20 Gage stranded. Don't go from stranded to solid core. The same goes for all the different types and sizes of wire. If more than 500 foot is being purchased for larger areas, make sure that extra wire is the same type of wire.
- If you are using the pre-twisted wire you must use 20 Gage twisted wire with 20 Gage solid core wire and if you are using 18 Gage wire for your fence you must use 18 Gage twisted wire. Pre-twisted wire is use to create a gateway or place where the dog can cross the dog fence wire and not get a stimulation or shock from his collar.
-NEVER attach or weave dog your fencing wire through a CHAIN LINK FENCE or metal fence; it will negatively affect the functioning of the fence systems.
-If you have an existing fence that your dog jumps, climbs over or digs under, it would be best to put the electric fence wire at least one foot inside the existing fence, not attach it to the existing fence. That way the dog will be able to get the collar, he is wearing, to cross the wire in order to get a shock . If the dog fence wire is too close to the existing wooden or chain link fence then the dog will not get a shock and not be deterred.
-If you are running the dog fence wire going through a forest or heavily treed area, where you cannot bury the wire, just leave it on the surface. Use staples or trees to keep the wire in place and the ground will grow up over it. It is important to bury the wire where you will be cutting grass over the wire.
-The wire is waterproof with a Polyurethane coating and can also go through wet or swampy areas and still work just fine.
-IMPORTANT, if your are ordering extra rolls of wire, you should always order an extra set of 50 boundary flags with every extra roll of 500 foot of wire that you purchase. It is important for your pet to know the boundary. If you order 1500 foot of wire for example, you should get 150 boundary flags.
