Michigan is a beautiful state – and a complicated one. Our state does not have a cookie-cutter yard design from the rolling hills of West Michigan all the way to the dense hardwood forests of the Upper Peninsula, nor is our waterfront property evenly spaced on thousands of inland lakes. You may not be the only one who has been thinking about whether a Michigan underground dog fence can work in your house.
The short answer? Yes. In fact, underground (buried wire) dog fences can actually be more effective than traditional fencing on these types of properties – when installed by a professional. All you need to know.
Why Michigan Yards Are Different
Most of the containment guides are for a flat, suburban quarter-acre lot. But for Michigan homeowners there’s something different that happens all the time:
- Heavily wooded properties with mature tree roots, uneven ground and dense canopy cover
- Sloped or hilly terrain with changes in grade that would make traditional fencing expensive or undesirable
- Not rectangular lots (L-shaped, pie-shaped, or lots that follow natural topography)
- Waterfront sites that have shoreline boundaries, wetland buffers, and dock access
- Large rural areas of over an acre with possibly ditches or gravel lanes running through them
Fencing these lots with traditional wood or chain link fencing can run tens of thousands of dollars – and may not even be structurally possible in certain landscapes. That is why many Michiganders are opting for underground dog fences.
How Underground Dog Fences Actually Work
Under ground dog fence (also known as a buried wire fence or in ground electric fence) is a continuous ring of wire placed a few inches below the surface of the soil. This wire sends out an electronic radio pulse which your dog wears on a collar and can pick up.
The dog collar warns you with an audible tone when your dog reaches the boundary. A mild static correction is used if the dog persists in going forward. Dogs teach themselves the boundary and become confident and quick to learn it with proper training which any reputable installer will give them. Within a couple of weeks, most dogs are fully trained.
Underground wire systems are not impacted by terrain changes, tree cover, or lot shape, as are wireless systems. A wire does not follow a signal, it follows the course you want it to take.
Michigan’s Terrain Demands a Smarter System
Most national fence brands don’t consider containment issues that can come up in Michigan. The rich forest floor, sand-bottomed lake shoreline and extreme ranges of elevation from one part of the mitten to the other make conventional fencing solutions for pets problematic.
Michigan-based underground dog fence installers customize their installations for the local area, taking into account elements such as soil type, frost depth and seasonal ground moves which can have a direct impact on wire stability and signal consistency. If your installer is familiar with the conditions of Michigan’s terrain, then the system is designed to endure all seasons and not just the first summer.
Wooded Lots: What You Need to Know
One of the most frequently asked questions is: “My property is overgrown with trees.” Can wire be put there?
Yes – with the proper equipment and skills.
Wooded Michigan lots are most often the problem with root systems. Large maples, oaks and pines grow deep root systems close to the surface. A knowledgeable installer will avoid damaging your trees by passing the wire around other major root areas and will utilize a special burial technique (trenching or hand burying) in complex root areas.
If rocky areas exist in parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or near shorelines, it may be necessary to surface-mount the wire in some areas using staples or conduit and then reinburrow it underground. This hybrid solution still leaves the system running and up and running.
Dense canopy has no impact on an underground system. This is one of the primary benefits of having wired pet fences over those that use wireless signals, which are susceptible to disruption when trees, hills, or a number of other structures block the signal. Buried wire will not be affected by foliage.
Fallen trees and seasonal debris are not an issue either. The boundary remains even if the wire is underground, as long as the wire is still intact.
Hilly and Sloped Properties: Does Terrain Affect the Signal?
It’s another high priority – another place where underground fences can excel.
Even if the wire level varies, the buried wire system radiates its signal perpendicular to the wire, resulting in a consistent boundary field. The correction signal will go off at the same relative distance from the wire – whether your dog is running downhill to the tree line or uphill to the road.
Professional installers set the boundary width (the width of the signal field ranges from 2 to 10+ feet) for steep grades to compensate for a dog’s momentum on a slope. A slightly wider correction zone is more effective when a dog is running downhill as it can run further in a short time.
With the freeze-thaw periods in Michigan, wire may even shift slightly over the years, particularly on slopes. That’s why it’s important to have it professionally installed with the right depth of burial. Buried at the proper depth, wire will not shift throughout the Michigan winter much better than it will if it is self-laid.
Irregular Lot Shapes: Custom Boundaries Are the Point
Underground fencing doesn’t have to be square to your lot. The wire can be twisted in any configuration:
- L-shaped or pie-shaped lots – wire follows the natural perimeter
- Exclusion zones – If you want to keep your dog out of the garden, pool or chicken coop. You can place a loop inside your containment area to make it an off-limits zone
- Multi-zone systems – Do you have a barn, detached garage or secondary structure? These areas can be included or excluded with the use of wire
- Waterfront boundaries – wire can be attached to the shoreline, dock access corridor or the edge of a wetland without obstructing your lake view, creating a safe zone.
Wireless systems can only create a circular boundary from a set point and are not as flexible. Wireless fences don’t work well – and underground systems are almost always a better fit – for Michigan’s irregular properties.
What About Large Rural Properties?
Michigan is a state that has a lot of rural land, and many homeowners with several acres of yards want to provide their dogs with lots of room to roam – but not all the way to the road or adjacent property line.
Underground fencing systems can be installed on properties of any size. Most residential systems can accommodate 25 to 100 acres; commercial-grade systems can be larger. The transmitter is just made up to the length of the wire loop. Multiple transmitters can be employed for extremely large properties.
Pro installation is particularly crucial for larger wooded or farm sites. Wire is longer, weatherproofed connections at the junction points are necessary and the burial path must be free of irrigation lines, septic systems, utility lines and drainage tile, all of which are commonplace on rural properties in Michigan. Before any burial work is done, a professional installer will contact MISS DIG to be able to locate underground utilities and avoid them.
Professional vs. DIY: Why It Matters on Challenging Michigan Lots
A good homeowner may be able to set up an under-ground fence for a flat suburbia lot. Except on wooded, hilly or irregular properties? While it may seem convenient, a professionally-installed system is the key to system reliability over the years as opposed to failure within a season.
Professional underground fence installers come with:
- Correctly sized equipment for burying roots, rocks, and grade changes
- Understand the attributes of clay, sandy, rocky soil and how they respond to cultivation
- Customized design of boundary according to lot shape and risk points (roads, neighbors, water)
- Proper fitting/collar training support to ensure your dog learns the boundary
- Warranty and service support in case of wire breakage or equipment failure
DIY kits provide none of this. With properties in Michigan that have actual terrain obstacles, the worth of a specialist installation is evident.
Ready to Contain Your Dog – Whatever Your Lot Looks Like?
Your dog should not be kept inside or tied up in a run in Michigan’s wild, beautiful, irregular land. Professionally installed, an underground dog fence may hug your home as it is today, trees, hills, curves and all.
When you’re considering determining if a ground fence is right for your Michigan property, contact Underground Fence Michigan. We have systems in place all over the state on all types of terrain and we will create a system that is based on your land and your dog.
FAQ: Underground Dog Fence on Michigan's Irregular Properties
Signals will not be blocked by tree roots. Wherever possible, wire is installed around other large root areas. Surface mounting with conduit is utilized in areas of high root density, while still allowing full system function.
Yes. Properly buried wire (usually 3 to 6 inches deep) is good for freezing and thawing. Electronic components (transmitter and collar) are designed for outdoor use in cold climates all year long.
Absolutely. In Michigan, one of the most frequent uses is waterfront boundaries. Wire can be used to run around the edges of a shoreline to keep dogs off docks, ice or other adjacent waterfront property.
Wireless systems send a radio signal from a central transmitter that can be distorted or blocked by trees, hills and structures. Underground wire is not subject to terrain, vegetation or lot shape – it’s much more reliable on Michigan’s toughest properties.
Yes. Underground systems grow to large acreage. The transmitter is optimised to the wire loop length, and on very large properties there may be several transmitters. A professional will be able to determine the proper size for the system on your acreage.
A professional installer will use the MISS DIG service prior to any burial installation and will be aware of septic fields, drainage tile and irrigation lines to avoid. One of the key reasons to hire a professional real estate agent in Michigan for rural homes is that it is one of the most crucial reasons.
A standard residential lot will usually require a couple hours. Properties that are large, wooded or very irregular will require a full day or even longer. Your installer will provide you an estimate of time based on your lot.