Can Multiple Dogs Share One Underground Fence System?

As a multi-dog household, the question you may ask is, do I need one containment system for each dog or can I use one to take care of all the dogs? The upside to this is that multiple dogs are able to have an underground fence installed, and in fact it’s one of the most frequent setups our technicians are asked to install throughout Southeast Michigan. Every dog in the yard, whether big or small, young or old can be safely contained simultaneously by a proper buried wire loop and a transmitter.

In this guide, we will delve into just how a multi-dog underground fence will function, how many pets can be safely assigned to one system, what the required equipment is for multi-dog property and multiple sizes, and how you can train multiple dogs to ecosystem, without confusion or added stress.

How Does an Underground Dog Fence Work?

If you’re looking at creating a multi-dog fence system, it is best to have the foundations of the standard underground dog fence down first. A thin wire is placed just beneath the surface of your yard, running along the edge of the area you are looking to keep your dog contained in. This cable is attached to a transmitter inside your garage, house, or basement, then transmits a radio signal via the cable. That signal is picked up by each dog using an electronic receiver collar and as your dog gets closer to the boundary, the collar will emit a warning warning tone, after which a mild static correction is given if they persist in moving closer to the line.

This pet containment system is invisible from the yard, doesn’t block views and can be formed around pools, gardens, driveways or any type of wooded area in virtually any design. For a more detailed explanation of the installation of the technology on a real property, Novi homeowners can read our Novi underground dog fence installation guide which walks you through the installation step by step.

Can Multiple Dogs Share One Underground Fence System?

Yes dogs can be safely kept together in one fence loop underground. The buried wire and transmitter only make the boundary signal, they don’t care about nor know how many collars receive it. In one yard, with one Multiple Dog Fence system, multiple dogs in different collars can roam, play and patrol the yard together if each one wears a properly sized, correctly programmed receiver collar.

But this is one of the greatest benefits of an underground fence over a normal wood or chain link fence. You don’t have to purchase and set up individual physical enclosures, or expect that your many friends will be able to get along in one pen, but rather create the boundary one time, and then add a collar for each dog in the household.

How Many Dogs Can Use One Underground Fence?

This is a very common question and the truthfully answer is there is no set number that can be used underground. This means that with a single boundary loop you can cover as many receiver collars as you have, as many as two, or as many as five.

However, a few are more important than that number of pets:

• Transmitter range and coverage – For larger properties a higher quality transmitter or more wire loop sets may be necessary to maintain the signal throughout the entire yard.
• Collar compatibility – Make sure all the collars are the same frequency/brand as the transmitter that you use, such as Invisible Fence, PetSafe, Dog Guard, Pet Stop, or Innotek.
• Temperament mix – When using an underground fence for 2 dogs that play in another pair of energetic dogs it is possible that correction may need to be adjusted by dog in training.

You may not know if your transmitter will be able to accommodate more pets, but our team can determine during a complimentary consultation how many more pets you can accommodate with your current system.

How a Multiple Dog Invisible Fence System Works in Practice

The boundary area of a multiple dog invisible fence system is the same for each pet you use a collar with – the region has no dependence on who is wearing the collar. In case of a multi-pet house on installation day, this is what actually happens:

1. One boundary wire is buried encircling the containment area to dimensions of your yard and property lines.
2. The transmitter is set up and aligned to deliver a signal to all areas of the space that is to be contained.
3. Every dog is given their own collar specially fitted and programmed according to their size, coat thickness and temperament.
4. Training is completed on an individual basis, not per household – as dogs learn boundaries at varying speeds.

Each dog’s collar is unique, so you can also have different correction settings for each pet. Some breeds will require a firmer setting than other breeds, depending on their habit of probing prey or their stubbornness. But if you do have a determined escape artist, it may be worth considering some of the best underground dog fence options for stubborn breeds such as huskies and beagles; these dogs may require additional adjustment to the collar even when their more relaxed housemates are in it as well.

Choosing the Best Underground Dog Fence for Multiple Dogs

There are a variety of factors that determine which containment systems are best for more than one dog; there’s no such thing as a standard correct answer.

Size and shape of yards. An irregular large property will require a capable transmitting unit to have sufficient signal at all edges particularly if the land has trees, slopes or inclines.

Mix of dog sizes. A family, whether they have a Great Dane or a Chihuahua, will need to use differently sized collars for each dog – more detail on that later.

Number of pets. Several dogs can be attached to one wire loop, but when a large pack (four dogs or more) is used, it is sometimes best to use a slightly more powerful transmitter to ensure a stable signal from each collar.

Indoor needs. Many homeowners with several dogs also prefer to prevent pets from entering certain areas of the house, such as kitchens, nurseries, and stairs. Indoor containment systems are designed to be used in conjunction with an outdoor electric dog fence that can run with multiple dogs of the same brand containment concept.

Each property and pack is unique and if you play it safe, we will always have a free in-home consultation to avoid being too speculative over telephone consultations. The full scope of possibilities are on Our Services page.

Underground Fence for Large Dogs vs. Small Dogs (Mixed-Size Households)

The biggest challenge facial hair owners may experience with a multi-pet set up is if your two dogs are drastically different sizes. The underground fence and invisible fence system is the same transmitter system that uses the same wire so they can operate together, but the collars have to be configured differently.

• Larger, thick coated breeds require a little more in the way of correction as this static feeling can get lost within the fur, and they generally wear heavier duty receiver collars.
• Toy or small breeds require mild collars that are properly sized to fit the small neck and less correction – too large of a collar and/or too strong of a correction can be disconcerting to toy or small breeds.
• If you have a puppy or senior dogs in the same home as adults, training may take a different timeline for these dogs, because they all process boundaries differently. If you have a puppy joining an existing pack, our guide on the right age to start invisible fence training for a puppy is a helpful companion read.

Another option to consider if mobility is a concern – whether it’s moving with your own dogs or you need a temporary fence – is a wireless variety, though many wireless systems only will generate a smaller, circular space compared to a home made sized underground system of loop.

Dog Fence Training Tips for Multiple Dogs

Patience is essential in multi-dog households when training them to use a dog fence. Although the boundary is shared, training should not be a group training or event – at least not in the beginning. This is how we go about it:

1. Teach the dog individually. It may be best to introduce the boundary to several dogs at a time to avoid confusion as they can pick up on each other (and bad habits).
2. Use of flags to mark the boundary. Visual boundary flags help all dogs to make a correlation between a physical signal and the warning before corrections are ever added in.
3. Don’t let sessions get too negative or long. Ten to 15 minutes of conditioning with lots of praise will be much better than trying an extended session that builds frustration.
4. Reinforcement as a group only after individual training. When all dogs reliably respect the boundary on their own then supervised group time in the yard will help to confirm the whole pack is the same.
5. Be aware of pack dynamics. Supervised reinforcement sessions can pick up on this behavior as a confident dog is chasing the squirrel in an attempt to bring the less confident dog into play.

On every new set-up installation, we have a gentle training session for your pet and the children. See our Pet Fence Training page to learn more.

Benefits of an Underground Fence for Multiple Dogs

There are some obvious benefits for multi-pet homes to opt for one underground fence for multiple dogs over several physical enclosures:

• More cost-effective than multiple physical fences – You are putting up one boundary system rather than multiple enclosures.
• Full yard access for every dog – No need to split the yard into separate pens.
• Custom shaping – The wire can be contoured over pools, gardens, and fenced driving rinks whatever their shape may be, even if there are pets.
• Personalised collar settings – Each dog receives a collar setting that is individual to them, although shared in the same system.
• It works with all major brands – Such as Invisible Fence, PetSafe, Dog Guard, Pet Stop, and Innotek, making upgrades from an existing single dog system to accommodate additional pets typically easy.

Underground Dog Fence Installation for Multi-Pet Homes

The total time for the installation of an underground dog fence for a multi-dog home can be two or four hours, including the time spent burying the wire and installing the transmitter, training each dog and fitting the collars, and the time required for actual training, all to take place on the same day. For a household already equipped with a working system – just a little more equipment: the addition of a new dog to a home can typically require only the additional power cord for the new dog used with an underground fence instead of full re-instating – in many cases our techs don’t need to re-tune the existing transmitter frequency for new collars.

If you do not know and/or your setup is old, it may be advisable to first find out if it requires a repair or complete upgrade. Our post on how to know if your underground fence needs repair vs. full replacement walks through the warning signs.

Before you purchase an electric dog fence, it may be helpful to read through 5 common myths about electric dog fences to clear up any false assumptions many multi-dog owners have that don’t apply to modern electric dog fence systems.

Ready to Contain Your Whole Pack?

Having two dogs, or five dogs, free of leash in the yard without the expense or trouble of multiple fences means that a multiple dogs underground fence is the right choice. We service homes in Southeast Michigan and each installation is complimentary and comes with a visit to the home to discuss what the best equipment suits is for your specific mix of breeds, sizes and yard designs.

Give us a call today to get a quote, or take a look at what other Michigan pet owners are saying about our multi dog installations.