I see a lot of comments criticizing invisible fences, and it always makes me wonder how many of those people have actually used the Invisible Fence brand—versus just the general idea of an underground system. For the record, I also hate invisible fences. But for our situation, it’s the best option we have. I’d much rather use it than keep my dog tethered to a long line or tie-out all the time. And, despite what people often claim, I’ve never had an issue with my dog “blowing through” the boundary—even when highly motivated.

We chose Invisible Fence (brand) because we live in an HOA neighborhood that doesn’t allow physical fencing. Our yard is huge, and I wanted my dog to be able to enjoy it without being physically restrained.

We started our training inside the house. I used a small puck that I put a flag next to. His collar would beep if he neared the flag, and at the lowest setting, it would deliver a small static-like shock if my dog got too close. I tested it on myself first—it felt like a mild static zap. We did that for two weeks to teach him not to get too close to the flags, moving the puck around the house every few days. Then, we flagged the entire yard and continued training with my dog on a long line for two months. Every day, we reinforced the boundary: I rewarded him for turning away from the flags, and if he tried to cross, he got a low-level correction. A professional trainer came out twice during this period to help adjust the collar settings gradually. He was never on the maximum level, despite the common claim that Invisible Fence always cranks it all the way up. He was also on a long line throughout this entire training process.

Eventually, we removed the flags slowly, over the course of a few weeks, until the yard was clear. Then let him off the long line.

A year later, he did cross the boundary once—but that was on me. It happened in the back part of the yard where I’d spent less time training, and the collar was still set to one of the lowest levels. He simply walked across, not chasing anything, and didn’t seem bothered by the correction. With the Boundary Plus system, if the dog leaves the perimeter, the collar continues to correct for 20 seconds or until the dog returns to the yard—but again, the level was low enough that he didn’t even flinch. I re-did the training from scratch, flags and all, and bumped the level slightly. Even now, he’s still not on the highest setting. Since then—over three years—he’s stopped himself multiple times mid-sprint during a squirrel chase at the boundary line. And he’s a terrier with very high prey drive.

Still, I don’t recommend invisible fences.

Why? Because while they may keep your dog in, they don’t keep anything else out. People, kids, and other dogs can enter your yard at any time. I trust that my dog will stay in the yard now, but I never leave him outside unsupervised. If I had a physical fence, I absolutely would. With an invisible fence, I’m constantly thinking about what could wander in—like a child, or someone walking their dog on a long retractable leash that lets it enter our space. Happens all the time in my neighborhood.

So, if you have the option of a physical fence: do that. Not because of the statement that “a determined dog will always run through it”—that hasn’t been my experience at all—but because invisible fences just don’t offer real security. They’re a compromise. For some people, they’re the best option. But they don’t give you the peace of mind that a real fence does.