A dead zone is often utilized by owners to allow their dogs to move somewhere that the underground or invisible fence boundaries would typically not allow.
Whether this is to walk the pet outside of the yard or allow it to move to other areas, it is a useful tool and can help make your invisible fence more dog-friendly.
In this article, we will further explore how to create a dead zone in an invisible fence!
Create a Dead Zone in an Invisible Fence
A dead zone is set up by forming a signal gap in the fence.
For wired fences, create a length of twisted wire and splice it into the desired area. You can also bury the wire in a length of metal conduit.
For wireless fences, purchase an additional transmitter and set it up leaving a gap around your desired dead zone.
The gap in coverage between the 2 transmitters is the dead zone.
Create a Dead Zone in a Wireless Invisible Fence
A dead zone, in essence, is a signal gap, so creating one for wireless systems is quite simple.
Signal transmitters are used in wireless fences to create a boundary.
If you have a wireless transmitter, and you want to lengthen the boundary range, you can set up another transmitter to expand the range – as long as the ranges overlap.
So if you want to create a dead zone, you can set up 2 wireless transmitters that do not overlap. The area where the signal does not overlap is considered a dead zone.
Wondering which wireless fence is the best? We put them to the test.
This article on the Best Wireless Dog Fence options will help you to choose which wireless fence is right for you!
Create a Dead Zone in Underground Invisible Fence
Creating a dead zone in your underground fence boundary is almost just as easy.
It will require that you either dig up the wire in the area you want to turn into a dead zone, or plan ahead and make one before you bury it.
We will discuss the twisted wire technique. When using this technique, the twists in the wire form a signal gap, creating a dead zone.
Wondering which is the best in-ground dog fence? The Best Underground Dog Fence Yard discusses our favorite in-ground fences and why we love them.
Make a “Dead Zone” With Twisted Wire
If you plan your dead zones during installation this is quick and easy to do. Simply use extra lengths of the wire you’re installing.
Step 1:
The first thing that you need to do is find a wire that is similar to the type of wire that is buried for your fence.
Cut the wire to twice the length of your planned dead zone.
Step 2:
Tape the ends of the wires together on one side, and tape one of the other ends to a drill bit.
Run the drill until you have 4 revolutions per inch on your twisted wire. This will make the twisted wire 50% shorter than the original pieces.
You can also purchase pre-twisted wire to simplify the process if you don’t want to mess with it.
Step 3:
Remove the wires from the drill and take all tape off the wires. Finish up the twists with your hands, twisting the ends of the wires together manually.
Step 4:
Now it’s time to bury the twisted wire where you intend to have a dead zone.
Splice the underground fence wire with your twisted wire, and place electrical tape over the connecting points for extra stability.
Ideally, you should do all of your splices with wire nuts.
You can add electrical tape or electrical heat shrink tubing to ensure that your connections are sturdy and waterproof.
Block the Signal On an Invisible Dog Fence
There is also the option to block the signal for a section of your underground fence.
To do this, you will use a metal pipe as a conduit.
When you run your wire through the metal pipe it blocks the signal from exiting the pipe creating a dead zone.
Once everything is buried, you will drive an electrical grounding spike into the ground close to your conduit tubing.
The spike will ground the signal from the wire, and perfect your new dead zone.
Test the Changes to Your Invisible Fence
Before releasing your dog back into the yard, it is important to test its boundaries to make sure that you have succeeded in creating a dead zone.
A simple way to test your boundary is to remove your dog’s collar and carry it around the boundary. Remember to keep the collar at pet height so you can tell if it’s working.
Where you hear a beep from your collar, the boundary is intact. Where there is no beep, there is a dead zone.
This testing method will work for both wireless and wired fence systems.
2 Wired Invisible Fence Layouts to Keep Your Dog Home
There are 2 invisible fence layouts that are sure to keep your dog at home. If you have a real escape artist, pay special attention to our first option – the double loop.
Double Loop
The double loop layout is ideal for pets that dig under or leap over their above-ground fences.
When creating this fence layout, you run the first loop of the wire underground along the bottom edge of the fence.
The next wire will be buried about 4 feet away, following the same path as the loop beforehand. Both of the loops will need to originate from the same transmitter.
Hourglass
The hourglass shape is ideal for a pet that uses the front and back yards of a home.
In this layout, the owner is able to create a loop in the front yard and the backyard, crossing them over to create a dead zone in the middle.
In order to create this layout, you will need to bury a single line around the perimeter of the front yard.
You will cross the wires over each other and continue burying the wires along the perimeter of the backyard.
Final Thoughts
A dead zone in an invisible fence is a useful tool that will allow for more freedom for the dog and the owner.
We like to use them near the doors so our dogs can go in and out.
We don’t recommend using them for yard fences because they will also let your dog exit the yard when you don’t want it to.
Instead, take the dog’s collar off and consider carrying it out of the gate when needed so that the fence isn’t permanently compromised at that spot.
