Are GPS Dog Fences Effective? 4 Remarkable Reasons Why They Are

Last Updated/Info Checked on October 20, 2023 by Linda Michaels

GPS dog fences are the modern leg of dog containment systems you see online or offline. 

As much as anything that can connect to GPS, the first impression is always trustworthy. You think that satellites are everywhere and so would the fence. 

But that’s not the case, really. There are many interferences with the system. 

Nevertheless, are GPS dog fences effective when there’s no interference? 

Yes, they are effective because they provide you with the convenience of an invisible boundary, adding more collars without hassle, training your dogs without a remote in large areas, and with more than one correction mode.

No more digging for a wire; no more looking after the batteries of the transmitter; no more worrying about rodents chewing the wire. 

The GPS dog fences give you only one piece of equipment to work with – the dog collar itself. 

Knowing how these work will help you understand their pros and cons well.

Related: Shock collar alternatives 

How Does GPS Dog Collar Fence Work?

GPS fences work by utilizing the global positioning satellites in space. They communicate with them with the help of radio waves. 

When you set the boundaries for your dog, the collar virtually sets it by using the required coordinates from the satellites near it. 

Some products such as the WIEZ GPS Wireless use as many as 12 satellites! 

Setting them up is also quite easy. Most products have buttons or keys right on the collar itself. 

For example, the WIEZ collars have a P button that positions them in the initial set-up. Then, the M button selects the modes of stimulation. 

That’s it! The rest is left to the GPS wireless dog fence and the collar’s interaction.

Besides dogs, these systems are even now used to contain sheep inside an invisible fence. How cool is that?

However, as you’ll watch in the video, you should know your dog well before using the product.

5 Reasons Why Dog Geofences Are Effective

Do GPS dog fences work? Here’s why:

1. The Ultimate Convenience

Many types of collars in the market have more than two gadgets to work with. 

When I suggest training collars to someone, I ask them if they’d be able to manage more than two things at a time. 

With wired systems, for example, there’s a transmitter to be mounted on a wall or kept at a side table. Then, there are the receivers a.k.a shock or training collars. 

To correct the dog remotely, you have to keep both charged and going. The failure of a single part could lead to the failure of the entire system. 

With GPS-enabled training collars, it’s the collar only to charge, see for errors, and control the system from. 

I didn’t even mention the remote battery and its share of hurdles.

2. Multiple collars added without hassle

Wired collars are all dependent on the transmitter, as I said. Its capacity puts a limit on how many collars you could use with it. 

There are systems that could train 4 or 5 dogs at a time, but that comes at a greater inconvenience – the remote control. I’ve recently trained two huskies for my client at a time.

You have to switch channels to get to the right dog. 

I have used these systems and that doesn’t always go right. 

Even if I didn’t do it, the owners would later come up with a sheepish complaint that they zapped the wrong dog because the configuration of changing channels is confusing. 

You don’t need a remote with a GPS collar. You also don’t have any hurdle or limitation posed by the satellites. Add as many collars as you want!

3. No Remote

Well yes, the manual correction has its own place, the remotes get a little too much for some people. 

You see, in a setting where you want to just leave your dogs protected by a boundary, you don’t need the remote. 

What’s the point of the boundary wired or wireless if you still have to press buttons to correct the dog’s behaviors? 

The GPS-enabled dog training systems take your vigilance out of the equation. 

You no longer need to keep an eye on your dog’s activities. The invisible fence is there to contain it in its boundaries. 

4. Perfect for large areas

PetSpy has a few models meant to contain dogs in as many as 100 acres of land. 

They are wireless. 

I have absolutely nothing against them because I’ve used them and they work great. 

However, the question of maintaining a gigantic transmitter or sometimes using more than one of those things takes a toll on my nerves. 

GPS systems in contrast offer undisputed range without the need for huge transmitters. 

And the fence doesn’t stop at 100 acres. Some GPS systems even work beyond that. 

5. More than one correction modes

Like most wireless systems, the GPS training collars, too, have more than one correction. 

Your dog gets notified with a beep if it gets near the boundary. 

I know that some stubborn dogs have the capacity to overrun that boundary. 

For them, the collars have a warning system that runs in a cycle. There’s a beep, then correction, followed by the same. 

The time interval reduces and the span of correction increases with each passing minute. 

Many dogs return to the boundary without remorse; some do not. 

The collars stop correcting the latter to save and not unnecessarily hurt them. 

And this very point takes me to the cons of the GPS dog fences. 

4 Note-Worthy Reasons to not consider GPS-enabled dog fences

I’m all for innovation but there are some serious circumstances where GPS-enabled systems don’t stand a chance. 

1. Accuracy Hiccups

GPS systems use radio waves to work. 

Now any near-band, in-band, or harmonic signal emissions working in the same spectrum will cause interference with your dog’s fence. 

I’m not saying that the interference will be greater enough to make the dog break the boundary as if it wasn’t there in the first place. 

It’s just when interferences get more than what the collar could bear, the chances are still there for the dog to run away. 

I don’t want that and neither do you. 

2. Not for small spaces

GPS systems tend to work with at least 30 feet error margin. So, the collar you’ve bought may be unable to maintain the boundaries of your backyard, for example. 

As compared to these, relying on wireless systems or wired fences makes sense. 

They do not lose their accuracy even in small spaces.

3. Doesn’t work everywhere

Interference from other radio waves aside, in some places, the GPS signal may not work at all. 

It’s not that the satellites aren’t positioned there. The signals may have been blocked by a government agency. 

In those places, you may not be able to contain your dog.

That’s the sole reason why I don’t recommend GPS collars for dogs living on a farm or in remote places such as near a forest. 

For them, wireless systems even wired do the requisite jobs. 

4. Expensive

As compared to wireless or wired systems, GPS fences do not come cheap. 

That is because of the technical costs that come with producing such gadgets. 

But no matter what the reason for the cost, they still weigh heavily on your pocket. 

I want to consider the cost per equipment part available for use. 

For example, the WIEZ GPS Dog Fence costs $234 as compared to the PetSafe Wireless Pet Fence, which is $289. 

The latter seems expensive but it comes with training flags, a tester, and extra contact points. 

Whilst, WIEZ offers two collars only for that much.  

So, Are GPS Dog Fences Effective? Final Answer

GPS dog fences are only effective if you’re seeking them for a larger area. 

They will also come in handy with multiple dogs. 

One other reason why you might consider them as compared to wired or wireless systems is that they have no remotes. 

They have built-in intelligent systems to detect any changes in the boundary and act accordingly.