SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System – Detailed Review

While SportDOG might not be the most popular pet brand out there, the creator of the SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System has its own loyal followers.

This following is testament to the quality that SportDOG gives. And even SportDOG prides itself on being a relatable brand in that it is a community of regular people that love dogs and so create products that dogs will love.

Knowing this, one could expect that this SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System is impressive. Anyway, you’ll get to see the different tools that are contained in this kit as we move forward. But before that, let’s find out….

Who Is The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System For?

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System is recommended for dogs who weigh 8 pounds at least. This automatically eliminates small and tiny dogs and also a good number of puppies. That said, dogs who are younger than 6 months should also not be wearing this collar.

Other dogs you might not want to use this one on are dogs who are not of optimal health including pregnant and really senior dogs.

What Are The Features Of The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System?

The following are features of the SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System:

• The transmitter with its power adapter.
• Collar receiver and its charger.
• Wire
• Adjustable collar
• Training flags
• Training manual

The Transmitter With Its Power Adapter

This transmitter is an interesting one. Why? First off, it has an inbuilt lightening protection feature that protects both the transmitter and whatever is connected to it from lightening.

Be careful to note, though, that this lightening protection is not a surge protection. That is, it will not protect the transmitter (or anything connected to it) from electric surges; just lightening.

Furthermore, this transmitter has a wire break indication feature and this is basically what it is. You get a light indicator if there is a break in the wires.

However, do bear in mind that the indicator only tells you that there is a break and does not tell you where the break is. You’ll need to use a wire break detector for that.

That said, on the transmitter there is a button for powering on the kit. There are also buttons for navigating through the correction modes and the correction levels.

Finally, it is advisable to mount the transmitter indoors and close to a power outlet. The former is because the transmitter isn’t waterproof and the latter is because the transmitter has to be plugged in when in use. That said, it does come with its own power adaptor.

Collar Receiver And Its Charger

First off, this receiver is rechargeable. We generally prefer for receivers to be rechargeable because in the long run it saves us a few bucks. But then again, it is your decision to make. Thankfully, this receiver comes with its own charger.

SportDOG says the battery should last for about 2 months if it is fully charged. And they say it only takes the transmitter about two (2) hours to get fully charged.

How long the battery lasts is, of course, dependent on how long you use the receiver. And your dog shouldn’t even be wearing this for more than twelve (12) hours at a time in the first place.

Another interesting thing about this receiver is that it is waterproof. SportDOG says it can survive being submerged as deep as 25 feet. So, the receiver should still be able to pick up signals in water. Also, the receiver has what SportDOG calls dryer technology.

That said, this receiver can administer three (3) different correction modes: beep, vibration and static shocks. You can decide to stick with just one correction mode or allow the receiver go through all three.

Also, there are seven (7) correction levels to the modes and you can decide which level of intensity is humane enough for your dog. It is recommended that you try out the intensity level on yourself to decide if it is what you want for your dog.

Now, if you choose to go with the static shock option, you’ll need the contact probes that come with the kit. The probes are to be attached to the inside of the receiver. And when your dog wears the receiver, the probes have to touch their skin if there will be any kind of impact.

Wire

This kit comes with 1000 feet of 20-gauge wire which should cover about 1 1/3 acres. However, you can cover even more land up to 100 acres by getting extra boundary wire.

We should also mention that you can use this kit for an unlimited number of dogs. However, because it comes with only one receiver, you’ll need to get extras; no extra transmitter needed, though.

Now, because the wire is a 20-gauge, your best bet is to have it buried and not too deep so that it can still pick up signals. 3 feet is the deepest you want to go.

If, however, you don’t want to do the digging and just want to place it on the ground, consider placing it in areas where there isn’t heavy traffic. The reason is that the wire is not jacketed, so, frequent treading could cause the wire to break.

That said, the wire might actually survive being used to mark boundaries in water, You’ll just have to find a tube-like protection for it.

Adjustable Collar

The adjustable collar is pretty the same as any other SportDOG fence collar. It is a one-size-fits-all plastic collar that uses a metal buckle for a clasp and for making adjustments.

Training Flags

With the SportDOG rechargeable kit, you get 100 training flags. These are little white flags that you place at every 10 feet of boundary to serve as visual markers for your dog.

So, during the training period, they serve to help your dog know which places will lead to getting correction from their collars.

Training Manual

Lastly, you get a basic instruction manual with the kit. The manual is actually necessary, especially if you are new to the whole concept of an electronic fence. Plus, it is written in easy to understand English.

Is The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System User Friendly?

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System is user friendly. And while setting it up might take a bit of time, it doesn’t mean it is difficult to understand how.

However, we recommend that you consider involving a professional in the training process just so that you are sure that both you and your dog are doing things correctly.

Pros Of The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System

1. You can use this one kit for an unlimited number of dogs, provided you get a corresponding number of collar receivers.
2. It is also a good thing that the battery lasts a decent period of time.
3. We also like that the kit has the wire break indicator and lightening protection features.

Cons Of The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System

First off, if you are using the collar on a medium sized dog, you’ll have a lot of collar just flapping in the breeze after you’ve secured the buckle. You could cut it, though, if it bothers you too much.

Also, it takes a bit of time to install. Especially if you have a really large yard.

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Alternatives To The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System

Consider any of the following fence systems if the SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System isn’t what you are in the market for:

• More Affordable Option: SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System.
• Option With Rechargeable Battery: SportDOG Underground Dog Fence SDF 100
• Opposite Spectrum: SportDOG Combination Kit

More Affordable Option

SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System

This one is basically here because it costs less than our featured product. Because, aside being less expensive and having a receiver that uses replaceable batteries, this one is kinda the same as our featured product.

Option With Replaceable Battery

SportDOG Underground Dog Fence SDF 100

If, however, you’d rather have to replace batteries, consider getting this one. The battery it uses are pretty easy to come by so that should count for something.

However, this one isn’t as sophisticated as our featured product in that it doesn’t have the lightening protection and wire break indicator features.

Opposite Spectrum

SportDOG Combination Kit

The combo kit can be used as either a containment system or a training kit. If you’re using it as a containment system, you won’t need the remote control and you can use the same kit with an unlimited number of dogs (different receivers, of course).

However, if you’ll be using it as a training kit, you’ll need the remote and the kit will only be able to accommodate a maximum of three (3) dogs at a time.

Comparison Table

	SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System   Click here to get this for your dog!	SportDOG Brand In-Ground Fence System   Click here to get this for your dog!	SportDOG Underground Dog Fence SDF 100   Click here to get this for your dog!	SportDOG Combination Kit   Click here to get this for your dog!
Number Of Dogs Allowed	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited if used as a containment system and 3 if used as a training tool
Rechargeable Receiver	Yes	No	No	Yes

What People Think About The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System

A good number of customers have only good things to say about this kit. Going by word on the street, this system really works and is easy to set up.

The few complaints we’ve seen are about the time that it takes to install the thing (which cannot really be blamed on the product) and the fact that the collar is too big for certain dogs.

Our Opinion

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System is an impressive kit and we actually think it is something you could consider.

That said, do consider getting a professional involved in the training process as we earlier pointed out.

SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System — FAQs

Will This Work With A Lot Of Snow?

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System has been proven to work through a lot of snow and a number of other weather issues, including ice storms.

That said, the 14 gauge wire is your best bet if you live in an area that is prone to intense weather conditions. This is because the 14 gauge wire is the toughest of all the wires.

Can I Get Just The Transmitter?

You can get just the SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System transmitter if that’s all you need.

Will This System Work With A 12-Gauge Wire?

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System will not work with a 12-gauge wire. It only works with 20 to 14 gauge wires. A 12 gauge wire won’t be able to fit into the transmitter’s wire port.

Will The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System Work On Cats?

The SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System is marketed for just dogs. So, it is best to not consider using this on your cat.

If you need something that can work for both your dogs and your cats, consider checking out the PetSafe Wireless Dog And Cat Containment System.

Can You Mow Over The Wire?

You can mow over the wire if it is buried. However, if you’ve placed the wire on the ground, you shouldn’t mow over it as the mower will destroy the wire, even if it is a 14 gauge.

So, if you’ll be placing the wire on your lawn, make sure that you’ve figured out how to mow around the wire.

Can You Drive Over The Wire If It Is Placed On The Ground?

You shouldn’t drive over the wire if it is placed on the ground as that could destroy the wire.

If you do not want to bury the wire, consider placing it in an area that isn’t frequented.

However, this might be counterintuitive as the idea of the electric fence is that your dog goes to a particular area too often. So, burying the wire might be your best bet.