In a traditional suburban backyard (3 fences with the house making up the 4th side), there are a few ways to complete the loop. You can use a Double Loop system to run the wire back on itself, or complete the 4th side around the front, or over the top of the house.
Backyard Loop Layout Explained
The Backyard Loop can vary depending on the layout of your yard. The wire can be attached to the fence, or slightly buried along the base of the fence.
The boundary wire creates a radio signal field detected by the dog’s collar. As the dog approaches the boundary,
warning tones and correction levels guide them back into the safe zone. This zone is adjustable, typically from a few centimetres out to about 3m (depending on how close the two wires are).
Corners should be smooth rather than sharp angles, and the wire must always return to the transmitter to
complete the electrical circuit.
1. Choose Transmitter Location
Place the transmitter in sheltered area with power access, such as a patio. The boundary wire will start and finish
here, forming a complete loop.
2. Run Wire to Boundary
Run the wire out to the section you need to block. Often, the best way is to get the wire to one side of the house near the fence. This section may need to be buried. The easiest way is with a shovel, create a shallow slot in the ground to sit the wire in (5-10cm). It doesn't need a trench.
3. Lay Wire Down the Sides You Need To Block
Run the wire along the sections you need to block. If there is an existing fence, the wire can be attached to it. If there is nothing to attach to, it is best to bury using the same shovel technique above.
4.a. Complete the Loop - Double Back
To get the wire back to the transmitter, you can return the wire along the same path as the first wire. You will need to keep the wire at least 1m apart from the first wire. This can be vertical (top of fence, bottom of fence). Twisting the two wire around each other will cancel out the signal in the twisted section.
4.b. Complete the Loop - Over the Top
When the wire gets to the other side of the house, you can bring the wire vertical up the house wall, and follow along under the eaves. You can adjust the signal distance coming off the wire for the dog to safely pass underneath to get inside or to the patio.
