Petsafe Instant Fence (PIF-300) vs. Petsafe Underground Fence

Which do I choose?

Petsafe makes great pet containment systems at reasonable prices. One of the questions that we get all the time is which system do I purchase?

The Instant fence system is a great system if you have a small yard or if you want to make your system portable. The instant fence was designed with traveling in mind. One consideration that makes the choice easier is the lay of the land in which your are placing your system. If it is not fairly flat, then the Instant fence is not a good choice for you. We do not recommend the Instant Fence for dogs under 10 pounds. In addition, we do not recommend the Instant Fence for dogs that are stubborn or hard to train or that have thick fur. The receiver may not have a strong enough correction for these types of dogs. In this case, you should choose the underground system.

The underground Petsafe systems are available for all sizes of dogs. As of the present time, the ultralights can take dogs that weigh right around 8 lbs. The positive side to the underground system is that your pet can run the whole yard and not just the 90 foot radius that a single transmitter for the Instant fence allows. The underground systems allow for more versatility such as keeping your pet out of flower gardens and pools. The biggest disadvantage that most consumers think about is the idea of digging and burying the wire.

Ease of installation used to be a real concern. All you have to do is plug the Instant fence in compared to burying the wire. Not anymore! Underground systems can now be installed on top of the ground with lawn staples. After a two week period, you can mow right over the wire!

One important note to remember about the Instant Fence, your yard must not have an overall drop of more than 6 feet. If you do, use the underground fence as the radio signal from the Instant fence will not work.

Most of the time, consumers can have a much bigger yard for their pets to play in with an underground system for about the same price as an Instant fence or even less! Good luck with your choice and remember to:

Let Your Dog Run...But Not Run Away!™

Here are two eBay pages that might also help you make your decision! FAQ for Underground Fences and Wireless Fence Info