Petsafe Classic In-Ground Fence

A wired perimeter that goes exactly where you need it

Wireless fences are convenient, but they cover a fixed circular area and don’t adapt well to odd-shaped properties. If your yard is rectangular, L-shaped, or just needs a boundary that doesn’t include the driveway or the garden beds, an in-ground fence is the right tool. The PetSafe® Classic In-Ground Fence™ (PIG00-17440) is a buried-wire containment system built around a rechargeable receiver collar with eight adjustable settings, a transmitter with a clear LCD readout, and 500 feet of boundary wire to start.

The system works on the same principle as every PetSafe® in-ground fence: you run a continuous loop of wire around the perimeter you want to establish, plug in the wall-mounted transmitter, and the transmitter sends a radio signal through the wire. Your dog wears the receiver collar, which picks up that signal as he approaches the boundary. He hears a tone first — a warning that the boundary is ahead. If he keeps moving, the collar delivers a brief static correction. Most dogs learn where the line is within the first week of flag-aided training.

The collar: eight settings, rechargeable, waterproof

The receiver collar that comes with the Classic system has eight operating modes. Level 1 delivers tone and vibration only — useful for the initial training period and for dogs that respond to sound without needing static correction. Levels 2 through 8 are adjustable static correction, increasing in intensity so you can find the level that gets your dog’s attention without over-correcting. For most average-temperament dogs, a mid-range setting is sufficient. If you have a high-drive dog that charges fences, PetSafe® makes a Stubborn Dog version with a higher correction ceiling for that situation.

The collar is fully waterproof, so rain, mud, and retrieving work aren’t issues. It charges via USB in 2–3 hours and holds a charge for up to 3 weeks under normal use. Indicator lights on the collar let you monitor battery status. The strap adjusts to fit neck sizes from 6 to 26 inches, and the system is designed for dogs 5 pounds and up who are at least 6 months old. Short and long contact points are included so you can match the points to your dog’s coat length.

Collar fit matters: Contact points must touch skin, not fur. Fit the collar snugly enough that you can slide two fingers underneath — no more. Check the fit after the first few wears, as the strap may loosen slightly. If the collar is too loose, the system won’t correct reliably.

The transmitter: LCD screen, wire-break alert, adjustable boundary width

The wall-mounted transmitter is the brains of the system. It plugs into a standard outlet and should be installed in a protected location — a garage, basement, or covered porch. The LCD screen shows the current boundary distance setting and displays a warning indicator if there’s a break in the wire loop. That wire-break alert is worth noting: if the wire is cut by a lawn mower, a shovel, or a root, the transmitter will tell you before your dog figures it out on his own.

Boundary width — how far off the wire the warning and correction zones extend — is adjustable. A tighter boundary width keeps the correction close to the wire; a wider setting gives your dog more of a buffer zone before the correction fires. The warning zone (tone only) is always the first 20% of the signal field; the correction zone is the remaining 80%. For most yards, a mid-range boundary setting works well. Adjust it tighter if you have a narrow side yard or a specific area you need to exclude precisely.

Coverage area and expansion

The kit ships with 500 feet of 20-gauge boundary wire, which covers roughly ⅓ of an acre in a standard loop. For larger properties, you can purchase additional PetSafe® boundary wire — the Classic In-Ground Fence™ supports up to 5 acres of coverage. If you need to cover more than 5 acres, the Stubborn Dog system expands to 25 acres. Adding dogs is a matter of purchasing additional Classic In-Ground Fence™ receiver collars; there is no hard limit on how many collars can operate on a single transmitter.

Wire layout is flexible. A single-loop configuration runs the wire around the entire perimeter, giving your dog full access to the yard. A double-loop configuration — where the wire runs out and returns to the transmitter, with the two wires kept 3 to 5 feet apart — is used when you want to contain your dog in only a portion of the yard. Gate openings are handled by burying the wire in the ground across the opening; the signal remains active, so your dog can’t slip through an open gate.

Pawz Away® Pet Barrier compatibility

One thing that distinguishes the Classic system from other buried-wire containment options is that the receiver collar is compatible with PetSafe® Pawz Away® Pet Barriers (sold separately). These are small indoor or outdoor transmitters that create a localized off-limits zone — around a trash can, a litter box area, a piece of furniture, or a pool. Since your dog is already wearing the in-ground fence collar outdoors, the same collar works with the Pawz Away® units indoors. You don’t need a second collar for indoor boundary training.

Installation: what to expect

Plan on a full weekend for installation. The boundary wire needs to be laid out and tested before it’s buried, and burying it — especially across driveways or other hard surfaces — takes time. PetSafe® recommends rounding all corners with at least a 3-foot radius to avoid signal gaps; sharp 90-degree turns in the wire can create weak spots your dog may find. Before you dig, call 811 to have underground utilities marked. The transmitter will alarm if the wire loop isn’t complete, which makes troubleshooting straightforward.

After installation, plan on 14 days of flag-aided boundary training before you rely on the system unsupervised. Flags go where the warning tone begins, giving your dog a visual cue to pair with the audio signal. Remove the flags gradually after the first two weeks. Most dogs understand the boundary quickly; a few take longer. If your dog is consistently challenging the fence at the default correction level, step up to the next level before assuming the system isn’t working.

Not sure which underground fence fits your yard? Browse our full underground dog fence selection or call us at 1 (800) 524-2428 for a recommendation.

Specs & features

• ✓Transmitter with power adaptor
• ✓Classic In-Ground Fence™ receiver collar (1 dog kit) or 2 collars (2 dog kit)
• ✓500 ft boundary wire
• ✓Training flags
• ✓Short and long contact points
• ✓Gel-filled wire capsules and wire connectors
• ✓Receiver collar charging cable
• ✓Mounting hardware