Dog Guard DG9000 Setup guide

Revised May 2001
Installation & Training Guide

Dog Guard Out-Of-Sight Fencing
Installation and Training Guide
Table of Contents
Installation Guide
A Message from Dog Guard i
Assessing the Yard / Placing Transmitter 1
Equipment 2
Transmitter Installation 3
Procedure for Mounting the Transmitter 4
Grounding the Transmitter 5
Installation of Twisted Pair 7
Wire Loop 9
Direct Burial Splice 13
DG9000 Receiver Collar 14
Assembly of DG9000 Receiver 15
RemoteStrips 16
Shunts 17
AdjustingtheSystem 18
Double Checking the System 19
TroubleshootingTips 20
Helpful Hints for Maintaining Your Dog Guard System 25
Training Guide
TrainingGuidelines 27
EquipmentInformation 28
Training 29
Troubleshooting 32
Taking Your Dog for a Walk: 3 Proven Methods 34
Your Dog Guard Fence 35

The Keenan Building- 258 Broadway, Troy, NY 12180
[phone]; fax [phone]
Dear Pet Owner:
Thank you for purchasing a Dog Guard pet containment system. We hope it
brings years of enjoyment and peace of mind for both you and your pet.
In this manual you will find detailed instructions on the entire installation and
training process, from assessing your yard and burying the loop wire to helping
your pet learn his boundaries on the Dog Guard system. We have even included
troubleshooting tips for extra help along the way.
Please note, before beginning installation we recommend consulting your Dog
Guard dealer. Often, many of your installation worries can be eliminated with the
helpful advice of a professionally trained installer.
As you become familiar with the Dog Guard Fencing system and all it has to offer,
you can be confident that we will be behind you every step of the way. In fact,
now that you are part of the Dog Guard family, we will be here for you any time
you need us.
Good luck!
William F. Drew
General Manager

Assessing the Yard
To begin, you must determine where in your yard you want your signal field. This
is the area in which your dog’s receiver collar is activated by a radio signal from
the wire. It extends out 1 – 25 (+) feet on either side of the buried wire. It is
important to leave enough room between the house and the signal field for your
dog to be able to go around the house without running into the signal field.
Wire Loop
Twisted Pair Twisted pair 
Containment Area
Where Will You Place the Transmitter?
Because it is not weatherproof, the transmitter should be placed indoors. Most
people find that the garage or basement works best. Be sure to locate it within 6
feet of the 110V electrical outlet into which it will be plugged. Placement must be
at least 10’ from any piping, electrical panel boxes, telephone or TV cable lines.
Try to place the transmitter on the side of the house closest to the wire loop. A
twisted pair of wires that emits no signal must be run from the transmitter to the
wire loop. Remember, the shorter the distance from your transmitter to the loop
wire, the better.
1

Equipment
Your installation will be most successful if you use the following tools:
Wire
• 14 gauge Type USE or Type UF underground rated wire. This wire
provides lifetime durability, resists breakdown and is waterproof.
To Bury Wire
• Gas-powered edger/trimmer or lawn edger
• Flat shovel or ice chopper
To Splice Wire
• Wire splicer or stripper, wire cutters, and splice kit
To Lay Wire Across Gravel Driveways
• Rake (to rake away stones) and shovel (to dig across driveways)
• Old piece of garden hose for wire laid across driveway
To Install Transmitter (mount it on wall, etc.)
• Phillips screwdriver and straight-edge screw driver
• Staple gun (to staple twisted pair wires to walls, etc.) * Careful not to put
staple through wire!
• 3/8” drill bit (to take wire outdoors-through a door frame, window frame, etc.)
• Hammerdrill with 3/8” masonry bit (to go through concrete to bring the twisted
pair from the transmitter to the wire loop)
• Silicone to seal holes (available in tube from hardware store)
To Assemble and Adjust Receiver Collar
• Crescent wrench or small pair of pliers (to tighten probes onto receiver collar)
• Non-permanent Loctite thread locker (used to prevent probes from backing off)
2

Transmitter Installation
The first step in installing the Dog Guard system is putting the transmitter in place.
We recommend installing the transmitter in either the garage or the basement.
• When laying your twisted pair wire, try to make the distance from the
transmitter to the loop wire as short as possible to cut down on line resistance.
• The INDICATOR LIGHTS on the transmitter should be easily visible from a
distance so that you can quickly see if the unit is operational.
• The GREEN LIGHT lets you know that the unit is on.
• The YELLOW FAULT LIGHT will come on if there is an internal problem
with the transmitter board, i.e.: a lightning hit or power surge.
• The RED LOOP LIGHT indicates that the wire loop is intact.
• Place the transmitter within 6 feet of a 110V electrical outlet.
• The transmitter should be installed at least 10 feet from any existing piping.
Dog Guard’s state-of-the-art transmitter
3

Procedure for Mounting the Transmitter
Dog Guard’s transmitter offers the following mounting options:
OPTION 1 - Mounting Tabs
1. Depending on the surface that you mount your Transmitter on, you will need
that type of screw and/or anchors to hold it in place.
2. Once determined, use two screws to mount the Transmitter to your surface.
OPTION 2 - Velcro
1. To secure the transmitter to the wall, place Velcro strips with adhesive
backings on both transmitter and wall.
4

Grounding the Transmitter
An essential step in the installation process, grounding the transmitter protects the
unit against electrical surges and lightning. If possible, locate the transmitter
near an existing grounding device and run a wire to this from the transmitter. For
example, use a spade or lug to attach the ground wire to the outlet faceplate screw.
(See illustration below).
House Grounding Procedure
If the outlet is not grounded you must put an 8’ x ½” copper grounding rod in the
ground and run a wire to it from the transmitter (see illustration on next page).
Dog Guard units that are not grounded void the terms of the warranty.
5

Grounding to a Ground Rod
6

Installation of Twisted Pair
When you run your loop wire, you will cross-areas where you do not want a signal
emitted. To prevent signal emission in these areas, you will twist your wire. This
twisted pair will carry but not emit the signal.
Containment Area
Twisted Pair
Wire Loop 
Containment Area
1. Measure the distance of the route the wire must travel from the transmitter to
the outside loop wire.
2. Cut a length of wire approximately 3 to 4 feet longer than the length of this
route from the transmitter to the wire loop.
3. Unroll and cut a second equal length of wire. Have someone hold ends of each
wire or tie as a pair to a stationary object. As you back up from this point,
twist the wires together by hand, or use a hand held drill to twist them together
(10 twists per foot).
4. Hook up the pair to the transmitter. Strip approx. 1/2” from the end of each of
the wires. Open ports for the wire labeled loop with a small screwdriver.
Insert the wires making sure that there are no frays. Close ports onto wires
with the screwdriver
7

5. Run twisted pair from transmitter to point where you exit outside to meet loop.
• To secure it in position, staple the twisted pair along base of inside wall.
• Decide where you’ll drill a hole to run the twisted pair to the outside. Drill the
hole with 3/8” bit and run the wire through this hole.
• After the wire is through this hole, fill the hole with silicone sealant.
6. Bury twisted pair in a straight line from the house to where it will meet loop.
• Cut an angled trench at least 3” deep. Angled trench in ground
• Lay the twisted pair in the trench.
• Stamp ground to close the trench.
• Leave ends of twisted pair exposed to splice to the wire loop.
8

Wire Loop
1. Identify the route that the loop wire will take around your property.
2. Splice a single wire to one of the wires of the twisted pair.
3. Run this wire around the property, laying it in a cut you’ve made in the lawn
with the edger, shovel or ice chopper. You do not have to bury the wire loop.
If you prefer, you can lay it on the ground or attach it to a fence. Make sure
the wire is protected from harmful elements that may damage or break it
including high traffic areas.
• The less splices you have, the better!
• As you roll out the wire, be sure not to pull up already buried wire. One way
to prevent this is to have someone stand at the last spot where the wire is
buried, or put something heavy on this spot. HINT: To help roll out the wire,
put a screwdriver or a wooden dowel through the hole of the wire spool. Use
this as a handle as you roll out the spool.
• Avoid making angled corners as you lay the wire around your property. In
sharp corners the signals emitted from the wire will cross over each other. To
prevent this, bends should be rounded (see illustrations below).
Round Corner Square Corner
(Confusing Signals)

9

• To prevent lightning from taking out your transmitter board, you should tie two
4” loops in your twisted pair. These loops can be buried underground where
you exit the house. Before connecting your twisted pair to the transmitter, tie
these loops as if you’re tying a knot (as shown below). These will produce a
magnetic field when the lightning passes in between itself, thus causing it to
dissipate. Combined with Dog Guard’s built-in surge protection, the reduction
in voltage should keep the lightning from blowing out the transmitter board.
TXEL
4. To cross driveways: Because cars and other heavy traffic cross here, install the
wire with extra care across driveways.
For gravel driveways:
• Rake away stones to clear a straight line along which you’ll lay wire.
• Dig a trench across the driveway between 3 – 4” deep.
• Roll out the wire across the driveway. Use an old garden hose or other
nonmetallic tubing to run the wire through.
• Lay this protected section of wire in the driveway trench.
• Fill the trench and re-cover with gravel.
• Continue to lay and bury the wire around the house.
10

For paved driveways:
• When cutting across a paved
driveway, use some sort of mark or
guide. Ex: Chalk
• Cut across driveways with a
circular saw that has a masonry
blade attached. Sweep away debris.
Circular saw used to cut across paved driveways.
• At the near side of the driveway, wrap the wire around a wooden peg and
pound it completely into the ground.
• Place the wire in the cut across the driveway.
• At the far end of the driveway, again wrap wire around a wooden peg and
pound the peg into the ground. This will ensure that the wire is taut and
secure across the driveway.
• Cover the cut in the driveway with driveway sealer.
• Continue to bury the wire around the house.
5. For wooded areas or other areas where burying the wire is difficult, place the
wire on the ground. Stake wire every 15–20’ and at bends to hold stationary.
6. For water-covered areas (streams, etc.) lay the wire across the bottom surface.
Secure the wire with heavy objects. Ex: Bricks
11

7. After completing the wire loop around the desired area, splice the end of the
wire to the remaining wire of the twisted pair.
8. Check all splices and then connect the AC adaptor to the transmitter and plug
into the 110V outlet. Turn the system on. The RED loop indicator light and
GREEN power light should go on. If the RED light does not go on, your wire
is not connected somewhere.
Standard
Electrical
Outlet
AC
Adaptor
POWER
LOOP
TRANSMITTER
FAULT
A product of Sunward Electronics, Troy, N
Y
1-800-865-0495
12

Direct Burial Splice
In order to maintain the quality of the RF signal over a period of time, it is best to
use a Direct Burial Splice at all joints. We recommend using 3M part #80-6105-
9437-8 as shown in the diagram below. These kits are available from your Dog
Guard Dealer and are completely waterproof.
13

Dog Guard Receiver Collars – DG9000, DG5000 & DG3000
The receiver must be placed on the outside of your dog’s collar so that it is
situated horizontally under his neck. To do this, follow the steps below:
1. Fit the nylon collar to your dog’s neck.
2. If using your dog’s existing collar, take it off your dog’s neck and buckle it
through the same hole it was buckled through when it was on your dog.
3. Hold the buckled strap by the buckle so that it hangs vertically. When the
receiver is attached to the strap it will hang under your dog’s neck, directly
opposite the buckle.
4. Lay the receiver along the collar so that the two threaded projections match the
collar holes for the receiver and probes. * For assembly instructions see pg. 15.
5. Make sure the probes protrude on the inside of the collar so they touch your
dog’s neck. Use large probes for longhaired dogs and small probes for
shorthaired dogs. Check your probes periodically to make sure they are tight if
you are not using thread locker
14
To ensure a consistent signal, the dog’s collar must be
secured as illustrated below. To do this, make sure the
probes are closest to the dog’s chest so that the receiver
hangs down at a slight angle.
Note: Because some T.V. sets
may activate the receiver,
please remove the receiver
from your dogs neck when
he/she enters the house.

Assembly of DG9000 / DG5000 / DG3000 Receiver
DG9000 RECEIVE
R
Nylon Washers
Collar
Posts
Lock Washers
Probes
1. Place collar on receiver over contact posts. Place nylon washers on each
post.
2. Place lock washers on over nylon washers.
3. Put “Loctite” (blue, non-permanent) on posts, or inside probe.
4. Screw on probes. Do not over-tighten! Snug with wrench.
 When putting battery in receiver, the “+” sign faces toward you.
 DO NOT let your dog wear the collar until the system has been adjusted and
you are at the appropriate point in training.
 The collar will beep whenever it is in the signal field while field is on.
 ALWAYS remove your dog’s receiver collar BEFORE your dog comes
indoors. This is to avoid unintended signal interference with receiver.
 The receiver battery compartment is NOT WATERTIGHT. In order to comply with
your warranty, there must be an O-ring on the battery cap at all times.
15

Remote Strips – Keeping the Tough Pups in
For tough-to-train dogs, or dogs who challenge the system, you may need to add
remote strips to the collar. These thin cable wires increase the area of correction
around your dog’s neck, but do not increase the amount of correction.
DG9000 RECEIVER
Nylon Washers
Collar
Posts
Lock Washers
Probes
Remote Strip
Flat Plastic Washer
Pan Head Bolt
12 Flat Plastic Washer
1. Place collar on receiver over contact posts.
2. Place nylon washer on over each post.
3. Place remote strip over post #2, flat side down.
4. Put lock washer on post #2.
5. Put Loctite (blue, non-permanent) on post, or inside probe. Screw on probe.
6. At the other end of the strip, bend the collar slightly so that the remote strip fits
properly on the collar. Burn in hole.
7. Place flat plastic washer on pan head bolt. Insert bolt into hole in collar.
8. Place flat plastic washer over pan head bolt.
9. Place remote strip over pan head bolt. Put lock washer on.
10. Put “Loctite” (blue, non-permanent) on post, or inside probe. Screw on probe.
Do not over-tighten! Snug with wrench.
11. Repeat steps 3 - 11 for other side.
16

Shunts – Keeping the Timid Pups happy
If you feel your dog is receiving too strong of a correction, you can add a shunt to
the receiver that will decrease the amount of pulsation. This small device fits over
the receiver’s contact posts and come in multiple correction strengths. The shunts
reduce the correction level to the value of the shunt. For instance, a 5k shunt
reduces the correction to 5000 volts. Shunts available are:
DG9000 Receiver – 1k, 2k, 4k, 5k
DG5000 Receiver – 1k, 3k
DG3000 Receiver – 1k, 2k
DG9000 RECEIVER
Nylon Washers
Collar
Posts
Lock Washers
Probes
Shunt
1. Place collar on receiver over contact posts.
2. Place nylon washer on each post.
3. Put shunt on over nylon washers, flat side down.
4. Place one lock washer on each post.
5. Put “Loctite” (blue, non-permanent only) on post, or inside probe.
6. Screw on probes. Do not over-tighten! Snug with wrench.
17