Dog Guard by IdealDog (Underground Fencing of Massachusetts)

Dog Guard by IdealDog is a family-owned, husband-and-wife-run business based in Gardner, MA. Brian and Julia Pitre are an authorized Dog Guard network dealer who personally handle installation and training of underground electronic dog fencing across central Massachusetts and Cheshire County, NH, and the company says it has served the area since 2016. Across five years of Google reviews, homeowners consistently describe fast, professional installations and thorough, effective boundary training, often completed in a single day. Reviewers repeatedly single out Brian as personally responsive, answering follow-up questions within minutes and checking back after installation, and several describe multi-dog households, small or oddly shaped yards, and busy roads where the fence held up as promised. A few customers have had more than one system installed and say they would use the company again. One notable exception stands out: a 2022 review describes a dispute over a $370 charge to repair 40 feet of broken wire, calling the roughly $275 first-hour rate excessive and taking issue with how the owner justified it. No invoice was provided and payment was requested over Venmo. It is the only negative account on file among 31 reviews spanning 2022 through 2026. For a homeowner considering an underground fence for one or more dogs, this is a well-reviewed, small, local operation with a strong and consistent track record on new installations and training. Anyone booking a repair rather than a new installation may want to ask for a written estimate and invoice up front given the one billing complaint on record.