How This German Shorthaired Pointer Found Her Freedom: Finn's Story
Meet three-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer Finley, known to her family and friends as Finn.
Long time SpotOn user Toni and her dog Finn were one of the first SpotOn customers in 2019. As an active camper and pet parent with an active dog, Toni was thrilled to discover a much-needed, easy, quick & reliable solution to contain prey-driven Finn, at home and on the go.
‘I love love love the collar. The app is also excellent and works so much better.’ - Toni P. on the new, Gen 2 system
Finn was so excited to get her new system for her Birthday (and in time for their next camping trip) that she even made her own unboxing video! She happens to also be the cover girl
for the package, which in all fairness could have something to do with her excitement level…
Toni was an early believer in and user of SpotOn. Even in 2019, as we were just launching, she knew she needed more than just a tracker. She was on the hunt for an easy and portable virtual containment solution - for camping and beyond. Hear about how she found SpotOn...
Finn is smart, serious, focused, energetic, silly, loving, and affectionate. She is also a little bit snarky and a tad bossy, but still makes a great best friend for her eight-year-old brother Buck (also a German Shorthaired Pointer) and her humans. She is a bird dog and very prey-driven so she loves anything that she can chase, running, playing bubbles, and attacking her brother. She would play outside all day long if she could! Because of her energetic personality, she has become involved in dock diving and agility (her favorites) as well as rally, obedience and scent work.
We spent some time with Finn and her owner Toni. In addition to giving lots of belly rubs and getting lots of love, we learned a little about how the SpotOn System has made the world her backyard!
What was life with your pup like before you had a SpotOn System?
Stressful, Finn has a high prey drive, she absolutely hates chipmunks, they are her nemesis. One day at home she spotted one across the street and took off, she ran across the road and my heart stopped. Anywhere we go, if there are chipmunks, I know she would run after it and I might lose her, or she might get hit by a car. My goal was to find some kind of containment system to keep her in an area so she wouldn’t chase the chipmunks, unfortunately there didn’t seem to be anything out there, so poor Finn was leashed if I couldn’t keep her contained via a fence or I used an e-collar which didn’t offer the ability to track if she got lost and wasn’t always reliable.
How did you learn about SpotOn?
For the second year, I signed up for the DogJog. This year SpotOn Collars was the sponsor. I was curious about this company, so I immediately looked them up.
What made SpotOn stand out from other options?
For about a year I was looking for a containment system I could use in my yard and when we went camping.
What features sold you on buying SpotOn?
The virtual containment was the biggest thing, the fact that it could track if my dog got lost and give me more real-time location updates really made me feel this system was worth getting.
What has made you happiest about using the SpotOn System?
Seeing my dog have more freedom when camping, she now doesn’t need to be tethered and getting all twisted up in a leash and I don’t have to worry that she will get off and into trouble while I am not paying full attention to her.
How has your relationship with your dog changed since using the SpotOn System?
I feel like we have both grown and built trust and independence together. Our last camping trip was a big success, she had freedom to move around and do what she wanted as long as I could see her, when I had to go in the camper to get something she would sit down in front of the door and wait outside of the camper until I came out. She did this all on her own, I didn’t ask her to do this, it was almost like she understood what I needed to feel comfortable since she wasn’t on a leash.
What are some of the unexpected benefits of using the SpotOn system?
I’d say I was extremely impressed on how easy it is to set up and quickly teach your dog what the boundary is and what it means. I got my collar over the winter and we did the training so Finn would understand what the collar was and how it worked. But every time we go camping, I need to set up a new perimeter which Finn has to learn. Within a couple hours she has it down and it works! I am still amazed how well it works. She hears the tone and maybe gets the vibration then turns around and comes back to center.
Would you recommend the SpotOn System to a friend or family member?
I have recommended SpotOn, I get a lot of questions from friends and followers when they see a photo of my dog on social media asking what the collar is, and when I am camping, strangers will come up and ask about it. I highly recommend the product; it is everything I was looking for in a much easier and portable manner.
‘Can’t say enough about our collar. We’ve had it since it came out and would buy it over again. My girl loves camping. Easy to train and company is amazing.’ – Toni P.
If a friend or family member was on the “fence” about getting a SpotOn System what would you tell them?
I am sure they would be on the “fence” due to the price tag. But I can tell them now that it is well worth it. It does everything in one device, it’s piece of mind, it’ll track your dog if it gets lost, it helps to keep your dog safe while allowing them to roam free of leashes that get tangled and restrict them. If my friend was going to install a containment system, I would tell them to buy SpotOn, it is portable, so you are not restricted to just your home. If you travel with your pup and want them to have more freedom without concern that they will leave the area. This is the best system you can buy.
What new adventures have you been on with your dog since getting the SpotOn system?
Finn and I go on a lot of adventures already, but this year camping has been a whole new adventure, she has had so much freedom. I am still working on my comfort level, but I hope to use it when we travel for my dogs’ various trials and allow her to spend time in parks and around hotels with the collar vs on leash all the time.
We have used it at home, in a park and so far on several camping trips. On the camping trips, I usually set a perimeter around all of our campers, we camp with five families, this gives my girl room to roam and follow me from site to site as I interact with my friends.
