The Complete Guide to Installing Your SpotOn Fence

The SpotOn GPS Fence is the easiest wireless dog fence to install. Why? Because it requires no installation at all! With SpotOn's virtual fence system, you don’t have to use buried wires or base stations to create your invisible dog fence. All that is needed is the SpotOn Collar, an app-enabled smartphone, and a good pair of sneakers. “Installing” your GPS dog fence is as easy as heading outdoors for a walk!

The possibilities are endless since the SpotOn GPS Fence works anywhere that there is a strong GPS signal— which includes much of the earth's surface. The collar is designed so the antenna sits on the top of the dog's neck, facing skyward, to ensure a  strong GPS signal. So unlike traditional wireless or invisible systems, there are no wires or base stations needed.

Where is the best place to install my new wireless dog fence?

Let’s start in the backyard. Though the SpotOn System is completely portable and great for traveling with your dog, it's best to start in the place that is most familiar to your pup—your home. 

When planning where to create your first GPS dog fence, make sure you give your pup an area large enough to play. We do not recommend creating a fence of less than 80 feet at its narrowest location. Though we don’t recommend creating a GPS fence that is too small, there is no maximum size limit, so feel free to extend your fence as far as you can safely go. When fence planning, you will need to include a buffer zone that is at least 15 feet away from roads or other hazards. This buffer zone is needed due to GPS Drift, the difference between your actual location and the location recorded by a GPS receiver (in this case the fence boundaries). All GPS systems have some amount of drift (including GPS-enabled smartphones which can drift by 16 feet or more).

When fence planning in your yard, you'll want to also consider area you may want to keep your dog out of - like poisonous plants or your garden, or perhaps a fence that includes a specific area for potty breaks. Since you can save up to 10 fences at a time, you can even make different day & night fences. Just remember that the boundary is 10 feet in from where you walk to set your fence.

The SpotOn System also allows you to create instant circular fences, which work as a temporary boundary anywhere you are, making travel easy. Circular fences can be set as small as 150 feet wide and up to 950 feet wide. So these fences can easily be used as a portable, camping dog fence. 

Since you don’t need a professional to install SpotOn's GPS wireless dog fence, once your dog has been trained to your property, you and your pup have the freedom to get out and see the world! You are able to save up to 10 fences at a time, so you can create GPS fences at the places you frequent—a vacation spot, the dog park, the beach, or a friend’s house.

Before you create your first virtual dog fence, it is helpful to understand when your dog will hear the tones and receive the vibration and (optional) static correction. The collar makes a series of audio warnings.

When your dog is about ten feet from the boundary line, he will hear an alert tone. Think of this tone as a friendly “come here boy!” If he progresses beyond the alert tone, he will hear a harsher sounding warning tone about 5 feet from the boundary. Think of this tone as a stern “come!”

The SpotOn training program will teach your dog to respond to the alert and warning tones before crossing the boundary, but as all dog owners know, dogs can have a mind of their own. The final warning is a vibration and (optional) static correction, which are intended to quickly get your dog's attention.

 Here are some helpful hints for creating your first GPS fence.

• Determine the shape and size of the area you would like to make your fence and use landmarks (a flower pot, tree, etc.) along the boundary as a guide (these are not only helpful for walking your fence but will also be used when training your pup. They will help you, not your dog, as your dog is trained to the tones).
• Set boundary lines at least 15’ from a hazardous area like a street or waterway
• Use the Pause feature to easily maneuver around or over barriers like ponds or bushes. Simply press the “Pause” button while walking your perimeter, then press “Resume” when the terrain allows you to continue your path. SpotOn will automatically “snap” a straight line between the two points. This is also useful when your dog fence needs to pass through a building (like your house).
• Avoid crossing your own path. Overlapping areas that you have already walked will result in an invalid fence. Follow the directions on the app, which will prompt you to tap 'Finish' when you're about 10 feet away from your starting point. The app will snap a straight line between where you started and where you ended, ensuring that you always have a closed fence.
• Test your fence after creating it, by following the easy instructions in the app.
• Activate, deactivate and rename your fences with the smartphone app.

One you have “installed” your first GPS dog fence, it’s time to begin training! Before you begin, check out this helpful article on training your dog to the GPS fence system. Since you and your dog are in this together, make sure you follow these training videos or download the written training guide for an efficient, effective and positive training experience. 

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