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Making the Switch from Invisible Fence® to SpotOn
Learn why one family upgraded to SpotOn after using a traditional buried wire boundary for many years.
@drax_the_corso An invisible fence you can take with you anywhere?! Talk about ultimate freedom! 🫶🏼 DRAX will sacs you $100 ❤️ #canecorso #dogsoftiktok #dogmom #offleaahdogs #bigdogsoftiktok #doglover ♬ Happy Summer - Vin Music
How SpotOn's GPS dog fence compares.
Buying a dog fence of any kind is a significant investment, both financially and time-wise. There are lots of wireless options out there for keeping your dog safe in the yard. Buried wire fence solutions have been around since the 1970s and have proven to be successful containment solutions for millions of dogs. The first versions relied on a buried wire and an indoor transmitter paired with a radio frequency collar. As fence technology advanced, “wireless” base station versions were introduced, and more recently GPS fences have emerged as an upgraded option compared to the buried wire and base station systems.
How does a traditional buried wire dog fence work?
Traditional buried wire fences, such as Invisible Fence® use an underground wire and radio frequency base station housed indoors. They rely on the dog wearing a collar and receiving a static correction within proximity to a boundary line. Depending on where you live, a 1 acre in-ground fence can cost upwards of $2,000 - so understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each option is essential.
Pros:
- Wire stays in place under the ground
- A customized fence of any shape can be laid
- The technology is decades old and has been used by millions of dogs
- They are great if you have an irregularly shaped yard or need to keep the dog out of certain areas (like a driveway or garden).
Cons:
- You must dig a trench in the yard (which can be time consuming or expensive)
- The wire can be damaged by lawn mowers or frozen ground and must be repaired in order for the entire system to function
- Since the system is proximity-based, some dogs can jump over the wire and escape
- Repairs can be costly (+/- $600 a year)
- The collar’s battery has a short shelf life and will die without warning. Replacing the battery can be costly and inconvenient
How does a GPS dog fence work?
GPS-based wireless fences, like SpotOn GPS Dog Fence, are powered by satellites. The most recent upgrade to wireless fence technology, GPS dog fences eliminate the need for buried wires and base stations and can be used anywhere there is a GPS signal (basically anywhere on the planet). With the SpotOn system, your dog will receive a series of alerts and tones through the collar as they near the virtual boundary. This including an alert tone, a more urgent warning tone, vibration, and optional static correction, which has 30 levels of sensitivity to give you more control.
GPS Dog Fence Pros:
- Easy and hassle-free. Just walk the fence boundary with the SpotOn dog collar and SpotOn app the rest. Then manage everything from your phone.
- You can create fences of any shape and any size and over tricky terrain
- You can store multiple locations at one time
- An outdoor dog fence that lets your dog swim! The collar is waterproof & all weather proof.
- You can create multiple fences in your yard (so your pup can have a large play area in the day a smaller area for potty breaks at night)
- If your dog escapes the fence, you can receive an automatic smartphone notification. The smart tech knows which way your dog is headed and will never correct a dog returning home.
- It’s a portable, virtual dog fence. Since your dog is trained to the tones (not your yard), it’s easy to take with you when you travel or move. The instant perimeter option also makes a handy camping dog fence.
- You can create a GPS fence anywhere without the need for a power source so you can use it anywhere
GPS Dog Fence Cons:
- Because the technology all needs to fit into a self-contained unit, the SpotOn dog collar tends to be larger than traditional Invisible Fence® collars
- Because the battery powers the collar, the fence, and all communications to and from the satellite and cellular networks, the rechargeable battery lasts a full day.
How effective are virtual dog fence systems?
Though the many wireless fence options vary in capability and price point, there is one constant to ensure effectiveness for any virtual fence: you must properly train your dog to understand and respect their boundaries. SpotOn's training program takes about 2 weeks to complete. Paired with our easy set up, your dog can be running free in no time!
