Great review, thank you! We plan to buy this when we move into our new home this summer. Our lot is small .65 acre, so it's just over the half acre requirement. I'll post a comment after I've used it for 6 months to let you know how it works on a small property.
I'm strongly considering this too. We live out in the country and have 2 husky/malamutes. The one will stay close to the other (if on leash), but the other will happily wander at will, and if they get off leash, they often take off, which is a real shame because they love to play together. Found them 3 miles from home recently after they decided to stop listening while on a trail off leash run and took off. After that I bought the Garmin trio tech and it has been amazing. First week of use and the one took to it immediately, and we've been able to do both dogs off leash runs ever since. Until today when I didn't have the leash on tight enough for the static to engage when needed, they got a little far away and when I called them in the one didn't listen and I couldn't correct properly. I was immediately wishing I had a second one to at least have some redundancy with the second dog. Anyways, we are now moving to a new property and I would like to be able to "fence" in about 30 acres. I think this new gen 2 collar system would be fantastic. My concern was both this working with her long hair and her comfort with the prongs being there all day long, and the cost of having a second collar with the second dog for redundancy.
I recommend to trim their fur around the prongs while training and ideally after trained, the prongs could come off entirely and just use the vibration only. Our dog seems to be just fine with the prongs on all day. No signs of discomfort. Use our link and Code in the description for $100 off each collar!
Finally- A review that cuts through a lot of the weeds. My biggest question is, did you find that Esmy was nervous when trying to take her for those walks when she was walked towards the boundary even with the collar off her neck or the fence deactivated? I understand that she wouldn't hear the warning tone so should feel safe going through, but I am interested to hear what her reactions were.
Thanks for the compliment! She seems to FULLY understand that when the collar is on, she has a limited boundary. Likewise, when it's not on - she knows she can walk with us without getting warned. I think right around the time the collar was new, she was a little nervous at first about going on walks.
That's so exciting! I hope it's as good for you as it has been for us. And just remember, if the training gets hard or takes longer than you want, it's totally worth it in the end!
Thank you so much. Your videos for the SpotOn collar has convinced me to give it a try. Expensive? Yes. But my babies are worth it. BTW, your Esme is such a sweetheart ❤.
Do you think this would work well with a hound dog such as a beagle that chases rabbits? Can there be a continuous shock until the dog re-enters the fence? Is there manual controls to beep the dog any time you want if need be?
Hi there, We don't have any experience with that exact same scenario, but this fence will only work if your dog respects it. There's no way to manual beep the collar anytime you want, as that would confuse the dog's training.
Can you put the app and manage the fence on more than one phone so that another family member can have access if I'm not at home? I am considering this as an alternative to physically fencing part of our property.
@@firepinkfarmtn Thanks for the clarification! I live in an area with 0 cell service. I thought boundaries would need to be in Wi-Fi or cellular range.
@@firepinkfarmtn seriously considering this now! Another question is, through the phone app can you send a beep and then vibrate to your dog if you want them to come home? I have my dog well trained with a regular training collar. She hangs around no problem till you’re not paying attention! LOL I can beep her and she come back immediately.
That's a good question! Hopefully it lasts a really long time. I know you can get replacement static contact points, and I believe the collar band itself is now replaceable. We've only had this new collar a couple months now, but it shows exactly zero signs of wear and tear so far.
Does your property have any heavy tree canopy? Any issues with not having GPS coverage? I currently use a Tractive GPS collar which doesn't "fence", but just alerts and tracks if Raven leaves the property.
For the subscription/ app can you both use it (monitor or recall) at the same time or is it one at a time (one person can monitor or make corrections / recall)? If you have two dogs do you need multiple subscriptions?
We just purchased this… hasn’t even arrived yet but I have a question. My in laws have a farm and we will be making their property one of our fence locations. Will they be able to still use this collar when dog sitting for us, without the app, or will they need the app? It sounds like once I set the boundary and save the fence (and once dog is trained), we should be good to go with just them having the collar and charger?
Hey Shaunna! To change Fences from your home to a separate location, you'll need to change it within the app, so it knows which Fence is active. Technically, if you drop off the dog at your in-laws, and change it to their fence before you go, they won't need the app for any reason. Would be advised to make sure your dog understands that new fence's boundaries before leaving them.
Interested and researching the spot on for my dogs. I noticed in this video at 7 min 58 seconds I see a Pyrenees. do you use the collar with him? That is the type dog we have just looking to see if it helps them
We do not use the SpotOn fence for our Pyrenees (she lives with the goats in their movable fenced paddock full time), but I’ve started to see some UA-camrs make videos about how they’ve successfully used it with their LGDs! I would just do a lot of research before making the investment because I know Pyrenees can be an extra stubborn breed and a little more difficult to train that other breeds.
@@firepinkfarmtn I just found my GP climbing onto my garage roof !!!!!! Idk how he did it - either climbed the tree onto the roof or, the scaled the 8' fence to get up and over !!!
It's actually pretty flexible-definitely a lot more flexible than the previous generation. If you are using the static correction, the probes are always going to be a slightly uncomfortable for the dog, but the collar part is totally fine!
Spot On says the fence can be used for a puppy, but advises your dog be fully grown before using the collar, and 6 months old at least until static correction is used.
They might give a discount for multiple dogs, but definitely would need two collars. I believe you should be able to share boundaries and all that. Check the website to be sure since we haven’t dealt with trying to fence in two dogs.
I'm torn about buying this. I hear great things about the collar (60 days, 90 days into use) but the ppl who have experienced issues and had to warranty their collars, it sounds like Spot On is a nightmare to deal with and are difficult to get ahold of. That doesn't seem to be your experience though. I would need two collars, which would cost about $2600 Canadian so the poor reviews on customer service and warranty are making me nervous to buy. How is your collar now, one year later?
Our experience with Spot On has only been good, even before we partnered together for this second review. Our first video is super honest and critical about certain issues, but the response we got from the company was always helpful. The second edition fixed a bunch of the weak points, and now in May 2024, the collar is still working great for Esmy. She has free rein of 30 acres, and is doing well. Btw, collars are $999 right now, and you can get $25 off with our code in the show notes. So technically only $1950 USD for two : )
She had some difficulty with a few things, but Spot On hooked us up with a trainer to work with those issues by phone. It's been so long, that I can't fully remember.
How much is a fence for your property? That's what I'm considering right now for a place we might buy, and a dog we might "inherit". This seems much less expensive than a fence for several acres.
@@firepinkfarmtn thanks! She’s got beautiful coloring and features! I asked because I adopted a stray that showed up on my farm and he has a German shepherd body type but near identical coloring to yours.
I definitely wouldn't let that dog run about 30acres by itself - Yotes will kill it quick once they move in and claim territory...... I had to get 2 GPs for the coyotes - the wolves have never been a problem, never...... But the coyotes - they're everywhere and way too brave !!!
What they don't tell you some dogs have thick hair on their necks won't work the prongs wear to tight created sores on neck nothing is what it ever seems 🤷
I’ve got a similar fence for my Akita. He needs longer prongs and it irritated his skin at first but after a few weeks he’s fine and has been wearing it for nearly 2 years.
Thank you for this review update! Very helpful!
Thanks so much for watching!
Great review, thank you! We plan to buy this when we move into our new home this summer. Our lot is small .65 acre, so it's just over the half acre requirement. I'll post a comment after I've used it for 6 months to let you know how it works on a small property.
Sounds good! Don’t forget to use our link and code for $100 off!
I'm strongly considering this too. We live out in the country and have 2 husky/malamutes. The one will stay close to the other (if on leash), but the other will happily wander at will, and if they get off leash, they often take off, which is a real shame because they love to play together. Found them 3 miles from home recently after they decided to stop listening while on a trail off leash run and took off. After that I bought the Garmin trio tech and it has been amazing. First week of use and the one took to it immediately, and we've been able to do both dogs off leash runs ever since. Until today when I didn't have the leash on tight enough for the static to engage when needed, they got a little far away and when I called them in the one didn't listen and I couldn't correct properly. I was immediately wishing I had a second one to at least have some redundancy with the second dog.
Anyways, we are now moving to a new property and I would like to be able to "fence" in about 30 acres. I think this new gen 2 collar system would be fantastic. My concern was both this working with her long hair and her comfort with the prongs being there all day long, and the cost of having a second collar with the second dog for redundancy.
I recommend to trim their fur around the prongs while training and ideally after trained, the prongs could come off entirely and just use the vibration only. Our dog seems to be just fine with the prongs on all day. No signs of discomfort. Use our link and Code in the description for $100 off each collar!
I feel you I have two malamute mixes as well. So smart, hard headed, and covers ground quick. Real quick.
Finally- A review that cuts through a lot of the weeds. My biggest question is, did you find that Esmy was nervous when trying to take her for those walks when she was walked towards the boundary even with the collar off her neck or the fence deactivated? I understand that she wouldn't hear the warning tone so should feel safe going through, but I am interested to hear what her reactions were.
Thanks for the compliment! She seems to FULLY understand that when the collar is on, she has a limited boundary. Likewise, when it's not on - she knows she can walk with us without getting warned. I think right around the time the collar was new, she was a little nervous at first about going on walks.
Thank you, just purchased one.
That's so exciting! I hope it's as good for you as it has been for us. And just remember, if the training gets hard or takes longer than you want, it's totally worth it in the end!
Thank you so much. Your videos for the SpotOn collar has convinced me to give it a try. Expensive? Yes. But my babies are worth it. BTW, your Esme is such a sweetheart ❤.
Aww thanks so much! Esme’s the best. Make sure to use our link and promo code!
Do you think this would work well with a hound dog such as a beagle that chases rabbits? Can there be a continuous shock until the dog re-enters the fence? Is there manual controls to beep the dog any time you want if need be?
Hi there, We don't have any experience with that exact same scenario, but this fence will only work if your dog respects it. There's no way to manual beep the collar anytime you want, as that would confuse the dog's training.
Can you put the app and manage the fence on more than one phone so that another family member can have access if I'm not at home? I am considering this as an alternative to physically fencing part of our property.
Yup! That's possible, both of us have the app on our phone and can monitor from anywhere.
Biggest question for me is how long does it continue to vibrate/static correct when they are over the boundary?
We haven’t dealt with the side of things for a long while, but it wasn’t forever or anything. Maybe 20-30 seconds? Might be on the website.
So if you live in an area with bad cell service this isn’t an option?
The fence correction works with whatever boundaries you create without a cell plan, but you'll need a cell plan for real-time GPS tracking.
@@firepinkfarmtn Thanks for the clarification! I live in an area with 0 cell service. I thought boundaries would need to be in Wi-Fi or cellular range.
@@firepinkfarmtn seriously considering this now! Another question is, through the phone app can you send a beep and then vibrate to your dog if you want them to come home? I have my dog well trained with a regular training collar. She hangs around no problem till you’re not paying attention! LOL I can beep her and she come back immediately.
How loud are the alert and warning tones on the collar? Are they supposed to be pretty faint?
Just loud enough for the pup to hear. Very high pitched. Humans can hear it faintly.
@@firepinkfarmtn Ok perfect. I thought ours was malfunctioning but that makes total sense. Thank you!
How long is the collar made to last? Do you have to replace batteries?
That's a good question! Hopefully it lasts a really long time. I know you can get replacement static contact points, and I believe the collar band itself is now replaceable. We've only had this new collar a couple months now, but it shows exactly zero signs of wear and tear so far.
Does your property have any heavy tree canopy? Any issues with not having GPS coverage? I currently use a Tractive GPS collar which doesn't "fence", but just alerts and tracks if Raven leaves the property.
Yes, tons of trees and no issues with the latest collar.
For the subscription/ app can you both use it (monitor or recall) at the same time or is it one at a time (one person can monitor or make corrections / recall)? If you have two dogs do you need multiple subscriptions?
I'm really not sure! You'll have to contact Spot On, as we haven't needed multiple collars.
We just purchased this… hasn’t even arrived yet but I have a question. My in laws have a farm and we will be making their property one of our fence locations. Will they be able to still use this collar when dog sitting for us, without the app, or will they need the app? It sounds like once I set the boundary and save the fence (and once dog is trained), we should be good to go with just them having the collar and charger?
Hey Shaunna! To change Fences from your home to a separate location, you'll need to change it within the app, so it knows which Fence is active. Technically, if you drop off the dog at your in-laws, and change it to their fence before you go, they won't need the app for any reason. Would be advised to make sure your dog understands that new fence's boundaries before leaving them.
Interested and researching the spot on for my dogs. I noticed in this video at 7 min 58 seconds I see a Pyrenees. do you use the collar with him? That is the type dog we have just looking to see if it helps them
We do not use the SpotOn fence for our Pyrenees (she lives with the goats in their movable fenced paddock full time), but I’ve started to see some UA-camrs make videos about how they’ve successfully used it with their LGDs! I would just do a lot of research before making the investment because I know Pyrenees can be an extra stubborn breed and a little more difficult to train that other breeds.
@@firepinkfarmtn I just found my GP climbing onto my garage roof !!!!!! Idk how he did it - either climbed the tree onto the roof or, the scaled the 8' fence to get up and over !!!
@@thistledewoutdoors3331 lol, we have had a long battle / game going on for years with our Pyrenees! Seriously, your comment made me laugh!
Nice video, so collar has to be charged daily?
It does need to be charged daily. Esmy spends all day outside, but sleeps indoors so it’s perfect for us.
@@firepinkfarmtn thanks for replying
Have you ever experienced the dog crossing the fence line?
Only in the time we mentioned in this video. She has been really, really good!
The color looks rather stiff. Do you think it’s comfortable for your dog?
It's actually pretty flexible-definitely a lot more flexible than the previous generation. If you are using the static correction, the probes are always going to be a slightly uncomfortable for the dog, but the collar part is totally fine!
Our golden ret3puppy is 11 weeks old, is that too young for a spot on collar?
Spot On says the fence can be used for a puppy, but advises your dog be fully grown before using the collar, and 6 months old at least until static correction is used.
What if you have more than one dog? Do you have to have a separate system for each dog? Or can you just buy mulitiple collars?
They might give a discount for multiple dogs, but definitely would need two collars. I believe you should be able to share boundaries and all that. Check the website to be sure since we haven’t dealt with trying to fence in two dogs.
Will this work in snowy and no sun conditions?
Yes, had worked through all seasons for us
I'm torn about buying this. I hear great things about the collar (60 days, 90 days into use) but the ppl who have experienced issues and had to warranty their collars, it sounds like Spot On is a nightmare to deal with and are difficult to get ahold of. That doesn't seem to be your experience though. I would need two collars, which would cost about $2600 Canadian so the poor reviews on customer service and warranty are making me nervous to buy. How is your collar now, one year later?
Our experience with Spot On has only been good, even before we partnered together for this second review. Our first video is super honest and critical about certain issues, but the response we got from the company was always helpful. The second edition fixed a bunch of the weak points, and now in May 2024, the collar is still working great for Esmy. She has free rein of 30 acres, and is doing well.
Btw, collars are $999 right now, and you can get $25 off with our code in the show notes. So technically only $1950 USD for two : )
How long does the collar last?
Not sure that they say how long it lasts, but there’s a 1 year warranty.
Why did it take you six weeks to train your dog?
She had some difficulty with a few things, but Spot On hooked us up with a trainer to work with those issues by phone. It's been so long, that I can't fully remember.
Could this device be used on pet rabbits?
I wouldn’t try it on any other species besides a canine
$1295 is hard to swallow for this dog collar. many features, but....
Only $1195 with our code and link 😀
How much is a fence for your property?
That's what I'm considering right now for a place we might buy, and a dog we might "inherit".
This seems much less expensive than a fence for several acres.
What breed of dog is that?
She's a hound of some kind!
@@firepinkfarmtn thanks! She’s got beautiful coloring and features! I asked because I adopted a stray that showed up on my farm and he has a German shepherd body type but near identical coloring to yours.
I cannot get this collar to connect to Bluetooth to save my life. So aggravating
First or second Gen? The first one is difficult to connect, but it’s been fixed in Gen 2
@@firepinkfarmtn second generation
Hmm, I’m not sure as it’s super easy for us to connect! Definitely don’t be shy to use customer service.
I definitely wouldn't let that dog run about 30acres by itself - Yotes will kill it quick once they move in and claim territory...... I had to get 2 GPs for the coyotes - the wolves have never been a problem, never...... But the coyotes - they're everywhere and way too brave !!!
Esmy sleeps inside and our Pyrenees gets to do the night watch.
My GPS can't even find my house
Which GPS? The collar?
What they don't tell you some dogs have thick hair on their necks won't work the prongs wear to tight created sores on neck nothing is what it ever seems 🤷
I’ve got a similar fence for my Akita. He needs longer prongs and it irritated his skin at first but after a few weeks he’s fine and has been wearing it for nearly 2 years.
They make prongs for long hair dogs and you really don't need the prongs after the dog has learned the boundary. The sound warning will be enough.
We'd recommend shaving the spot where the prongs go while training to make sure it's getting good contact.
Paid for commercial
I’m the very first minute, we mention that SpotOn gave the 2nd generation Collar to us for an honest review.
sad you still have to walk the boundary...seems like coordinating with google earth you could set it up in the app
You can change boundaries with the app now!