For a few decades, electronic fences (e-fences) have allowed dog owners to set up invisible boundaries to keep their dogs contained in safe locations – mainly yards and fields at home.
A new generation of devices, though, take those e-fences on the road. And while not all of them work efficiently in all situations (especially where cell service is lacking) one product proved to be a great tool for traveling dog adventurers.
The collar
SpotOn’s GPS Fence collar and app provide an invisible barrier and a gentle reminder to the dog not to cross that boundary. The closer the pup gets to the line, the stronger the disincentive provided through the collar. And for those who are squeamish about e-collars, note that we literally tested this one (and all other collars we’ve field tested) on ourselves, at ALL levels of input. The impulse ranges from a simple vibration to a mild static-electric ‘shock’ to something on par with a 9-volt battery bump. In short, these are attention-getters of escalating magnitude, but NOT painful experiences.
The collar’s GPS antenna rides at the back of the dog’s neck where it has access to satellites, and it can link to up to four GPS satellites simultaneously to better predict your dog’s true location.
The e-fence
To set up an e-fence, just open the SpotOn app on your fence, and start the mapping function. Walk the perimeter of the area to be fenced off and hit save. Once set up, SpotOn’s technology gathers the GPS data from motion sensors in the collar. This tracks your dog’s direction of movement and velocity. Then, SpotOn’s AI tools position your dog’s true location.
Working remotely
The SpotOn GPS Fence works wonderfully at home and in established campgrounds where cell service supports the app that drives the SpotOn service. But when out in remote camps where phones don’t have service, the SpotOn also provides stellar service. That’s thanks to the product’s Off-Grid mode.
To use Off-Grid, you can set up a ‘fence’ outline on the map in the app (make sure it’s already loaded on your phone before you get to camp) and then using the Bluetooth connection to the collar, push the GPS coordinates of the ‘fence’ to the collar. This
The bottom line
While e-fences aren’t for everyone, the SpotOn GPS Fence is a wonderful tool designed to keep dogs safe and secure at home and afield. The Sport GPS Fence device comes in three sizes covering dogs with necks sized 10 inches to 26 inches. $ 999. Buy now.
