Thanks, glad you liked it!

I've been using the Tractive XL Adventure for a little while. It's worthless as a containment collar, but I found it works remarkably well (at least so far) as a purely tracking device. Better than Fi anyway. My biggest problem with Fi was their customer service, who tried to tell me that my visual assessment of the tracking feature was actually incorrect and that the lines I could clearly see on the map were not really there. It was the most bizarre interaction I've ever had with a customer service rep.😂

I also have a fenced-in yard, three sides chainlink, and one side 6-foot privacy fence. My Dobermans can jump all of the above lol, even though it's more of a scale-jump on the privacy fence. I use the SpotOn and I will admit, it takes a bit of tinkering, especially when you have to deal with "fence drift", something that affects the exact location of each fence line, shifting it a few feet one way or the other periodically (GPS is rarely precise). I set the boundaries to match my fence line since the collar gives off a warning when they're right up close to the fence. I trained my dogs by taking them all the way to the fence, or through an opening (if necessary due to fence drift), and right when the collar went off, pulled them back and rewarded them with a treat. It took a day and a half, maybe two, of consistently teaching them until they no longer attempted to jump the fence. Of course, I have no idea what they're thinking but I imagine it's more of a "if the collar vibration goes off, head back in for a treat" thing than any kind of detrimental feeling. Everybody's dogs are different, but I know German Shepherds are pretty sharp. I would focus on teaching your GS how to respond to the collar, rather than the fence line. That way, you can use the collar anywhere and always get the same response. The collar goes off = return home.

It does if you choose to use it. The shocks aren't potent from what I understand. I've never even placed the probes on my Halo to check them out, only to show them on video. My dogs were bothered enough by the vibration and tone that I was able to use that to train them.

@@WorldAnimalFdn Thank you for the reply. I have a rat terrier who is very smart, very obedient - but sneaky when I'm not looking. Considering a non-shock training device.

It is very expensive! You can get discounts here and there and we offer codes from time to time as well, but even with the discounts, it’s definitely a pricey collar. The battery life makes sense, however, when you consider everything the collar does at any given time. It’s consistently updating every six seconds or so, running Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and your cell carrier. It’s constantly communicating to one degree or another and you can still get 35+ hours out of it in Extended Battery Life Mode-all on a fairly tiny battery. I completely understand the hesitancy though.

Yes, it’s definitely an expensive smart collar-no getting around that. But it does a lot more than tracking. It’s been a very effective training and containment system for our Dobermans. There are some purely tracking collars on the market like the Tractive. I would recommend it purely for tracking purposes. Its escape alert is pretty sluggish in terms of response time.

SpotOn will usually have a sale going on at some time or another in the Spring. In fact, they have sales cropping up throughout the year with decent regularity. They have one going on right now and I just released a video on it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/marHmaCBj6hnf9k

The minimum space for the SpotOn is 1/2 acre. You're close but should be within the window. I always recommend the SpotOn. Yeah, it's the more expensive option but you don't have to pay a subscription just for containment. The Halo 4 had some issues when it was first released. Halo announced that they were aware of them and released a software update. Since that update, it has performed much better for me, especially in more recent videos, including under a heavy tree canopy. I still lean toward the SpotOn for consistency over a long period of time. The Halo 4 is performing much better now, but those first few tests keep me on the fence about it. As time goes on and it continues to perform with the same level of accuracy, I'll feel much better about it. Hope that helps! If you decide on any of these collars, here are some exclusive discounts: Save $75 on the SpotOn GPS Fence by using code 'WAF' at checkout: spotonvirtualfence.sjv.io/gOR0r5 Save an Extra $25 on the Halo Collar: www.pjatr.com/t/8-12851-286521-281980?sid=yt-cmnt%20spoton%20favorite%20features&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.halocollar.com%2Fshop-wireless-dog-fence%2F

If it makes you feel any better, Halo was recently made aware of an issue with the GPS capabilities of the collar and released an update. In my most recent testing of the Halo 4, the efficiency was much improved. In one instance, it responded quicker in the woods than the SpotOn, which surprised me because the SpotOn has always been very reliable for me. I feel like overall, the Halo 4 is performing much better than it did on release.

Did you have to train yours for 4 hours a day????? or be a strong professional trainer ????I really want one, but I’m gonna have about two hours a day 4 training outside in me 😩…. the dog can be outside longer with me, but only 2 hours of doing dog activities/ training ….doing dogs activities two hours is where I draw the line. so I don’t wanna get one and be a bad owner or do them a disservice … what are your thoughts

@@KatieWyt44 Don't let other owners scare you about this breed. they are demanding, but 2 hours is fine as long as its meaningful engagement in play/training/stimulation. That's just my opinion tho. Some days he just plays with our other dog all day when I can't get outside and he is fine (mine lives in the backyard not in the house, but is allowed in on a very limited basis). The key is also spending time with him. Take him in the car, to the store, hug him, cradle their little head while looking in their eyes. I never had a dog that I can truly feel his love and loyalty towards me like my maligator - and I am not a dog person, well I wasn't before. Once they really get love from you, training is easier because they love you so much they want to work hard at reciprocating because they are truly a loving breed. But I would also ask an expert because they are a working dog breed, but can be great family pets. I built a little obstacle course in my back yard and run him through it a few times for maybe 1 hour, then go do 10 min activities and training several times per day. Overall I may spend a collective 2 hours a day focused solely on my dog. When I have time its more

No, all Tractive devices use WIFI, GPS, cellular coverage, and Bluetooth. It just doesn’t use them to the same extent some of the more premium trackers do-for containment. You can create invisible boundaries for the Tractive, but I find it far more useful as almost a purely tracking device.

I had the same issue I pointed out in an older video. The route was different from where I walked/ I contacted customer service and the guy tried to convince me that the incorrect route it drew out was actually correct, even though it wasn’t what I walked. 😂

I'm glad the SpotOn is working out for you! It's definitely my preferred collar over the bunch and the lack of subscription certainly helps!

I always recommend SpotOn over Halo. Even the original version of the SpotOn has been more accurate and consistent for me than the Halo 3 or Halo 4. The Halo 4 is still probably the second-best smart collar on the market and I hope they fix the issues with an update soon. The only drawback with the SpotOn is they're so expensive, but at least there's no subscription if you just want to contain your dog. If you’re interested in the SpotOn GPS Fence, here’s an exclusive discount offer: Save $75 on the SpotOn GPS Fence by using code 'WAF' at checkout: spotonvirtualfence.sjv.io/21GNNQ

The smallest neck a SpotOn collar will work with is 10". The blocky sections, split in two, make it difficult for anything smaller than that.

I've heard a bit about the Pawtronic and will have to add it to my list of things to look at. I appreciate the suggestion!

Don’t worry, I get this one about “hearing the tones” quite a bit. The SpotOn features tones that are really high-pitched, matching a dog’s hearing much better than a human’s. It’s difficult for me to hear as well but my dogs react immediately. If you live in the city and have a lot of buildings around you, I’d be careful going with the Halo 4. It’s a solid collar but it still has issues that carried over from Halo 3-mainly that it struggles a bit around buildings and trees. Check the training guides available on the SpotOn app and you can probably work with your dog to learn the proper response to the tones and vibration, if you have the time. Hope that helps!

If you’re really interested in a halo collar, here are some discounts: Save an Extra $25 on the Halo Collar: www.pjtra.com/t/8-12851-286521-281980?sid=yt-%20cmnt%20spoton%20vs%20halo%204&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.halocollar.com%2Fshop-wireless-dog-fence%2F

Good deal! Glad to hear it’s working out well for you. The SpotOn is definitely my favorite because it’s so accurate all the time. Both of mine are looking pretty dirty as well but they still function just fine. They are waterproof, however, if you ever feel the need to give it a scrub down.

Basically, it just means setting up one fence in your yard, for instance, and maybe a second fence at your friend's house, assuming you and your dog go over there a lot. I have four fences in Florida (one in my yard and the remaining three for testing purposes) and one at my parent's house in Tennessee because we visit two times a year. They don't go away just because your app is focused on the fence you're currently using. They sit in the background, deactivated or activated according to your needs. When we travel to Tennessee, I deactivate my yard fence and, once we're inside the boundary in Tennessee, activate the one that's been sitting there for half a year, waiting on us to come back.

They sure can. However, you can train them using the collar. I don't personally use the shock correction because the vibration and high-pitch whistle/tone are more than enough to startle my dogs. But, I just took them out to the invisible fence line, walked them close enough to set it off, and pulled them back, rewarding them with a treat each time. Took about a day and a half or so. However, one time my female Dobie, Athena, went after a stray cat and Athena actually jumped to the top of our 6' privacy fence in the back. I have an invisible line set right on the physical fence but she hit it so fast it took the collar a few seconds to go off. The vibration and noise scared her so much that she couldn't jump back over the fence she just jumped over. I had to jump the fence myself, pick her up, explain to my neighbor why I'm walking through their yard carrying a freaking Doberman, and bring her back. Most dogs (not all, but most), will try to return to their comfort zone when startled or afraid. For most, that's the house they live in. So, yeah, it can happen, but with the training, that collar will overwhelm any interest in a squirrel, rabbit, cat, or whatever, and turn them around again.

30 mins prior to the dog trainer who wanted to charge me 2500 for 8 one hour lessons came by…my husky type dog twisted off the zip line I left him on for "just a minute"…leapt over the fence or now I think pushed over a weak back fence I have since reinforced with posts. He used to go for an hour, to three then this time didn't come back all nite. I honestly decided he's a free spirit…he can go where he wants. I'm done. Then early the next morning I heard a light bark (guy rarely barks) and whimpering. There he was (I did leave the gate cracked open just in case) limping and a scrape on his leg. I took him back but only because I honestly feel like he may have come to the end of himself in some way that night. I've been leash walking him and studying youtubes. I've dispelled the idea of the trainer as I think one hour is too long to commit to per session anyway. I definately think 15 minutes multiple times a day would work better. Do you agree? And I honestly would prefer a lighter e collar, like the mini educator…but that may just be me. If I could train with the spot on I'd definately try to do that. I realize ground work without anything is essential. But we ARE dealing with a husky. A breed I've had in the past…when times were different…and he could come and go pretty much as he wanted. Mostly he stayed. I loved that guy to the moon.

The differences between the two are minimal, however, there is one standout feature-the Adventure Edition features a fiberglass-reinforced casing, so it's a little more robust than the regular Tractive XL. According to their marketing, they do boast a longer battery life with the Adventure XL, but they're also marketing it (especially with its more rugged appearance) as a GPS tracker for those who spend a lot of time outdoors with their dogs. That means it's going to get a lot more use for most. More use generally = lower battery life. In my experience, it's roughly the same as the original Tractive XL, maybe a little longer. But, that can be attributed to the fact that I've had the original Tractive XL for longer, so the Adventure version's battery is more fresh.