SpotOn vs Halo Dog Fence - Which One Deserves Your Trust?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Which features matter most to you in a GPS dog fence?

[@iceman7986]

Thank You for the review! I have been on the fence about these two. My pupper that was shot by the neighbor on my land(she never did anything wrong) was named Athena, loved her more than anything and everything man. This is my reason to purchase these sir. Thank You for your review. This really helps.

[@matthewblainefilms]

Great content! One of the most thorough out there!

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Glad it was helpful!

[@brieanastraiton3665]

Im curious if this works as a corrective collar too. Like if the dog isnt listening or whatever the case and i need to buzz her. Is that possible for either of these?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

No, it doesn't work as a corrective collar. There's no app control or button you can push to make the collars go off with any degree of quickness and precision required to properly correct your dog's behavior on a dime. I have an ultrasonic dog deterrent that worked wonders for one of my Dobermans. Early on, she was very aggressive and I didn't want to use anything that shocked her so I purchased an ultrasonic deterrent and it did the trick. Anytime she took an aggressive stance with another dog or a person, I could correct her with a one to two second button press and release. Humans can't hear it but dogs can and they don't like the noise. It makes them uncomfortable and is useful across a fairly large stretch of real estate. You can find them on Amazon for as low as $15 bucks. They cause no physical harm and I've found it to be highly effective. Just be sure to reward your dog for behaving as well. Its incredible how much more effective rewards are in correcting behavior.

[@jefferykesler3933]

Great video. My yard is 50’x100’. Which collar do you think would be more accurate with the boundaries?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

The SpotOn recommends a yard no smaller than 1/2 a square acre, 80’ at its narrowest point. However, the Halo recommends a minimum of 25’ x 25’. The SpotOn is definitely more accurate but I think the borders are so large that your dog won’t have much room in a 100’ x 50’ yard. There’s a border with the Halo as well, but it’s not as stringent. I would advise the Halo 3, but if you have a heavy tree canopy over your yard, that presents its own problems as well.

[@WillVTT]

I bought the Halo collar about a year ago, and although the accuracy hasn't been great it's worked well enough. One complaint is that if you don't have cell service, you can't give your dog a correction, and the app is slow even when you're in service range and want to give a correction. So not very practical for adventures. But for containing my dog at home it's been ok. What really grinds my gears is that when I signed up the subscription plan was $4.99/month, and they've just doubled that price. This feels like a bait-and-switch to me, and a terrible way to treat customers. I wrote them about it, and they just told me how to cancel my subscription. So, I'm thinking of trying some other brand of dog collar just on principle. I don't want to support a business that treats its customers this way.

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

I would suggest SpotOn, but it’s even more expensive than the Halo. My Halo 3 and Halo 2+ do pretty well but the SpotOn is a little more accurate with Forest Mode. It also has an off-grid mode so you can make a fence with no signal at all. Plus, the SpotOn doesn’t require a monthly subscription for containment, only if you want to use it as a tracking device as well.

[@wisnerfishing6872]

Can either collar be used for static or vibration correction by hand. For instance, if the dog starts chasing an animal and you want the dog to "leave it"

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

With the SpotOn collar, the only time the pup would receive static correction is if they challenge and leave their fence boundary so they do not become confused with where their boundary lines are. There is not actively a static button to command your pup, although on the track page of the app, there is a "recall" button that sends a whistle tone to the collar to call them back to you.

[@roydavis1955]

Halo can, there's a little blue hand on the app at the corner of the map, tap it and you can choose what ever option you want, static, beep, whistle, ect.

[@CStiltner]

I am researching the Halo 3 but i live in Alaska. I have internet through MTA and phone service through AT&T. Do you have any information on how well the Halo 3 works or other Halo 3 clients here in Alaska?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

I can’t say how well the Halo 3 will work in that scenario. It has universal cell coverage, meaning that it will switch to whatever carrier provides the best signal in the area, whether that’s AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. It also uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. It might be better to consider the SpotOn. The SpotOn only uses two carriers (though it features more GPS accuracy, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth as well) but it also features an “Off-Grid” mode, specifically designed for creating a virtual fence in areas that have no signal, or spotty signal. You can only make the one fence, but you can definitely make it without a signal.

[@lukedorsett]

Do they require cell coverage to work. I live in a location with no cell signal.

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Your Collar will need to be cellular enabled in order to send the location of your dog to your smartphone so you can track them. While creating fences and containing your dog only uses GPS, which is available anywhere on Earth and is free, GPS cannot send messages from your collar to your phone. You need cellular to do that. If your phone and collar are near each other, they can use Bluetooth so you can manage settings, static correction and load fences. Bluetooth only works at about 50 feet. For long distance communication, your collar needs a cellular subscription. This enables features such as seeing your dog’s location at anytime on the App, receiving escape notifications, and tracking your dog to their location should they escape. For this to work, both the collar and your phone have to have cellular service.

[@JoeFidler]

How many fences can you create with the Halo? Would like to allow them to roam about 5 acres but to stay out of where our chickens are . Then want to be able to create a fence when we go to my parents or my mother/father in law

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

The Halo 3 collar lets you create up to 20 fences. I have three of them myself. One at home, one at my in-laws, and one at my dad’s three states away. The Halo lets you create Keep Away zones and it also comes with a beacon. I use the beacon at the entrance to my chicken and duck areas because it’s designed to trigger the collars if your dog enters the bubble the Beacon creates. So you have both the beacon and keep away zones at your disposal. You can create a 5-acre fence or several within your 5 acres, but if you have trees throughout, you may want to try the SpotOn. I have a heavy tree canopy and sometimes it makes the Halo signal lag by about 2 to 3 seconds. An issue the SpotOn doesn’t really have because of the always active Forest Mode. Either way, you’ll want to take the time to train them how to react to the collar. The shock will dissuade them but I don’t like to use it. But, that’s entirely up to you. I just worked with them for a few days, using vibration and sound from the collars until they understood how to react. Halo is loaded with little guides but you will have to pay a subscription to use it. SpotOn is subscription free if you don’t need it for tracking.

[@travisparker3745]

Are they both waterproof?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Both collars (SpotOn 2nd Gen and Halo 3) are rated IP67, which means they can be submerged in water up to three feet.

[@lg8471]

Hey, I gotta tell you... You did a beautiful job putting this information together... It definitely collaborated with the points on other less than... videos... Like others, I'm sure, i was on the fence.... Looked at the, "SpotOn" collar MANY times, but the price was killing me. They were around 1,250.00ea. Nnew pricing dictated the item at 999.00. That with the 10% Military.... Good Deal.... helped me with my decisions... I had been waiting for the price to drop... Other videos stated that, "Halo" had dropped the signal upon approach to both levels of warning on the barriers which ultimately put the Dog WAY outside tge safe zones. Backing up, still no sounds... It finally had to re-learn that specific area, which was already MOOT by this time... The pooch wouldve been on tge street... which dictates the use of the collar to be less than what i would have wanted..... Plus, this issue would surely confuse the Dog. Again, thank you for helping me to get closer to a decision. I hope this comment helps you in some way.... We love our pups....

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

I recently tested out the Halo Collar 3rd Gen for a secondary review after having spent some time with it. I also have the Halo 2+ and I tested them against each other. Since I live under a heavy tree cover, I noticed that the 3rd generation hit pretty accurately, while the 2+ was just behind. It would go off like its supposed to, a few second after my dog crossed the line, but the GPS on the app would show her in a position that was less accurate than the 3rd gen. I think the Active Antenna in the 3rd Gen is doing what the Forest Mode in SpotOn does better, improving the signal through a heavy tree canopy. I appreciate the kind words and don't forget to use the code WAF when you checkout to knock an extra $50 off the SpotOn or Halo. They are pricey, but every little bit helps!

[@lg8471]

I purshased a SPOTON collar finally... It's been too cold to train Scooter... GPS... If you want I'll tell you about it... Let me know...

[@JohnSharpeJames]

GM Do these collars work outside of the USA? I have someone living in costa rica who wanted me to ask.

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

As long as you have access to cellular service and WiFi, the SpotOn or the Halo will work outside of the United States. The person in Costa Rica should double check with their carrier just to make sure, however.

[@JohnSharpeJames]

@@WorldAnimalFdn Thank you

[@MrJscol]

Does either offer 2 separate yard (house/office) ?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Both the Halo 3 and the SpotOn Gen 2 allow you to create multiple fences. In fact, I have three virtual fences with each collar, for each dog, indifferent places we visit frequently. I even have a SpotOn and Halo fence set up in a different state!

[@SarahanneSchloneger]

Do you have a active link/code? I tried to use the link but no discount was applied

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Great news! SpotOn Collar has recently reduced their price from $1,295 to $999, and you can get an additional $50 off by applying the discount code 'WAF' at checkout.

[@robertkeller6021]

Great video! With the Spot On, can you activate the subscription if the dog dies escape?

[@Nrxcody]

Please say it’s a typo

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Oops, looks like autocorrect has gone to the dogs this time - it should definitely be 'does' not 'dies' 😅 But to answer your question, the subscription for the SpotOn GPS Fence Collar should be activated with the collar close by. This way, you can ensure the subscription is connected to the collar before your dog tries to escape.

[@theinvisibleworld888]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@@Nrxcody

[@DBtheAlien]

How well do you think these GPS collars would work with a .59 acre cul-de-sac lot (pizza pie shaped, so most of the property is in the back yard) in a sub division?

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

You can draw the invisible fencing in any shape you need, even a pizza pie shape. Whichever collar you are using, they both allow you to calibrate the GPS signal until you get it as specific as possible. Both collars experience "drifting". Drifting is a degree of inaccuracy in the GPS signal, which causes your invisible fence to shift slightly, from time to time. I experience a foot or two of shift every now and then. There's also the boundary zone to consider. Wherever you draw an invisible line, imagine another, separate invisible line about ten feet within the invisible fence. If your dog crosses this interior line, it will get warnings. Going farther into the boundary sets off additional warnings and alerts. Ten feet is pretty deep, especially considering your stated property size. In fact, Halo states that the recommended size of your fencing should be at least 30 feet x 30 feet. Of course, that's a perfect square, so its nothing more than a suggestion.

[@charleneh8084]

Thank you for bringing up Halo is to bulky for real small dogs. That’s a shame because I really need the gps tracker that’s super accurate. My 6 pound Yorkie loves to try and escape and then hide. When she succeeds, I’m running around, like a chicken with my head, cut off, yelling and whistling and crying and almost having a heart attack until I find her.

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Yeah, its difficult for the really small dogs because most of these collars are really large and bulky on them. The Tractive is another collar I'm reviewing and it might be worth a try. You can use your own collar for it, though the device itself will probably be pretty big on your dog. The Tractive isn't designed to keep your dog inside a boundary but it does alert you when the dog goes outside of the virtual fence and I found its tracking feature to be pretty accurate, which may be pretty helpful if your dog is hiding. It also has a light that you can activate from the app if you're searching in the dark.

[@camillew4088]

A friend of mine uses a tile type of tracker on her small dog.

[@g080870]

Thank you:)

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Welcome!

[@yankiefrankie]

When you compare the fences, you mixed up the spoton and halo.

[@lg8471]

Too bad tgere wasnt a way to talk to the pup to hear your voice... There was a collar two years ago that actually did that... It may have been, "SpotOn".... Maybe they nixed the talking part to reduce costs, plus they probably priced it too high and figured they'd increase sales by taking off -300.00.... Im betting that was a good move for them...

[@WorldAnimalFdn]

Yeah, I knew there were collars out there that feature personalized voice recordings but I haven't tested any of them out yet. The Halo 3 uses whistles, though its not your own whistle. So far, I've relied on the vibration correction and training. If I end up reviewing a collar with that feature, I'll keep you in mind!