107 of 107 people found the following review helpful:
way better than expected
I bought this after having a company come out and quoted a price of $1,583 to install a wireless fence. We have a little over half an acre and there was more than enough included wire to install. I rented a gas edger at Ace for $23 for a couple hours. And used a thin piece of plastic to push the wire in the slot from the edger. I was very leary of doing it myself but...
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Worked for us in the end, but setting the boundary width is tricky in a small or narrow yard
Installation was not difficult. Using a drill to twist the lines worked really well.
Only one complaint. We have a long, narrow lot with a house close on one side and a fence on the other. The boundary width is adjustable, but at the low (narrowest) settings, the signal seems inconsistent (as in the boundary width is different at different places along...
This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
I bought this after having a company come out and quoted a price of $1,583 to install a wireless fence. We have a little over half an acre and there was more than enough included wire to install. I rented a gas edger at Ace for $23 for a couple hours. And used a thin piece of plastic to push the wire in the slot from the edger. I was very leary of doing it myself but didn't want to spend the money having it done. And I'm glad I did because installing this thing was so easy I couldn't believe it.
Now as far as effective it WORKS! Our black lab was very easy to train. In a week of walking her around the yard showing her the flags she figured it out. She is also a lot more laid back in the yard. Instead of chasing birds and rabbits she now sits there and watches them. I recommend this product to everyone. The collar takes regular 9 volt batteries so no special ordering and paying an arm and a leg for them. However I would not use it on a very small dog because the collar is pretty wide and the box isn't as small as others. There are others at Amazon that would be better for a tiny dog.
Everything needed other than the edger was included in the box. Also took about 3-4 hours to install from start to finish.
UPDATE:3-21-08 After having this for nearly a year we are still very happy with it. I was worried it wasn't working because I never have seen the low battery indicator light up on the collar. So I tested it and it is still good. So after 11 months we have not had to replace the 9-volt battery. It also has no interference with our neighbors underground fence either.
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
They really thought of everything with this one! I love the added vibration feature on the collar as an additional warning to the dog. I've had and used many other systems throughout the various homes I've owned, but this is the most comprehensive system yet.
The collar unit is a bit large, but that's necessary to acccomodate the 9-Volt Battery. Which is great because battery replacement isn't a problem!!!
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
This review may be a bit premature because I only finished the fence and started training yesterday, however, I must say that I am extremely pleased with both the product and the results that it has had for our two yellow Labrador retrievers. They have quickly learned what their boundaries are and won't even go near the line of flags outlining their outer limits.
The system is comprehensive in that just about everything is adjustible from the range of the boundary to the level of correction and even the type of correction. I have the collars set on 2, the lowest correction and it's more than enough for our Labs to get the idea that once the collar starts to buzz and beep that a static correction is not far behind.
When they say that the system comes with everything you need, they mean it. It comes with 1000 feet of wire - if I ever need to replace my fence I have more than enough line to do the whole perimiter again, about 15,000 sq ft. You don't have to buy the special twisted wire either - just twist it up yourself to create an area of cancelled signal.
My hope is not to create a situation where my dogs get shocked - I intend to follow the training guide to the letter so that they KNOW their limits and stay well within them, thus allowing them more time to be where they should be anyway without my worrying that they will take off only to get into heaven knows what.
My only regret with this system is that I didn't buy it sooner.
Patrick Gleason
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
Our lab/hound cross has been jumping our 4 ft fence so we decided to install this invisible fence along our existing fence line. I downloaded the manual online before I purchased this (highly recommended) to make certain this product would work with our yard configuration. The manual had several yard diagrams including one identical to our yard! I looked at a lot of invisible fences and this one has some great features that others do not (adjustable everything, 9V battery, plenty of wire, thorough manual). You can tell this is a higher quality system.
**A piece of advice** If you are running this wire along an existing chain link fence, the manual says that you can weave the wire through the chain link or zip-tie it. DO NOT attempt to weave this wire through the chain link if you have anything more than a 40x40 yard. We have .35 acres and by the time we laid out the wire per the instructions and then tried to weave 800 ft of wire through the chain link it was a total mess. It kept getting tangled and snagged. I ended up cutting it in three places to get it untangled. We switched to zip ties for the wire that ran along the top of the fence and that took about 1/10 of the time. Total install time: 8 hours but it should have only taken 4.
Started our training last night. Our poor dog is associating eating pieces of chicken off the grass with getting shocked. Will continue the training until she realizes it's the flags that she should be worried about...not the chicken.
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
I can't say enough good things about this fence. After months of chasing our dogs down at the neighbors, and fretting over the cost of a fence for over a 1/2 acre of yard, we settled on this. With this fences low low cost, we were able to fence in the entire acre instead of just half and they have a bunch more room to run.
We have been using this fence for well over two months now.
It is a wonderful thing to not have a fence blocking our views (lake) and not having the upkeep of a wooden or metal fence. Not to mention we'd have to weed eat all along a conventional fence, with this, you can mow right over it.
At first I was worried our dogs wouldn't venture in the yard to play and run as they were SO obedient of the fence they stayed really close to the back door. But after some additional training/playing with them in the yard and feeding them treats all over the yard, they finally got the full idea of the boundaries. I am sure some of that was our training abilities, or maybe that they are such sensitive dogs. Now they run for hours and we never worry, and when they come inside they are tired and have a good sleep!
I have the collars set on 2, the lowest correction and it's more than enough for our Standard Poodles to get the idea that once the collar starts to buzz and beep that a static correction is not far behind.
SUCCESSFUL TESTING:
Our dogs have been tested with many birds, squirrels on the property edge, horseback riders on the road, cats walking the perimeter of the yard, people walking by...you name it, and they have never ventured as far as getting shocked. Only once (with the cat) did they even get close enough for the collar to beep, and that turned them right back around to stay in the yard.
THIS FENCE IS WONDERFUL and only about 5-8% of the cost of an above ground fence (for us) even with the additional collar we had to buy.
I love that is takes NORMAL BATTERIES; it will be a breeze to change them out.
Careful with the collars and the sensitivity of your pets neck. Once they were fully trained, I loosened up the collar and now I believe just the weight of it is enough for them and the contacts don't need to be touching their skin.
Totally recommended!
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
I first purcashed and intstalled a cheaper fence system. The control was very bad. It was shocking my dog inside our house on the lowest setting. So, returned it and got the Petsafe SDF-100. What a great system. The boundry control is great. It warns the dog with a beep and vibration. My dog has done great with this new system after only a couple of days. Do not mess with cheaper systems and no need to pay more, this sytem works great.
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
Installation was not difficult. Using a drill to twist the lines worked really well.
Only one complaint. We have a long, narrow lot with a house close on one side and a fence on the other. The boundary width is adjustable, but at the low (narrowest) settings, the signal seems inconsistent (as in the boundary width is different at different places along the length of the wire.) At first I turned it down to a low setting so that the dog could pass safely from the front yard to the back, but then she could run right through the fence elsewhere without getting a "static correction". When I widened the boundary to keep the dog from running through the fence in those places, she couldn't get by the sides of the house to get to the front yard without getting buzzed. We tried to set it at a compromise level, but never found a workable setting where the boundary was complete but where the dog wouldn't be shocked when she was simply trying to move from front to back.
What we ended up doing was let her be shocked a couple of times so that she would associate the flags and the sound and vibration of the collar, then we turned the shock off (just let the collar vibrate and ring). This has worked well, she does not cross the boundary, and we don't have to worry about her getting shocked when she is standing in her own yard. Bottom line, this may not be the best system if you have a small yard, or one that has an unusual or narrow shape. I'm sure it would be much better on a square quarter acre or larger.
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
I did a lot of research before buying this product, and ended up buying this brand for the positive reviews, and good name.
It works, and has made my home more delightful. My dog loves to run in the yard, and was miserable being tied to a run. He is very fast, and before we had this fence would get loose frequently... every time directly into traffic.
The price of this product is reasonable when compared to some of the others on the market, and it seems that you get good value for the cost. It sure beats having to pay an emergency vet bill with the dog finally gets hit or causes an accident.
I have two small complaints about the product, and something I think people should be aware of when buying this product.
First, I find that the fence doesn't give the dog as much warning as I would prefer. You can change the setting to allow the for maximum amount of beeping warning before the dog is shocked, but it significantly cuts down on the "free" area. In my case, if I were to turn the fence to a higher warning level, the dog would not be able to pass between the house and the fence to get from the backyard to the front yard. I personally wish that the dog was given more time to react to the beeping warning before the shock correction.
Second, the training manual in the product didn't work for my morals. In a number of instances it tells you to trick the dog into going out of range while you are training them, sometimes by throwing a treat out of range, and other times by going out of range and calling the dog. I preferred not to have the dog associate the shock with being with me, so after the initial few shocks, and the showing the dog his boundaries, I allowed him to roam for small periods while I observed from my porch. In the few following times that he was shocked, he ran directly for me or the house, and eventually would run for the house when beeped.
It may be different for a less timid dog, however it was something I thought people should think about first.
That all being said I love this product, we are all happy... including the dog :)
PS. do get the power edger, I couldn't imagine doing the instillation without it! we found an attachment for our weed-wacker right at home depot.
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
The SportDog In-Ground Radio Fence Collar works very well with the Petsafe SportDog In-Ground Radio Fence System. I have 2 big, rambunctious, chocolate labs who used too jump the fence or take-off every chance they got and the radio fence and collars have put an end to that. Now my dogs are safely contained on my property. This has given me peace of mind and my sanity back!
The only thing I want to say in regards to the collar is that it must be on tight in order for it to work properly. I hate feeling like I am choking my dogs when I put their collars on, but that's the trade-off to insure their containment.
I would highly recommend the SportDog Collar for use with the SportDog In-Ground Fence system. I have been using 2 collars for about a month and they have worked great (only 1 escape and that is from the collar not being tight enough). I really like the adjustable distance and beeper warning settings that the SportDog system allows. The collars, as well as the control box, are adjustable and offer flexability in allowing my dogs to roam a larger area (I have a 1/2 acre), and let me set how close or how far away they can get to the boundary.
The In-Ground system took about 2 days for my husband to install. We have very rocky ground and are on a hill, so it was tough digging. It was very easy to train the dogs to understand the flags and the beeping sound. Now as soon as they hear their collars beeping, they turn and run the other way! Using this system has been a real time and sanity saver for me. No more walking the neighborhood looking for my dogs because they are now safe at home. Halleluhah, wish I would have bought it sooner, it has been well worth the money!
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This review is from: SportDOG SDF-100 In-Ground Fence System (Misc.)
We bought this for our 7 month old Newfoundland who likes to roam into the neighbors yards. We have about 1 1/4 acres but he seemed to like the neighbors areas better than ours.
Installation wasn't the easiest but we knew that going in since we were going to lay about 800' of wire. We did it all by hand utilizing a flat shovel to open a slot in the ground for the wire. Wire is buried 2-4 inches. Took about 12 hrs. for this part. Final connection to the transmitter was a breeze. All toll we had it up and running in 1 weekend.
We started out setting the collar to the lowest level, wanting to see if our 100# baby could feel it at all. Trust me he did. When we took him out the first time with the collar on he wanted to see what the new flags were in the yard. These are the flags you install where the wire is so the dogs get a sense of where they can and can't go. After that initial shock, he won't go within 6' of the flags. He's a quick learner. We have had it installed for 3 weeks now and while we are outside with him there is no problem with him staying in his own yard.
I've set the collar up to the medium level and actually tried holding the contacts and walking through the wire myself. While not painful, the shock is substantial. I'm sure this item would work for more agressive dogs.
All in all it is a quality item, easy to follow instructions and it does exactly what it is intended for.
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