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Rating:  -
I bought this three years ago, no problem, nill. I LOVE IT!! It came with specific instructions on setup and detailed instructions for training. Those who don't love it, either didn't follow the directions or didn't follow through with the training, both of which take time and commitment. I even trained my friends' dogs on it with extra collars I keep around, so their dogs wouldn't dig in my flowers. I have had to replace the batteries in the collars only once in the three years. I got it because one of my dogs was a jumper...but no more. You'll love it, I promise.
Rating:  -
It's a lovely fall Sunday, and here we are, into Hour 8, trying to figure out how to install the fence so that our planting areas are protected, while providing maximum play area for our pet.
Here's what you need to know before buying this product:
1) There is NO customer service on Sunday. When they ARE available, it's eastern hours.
2) If you have a complicated layout in mind, and no electrical acumen, either hire someone to do it for you or get a wireless unit (a wireless unit, of course, will diminish your pet's play area unless you have a perfectly round lot-- or you can spread the perimeter into the neighbors' yards, I suppose. We just bought one, even though my husband's not completely given up on the in-ground fence just yet. Still, if she sees a squirrel in our front yard, we fear she'll blast through the wireless boundary...).
3) That pet fence planning software they talk about on the DVD? The one you can supposedly download onto your computer? Doesn't exist.
4) If you want to get fancy with what areas you want to protect, and what areas you want to allow your pet access to, you'll have to essentially make two boundaries, taking care they're at least 3-5' apart. We're wondering, if we plant the wires 3' apart, and we turn up the boundary control to 2' on either side, will that cancel each other out? And what's with the need for twisting two wires together (but ONLY on a loop!) to create a dead spot so our dog can enter the back yard? And how do we make sure the entry isn't too narrow?
It's horrible, but until today, we'd never considered putting the dog to sleep (thanks, Petsafe! Might as well call you Pet-to-Sleep!). Seriously, how much money do you invest in a wayward pet you've tried your darnedest to train?
I want to assure you, we will not be putting Sadie down, although that's what my mother-in-law is suggesting, and after all the frustration, is beginning to sound more reasonable. Thank goodness we love our dog and are UNreasonable, but PetSafe would seem a good deal more reputable if they had customer service on the weekends, and delivered on everything they promised on the package and in the instructional DVD.
Rating:  -
Beware Petsafe products!! We had a transmitter go bad under warranty and it has now been three weeks in coming. The company says our transmitter is on back order and won't tell us when we can get it. They don't have any other solutions but to make you wait forever for them to replace their faulty product. Meanwhile, our dogs make a run for it every time we let them out to go to the bathroom!
Rating: -
It was the best purchase I've ever made. When introducing your pet to the device, be patient. Make sure to use positive reinforcement. The directions tell you it is a 30-day training process with you dog. It actually only took 2-days for us. I repeat, it was the best purchase I've ever made!
Rating: -
If you're going to buy an in-ground fence, make sure you understand it only works if the wire is UN-BROKEN. In other words, I bought one of these fences for normal use in a back yard application for a small home in a typical subdivision and occasionally the wire is eaten by some underground nasty, or cut by a kid, a workman or a dog digging.
I have two small Pugs who dig under the physical wood fence in the backyard. I can tell you they seem to be out running around pretty often, so you also need to check if the fence is working pretty regularly, since you'll never know until you see your pet bounding across the street one afternoon with their "shock" collar on, when they should be safely contained in the yard.
The manufacturer really should advertise that eventually you'll need the Petsafe RFA-50 Boundary Wire Break Locator, which is another $70.00 on top of the original purchase, because finding an underground break is almost impossible. Be advised that if the wire is not completely broken "a partial break" the Petsafe RFA-50 Boundary Wire Break Locator will not even help you and a laborious process of digging up, then cutting and splicing underground wire will ensue to find your break.
All in all, the whole underground "invisible fence" is a great idea, and very appealing. It works as long as there are no breaks, so be aware that you need to be part electrician and part trouble shooter, as my unit has been replaced once under warranty, and I'm now trying to find a break that I'm not sure exists. Remember, you're going to need a Pet safe RFA-50 Boundary Wire Break Locator eventually.
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