I’m looking for opinions on wireless boundary collars. I’ve found two options and am trying to decide between them: the PetSafe wireless base station, which covers 3/4 of an acre, and the Halo Collar, which uses GPS.
Has anyone used the Halo Collar? Is it worth the extra cost, considering it’s more than twice as expensive? Also, how do you find the 10-12 hour battery life—does it become a hassle? How long does the battery typically last in real-world use?
I’m leaning towards the base station-supported option, as it seems sufficient for our needs. However, I like the flexibility of defining rectangular boundaries with the Halo Collar, rather than being limited to a circular area. This would also be helpful for traveling with our dogs, as we often visit grandparents and go on occasional camping trips.
I’d appreciate any thoughts or experiences you can share!
Setting aside the general concerns with devices like these, which others have already pointed out, the Halo collar, in particular, has some serious flaws.
It relies on GPS. Think about the last time you used GPS for something like Google Maps or Uber and experienced the frustration of it thinking you were on the wrong side of the road or several meters away from your actual location.
Now, imagine that every time the GPS gets it wrong, not due to anything you did, you get an electric shock on your neck. This could cause your muscles to spasm, potentially even around your airway, making it hard to breathe. And to make matters worse, you wouldn’t even know which way to move to stop the shock because the collar thinks you’re still in an “invalid” location. It’s shockingly inhumane when it malfunctions.
I believe that most people are generally against wireless boundary systems. This is partially due to the fact that the dogs won’t learn as much because the method is centered on punishment rather than reward. Furthermore, if the punishment is not linked to the right behavior, it could seriously harm the dog.
The dog might breach the boundary, for instance, to get a stick. Was the punishment imposed by the stick or an arbitrary point on the ground? Is this causing your dog to have a lifelong fear of sticks?
Admittedly, I’ve never used one, but after researching them, all I notice are problems. A real tether would be more beneficial for you.
Not a fan of the Halo collar! I’ve been trying to train my dog with it for the past month, and it’s been nothing but frustrating. I live in a nice neighborhood with plenty of distractions like bunnies, squirrels, and other dogs, which makes training challenging (for reference, I have a French Bulldog). While he does great with a regular leash and collar, the Halo collar has been a nightmare.
I’ve tried resetting the boundaries at least ten times, but it still beeps inconsistently, and the GPS tracking is terrible. Even after calibrating it almost every time I use it, the collar sometimes registers as being in my neighbor’s yard when it’s actually with me in my own yard.
The training system is another headache—it felt like going through a lesson designed for kids. I gave up after three days because I couldn’t even get to the fence-building part. The indoor training didn’t suit my dog at all, so we moved outside, but the inconsistent warning tones just confused him. And the support? Terrible. It’s all virtual until you finally get offered a phone number to call, and even then, the phone support hours are limited.
Do not recommend this collar, especially for the price!