Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have owned this system for a little over three years. It has been amazing. But it's a big investment. I have an Australian Shepherd that I had allowed to run loose at a previous house where I didn't have neighbors, street traffic, etc. After moving to the new house in a subdivision, I couldn't find anything to keep the dog close to home. He dug under or jumped over fences and would spend all day howling when he was chained. At 5 years old I thought he was pretty set in his ways. This system worked in a matter of minutes. I hooked up the transmitter and marked the circular area around the house where it started beeping. Then I put the collar on the dog without any charge and taught him that when he heard the sound to return to the house. After a couple of times I jacked up the amperage and let him figure the rest out himself. It only took two shocks before he was done. For those not familiar with the product: The transmitter is kept in a weather tight area (i.e. your house--I kept mine in a kitchen cabinet). It will need an outlet for power. Then the collar goes on the dog. The collar is battery operated (more about that later on). The transmitter broadcasts a signal and as long as the collar is picking up that signal there is no shock. By the way, power outages are not an issue. If the dog wonders to the transmitter's boundary, the dog will hear 2 seconds worth of beeping before the metal prongs begin shocking his neck. The shock lasts for 20 seconds or until the dog returns to the boundary. The shock is quite a tingle (which I discovered while holding it and marking the boundary). It's certainly not enough to kill or leave any lasting damage, but it is definitely unpleasant. You can adjust the intensity of the shock from high to off which only leaves the beeping. Some things to know before you buy the product: THIS IS NOT AN ELECTRIC FENCE. I know you read that in the description, but it needs to be restated. The circular boundary your dog has is not fixed and permanent. On a clear day he may be able to roam a few feet further than on previous days. Some days my dog is able to cross the neighbor's drive and other days he can't. If you want a perfect boundary then this won't do it. If you're just looking at keeping the dog close to home, this is what you need. THIS PRODUCT GIVES THE DOG A CIRCULAR AREA. Keep in mind that the transmitter broadcasts equally in all directions. If you have a long, narrow yard he will only have access to a circular area around the base. I realized this when I discovered the dog had made a pretty uniform circle of poop around my house instead of going to the back corner of the yard. You can increase this area with multiple transmitters; however, if your neighbor has the same product and the ranges overlap then both your dog and theirs will be able to freely travel back and forth. The system is not perfect. If you can live with all the limitations listed above, there are a couple of frustrations. BATTERIES ARE EXPENSIVE. Different reviews offer different lengths of time that the batteries last. Some people say their batteries last for 4 months. Mine go dead after 1 month. You can find a 2-pack of batteries for between $8 and $12 or order on line, but those start adding up. YOU CAN ADJUST THE SHOCK BUT NOT THE BEEPING. One of the neat things about the system is once you train your dog you can then take the system with you when you visit relatives or go camping. When the dog hears the beep, he returns to the base location. However, for most people, they will set it up in their house and never move it again. With the beep, you are training your dog to respond to the beep not to the area. Thusly, when the battery dies and the dog stops hearing the beep then he keeps roaming. I would rather be able to train the dog to the area he is allowed and then turn off the beep so he learns where he can and can't go. REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE EXPENSIVE. The material on my collar started showing wear within the first year. The collar device is scratched and the indicator light no longer works. When I priced replacement collars and discovered they cost almost $200 a piece I started babying it. The collar material finally fell apart last weekend. I was able to find a cheap collar and fix it so it would work with my existing collar device and make the repair for about $5.00. I'm not going to be a happy camper with the collar device finally fails and I have to drop another $200.00. THERE ARE SOME ETHICAL QUESTIONS. I understand people complain that it might be cruel to shock a dog. Personally, I think it's considerably less cruel than keeping the dog chained or allowing him to get hit by a car. However, the first few times your dog gets a shock and whimpers are hard for an owner to hear. My dog did seem to have some nervous reactions during the first few months of use. Perhaps I could have prevented that with less ambitious training. He has since adjusted and doesn't seem to mind the collar at all. HIGH OPERATING COST. All told, I spent $280.00 for the original unit and have spent about $5 per month in batteries for 3 years. Over the three years I've had it I've averaged $12.77 per month to operate it--pretty pricey. And, as stated earlier, it looks like I may have to drop another $200 for a replacement collar before the year is over. *****UPDATE JUNE 2011***** Well it finally happened. The collar crapped out on me. It just started randomly shocking the dog. The new collar was right at $200.00. It's back up and running now. *****UPDATE OCTOBER 2011***** Just got a new puppy...a 3-month old golden retriever that loves to roam. Two shocks and she is trained. Yes, it was another $200.00 for another collar, but less expensive than explaining to my son that his dog had been hit by a car. This new dog is a water lover. I'm not sure how the collar will stand up to that, but I'll keep you posted.