Why Choose Hidden Pet Fence?
We really want folks to understand that we are a full-service company when it comes to keeping your dogs safe! The professionals of Hidden Pet Fence won’t just install a fence and then leave you to it. We also include training for your adult dogs and puppies.
Here are the top reasons customers have shared as to why they chose us over the other options:
·We have been locally owned for over 30 years, since 1992! We are NOT a franchise.
·Your dog will be trained using IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals) certified training process.
·Unlimited training for your dogs is provided with all Pro packages.
·We have specialized training protocols for timid and stubborn dogs.
·We have a 100% success rate including extremely stubborn dogs.
·Local veterinarians and pet professionals use and recommend us.
·We have a full office staff with 6 full-time employees.
·Our warranties are backed NATIONWIDE!
In addition to these qualities, we are also able to install your fence earlier than you can expect from the other guys. We are typically only booked out 1-2 weeks for installs, while Invisible Fence® will have you waiting for several months.
Please check out the information below to see how Hidden Pet Fence compares to other companies.
CLICK HERE to watch a YouTube video detailing what makes Hidden Pet Fence superior to other pet fence brands.
Hidden Pet Fence Continuous Boundary
Our Continuous Boundary technology activates the collar at the line and beyond.
The Continuous Boundary feature puts an end to dogs “breaking through” the fence. Instead of having a small activation area, the collar gives an extended reminder if your dog tries to run past the line. This constant activation makes even stubborn dogs return to the yard quickly.
During training, we teach your dog that the yard is the only place where the collar does not activate. If you have a stubborn dog that wants to test boundaries, the Continuous Boundary may be necessary to keep them safe inside the yard.
Hidden Pet Fence is the only company that gives you complete control of your boundaries. Everything is customizable and we will find the right settings for your yard and your dog.
Traditional Dog Fence Systems
THREE DOWNSIDES OF the other guys’ fence
- Your dogs can run past the activation zone and continue to run.
- When your dog runs past the line and tries to come home, the fence keeps them from returning.
- You lose up to 10 feet around your whole yard.
- With other brands, your dog can run past and can’t walk home.
This type of system offers an activation zone around the wire on either side. Anywhere outside of that zone, the collar will shut off, even outside of your yard. The traditional style fence is the only setting that is available with most companies. Unfortunately, fast and stubborn dogs are often able to manipulate this type of system because they understand how to shut the collar off.
What’s the Difference Between our Underground Dog Fences and Conventional Style Above Ground Fences?
Cost of Pet Fencing:
The average cost of a 1/2 acre backyard with chain link style fencing with a few gates averages around $4800-$6800 installed. The cost will increase tremendously if you look at vinyl or rod iron fences because something more decorative is more expensive. Our pet containment fence is less than half that cost AND we will do the front yard for the same cost 99.9% of the time!
Ease of Maintenance:
Chain link or other styles of conventional above-ground fence is a pain in the butt to mow around, weed whack, and trim around. Our dog fence is installed securely underground and the wire needs no maintenance.
Security:
Dogs can jump over or dig underneath the vinyl fencing or other types of conventional fencing. Your dog will not be able to dig under or jump over our electronic dog fence. It is underground, hidden, can’t be seen, and there is nothing to “jump” over or dig out of.
The second part of security is those accidentally left open entry and exit gates on traditional chain link or privacy type of above-ground fencing. Kids, spouses, friends, and family members often leave the gate open, allowing your dogs and cats to leave the yard. That simply cannot and will not happen with our pet fencing system.
CLICK HERE to watch a short YouTube video on underground dog fencing vs. traditional above ground fences.
Are you thinking about trying the wireless Halo® or SpotOn® GPS collar in Rochester, NY?
We tried them so you don’t have to!
Over the years, our team has tested countless GPS dog fence systems and have been less than impressed. Even the professional grade systems do not compare to the reliability of a professionally installed wired system. People ask us all the time about the ads they see on social media with different GPS collars such as the Halo® and SpotOn® collars. We decided to give them a shot and found many concerns that we want you to be aware of before spending $1000 or more. Please see the information below that we gathered while testing out the Halo® GPS collar and SpotOn® GPS collar.
The new Invisible Fence® Brand GPS collar
The latest GPS fence to hit the market is the new Invisible Fence® Brand collar. This is the largest collar we have seen so far, weighing in at over 8 ounces. The collar battery lasts up to 24 hours and comes with a 1 year warranty. If the battery stops charging after one year, you would have to purchase an all new collar as the battery can not be replaced. The charger gave us lots of issues and had to be factory reset each time we attempted to set up a fence. We also learned after purchasing the collar that you must also sign up for a yearly subscription for $199 annually to set up fences and use the GPS tracking. Instructions from the Invisible Fence® Brand guide stated to set up the fence boundaries at least 25ft away from any building or roadway. They also explained that the collar must be removed each time the dog comes inside of the house, as it could activate inside. Unfortunately, we were never able to fully set up the collar. After multiple calls to customer service, the Invisible Fence® Brand representative asked us to return the collar for a refund.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video discussing our experience with the Invisible Fence® Brand GPS collar
Halo®
The Halo® GPS collar makes a HUGE first impression with its size, weighing in at nearly half a pound! The collar is thick with electronics and is a solid semi-circle that wraps around half of the dog’s neck. Setting up the boundaries was difficult with an underdeveloped phone app. Once set up, the collar activation was sporadic. We followed the Halo® setup instructions step by step, and we still experienced collar activation 20 feet in front of the set “boundary”, 35 feet after the boundary (in the street) and even further with activation inside of the building. This type of fluctuation is extremely concerning and unsafe. We reached out to customer support for guidance and received an auto response saying they would get back to us in 1-3 days. The battery life of this collar is 24 hours, meaning you must charge it every day. To continue using the Halo® app and collar, you must pay for a monthly subscription as well.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video discussing our experience with the Halo® GPS collar
SpotOn®
The SpotOn® GPS collar has a few differences from the Halo® collar, with the same concept and similar reliability. The SpotOn® collar is even wider than the Halo®. The weight of this collar is also just under half a pound. Setting up the boundaries with SpotOn® was equally as difficult as the Halo®. The boundary fluctuation wasn’t quite as prominent as the Halo® collar, but still was off by up to 20 feet in some areas. The battery life of the SpotOn® collar is a bit less than the Halo®, lasting 12-18 hours. Similar to the Halo® collar, there is a monthly subscription fee you must pay to keep your fence system active.
CLICK HERE to watch a short video about our experience with the SpotOn® collar.
In conclusion, here at Hidden Pet Fence we do not recommend any retail GPS system. As pet professionals, our #1 priority is the safety of your pets. Due to the sporadic activation of the Halo® GPS collar and SpotOn® GPS collar, your pet’s safety cannot be guaranteed. A professional grade wired fence system from Hidden Pet Fence will not only guarantee containment of your dog, you will also receive the many benefits that our local company offers.
How do other wireless pet containment systems compare to a wired system?
Simply put, you are getting a much more reliable system with our underground electric dog fence. Wireless systems are bunk. They are considered to be the most expensive way to fail at keeping your pet safe. The quality and reliability of wireless pet containment are just bad. Interference, random collar activation, inconsistent boundaries, and dogs running away is, in our opinion, a big failure. Wireless technology for pet fencing is still unreliable.
Compatibility with a yard style is another “plus” for underground dog fences but a “minus” for wireless dog fences. Wireless pet containment systems create a circle. In many cases, the circle allows the dog into the neighbor’s yards but not to their own backyard. The corners of the backyard are fully cut off from the circular boundary on wireless dog fences. Very few yards are circular. Our wired fence systems are customized to the shape of your yard. We maximize the space that you want your dog to have.
A wireless dog fence works like this: A circular boundary in the form of a perfect circle is created around a central power unit (transmitting station). Circular landscapes don’t seem to be common so this is useless when it comes to matching an electronic dog fence to your landscape. Straight edges at multiple angles need to be taken into consideration when thinking about installing an electric dog fence to an area outside of a person’s home. This is yet another way wireless dog fences fail.
Inconsistent boundaries with random, unreliable signal fluctuations are what you get with a wireless dog fence. A wireless dog fence system’s signal can interfere with other electrical signals such as microwaves and radios. This can confuse the dog creating a more difficult training session. Our underground dog fence has a strong signal that does not interfere with any other signal or obstacle in or around your home.
Here are three reasons why someone would want to avoid a wireless dog containment fence setup: Large collars that are uncomfortable on a dog, corrections (shock) that can’t be adjusted, and batteries with short life spans. Our collars are comfortable, the corrections are adjustable (for all sizes of dogs) and our batteries keep on going.
An underground dog fence signal is strong and constant without interference from any other signals that may be coming from a home’s appliances such as the microwave, mobile phones, etc. Wireless dog fences are notorious for malfunctioning due to these home appliance signals. Even certain structures made of metal (refrigerators, water heaters, siding, etc.) can disrupt a wireless dog fence’s signal but not an underground dog fence which keeps a strong and stable signal, regardless of the surrounding obstructions.
So, what is the reason to purchase a wireless dog fence? Why are these inefficient systems that can harm your dog even available on the market? They are cheap. That’s it. Here at Hidden Pet Fence, we do not believe in using wireless dog systems for the reasons mentioned.
If you want a quality hidden pet containment system then go with our underground electric dog fence.
Comparing Hidden Pet Fence to DIY fence systems such as PetSafe® or Sport Dog®
Do it yourself dog fences found online or at pet stores may seem tempting to some customers. However, most people who choose this route end up spending more in the long run on replacement parts and repairs. This is simply because the retail dog fencing systems can not hold up like a professional grade system. In some cases, customers are unable to use these systems at all because they do not have the settings needed for their dogs. One of the most popular store brand systems, PetSafe®, has had a return rate of 60%! That means on average, 6 out of 10 customers return PetSafe® equipment for a refund. This does not take into account the amount of customers who attempt to install the fence, and are unable to return it once they bury the wire. Many of these customers end up calling us for a professional install with professional training. Here are the main issues we hear complaints about from customers with DIY fences:
1.Training the dog is difficult. Most retail systems offer little to no guidance on training your dog to their new boundaries. This leads to confusion for your dog, and ultimately a failed system. All Pro packages from Hidden Pet Fence offer unlimited training by a professional. We come to your house for lessons and make sure your dog is ready to be off leash before we leave you on your own.
2. Many dogs can run through a retail fence system. With big, fast or stubborn dogs, a professional system is necessary. Collar settings are very limited on a do it yourself system, with less than 10 settings typically. Even on the highest settings, once the dog runs through chasing something, their collar shuts off when they get to the other side of their fence boundary. Many dogs will do this once, and figure out how to manipulate the system and go through whenever something is exciting enough. This issue does not happen with our equipment, as we offer the Continuous Boundary system that continues activating if your dog runs through. Our collars have thousands of settings to fit every dog’s personality. This is why we have a 100% success rate, even for the most stubborn dogs!
3. Installation is difficult. Many people underestimate how long and grueling it can be burying hundreds of feet of wire. Doing so by hand can also tear up your yard. Obstacles such as walkways and driveways can lead to improper installation which will require professional repairs. Some of our current customers spent time and money trying to do a self install and could never get it working, so they called us to install ours professionally. A professional install from Hidden Pet Fence is done with specialized machines that make installs seamless, with no damage to your property. Most dog fences are done by us in just one day!
4. The wire needs constant repairs. The wire that is supplied with these dog fence kits is flimsy and can have issues holding up against the weather we face here in New York. With a system from Hidden Pet Fence, you can get a wire that is up to 10 times thicker than the retail wire, with up to a lifetime corrosion warranty for added protection.
5. Lack of low training levels leads to fear. While the settings offered with a retail system may not be high enough for some dogs, the opposite problem is just as prevalent. For anxious or timid dogs, even the lowest settings on a retail system can be way too bothersome. This leads to some dogs refusing to go into the yard and being afraid of the fencing system. We have specialized training protocols for these types of nervous dogs, as well as training settings that feel like a tickle rather than something bothersome.
6. The collar is bulky and uncomfortable. The size of retail fence collars can be bothersome for most dogs. Not only are they large and heavy, they also have solid metal probes that can push into the dog’s skin. Hidden Pet Fence offers the smallest and lightest collars in the industry, with gentle spring contacts that bounce along with your dog’s movements for comfort.
The reasons above, along with many more, bring customers to us versus the pet store. Unfortunately, some people try the do it yourself system first, and call us once their dog is confused and they are frustrated. Luckily, we offer trade in discounts and financing to fit everyone’s budget.
