Halo Collar 4 GPS Dog Fence vs Invisible Fence®:
Which containment solution is right for your dog?
Shop Halo Collar“What is the Halo GPS Dog Fence?” and “Is it better than other dog fence options?” We know how confusing it can be looking at so many options like “electric fence”, “in-ground electric fence”, “invisible fence”, “wireless fence” or “GPS fence”.
You are doing your research to make the best decision for you and your dog. Hopefully we can provide some clarity and explain the various options at your disposal. An in-ground Invisible Fence® is an alternative to installing an above-ground dog fence in your yard. It aims to keep your dog(s) contained within your yard, despite there being no physical barrier present. Specifically, many questions arise about how a GPS dog fence is different from an in-ground Invisible Fence®. Below, we’ll summarize why the Halo Collar 4 GPS dog fence is the best choice available today.
At a glance comparison
Comparing Technology & Installation: GPS vs. In-Ground
The underground dog fence was invented in the 1970’s as an alternative to the physical fence. In-ground wire fences like the Invisible Fence® require you to rip up your yard to bury a wire in the ground. A transmitter is then installed indoors to energize the wire. Then, a dog wearing the collar gets tone-based and/or electric shock feedback from a receiver it wears on its neck when it approaches the buried wire fence. It is a costly underground wire installation for a single fence that can only contain your dog in one location and hope it doesn’t cross the ‘line’. If you were to move or decide that your in-ground electric fence needs to be relocated, then you would once again need to rip up your yard to make any changes or purchase a new transmitter and wire. That process is costly, time-consuming, stressful, and inefficient. Many properties also have characteristics that make it difficult to install an in-ground wire fence, such as rocks, trees, driveways, water and changes in elevation. Not to mention that rental properties will not allow you to install an in-ground wired fence. Also, if your dog does cross the ‘line’, it is gone – and cannot be tracked or brought home by its collar.
The Halo Collar 4 GPS dog fence is setting the standard for dog safety with the best technology available – and does not require any installation. Unlimited fences can be made with a tap of your finger anywhere in the world. Based on boundaries you create with our app, your dog will respond to fully customizable cues of your choosing (tones, voice cues, vibration, or static). Not only can you create fences in seconds, but you can also track your dogs location in real-time, monitor their activity, track your walks and much more.
Halo’s easy setup means that it can be used effectively in any yard or area, even those that present challenging geographical features or that you do not own. Compared to Invisible Fence®, Halo also provides much more value for dog owners. Halo’s incredible installation-free and quick setup process makes it simple to create a Halo Fence anywhere you go, opening up a world of possible adventures for you and your dog.
Investment and Long-Term Value: Halo vs. Invisible Fence
To have an Invisible Fence® installed, you must have a professional install it. This can cost between $1,300 – $2500 for a small installation. The cost will go up as the property size goes up. Typically, you also end up paying for training services, which can be very expensive. The next cost to consider is maintenance costs. In-ground wires break quite often, most often they come to the surface and get cut by a mower, car, etc. Repairs can cost anywhere from $500-$1000 depending on what needs to be fixed.
Comparatively, the Halo Collar costs $599 and has a monthly subscription starting at $9.99 per month. The subscription covers unlimited cellular tracking of your dog on all cellular networks worldwide (including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in the US and many more overseas) and can even switch between them based on service availability. Halo also supports Wi-Fi for connectivity where there is no cellular coverage. In addition, our real-time tracking gives you peace of mind knowing where your dog is all the time. Plus you get daily activity reports and best-in-class video-based customer support in the Halo Dog Park.
On-the-Move or Fixed: Flexibility and Portability
Gone are the days when you would need to leave your dog at home or tether them with a leash or long-line when going somewhere other than your backyard. Unlike Invisible Fence®, the Halo Collar and its unrivaled protection can go with you anywhere that you take your dog. Once you train your dog to understand Halo, they will know how to respond to their Halo Collar anywhere you set up a fence; they do not need to memorize any specific boundary locations to be contained by Halo. Use the Halo App to easily create unlimited customizable Halo GPS Wireless Dog Fences in different locations. These fences are all saved on your Halo Collar, so you can safely contain your dog wherever your adventures take you.
With the in-ground wired Invisible Fence®, you only have one fence in one location. You cannot keep your dog safe in other places, nor change the fence line once it is installed.
Training Approaches and Safety Features: A Crucial Evaluation
Halo’s GPS dog fence offers multiple layers of protection – even beyond the boundaries that you set up. You can never run through, past, or around a GPS fence. If your dog crosses a boundary, your Halo Collar will guide them back to safety. This makes Halo the world’s safest dog containment system. Similar to a shock collar, electric fences like Invisible Fence® simply shock your dog as they run through the fence boundary ‘line’. They are then scared to re-enter the fence because they might be shocked again. Halo never gives correction feedback to a dog that is re-entering their safe zone. Halo also offers real-time alerts in the Halo app, so you can know exactly where your dog is at all times. You will receive notifications on your phone anytime they trigger feedback from their Halo Collar.
With Cesar Millan’s in-app training, you will understand how your dog learns and communicates. The training is based on positive associations, which are compatible with your dog’s natural instincts and are neither confusing nor induce any anxiety. Conversely, Invisible Fence® and electric fence training is based on fear, which – while easy to perform – can foster feelings of anxiety and distrust in your pup similar to shock collars.
The Halo Collar has patented technology that uses an internal compass and AI activity detection to know if your dog is moving and which way they are moving. This is critical to effective dog containment training and results. With Halo, your dog will only receive prevention feedback if they are heading toward danger (near or even past the fence lines you create). Most importantly, the prevention feedback stops immediately when your dog responds to their cues by stopping or turning around. This is how your dog understands that it followed the command properly. This makes your dog happy rather than scared. In addition, if your dog responds after leaving their fence, their Halo Collar will guide them back to safety using encouragement feedback, typically a whistle. This patented approach is unique to the Halo system and is the key to a portable and reliable containment solution that your dog will understand and enjoy – rather than fear. It also makes the solution totally portable – since your dog is not trying to memorize specific property boundaries (out of fear of a shock); instead, they simply receive a gentle command and respond as they would to a command such as ‘Sit!’ This is both instinctive and universal – with no need to memorize specific property lines.
Read more about Cesar Millan’s journey in expert dog training.
It is also important to note that Halo offers sound, vibration and static feedback options. Sounds include tones – but also voice commands and more. Halo’s static feedback provides a sense of “touch” that feels like a tap on the shoulder for your dog – and is not painful. This is only meant to break your dog’s fixation in dangerous situations and distraction-filled environments before they get into harm’s way. You’re also never required to use static with your dog’s Halo—the Halo training process will help you customize the feedback that your dog will respond to every time without any fear or pain. With a range of static levels available, you can provide the right tap-on-the-shoulder effect that is most appropriate to keep your dog comfortable and safe.
Beyond Containment: Additional Features and Support Services
The Halo App provides Pack members with tons of useful information that they would never have access to with another in-ground wire fence. Because the Halo Collar uses GPS technology to track your dog, you can see your pup’s real-time location status in the app. This means that you can always know where they are, even when you aren’t able to keep an eye on them in person. You can also see detailed statistics pertaining to your dog’s activities throughout the day. The app will show you how much of your dog’s time has been spent safely contained, versus outside of their fence(s), how many times they received a prevention from their Halo Collar, how much time they spent actively moving around and running, and how many walks they were taken on. You can even see how well your pups are responding to Halo Feedback using our Feedback Responsiveness Score. There are also features like the Return Whistle that lets you call your dog back home when they are too far away (via your phone or via a separate push-button Beacon) and other Beacons that let you create keep away zones indoors and outdoors from areas like the kitchen, the sofa or the BBQ.
At Halo, we know technology is not always easy and the purchase of a GPS dog fence is a big decision. We also know that access to customer service that is readily-available and knowledgeable about the product is extremely important.
At Halo, we offer support via live chat, phone, and email. Halo’s support team is also available to assist you in live Zoom video sessions in the Halo Dog Park seven days a week.
The Dog Park contains different rooms that you can visit depending on what you need help with.
- Check out the Halo Store if you have pre-purchase questions or need assistance placing an order.
- Visit the Halo Support area if you need help with your Halo Collar, App, or Training.
- You can also visit our online Help Center anytime.
Halo also allows you to set up a pre-scheduled support Zoom or call at a time that is convenient for you.
The Verdict: Which Dog Fence Reigns Supreme?
When looking for the best dog fence, Halo Collar 4 is the best option when it comes to what matters most: keeping your dog safe everywhere. Here’s why:
- Halo is significantly less expensive than an in-ground Invisible Fence®
- With Halo, you can create unlimited fences anywhere you want, instead of just one fence in one place.
- Halo includes real-time tracking right from your phone, so you always have complete peace of mind knowing that your pup is always safely contained in their fence.
- Patented technology paired with a training methodology that is both unique and more effective than fear-based electric fence training helps your dog understand what to do using positive reinforcement that they respond to. At the end of the day, this is the most important part of a GPS dog fence.
- Additional features, like activity tracking, the return whistle, and Beacons give you so much more than an Invisible Fence®.
- And, Halo offers one-on-one live Zoom customer support available seven days a week
FAQs: Understanding Halo vs. Invisible Fence®
View all FAQsWhat is the main difference between Halo Collar and Invisible Fence?
An Invisible Fence® is a containment system that uses an underground wire to keep your dog within a certain area. If a dog tries to cross the Invisible Fence® line, it will receive a painful impulse from its collar that it fears and avoids through memorizing property boundaries.
The Halo Collar wireless dog fence is the modern, state-of-the-art GPS fence for dog containment. While a ‘regular’ wireless fence can only contain your dog in one place, Halo’s wireless fences are unlimited, so you can create a GPS fence and keep your dog safely in a boundary anywhere you take them. And, your dog will enjoy - not fear - wearing its Halo.
Are an electric fence and an Invisible Fence® the same thing?
Invisible Fence® is one of many types of electric fences for dogs. However, the Halo Collar Wireless Dog Fence should be considered a different (and far superior) option altogether.
Halo’s Wireless Dog Fence is stored in your pup’s collar and requires no physical installation. Halo is so much more than an Invisible Fence® or Electric Fence.
Is Halo Collar a shock/electric collar?
No, Halo is not a shock collar. Shock collars use strong electrical impulses that your dog fears and avoids to create a ‘negative association’. Halo, on the other hand, uses sound, vibration and static feedback along with positive-association training. Halo’s static feedback is not painful - it provides a sense of "touch" that feels like a tap on the shoulder for your dog. This simply breaks your dog's fixation in dangerous situations and distraction-filled environments to keep them out of harm's way. And, you're never required to use static with your dog's Halo—the Halo training process will help you customize the feedback that your dog will respond to. With a range of static levels available, you can provide the right tap-on-the-shoulder effect that is most appropriate to keep your dog comfortable and safe.
With Cesar Millan’s in-app training, you will understand how your dog learns and communicates. The training is based on positive associations, which are compatible with your dog’s natural instincts. Conversely, Invisible Fence® and electric fence training is based on fear, which can foster feelings of anxiety and distrust in your pup similar to shock collars.
How much is Halo Collar vs. Invisible Fence?
An Invisible Fence® can cost between $1,300 - $2500 for an acre of installation. The cost will go up as the property size goes up. Repairs can cost anywhere from $500-$1000 depending on what needs to be fixed.
The Halo Collar costs $599 and has a monthly subscription starting at $9.99 per month. The subscription covers unlimited cellular, real-time tracking, daily activity reports, best in class live customer service and so much more.