Dogtek EF-4000 Electric Dog Fence Review

Pros

• Variable
• Strong feature list for price

Cons

• Only 300ft of wire and 10 flags
• New and unproven

Rating: To Be Determined

[tab:Overview]The Dogtek EF-4000 is a rebranded version of a french product from Num’Axes which makes a range of pet training collar and dog fences. The Dogtek EF-4000 is a rebadged basic Canifgure system. The Dogtek is generously featured, especially for a system under $200, and is the only fence to allow you to vary both the correction distance and the warning distance independently. There are however a few disappointments, the system can’t do large yards; the system does not include enough boundary wire, and the has an interest extra feature, allowing

The Dogtek comes with an elegant compact control box. It has a very unusual feature that lets you adjust the warning distance and the correction distance independently. With all other dog fence system, you set the boundary width using a dial. The first 80% of that distance is usually the correction zone, and the last 20% is a warning zone. The Dogtek has two separate control, one for the correction and and one for the warning. The correction control is a little clunky, giving you only three options 1 foot, 2.5 feet, and 5 feet. The warning control is more typical and can be set anywhere from 1.5 feet up to 20 feet.

The Dogtek collar is medium sized and on the lighter side. The collar is fully waterproof. The correction levels are set and the collar, the system including eight different levels that can be set independently for each dog. The Dogtek uses a disposable battery, a 3V lithium ion battery — the type you see in a lot of cameras. We have not had the system long enough to know the typical battery life. Generously the system comes with both long and short hair prongs — something we rarely seen on systems at this price point.

Significantly, the collar lacks any kind of status indicator to tell you when the battery is going flat. That leaves you to either regularly test the collar or end up in a situation where the dog is not being properly contained.

The Dogtek comes with 18 gauge wire standard. But curiously it only includes 300 feet of wire which is about enough to cover one-tenth of an acre – much too small for the typical fence installation. The system also requires that you use 18 gauge wire with the system and can do only 2.5 acres. Another oddity is that the system only includes 10 marking flags which is not nearly enough to mark even the smallest boundary.

As of December 2008, we have only had the system for a couple of weeks so cannot make a full assessment of the system’s reliability. Our demo unit worked perfectly out of the box, but we need more time with the system to know whether this system will hold up to regular wear and tear. The build quality looked good and we are optimistic. The system comes with a two year full warranty. Our interactions with their customer service team was good, knowledge of the product was a little lacking but we would expect this in a company only a couple of week old. In both cases someone got back to us with an answer.

Summary: Interesting new system, but some pieces are missing.

If you found this website useful, please consider making your Dogtek purchase using our online store.
[tab:Full Review]

Collar

The Dogtek collar is a medium sized unit with a nice cloth band. The exterior is free from clutter with no dials or buttons, but notably does lack any kind of status light.
Eight Correction Levels The Dogtek has 8 correction levels. Correction levels are changed using a tiny button hidden in the battery compartment of the collar. The button is a little too small, requiring a pin to push, but does the job.
Battery Warning Lamp The Dogtek does not have a status light on the collar to let you know when the battery is running low. This leaves you to either frequently check the collar or to guess when the battery needs chaning.
BatteriesThe Dogtek collars uses one 3V lithium battery. The system includes an Energizer brand battery. The battery case is opened by undoing four screws on the collar. The lifespan of the batteries is stated to be six months although we have not verified this.

Long and Short Prongs The Dogtek includes both long an short prongs for long and short hair dogs. The prongs simply screw into place.

Base Station

The Dogtek transmitter box has a clean, compact design. A clear plastic cover opens to allow access to the controls:
On/Off Switch & Light – you get this, right?
Warning Distance Dial – this sets the distance from the wire that the collar starts beeping. This is the only dog fence system that lets you set the boundary warning distance independently from the boundary correction distance. It can project anywhere from 1.5 feet to 20 feet on either side of the boundary wire.
Correction Distance Switch – this switch lets you set the distance from the boundary wire that the collar starts giving the correction. The three setting let you set the correction width at 1 foot, 2.5 feet, and 5 feet on either side of the boundary wire. Using a switch to set the boundary width rather than a dial limits the flexibility here.
Boundary Wire Terminals – here is where you plug in the start and end of your boundary wire loop.

Boundary Wire, Flags and Splices

The Dogtek comes with enough boundary wire for about one-tenth of an acre. This wire is 18 gauge wire, and according to the instruction the system should only be used with 18 gauge wire. The boundary flags have a nice wooden stake, but there is not nearly enough of them, even if you are only doing 1/10th of an acre.

The basic kit includes:

• 300 feet of boundary wire (18 gauge)
• 10 boundary flags
• 3 splices

Extra boundary kits that contain wire, flags and splices are available. Each extra boundary kit (including 500 feet of wire (18 gauge), 2 splices, and 50 flags) costs $39.95. Note that you need to use the more expensive 18 gauge wire with this system.

Training DVD and Instruction Manual

The system comes with an instruction manual and a DVD.

Warranty

Dogtek has a limited lifetime warranty on this electronic dog fence matching the standard set by Innotek, PetSafe, and Perimeter. One caveat, a warranty is worth only as much as the company standing behind. The folks at Dogtek give us no reason to doubt them, but they have only been in operation a few weeks.

[tab:Specifications]

Model	Dogtek EF-4000
Type	In Ground
Collar Battery	Disposable – 3V Lithium
Correction Levels	8 Levels
Beep Only Training Mode	No
Collar Warning Beep	Yes
Collar Vibration	No
Independent Correction Levels	Yes
Collar Dimensions	??” (L) x ??” (W) x ??” (D)
Collar Neck Size	?” – ??”
Collar Water Resistance	Water Resistant?
Collar Fit Test	No
Maximum Number of Dogs	Unlimited
Minimum Dog Size	12 lbs
Minimum Age	6 months
Maximum Containment Area	2.5 acres (1,200 feet)
Boundary Width	0-10 feet (adjustable)
Control Box Dimensions	??” (L) x ??” (W) x ?” (D)
Control Box Power Source	Wall Outlet (110V)
Control Box Battery Backup	No
Indoor Pod Compatibility	No
Outdoor Pod Compatibility	No
Included Boundary Wire	300 feet + 3 wire Splices
Included Boundary Flags	10
Training Materials	Manual + DVD
Other	Boundary tester
Package Dimensions	??” (L) x ?” (W) x ?” (D)
Package Weight	?? lbs
Warranty	Two Years

[tab:Manual]

For the Dogtek EF-4000 Manual click here. (PDF)

[tab:END]