Comments on: Dogtra EF-3000 Gold

By: Wayne Brock

Wayne Brock — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:59:22 +0000

We have two standard poodles who are one year old. We have trained recall and other commands using the Dogtra 3500NCP Super-X series after basic training and have had excellent results. They do, however, take two different levels of correction. Now we would like to give them freedom to roam about 2 acres of wooded, rocky terrain around our house without us having to be with them at all times. We do not think we can use a wireless system and have been looking at the two innotek systems and the Dogtra system. We certainly would like to be able to use the same collars for both our field roaming and our fence but don’t see that as a possibility unless we go to the Innotek which would not allow the two levels of correction. We are also wondering how the previous collar training in the field will impact the perimeter training we are contemplating. What would you recommend? Wayne & Sharon

ADMIN – Hi Wayne and Sharon,

If you want a dual purpose collar that can do remote training and dog containment, then the Innotek IUC-5100 would be your best bet – you can turn down the correction level on one collar using a resistor with the dog fence collar (see the Innotek IUC-5100 page for details). Although note the Innotek IUC-5100 while a great dog fence collar, is a marginal training collar – the dedicated Dogtra unit you already have is much better.

If you just want a training collar, the Dogtra EF-3000 would be a good bet. As you mentioned it does remote correction right out of the box.

Dogs that have remote training experience usually learn a little faster when doing dog fence training because they have already made the connection that to turn off the heat from the correction they need to take some action. We do advise to not start both forms of training at the same time to avoid confusion … but it sounds like you have been doing remote training for a while so that does not apply to you.

By: Joan

Joan — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:59:59 +0000

We have three Australian Shepherds we are trying to keep from crossing the creek behind our house. We have 40 acres, but our home sits right on the creek so most of the property out front and to either side is open for them but they are traveling across the creek to the neighbors. How can we keep them from crossing the river, which has about a 1000 feet of frontage? Does the wire need to be layed so all ends touch or can it just run along the creek? Thanks

Admin- Hi Joan,

For your property, you could install the dog fence in what we call a single sided boundary. The systems setup does have to make a complete loop to operate and you would be able to create the loop along side the creek to form the boundary. The boundary wires would need to be separated by 6 feet to avoid interference issues. Please see our installation page for the diagram on a single sided boundary.

By: Jaylin

Jaylin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:35:42 +0000

Hello great site! Thank you! We have a German Shepard/chow mix at about 60 lbs who generally will stay on our property without a fence or anything. We also have an Italian greyhound mix at about 20 lbs who will dart at the first chance at 100 mph. We need the fence to cover about an acre and a half. What fence and collars would you suggest for them? Thank you. Jaylin

ADMIN – Hi Jaylin,

With that much difference in size between the two dogs – a PetSafe system that will let you use two different types of collar on the same system would be a good choice.

I would get a PetSafe Stubborn system and use the included collar for a the German/Chow – those breeds can often need a little more correction so having the more powerful collar may prove useful. For the Greyhound mix, a smaller collar like the PetSafe Deluxe collar would be a good choice.

By: Shawn Dolan

Shawn Dolan — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:12:30 +0000

I have a German Shepard and have had a Dogtra fence in the past then moved to petsafe fences because they were available at petco. The failure rate of these electronic fences seems way high to me I have gone through 1 Dogtra reciever in 18mos, then 4 petco controlers in the last 18mo. I have a large yard 2300 feet of wire to cover front and back. Does anybody make an electronic fence that will stay working over this distance?. Zoe loves to jump the gates and run when the fence is down and this is getting very costly.

ADMIN – Hi Shawn,

What is going wrong with your fences? – That should not happen irrespective of the distance.

The SportDog-SDF-100A is a good durable fence that would work well with a German. It can do up to 10,000 feet and is one of the most durable system.

By: Kanani

Kanani — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 23:19:36 +0000

Hello, I have a Beagle x King Charles and a Toy x Mini Poodle who both love to dig. I am looking for a fence that will not only keep them from digging out but also keep them from going at our screen doors. Would this fence be able to do that?

ADMIN – Hi Kanani,

You could use a wired fence, and run the wire so along the perimeter. Then use a couple of wireless pods to protect the screen doors. Happy to make a specific fence recommendation. What are the weight, age, and temperament of the dogs?

By: Juliet

Juliet — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:00:23 +0000

I love your site! Very informative!

We have a shih-tzu mix and are considering adopting a Husky mix. We have been using a very old Petsafe wireless system with our small dog. It has worked well, but have a large yard now and would like him to be able to have more space outside. Even without adopting the large dog, we have been planning to go to a wired system. From the reading I’ve been doing on your site, this Dogtra system seems the best option for two dogs of such differing sizes, should we decide to adopt the Husky mix. Would you agree? My small dog is very well trained and at any warning beep he immediately runs back toward the house.

The other question I have is whether we can put the wire through the drainage pipe under our driveway. We were thinking of putting the wire through pvc piping and attaching it to the top of the drainage pipe.

Thanks so much for your help! We will definitely be purchasing our system from your site once we decide which one to get. Juliet

ADMIN – Hi Juliet,

While the Dogtra is a good fence, I believe the collar may be big and bulky on your Shih-Tzu. If your Shih-Tzu is at least 12 lbs, have you thought about going with the Innotek 4100 and using resistors to reduce the correction level for the Shih-Tzu’s collar?

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 13:09:26 +0000

Hello, I just moved into a new home with a 1\2 acre yard. My dog is a 26lb Basengi mix and is well behaved 95% of the time. However, he does have a habit of losing control when he sees a rabbit or squirrel and takes off. This is now an issue as there is a busy street just 1 block away. I have a training collar I used on him several years ago and was very affective, it had a beep feature and after a few of the correction zaps all i needed was the beep. This is great at parks or other places when I close to him and I guess I could return to that process for teaching him the parameters of the yard, but that requires I watch him like a hawk everytime he is in the yard. I would like to be able to let him out to play and do his business without having to watch him so carefully and constantly.
I have read countless reviews and I am still not sure which system would be best for my needs. I do NOT need a system for discipline challenged dog, but I do need one that is effective, low maintenance, and allow for both beep only and vibrate with correction levels. What would you suggest? Thank you, Michael

ADMIN – Hi Michael,

If he was responsive to a training collar that is good news, and it tells me that he training on the dog fence should be straight forward. We find that if you just use a training collar for containment, you don’t get enough consistency. Most of the time, you just end up teaching the dog that they must obey the boundary while you are watching, but when you are not around they are free to roam.

A good system for the Basengi would be the Innotek IUC-4100, it has a small rechargeable collar. The Dogtra would also be a good choice, the collar is a little bigger, but it is a little cheaper.

By: Kelley

Kelley — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 05:51:14 +0000

Hi, I just moved to a one-acre property where my landlords (who also live on the property with their 75 lb. German Shorthair) already have an Innotek SD-2100 fence installed. I bought a collar for my 55 lb. border collie mix before I realized you can only have one correction setting for the fence. My dog is super sensitive and does not require much correction. I'm regretting getting this collar and would like to know if there's anyway the Dogtra EF-3000 collar could be used with the Innotek fence? I prefer the Dogtra collar because of the vibration warning. I think my dog would be really responsive to the vibration warning. Thank you, Kelley ADMIN - Hi Kelley, You can't use a Dogtra collar with an Innotek system. You can however reduce the correction on your Innotek collar (or indeed any collar), using a resistor wrapped around the collar.

By: Jim groff

Jim groff — Tue, 17 May 2011 02:28:12 +0000

Hi, I have 3 dogs, 2 springer spaniels and an English setter. I am moving to a new house in a month that borders a highway and wondered if you could help me choose a fence. My parents have a wireless one from petsafe that works great with my dogs when we visit my problem is that there is a hill about 10 feet tall right behind my house that I need the dogs to be able to go up. Is there a wireless fence that I can use? I really liked the looks of the havahart fence but am not sure if I can use it with the hill. Thank you very much, Jim.

ADMIN – Hi Jim,

The wireless systems don’t generally like hills, although up-hill works better than down-hill. You will probably get a good signal up to the crest of the hill, but you will not be able to have a boundary on the other side of the hill. A good rule of thumb is that if you could be a line of sight, you will be fine. If you can’t get a line of sight, then you will not be able to get a stable boundary.

If you are going to go wireless, the Havahrt would be a better choice than either of the PetSafe units.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 17 May 2011 01:47:20 +0000

We have 2 boxers (one at 60 lbs and the other at 90 lbs). We have been using training collars on them for years and they both usually respond well on the rare occasion that we need to correct them. But we have decided that a fence is something we would like to use so the dogs can have more time outside without constant supervision. We will need to install about 1,000 feet of wire. We think the rechargeable would be a nice feature. We have also thought about the possibility of the wire being chewed by gophers/moles or other critters and wondering if maybe we should get a fence that lets you know when there is a line break. Which system would you recommend?

ADMIN – Hi Nicole,

You have a lot of choices with your dogs. Boxers are generally easily trained and training collar experience will serve them well. The Innotek IUC-4100 would be a good choice. It is rechargeable and has a smaller collar. The Dogtra EF-3000 is also a good choice, it has a bigger collar (but fine for a boxer), and is a little cheaper.

All the wired systems will alert you if there is a boundary wire break. If there are particular sections that need protection, it is worth running the wire through some irrigation pipe or hose pipe.