Innotek/PetSafe UltraSmart IUC 5100 Contain n Train
Pros
- Rechargeable Lithium Ion Collar Battery
- Includes 100 ft. of twisted wire
- Includes lightning protection
- Remote training functionality
Cons
- No independent correction level for different size dogs
Rating
Retail Price
$399.95
Our Price
$319.95
Availability: In Stock
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UPDATE: On 5/4/2010 the Innotek IUC-5100 was rebranded the "PetSafe IUC-5100". Please note that the system components are exactly the same as the Innotek IUC-5100. The only change other than the name is a modification of the product packaging.
The Innotek IUC-5100 adds a remote training feature to the standard IUC-4100. As well as being able to correct dogs that cross their boundaries, the collars can also be triggered by a remote control. This allows owners to use the collar as a training aide.
Remote training is particularly useful where the dog is being instructed in some activity where the owner is not nearby the dog, as is often the case with hunting dogs. The owner can correct the dog with a beep, a shock or both. The unit has a range of about 150 yards.
If you decide to use the remote training feature, please wait until you've completely trained the dog on the fence and the dog has thoroughly learned the boundaries and consequences of crossing the boundaries. We recommend waiting at least three months. Otherwise, using the remote correction while training the dog on the fence may confuse your dog because they are unsure as to why they are being corrected and think it has something to do with fence boundaries. If this happens, neither the remote training nor the dog fence training will be effective.
A disadvantage of the remote training functionality is that the collar receiver is slightly larger than the standard IUC-4100 model. The IUC-5100 collar is about 50% bigger in volume than the IUC-4100, but only weighs 10% more (4.4 oz. vs 4 oz.).
Commendably, Innotek includes 100 feet of twisted wire and a lightning protection module in the IUC-5100. The IUC-5100 is also reasonably priced, being only about forty dollars more expensive than the standard IUC-4100 model.
Summary: A great system that adds the remote training functionality to our favorite model the IUC-4100. But, note that using the correction for two purposes has the potential to confuse your dog.
Collar
The collar for the IUC-5100 is about 50% larger than it’s IUC-4100 sibling but weighs about the same (4.4 oz. vs 4.0 oz.). The collar is thicker and a bit wider to accommodate the extra remote training circuitry. You will also notice an extra LED on the IUC-5100 to show you whether the remote training mode has been activated. 
This extra bulk makes it unsuitable for dogs under 20 pounds.
As with the IUC-4100 the collar is extremely well made. With no external buttons the waterproofing is good and the collar is one of the most reliable electric dog fence collars we have used.
ReadyTest All the Ultrasmart (IUC-4100 & IUC-5100) collars have ReadyTest, which helps you get the collar fitted onto the dog properly. When you slip the collar off the charger, it goes into ReadyTest mode, then you place the collar onto the dog. The collar makes a sound to let you know when the fit is right. This kind of feedback is really useful when you get started. It avoids the common problem, particularly on long-haired dogs, where the dog’s collar is not on properly and the dog feels no correction.
Rechargeable The IUC-5100 collar has a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Like the 4100 it lasts about a month between charges while in dog fence mode. Switch it into remote training mode and you will get only 3 days between charges. Charging takes about 2 hours and is done by placing the collar on the provided cradle. While, we have not had any trouble with the battery life over the last few years we suspect that people that leave the remote training feature activated and thus have nearly ten times more charge/discharge cycles will get a significantly shorter lifespan in vicinity of three years … but this is pure speculation and we have not received any reports of fading battery life. As a practical matter, customers don’t seem to leave the correction mode on for very long.
Battery Indicator The battery indicator LED blinks green when the collar is charged, and blinks red to tell you to recharge the battery. The low power warning usually signals that you have about three days of charge left in the collar.
Remote Training Indicator When the remote training mode is activiated, the Remote Training Indicator LED glows to let you know that it is working.
The IUC-5100 collar is good, but has a few disadvantages:
- No controls – like the IUC-4100, the collar has no external controls, this means that all dogs on the system must be set on the same correction level. (there is a resistor workaround, here) So for owners with two or more dogs that have significant differences in size or temperament, take a look at the older Dogtra EF-3000 or the non-rechargeable PetSafe PRF-304W.
- Quiet Speakers – the waterproofing seal on the collar also seals in the sound. This means that the internal speaker in the collar is heavily muffled and hard to hear. The high pitched noise cannot be heard by many adults, particularly where there is lots of background noise or wind. Dogs can hear it just fine, but it would be nice if the owner could hear it a bit louder at least during the training.
- Size – the collar is about 50% bigger than the regular IUC-4100 collar. While not a big deal for larger dogs, it is too big for smaller dogs less than 20 lbs.
Long/Short/Training Prongs Prongs can be unscrewed and replaced with the “no shock prongs” for training, the “long prongs” for long hair dogs, or the “standard prongs” for short hair dogs. The three sets of prongs are included along with a handy little tool for unscrewing the prongs.
Collar Band The collar band is identical to the 4100. It is plastic and integrated into the collar. The band is extremely wear resistant and strong, but we still prefer cloth. Some more enterprising people, unscrew the collar band and replace it with cloth bands. The collar has a buckle style closure.
Transmitter
The 5100 transmitter box is shared with the IUC-4100. The transmitter is where you set all the controls for the dog fence system and powers the boundary wire.
- Correction Level Switch - toggles between the three correction levels on the system. The correction levels are all progressive, meaning that they increase in strength until your dog retreats from the boundary wire. The three levels cover most dogs, but note there is no provisions for adjusting different collars to different correction levels.
- Field Size Switch – set the field size to small for installations under under an acre (1,000 linear feet); set it to large for installations over an acre. The system is capable of handling 25 acres (5,000 linear feet of boundary wire)
- Field Width Dial - sets the thickness of the boundary zone. You can adjust the thickness of the boundary zone where the dog receives the warning and then the correction from a few inches to above 10 feet.
- Collar Recharge Reminder Switch - this is a feature that was made redundant when the battery indicator was added to the collar. Always switch it to the off setting.
- Alarm Volume Dial - controls the volume of the alarm on the transmitter box. You probably want this set to maximum to alert you to any wire breaks.
- Power Switch – powers the unit on and off
- Battery Backup Switch - the battery backup uses 8 AA batteries (not included) to keep the system up and running in the event of a mains power failure. It works for about three days before you need to replace the batteries.
- Power Adapter Plug – where the the power comes in
- Boundary Wire Terminal – where the boundary wire hooks up to the transmitter box. The two orange latches secure the wire in place
- Status Light - Green indicates that everything is right with the world, red signals the calamity that is a wire break
The transmitter box can be wall mounted by slipping off the rear panel and attaching it to the wall using the supplied mounting screws. The unit needs to be kept away from the elements and should be kept above freezing point lest it catch a cold.
Boundary Kit
The system comes with all the basics plus twisted wire and lightning protection:
- 500 feet of boundary wire (20 gauge), enough for about 1/3 of an acre
- 100 feet of twisted wire (20 gauge), for creating a no shock section of wire that joins the control box to the main loop
- Lightning Protection Unit – protects the control box in case the boundary wire is struck by lightning
- 50 boundary flags – used to mark the boundary line during the initial training phase
- 2 Waterproof wire splice – used to join sections of the boundary wire
Additional boundary kits are available through our online store ($30 per 500 feet). We can also upgrade you to the slightly thicker 18 gauge boundary wire ($10 per 500 feet), although this is not particularly useful in most situations.
Training DVD and Instruction Manual
A good training DVD and a pretty sparse manual accompany the IUC-5100.
Indoor and Outdoor Zones
The Innotek 5100 works with the ZND-1000 indoor zones and the outdoor zones. These create small exclusion zones. You set the diameter on the zone, from 2-12 feet, to make a circular zones that keeps the dogs out. These are useful outside to protect garden beds, ponds, etc. Inside they are a good way to keep your dogs off furniture or outside of certain rooms.
Warranty
The Innotek Contain ‘n Train IUC-5100 has a limited lifetime warranty, basically a one year warranty, plus a discounted repair in future years.
| Model | Innotek IUC-5100 |
| Type | In Ground |
| Collar Battery | Rechargeable – Lithium Ion |
| Correction Levels | 3 Levels + Progressive Correction |
| Beep Only Training Mode | Yes |
| Collar Warning beep | Yes |
| Collar Vibration | No |
| Independent Correction Levels | No – all collars have same correction level (Independent correction level workaround) |
| Collar Dimensions | 2.5” (L) x 1.2” (W) x 1.1″ (D) |
| Collar Neck Size | 7″ – 23″ |
| Collar Water Resistance | Waterproof |
| Collar Fit Test | Yes |
| Maximum Number of Dogs | Unlimited |
| Minimum Dog Size | 15 lbs |
| Minimum Age | 6 months |
| Maximum Containment Area | 25 acres (5,000 feet) |
| Boundary Width | 0-10 feet (adjustable) |
| Control Box Dimensions | 6” (L) x 5.5” (W) x 2.25″ (D) |
| Control Box Power Source | Wall Outlet (110V) |
| Control Box Battery Backup | Yes – 8 AA batteries |
| Indoor Pod Compatibility | Yes – ZND1000 |
| Outdoor Pod Compatibility | Yes – Rock!! |
| Included Boundary Wire | 500 feet + 2 wire Splices |
| Included Boundary Flags | 50 |
| Training Materials | DVD + Manual |
| Other | Remote Trainer, Collar recharger, Boundary Tester |
| Package Dimensions | 12” (L) x 8” (W) x 6″ (D) |
| Package Weight |
12 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
For the Innotek IUC 5100 Manual click here. (PDF)
If you find this site useful, please consider purchasing your Innotek 5100 from our online store. Our price for the IUC-5100 is the lowest price that Innotek lets anyone charge for the system and includes free shipping and a FREE bonus copy of the Dog Fence Experts Guide via INSTANT download.
Get the Expert’s Guide FREE when you purchase the Innotek IUC-5100 from DogFenceDIY.
Learn the secrets of the pros with the Dog Fence Experts Installation and Training Guide. This guide provides tips on all your installation and training needs. For example, learn how to properly cross driveways and footpaths when installing your in-ground fence. Or learn how to quickly identify breaks in your line by using an inexpensive tool from Radio Shack.
In addition to installation tips, this guide will show you how to properly train your dog!
Although purchasing the right fence is a key step, comprehensive training will make your containment system truly effective. The Dog Fence Experts Guide will walk you step-by-step through training procedures such as how not to overwhelm your dog when training. Also, you’ll learn the keys to keeping your dog disciplined even when tempted to cross the boundary.
What you get
- Ten Chapters with over sixty pictures and diagrams to make the instructions clear and easy to follow
- Detailed planning and installation instructions that make the job easy. The guides shows you how to handle driveways and other obstructions
- The step by step training guide, that shows you the best techniques to teach your dog the boundary rules safely and effectively
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I saw the quote below on another review…have you heard of this issue before with neighboring underground fences? If so, does it apply to the 4100 as well?
“Because of the zone feature in the 5100 model, the collar will not work if your neighbors have installed a inground training fence. Our neighbors have a non Innotek professionally installed system. We installed the Innotek 5100 and the collar disables itself within 15 feet of the lot line – system works fine on the other three sides. Innotek’s solution for this is to move our fence more than 15 feet from the shared lot line, considering our fence is currently only 12 feet from the house on that side of our yard, this is impossible. I do not understand why Innotek would make no mention of this in the instructions or even in small print on the box, so customer could avoid the effort of installation for no reason and frustration of trying to troubleshoot the issue.”
ADMIN – Hi Al,
None of the systems like being near another fence. You can usually get within six feet unless you neighbor has their fence set to a really wide boundary. Then you need to ask them to narrow their boundary width a little. The best systems for this problem are the Perimeter Technologies Ultra systems, that you can switch to multiple frequencies to try and avoid interference.
We have a 30 pound Beagle and a 60 pound lab that we would like to get a fence for. I see that the Innotek 4100 isn’t set up to have different settings for dogs of such different sizes, but none of the Pet Safe models seem to meet our needs either (rechargable batteries, waterproof collars, etc.) Can the Innotek 5100 model accomodate dogs of different sizes?
ADMIN – Hi Nichole,
The IUC-5100 is not a good match for dogs of different sizes, since you cannot independently adjust the correction level for each dog. If you want something rechargeable, the best choice would be the Dogtra EF-3000 gold. It is rechargeable and lets you set the correction level for each collar separately.
I’m thinking about getting this for our Lab and Golden Retriever. It’s nice that it allows two collars and the dogs are the same size so it sounds like it will work well. I like having the remote control for training but how does that work with two dogs/collars? If I correct one, does the other get a shock/tone as well? Can I select which collar is connected to the remote?
ADMIN – Hi Michael,
The remote control lets you select each dog separately or both together. So you could correct one dog, but not the other. (note that you can only do this with two collars at a time, it does not work with 3+ collars)
How do you change between dogs with the one remote control? Is it something where you can do it as your out and about or is it a toggle switch type under the back cover?
ADMIN – Hi Nicole,
The remote control has a button on the front that switches the mode from one dog to another. You press it once and you get dog A, press it again and you get dog B, press it a third time and you get both dogs.
I have an older Husky (13). She has started both digging under the fence and destroying door jams over the last year. I am both worried about her safety if she gets out but also about the property we are renting. Primarily I want something that will keep her in the backyard but allow her in the house. Secondarily, I would like to keep her away from the doors unless she is coming inside. What is the most effective way to do this? I was thinking the remote training collar and the invisible fence. Suggestions?
ADMIN Hi K,
A dog fence would work well to keep her in the yard. You could use the indoor pods to keep her away from the doors, or alternatively a “scat mat”. The remote training doesn’t have great results for this kind of thing because you have to be around to observe and correct the behaviour which is usually not the case, especially with huskies who tend to escape only when left alone. Even if you are around, the dog just learns not to dig at the door while you are not around. You really want something more automatic to keep them away from doors like the indoor zones pods (you can get them on the Innotek IUC4100 & IUC-5100 and on the petsafe inground systems), or a scat mat.
I already have the standard ultrasmart fence. The collar went bad and I was wondering if I bought the collar and remote extra for the 5100 system would it work with my 4100 existing system?
ADMIN – Hi Julie,
A collar and remote from the 5100 would work on an IUC-4100 system.
If I already have the fence can I purchase the remote trainer seperately?
ADMIN – Hi Angela – you can purchase remote training systems separately. Or you can get an IUC-5100 collar separately and the remote control separately. But you cannot use a 4100 collar with the remote control — you need the larger 5100 collar, only this has the receiver built in.
i have a st. bernard and was woundering if this will work because he is about 200lb
ADMIN – Hi Phillip,
Considering going with something with a little more powerful correction, like a PetSafe Stubborn. An IUC-5100 will probably be fine — st bernards are usually motivated by the correction, but do need a higher correction than say a lab due to their size. It is hard to tell how any individual dog will react, if you think he is going to be sensitive to the correction go with the IUC-5100 and we would be happy to swap it out for a stubborn is it proved insufficient. If he is a little tougher, start out with the stubborn.
Hi,
I just purchased an Innotek 5100 from you guys and spoke to Bob Holmes in the process. He recommended a hunting dog training book for help in using the remote with the collar. I looked on Amazon but wasn’t sure which book he meant. Does anyone there know the title or author?
ADMIN – Hi John,
The book I liked for showing you how to use the remote correction with your dog was “Training the Hunting Retriever ” by Robinson. I am sure there are lots of other good one I have not read. If anyone else has suggestions, I would love to hear them.
I’m trying to figure out if this will work on the back part of our property. We’re in Florida, and the back half is swamp 3-4 months of the year. During the rainy season, it can fill up to a foot deep with water. If we install our wires when it’s dry, will they continue to keep our Border Collie/Black Lab mix in the yard when it fills with water? Or will it somehow short out the signal? This dog loves water, so I know that she’ll be out there in it. Thanks in advance for any advice!
ADMIN – The wire does not mind getting wet. Try to keep any splices out of the waterlogged area (but not the end of the world if you can’t). The signal still transmits through water, but you may want to increase the boundary width a little when you get those rains to compensate for the water depth.
I am an above-knee amputee with a shepard/retriever mix that I am training with a sportdog field trainer400. Is there any underground fence, or other system, that would work with this collar and transmitter? Is it true that 16G wire would last longer than 18 or 20G that comes with most systems? I would need to install about 800 to 1000 ft. Also, would it be better to staple or bury wire? I have to go under a gravel driveway and deal with some wooded area.
ADMIN – Hi Bob,
Afraid that none of the systems will work with any of the dedicated training collars, like the SportDog Trainer400.
Our experience with wire has been that it does not make a big difference. The most common cause of the wire failing being cut by a mower or edger. It does not particularly matter what gauge you use, if a mower hits any wire it is going to sever it. As for wire degrading in the ground, the jacket is more important than the gauge, you always want something that is rated for direct burial. I encourage people to save their money and get the thinner 20 gauge for the vast majority of installations.
Can you plug the 5100 transmitter in inside your house?
ADMIN – Hi Emily,
Yes, all the systems plug into a regular 110v wall outlet. Most people will put the transmitter either hidden away in the house (I like to use a closet) or in their garage.
I’m trying to decide between the 4100 and the 5100. I have a Lab/Retriever mix and likely will not be training him with the remote but I was wondering if it would be useful for times when we bring him places where he isn’t fenced. Will it just confuse him or can it be used effectively at a friends house for example? Typically I just bring a stake and a leash when we visit and that works fine but I was wondering if the remote would work to give him a little more freedom.
ADMIN – Hi Jim,
Once the dog is trained, you can often get quite impressive containment results just by plonking the flags down when you take him to a friends house. You can even do a quick training session on the new property boundary. Often, but not always that will be plenty to keep the dog contained. You could definitely reinforce the flags with the remote, but you would have to keep a watchful eye on him, the remote is of course no good if you aren’t watching the dog. Again, that will not work for every dog, a fraction of dogs are just going to learn to wait till you are not looking to make a bolt for it.
I would avoid using just the remote without the flags. Our training philosophy is that the dog should no exactly what they are supposed to be doing before you correct them. If there is no clear demarcation for the dog of where they should not go, correcting the dog tends to lead to general fearfulness.
I have a 14 week old golden doodle puppy that I am shopping for. I wasn’t sure at what age would be safe to start with the invisible fence. I was hoping to install the system myself and do the training too. Also two of my friends have a fence system called DogWatch and mentioned getting that so my pup can enjoy off-leash play time at both locations. I have hundreds of flags to re-mark the other yards for training at multiple locations. I didn’t see any reviews on the dogwatch system and was wondering if anyone was current user of it. Im going to need 420′ of the boundary wire and 90′ of the twisted wire of what would be the best system for my dog. I was thinking of just getting a remote collar and line the yard with flags and do the training as if i had installed a fence there… the issue with that is I don’t want to rely on my older parents to have to look for a remote when i travel and give corrections at the wrong time. but that seems like the easiest install. a trip up to my brothers with a remote and a couple dozen flags makes me feel like i can have a fence anywhere. Im lost on what to do and im sorry for being all over the place with my comments and ideas. any help would be great
ADMIN – Hi Steve,
I would like to see you wait till the pup is six months old. Before that, most dogs aren’t mature enough and don’t have the attention span for the training to be effective. If you have already worked with teh dog and they can confidently do a sit/stay/come, then you can start a little earlier. The IUC-4100 and the IUC-5100 would be good choices for a golden doodle.
DogWatch is full service company that does installations. If you want a system compatible with your friends, it would be worthwhile giving them a call to get some information from them. They make good products, we hear good things from their customers.
I would avoid trying to teach the dog with just a remote training collar. It rarely works. Because nobody is patient enough to watch the dog all day, you end up being very inconsistent and at best you just end up teaching the dog not to escape while you are watching. But, once the dog is trained on a proper fence system, you can sometimes (but not always), do a temporary fence with just flags and the training collar. (e.g. we have some people that set up a temporary fence when they take the dog camping or on vacation)
DOES THE INNOTEK IUC 5100 REQUIRER ANY KIND OF BOOSTER WITH 1500 FT OF WIRE? ALSO HOW LONG DOSE IT TAKE TO CHARGE THIS COLLAR?
Admin – Hi Barry,
The Innotek 5100 does not need any booster for use with 1,500 feet of wire. You can do up to 25 acres (5,000 feet) of wire without any issues. The collar takes between one and two hours to charge. A charge is good for about one month on just containment mode, and is good for about three days in training mode.
Trying to decide between a 4100 or 5100 for my 7 month old Golden? I wanted to use the remote in the large fields attached to my property, mostly for getting his attention and to respond to my come command. He gets at least 2 walks per day. Don’t need the Zones for the house.
ADMIN – Hi Gordie,
Both the 4100 and 5100 would be a good choice for a lab. The difference in collar size is not going to be a big deal, and the price difference is small (especially if you needed the twisted wire or lightning protection anyway). I would go with the 5100. Just be sure to wait a few weeks until the fence training is complete to start on the remote training; and try and work with a friend or trainer that has experience doing remote training for your first couple of sessions. You have to use the remote trainer in a very structured way for it to be effective.
I plan on using 1000′ of 12 gauge solid wire. I only want my dog to access the back yard. So I plan on running the wire close to the front of the house for my complete loop. However it would be running parallel and adjacent to low voltage lighting wire which I believe is DC. With this interfere with my system?
Also I want to mount my transmitter in the garage but I wont be able to see it all the time to check for errors. Which system has error lights built into the collar?
ADMIN – Hi Steve,
Low voltage lighting rarely causes system interference, but sometimes with parallel runs of wire and low voltage lighting, the electronic dog fence signal gets into the lighting cable, making everywhere that cable runs effectively part of the dog fence boundary. If you do run those parallel sections, you want to make sure to test to see if this is happening, and if so moving the boundary wire.
Unfortunately, none of the systems tell you if there is a boundary breakage at the collar. But most of them (like the Innotek 5100) have an alarm that sounds at the base station to alert you to the break.
We just became became owners of a 3 yr old Australian shepherd mix. So far a great dog except that she loves to chase…….. anything including cars. We live in a rural area with all kinds of wildlife so we are looking for a yard containment system that will handle a dog that’s on the move. She weighs 55#. Also is the 5100 compatible with deep snow? Thank you
ADMIN – Hi Chuck,
With a fast moving dog that likes to chase like an Aussie, if possible you want to set up the system with a nice wide boundary, particularly during the training phase. That way the dog cannot easily run through. When trained right the dog should rarely if ever run through the fence line so will not realize that running through is a possibility. Particularly with dogs like this, you want to spend a few days at the end of training testing the dog with it’s trigger points to make sure they learn that they must obey the boundaries when they get excited. (so get a confederate to drive by in a car, or to walk their dog past). The best way to help a dog overcome a particular trigger point is to work with them with that trigger point. Your are lucky because Aussies are smart and quick learners so it should be a quick process.
There are a few good choices with an Australian. An Innotek IUC 4100/5100 would be a good choice that is rechargeable. The PetSafe Stubborn, or a SportDog SDF-100 are also good choices that are a little bigger, but also a little cheaper.
You can increase the boundary width on the control box when the snow starts accumulating to compensate for the depth of snow cover. Where snow is likely to be an issue, get a unit that have a capacity well above what your need. For example, the 4100/5100 can do 25 acres, but if you know you need to crank up the boundary width when it snows don’t use it when you are doing more than say 12.5 acres. Similarly, the SportDog is rated for 100 acres, but if snow is an issue, don’t use it for more than 50 acres. You can also use a thicker gauge of wire to help increase the boundary width to help you get through snow.
We are going to be moving to an 8 acre property that will have both our house on it and a working nursery. Is it possible to make 2 separate zones of coverage — one being our 3 acre backyard, and the other being the entire 8 acres. We have two dogs — an Australian Cattle Dog (5) and a Vizsla/Giant Dachshund Mix (2). The reason behind this is to have the flexibility to allow the dogs access outside in the backyard (and out of the nursery) when vehicles and equipment are in use in the nursery. When there is no activity I would like to open up the rest of the property to allow them to have access to the entire 8 acres.
Is this possible to do or do you have any other suggestions?
ADMIN – Hi Nikos,
You can run two separate boundaries and alternate which loop is plugged into the transmitter. The other way would be to run two transmitters.
I have had problems with one of my large dogs (suspected lab/mastiff mix) jumping the 3ft chain link fence of my backyard. I will be moving in a couple weeks to another house which also has a 3ft chain link fence. I am wondering if it is a good idea to begin to introduce the fence at the time when he is first learning terrain? Also, if I intend to run the wire on the fence, do I still need the flags to mark the boundary? Or will he recognize the fence as a boundary even though he has jumped the fence many times before at the old house? Do you think the 5100 is a good choice?
I am also wondering if it is possible to setup a “forbidden” area inside the house, using the same collar to provide correction and some kind of add-on? I would like to train both him and my other dog, a lab, to stay out of a particular bathroom so that my poor cat will have an area of peaceful enjoyment. I’m not sure I could use the remote for this, because he clearly knows or senses when I am within hearing range, and only ransacks the kitty litter box when I am not aware he is doing so. If there is such a thing, would it be better to introduce it at the same time as the outdoor fence?
ADMIN – Hi Kate
Hi Kate,
(1) I would install the fence when you first move in. It is always easier to be consistent with the new boundaries than to introduce new rules later on. But, no big deal either way.
(2) Where you have an actual physical fence there is less need to use the training flags. I still like to use them. They are an extra reminder and let the dog know how close to the fence they can get. It is also very useful to have the dog trained on flags in case you move or go to a vacation house … once a dog recognizes the flags it is very easy to teach them other locations. But, again no big deal either way.
(3) Either the Innotek 4100 or 5100 would be a good choice for a lab/mastiff mix.
(4) To keep them out of an area of your house, use one of the indoor pods, they create a small area that excludes the dog. Using the remote is a bad idea for training the dog to stay out of certain areas. Because you are not always around it is hard to be consistent. At best, people usually just end up training the dog to be a sneaker (teaching them not to do something when they are around but that they can do it when you are not looking).
Hi I am thinking about getting the Innotek 4100 but I like the idea of being about to page the dogs when I want them to come in which the 5100 would be able to do but we have 4 hunting dogs that are use to the dogtra training collars… We have an 2 English setters, a springer spaniel and a mixed lab springer, setter. Would this be a good choice to keep them all in a 2 1/2 acre yard? And be able to get them to come in when I want them to?
Thank you for any advice
ADMIN – Hi Susan,
The 4100/5100 would be a good choice for containment for those dogs.
The 5100 is competent but not great in remote mode and has a number of limitation that may make it less useful for your application. First, the useful range of the remote is only about 100 yard, it is nowhere near as powerful as a dedicated Dogtra training collar, which may not be far enough in your property. Second, the remote only has two channels – so you could not control each of the four collars independently. Third, for the remote to work, the collars have to be in training mode and that severely reduces their battery life from about a month between charges to about three days.
I am considering a 5100 system but only one of the dogs would need trained with the remote. Would a 4100 collar work for the second dog which I do not plan to remote train? Thanks.
ADMIN – Hi Laura,
Yes, you can use a 4100 collar with the second dog that you don’t plan to remote train. The IUC-4100 collar is compatible with the IUC-5100 system. The 4100 collar will be a bit lighter and a bit cheaper so is a better choice for dog’s that you don’t need the remote training.
Hello- I did a bit of skimming on both the Innotek 4100 and Innotek 5100 and didn’t find anything that really jumped out at me so: What is the difference between the two?
ADMIN – Hi Jill,
The 5100 adds remote correction. This means that the 5100 has a little remote control that can be used to correct the dog by pressing a button. Remote correction training is popular with people training hunting dogs, we find it less useful for training non-hunting pets.
The base stations of the 4100 and the 5100 are exactly the same. The collars look similar for the 5100 is about 50% bigger than the 4100. The collars are intercompatible for use as a dog fence, but only the 5100 collars can be used for the remote correction.
The 5100 also includes the lighting protection and 100 feet of twisted wire in the box, these are optional extras on the 4100.