Halo Collar vs. SpotOn:

When it comes to dog safety, there are a lot of containment options to consider: traditional fences, in-ground wire or electric fences, and the latest virtual fences leveraging GPS technology. Halo Collar and Spot On have risen to the top amongst a sea of dog safety products, but how do they really stack up?

With GPS fences, there’s no need for any installation hassle. You can create multiple virtual fences that you can take with you wherever you and your pup go.

But with all these options, how do you know which one is the best fit for you and your pup? Well, there are a bunch of things to think about when finding the best GPS dog fence. Of course, you want something that effectively contains your dog and fits your budget, but there are other important factors to consider.

In this article, we’re going to dive into two GPS dog fence systems: the Halo Collar and the SpotOn Collar.

At a glance comparison

Price

$599

$999

Smallest coverage area

30ft x 30ft

.5 acre

Location tracking updates

x4 per second
(for all collars at all times)

every 6 seconds
(only in ‘tracking mode’)

Cellular network

Roams on all networks

Locked into 1 network

Wi-Fi connectivity

Beacons for indoor use

Battery life

Up to 24 hours

14 hrs in tracking mode

Water resistant

Training

Associative training and intuitive feedback designed by Cesar Millan

Traditional methods of confusing and fear-based line training

On-going improvement

Monthly improvements and new features

Support

Live Zoom (video) support, chat, email, phone

Chat, email phone

Neck size

11” - 30.5”

10” - 26”

Exploring Coverage Area: A Comparative Overview

Coverage means a few different things when it comes to GPS dog fences. We’ll break it down into a few key areas: fence size, reliable connection, indoor use and coverage in different areas.

Fence size

Halo’s smallest fence can be as small as 30×30 ft (900 sq ft), giving your pup some wiggle room while still accounting for the warning zone. SpotOn’s smallest recommendation is half an acre (21,780 sq ft), making Halo the only option for most suburban areas. In fact, 25% of Halo Fences are less than 0.5 acre. Both can handle big areas with no problem (though Halo’s largest fence allowed is larger than SpotOn’s).

Reliable connection

Halo has the most reliable device connection in the industry. It seamlessly switches between Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular, ensuring you stay connected to your pup everywhere you go, even in tricky spots. SpotOn, unfortunately, misses out on Wi-Fi, which means it may not work in places with spotty cell service or indoors, and is limited to just one cellular carrier, which you must select at time of purchase.

Indoor use

In general, GPS struggles within walls and under roofs. SpotOn suggests taking off the collar indoors or setting up Home Zones to avoid unwanted corrections. Cellular connectivity is usually poor indoors, so Halo’s Wi-Fi option is critical for keeping you connected to your pup, even when it’s indoors most of the day. Halo also has the ability to use Bluetooth-based Beacons for keep-away areas indoors. Beacons are devices that create safe zones indoors and keep away zones to keep your pup out of trouble spots like the kitchen trash or the couch.

Cellular coverage

Halo’s got you covered no matter your carrier—AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, you name it. It automatically switches to the best service wherever you go, even internationally. SpotOn, on the other hand, locks you into AT&T or Verizon without the ability to change unless you buy a whole new collar on a different carrier.

Off-grid connection

Both Halo and SpotOn have solutions for remote locations. Halo lets you preload a fence into the app, so you can use it without bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular. SpotOn’s off-grid mode lets you create an offline fence and load it onto the collar using Bluetooth.

Halo protects more dogs in more places than SpotOn with smaller fences, Wi-Fi connection, indoor capabilities, unlimited cellular on all cellular networks and the ability to work in remote locations.

GPS Accuracy Unveiled: Precision & Real-Time Tracking

At Halo, we understand that nothing matters more than your pup’s safety.  When it comes to the GPS dog fences, they must be accurate, and – more importantly – your dog needs to know what to do if it approaches a boundary.

Intuitive feedback using internal compass/activity detection

Halo has patented technology that keeps an eye on your dog’s movements, and knows when they’re heading towards safety or away from it. If they stop or turn back from the boundary, they will stop getting prevention feedback and instead get positive reinforcement. This approach was patented by Halo and is the only method that dog’s truly understand. It also allows Halo training to be based on association and positive reinforcement rather than fear or pain.  Because it is intuitive to your dog, they know what to do every time; typical fence training methods and feedback confuse and scare your dog, and result in a high percentage of dogs who leave even highly accurate fences.

Most accurate GPS receiver

Our GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver is the most accurate chip used in any GPS collar, pinpointing your pup’s location with an incredible average precision of just 1.4 feet*. That means wherever they roam, you know exactly where they are and fences are enforced consistently. SpotOn’s receiver chip is 33% less accurate. *Independently verified.

PrecisionGPS™

Our proprietary AI software cuts through the noise, focusing only on direct GPS signals to give you the most accurate location data possible.  SpotOn does not include this functionality.

More satellite systems

We’re tuned in to six different satellite constellations, four of which are global, with 151 satellites at our disposal, keeping your pup safe no matter where they wander.  SpotOn does receive signals from the same four global constellations, but not from the two regional ones.

Drift prevention

We use smart sensors and AI to catch and eliminate position drift when your dog is not moving. SpotOn has a more basic motion-detection method.

Active antenna

Both collars have an active GPS antenna to ensure the best reception, even in areas with poor coverage or obstacles like clouds and trees.

4 GPS updates per second

With four updates every second, you get real-time location tracking for your pup. Also, when your dog is running, they will still get instant feedback as they approach boundaries, not 20-feet after they’ve crossed them, like with SpotOn.

Assisted GPS for no delay

Our collar’s “time-to-first-fix” happens in seconds and not minutes because we send Assisted GPS data to your collar at least once a day, while SpotOn does not. So even if your dog dashes outside unexpectedly, there’s no lag in locating them.
Halo sets the standard for dog safety. Unrivaled technology and innovation sets Halo apart as the most accurate GPS dog fence ever created.

Water Resistance Review: Durability Against the Elements

Waterproof

Both the Halo Collar and the SpotOn collar are built to work all year round, no matter the weather. They’re both waterproof to IP67 standards, so rain, snow, or even a dip in the pool wont phase them.

High and low temperatures

While we definitely don’t want your pup out in extreme temperatures, it’s good to know that the Halo Collar can handle temperatures from -22°F to 140°F, while SpotOn can handle -30°F to 120°F.

Durability

Halo and SpotOn both are both built tough with durable material that is not easily torn or chewed through. They also both have sealed charging systems that keep out dirt. Halo does have an extra layer of protection with the protective case that comes with every collar that can be washed or replaced easily.

Training Support Examination: Enhancing Pet Safety

Both Halo and SpotOn have customizable sound, vibration and static feedback to choose from. You can decide which type of feedback is best suited for your dog as well as the level of intensity as you go through the training. However, the most important part of the training is not the feedback given, but rather how the feedback is given which is very different with Halo and SpotOn.

Training and technology

The first thing to understand is how dog training works when using GPS fence technology. The Halo Collar has patented technology that uses an internal compass and AI activity detection system to know if your dog is moving and which 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 past the fence lines you create). Most importantly, the prevention feedback stops immediately when your dog responds by stopping or turning around. This is how your dog understands that it followed the command. In addition, if your dog leaves 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.

With SpotOn, your dog gets feedback indefinitely while in or beyond their warning zone or fence line. If your dog stops or turns back, it keeps getting the same feedback. The feedback only stops if/when your dog finds its way back into the fence on its own, which is not intuitive for a dog and likely to leave them confused.

Positive association training

Because of Halo’s patented approach to containment feedback, the training program designed by Cesar Millan is based on positive association training – not fear based aversion training. Meaning, the Halo Collar provides feedback (sound, vibration, or static) that your dog understands means ‘stop and turn around’. If they ignore it, it escalates automatically to get your dog’s attention. This escalated feedback is meant to interrupt your dog’s fixation in distraction filled environments. Once their fixation is broken, the ‘stop and turn around’ command will stop them going any farther and they immediately stop getting any prevention feedback, so they intuitively understand that they did the right thing. Once heading toward safety, they get positive reinforcement whistles to guide them back to safety.

While your dog is learning, Halo provides a training score.  Once your dog’s score is high enough, you know you can confidently leave them unattended. SpotOn does not have anything like this.

Halo takes you through in-depth, step-by-step instructions on how to train your dog based on proven dog psychology methods. Plus, we have a customer service team available everyday to help with any questions that may come up.

Final Verdict: Halo Collar is the Superior GPS Dog Fence Choice

When looking for the best GPS dog fence, Halo Collar is the best option when it comes to what matters most: keeping your dog safe. Here’s why:

• Halo is significantly less expensive than SpotOn and the subscription prices are the same if you have all the features you need to keep your dog safe.
• The Halo Collar has superior technology in every way. SpotOn does not connect to Wi-Fi, no indoor/beacon features, allows use of only one fence at a time that has to be manually loaded, and only connects to one cell carrier.
• Halo’s GPS technology is more advanced with the most accurate GPS chip used in any GPS collar today, PrecisionGPS™ proprietary AI, drift prevention and assisted GPS. All which SpotOn lacks.
• Real-time tracking with Halo actually means “real-time” with x4 GPS updated per second so you always have complete peace of mind knowing that your pup’s location is always accurate.
• Patented technology paired with a training methodology that is both unique and more effective in getting your dog to understand what to do using positive reinforcement, which at the end of the day is the most important part of a GPS dog fence.
• World-class customer support available everyday that you can speak with live on zoom.