SmartFence®
Outdoor Hidden Dog Fences
The Next Generation of Pet Fencing
The SmartFence® underground fence system combines DogWatch® patented FM radio technology and all the features of our award winning ProFence™ with new mobile connectivity features. With the SmartFence®, your dog will stay safe and happy, and you’ll stay connected – wherever you are!
Connectivity Features
Battery Status Alerts
Sends an alert when it’s time to replace the SmartCollar™ battery. A notification will appear on the WebApp and will disappear when the battery is replaced.
Power Loss Alerts
Sends an alert if the power goes out and the Transmitter starts running on PowerPak™ battery back-up. A notification will appear on the WebApp and will disappear when the Transmitter is reconnected to power.
Collar Connectivity Alerts
Sends an alert if your SmartCollar does not connect with the Communication Portal – for example, if your collar’s battery is dead, if your collar is damaged from a dog chew or if the collar is out of range of the Portal. A notification will appear on the Web App and will disappear when the SmartCollar™ reconnects to the Portal.
Owner-Friendly Features
Easy For You
We keep your pet safe and are safe for your pet with our exclusive SafeLink® FM technology and settings that can be individualized for all breeds, ages and pet personalities.
Proven Training Program
All DogWatch Dealers provide on-site training using a safe and effective training program that includes visual recognition of boundary flags, learning to retreat from the audible (or vibration) warning signal and learning that there is an unpleasant sensation if they cross the boundary.
Flexible, Affordable Containment Areas
Over the river and through the woods? Backyard only . . . but not the pool and flower garden? Create a swimming area in the lake? It can be done. A hidden fence is more flexible and less expensive than a traditional fence. And your dog can’t jump over, dig under or chew through a hidden fence!
SafeLink®
Our patented digital SafeLink® FM technology provides the maximum protection against false activation caused by stray radio signals. FM technology is less prone to interference than the AM systems used by other brands, and that makes DogWatch the most secure hidden fence available.
Flexible Training Levels
The DogWatch transmitter and receiver offer up to twenty unique options (plus audible only) to ensure safe, appropriate containment for all pets. The settings are easy to understand and user adjustable (no service call required).
Lightning Protection
DogWatch Hidden Fences include the very best lightning/surge protection available as a standard feature. External protection directs power surges and lightning away from your home; internal protection suppresses surges coming in through your house wiring.
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Frequently Asked Questions About DogWatch SmartFence®
The DogWatch SmartFence® is a hidden underground pet fencing system that uses a radio signal to keep your dog in a designated containment area, such as a yard; or out of an area, such as a swimming pool, patio, or garden. The DogWatch SmartFence® includes a communication component that will notify you by text and/or email if there is a break in the underground fence or if your pet’s collar battery is low, so you will know before your pet does if there is an issue with the fence working as it should. It will also let you know if your pet is testing his boundaries and will track your pet’s activity.
Hidden fences are often mistakenly referred to generically as “invisible fences”. Invisible Fence® is a brand name and Registered Trademark of the Invisible Fence Company.
As with all hidden dog fences, the “fence” part of the DogWatch SmartFence® is created by burying a ‘boundary wire’ a few inches underground around your property. The buried wire carries a harmless, low level radio signal from a transmitter installed in your house or garage. Your pet wears a lightweight, waterproof receiver collar (SmartCollar™) that recognizes the radio signal. As your pet approaches the buried wire, the receiver collar emits a warning signal (audible or vibration). If your pet travels further, he will receive a mild but safe stimulation (also called a “correction”) from the receiver collar. Through a training program, your pet learns to recognize his fence boundaries and learns to stop at the warning signal.
In addition to the basic hidden fence, the SmartFence® uses a special “communication portal” connected to your home Internet. The portal receives signals from both the transmitter installed in your house or garage and the receiver worn by your dog. These signals communicate information about the status of your hidden fence, your dog’s collar, and your dog’s activity. If the portal detects an issue, such as a break in the boundary wire or a low battery in the receiver collar, it triggers an alert which will be sent to you (and/or whoever else you designate) via text and/or email.
Information from the SmartFence® portal can be accessed using our SmartFence® WebApp on your mobile device or desktop computer. You can view the status of your SmartFence® and any alerts, your pet’s activity, and if your pet has been challenging the boundary (i.e., if your pet has been triggering the audible alert.)
You can use the Hidden Fence (the containment part of the fence) without the Internet. The communication part of the system (notification alerts, system settings and activity tracking) will not work without an Internet connection.
Yes, you can still get text message and/or email alerts and you can access your SmartFence® WebApp profile from any computer or other Internet enabled device.
Yes, the SmartFence® WebApp works on both iPhone and Android devices. The WebApp is not an “App” that you download in the App Store or Play Store. Instead, it is a progressive web app, accessible via any internet browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.). The WebApp can be saved to the home screen of your mobile device for easy access. For more information about how to access, setup and save the WebApp, please see our SmartFence® Quick Start Guide or SmartFence® Owner’s Guide.
No. The “stimulation” from the collar is unpleasant, but it will not “burn” or injure your pet. It is a sensation similar to the static shock you receive after walking across a carpet in your socks. It is uncomfortable, but it does not harm you.
The Hidden Fence (the containment part of the fence) is not dependent on the Internet and will work as it should even if your Internet is turned ‘off’ or not working. If your Internet is turned ‘off’ or not working, you will not receive notification alerts, system settings and activity tracking until your Internet connection is restored.
The SmartCollar™ is designed with the understanding that your pet will probably spend time in parts of the yard that may be beyond the transmission range of your SmartFence® Communication Portal. That’s OK!
The SmartFence® requires the use of an Ethernet port. You may be able to add ports to your router by connecting it to an Ethernet switch. These devices should be available at stores such as Staples® or Best Buy®.
Training is an important part of the process. After we install the hidden fence, we work with you to train your pet. The training includes teaching your pet to recognize the containment area boundaries through a combination of voice commands, audible warning signals from the receiver collar and visual flags that are set in the yard where the pet hears the warning alert. With training, the dog remembers the placement of the flags and associates the flags with the warning signal. As your pet learns, the flags are slowly taken away. Your pet also learns that if he continues beyond the flags and warning alert, he will receive a mild correction (a stimulation from the collar). After training, most dogs do not cross the hidden boundary; they usually stop before the warning signal to avoid the correction.
We will initiate the training and provide instructions and support so you can complete and reinforce the training. After the initial training, your dog goes through a training session with you for a few minutes each day for about two weeks. We will develop a plan to meet the specific training needs of your pet(s).
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