Review on 🐕 SportDOG Brand Contain + Train System - In-Ground Fence Kit with Remote Trainer - Waterproof, Rechargeable Collar with Tone, Vibration, and Electric Shock - Expandable for Multiple Dogs - Covers up to 100 Acres by Michele Denzer

I purchased this unit after reading many reviews citing excellent customer service and easy 9 volt battery replacement. I have two dogs and when I was looking for an extra collar with a 9 volt battery I was told they had stopped manufacturing and needed to buy a rechargeable one. Batteries are fine when new, but I have a closet full of devices with dead, obsolete batteries. I would have preferred the 9V option but I bought the current model. The SportDog FAQ mentions that 14 gauge wire can be used, so I ordered 2,000 feet of this wire for my 3 acre property. I paid $45 to rent an edger with a wire feed spool for a 2 inch mini trench. It took a day to bury the wire and another day to finish where the wire came out of the bends. gave more sag when we pulled. I don't see how a 20 gram wire could hold up under tension, but that's what this machine might have been designed for. I added four compounds and (only 2) the included gel filled capsules worked great. As I said, I used 14g solid wire. The biggest disappointment with the installation was the cheap clamp connectors. They just didn't hold up the 14g wire! I bought a surge protector that had similar connectors. I can understand the size limitations for the surge protector, but why not allow the screw terminal option on the transmitter? I got around this "bug" by using 16 gram speaker wire, which I connected to the surge protector. Even then I had to build some clothespins to hold enough tension. Wire grip springs. I have to tell you, the conclusions that ran through my head were that this whole device was made as cheaply as possible and the manufacturer is making a huge profit. But good customer service costs money, so I forgive the high price. The two manuals that came with the product were very detailed, helpful and informative. Five stars for the documentation. I've got 1500 feet underground, reliable connections, flags every ten feet. A dog wears the collar on the first day to get used to the collar. Tomorrow we start the lesson. i am optimistic I will update the review in a few weeks to report on the effectiveness of deterrence and distance learning. **** UPDATE A month has passed. I have trained my dog for a long time. We attached the module to the clasp on the collar. It was very easy to remove the strap and attach the module to the clasp, although the strap had to be cut and re-stitched. On the first day, I activated the system as recommended, put the collar on Maintenance + Training, Strength #2. A few minutes of training as instructed in the manual worked well. Later that day my daughter did a training session and reported that the dog hadn't responded at all. I decided the collar was too loose so I tightened it the next day and increased the power to #3. Well the improvement was significant and the dog's training was FAST and EFFECTIVE. We started with the same flag as the day before. The dog was tied on a leash. I pulled her back as she gave a little yell and pointed to the flag. We walked 100 feet to another flag. Same process. The same reaction. She was more careful. We walked another 100 feet. This time she snatched the leash from my hand as she hit the strike zone and ran through the leash. This made the shock last longer and she cried out loudly as she ran towards me. I pointed to the flag. FROM THAT POINT THE DOG WAS NO VISIBLE 1.5 FEET FROM THE FLAG, with or without the collar. Containment Training Complete! Amazing.** Now to the Learning Console. We are the 5th home of this 9 month old rescued dog. We've had her for two months. Previous owners have described them as "too many dogs." She wants to bite like a puppy, not mean but very talkative. Before we got a nine month old dog, we also rescued a much smaller dog who was only 8 weeks old at the time. Really a puppy. But a little fireball that, when it grows up, wants to play with its big, talkative companion. The training remote helped a lot in teaching a large dog to play properly. The older dog will also bite people when trying to play with toys. I almost always leave it in "V/T", i.e. vibration/sound. The dog associates the sound with the shock from the containment line, so I just have to "tune" her and she'll get the idea. From time to time she tests our patience and we vibrate the collar with instant results. I spent many hours teaching her verbal commands and tried using the learner remote as an add-on; however, no language seems to stop dogs from biting puppies and playing. The training remote was key to prevent the older dog from hurting the younger dog. Great progress on both dogs: two people hold leashes and I tone the big dog to remind him to be gentle when needed. I'll still give my overall rating of four stars due to the weak terminal design. I would rate the practical side of containment and training FIVE STARS.** The module is large and unwieldy. I would like it smaller. I also wish there was an option for small dogs. My little pup is only 7 pounds so I didn't put a collar on her; but now that she is almost four months old, she wants to go hunting. I keep her on a leash and try to get her to respect the flags that are still flying. I think she would also learn to respect boundaries very quickly if there was a small dog training collar. ** I am very happy with this purchase. I have worked hard with a very difficult dog and have found the SportDog Enclosure + Trainer very helpful.