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PetSafe Guardian Review (Unboxing & First Impressions)

In this PetSafe Guardian review I will give you a quick overview of unboxing and testing this GPS dog collar. I’ll share with you my firsthand experience setting up the device as well as my first impressions of its features. If you are wondering what this wireless pet fence offers, how the PetSafe Guardian app works, or how reliable the fence is, keep reading as I dive into the nitty-gritty of this GPS dog fence. Let’s see if this brand is the right fit for you and your furry friend.

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CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the PetSafe Guardian (applied at checkout) →

What’s inside the PetSafe Guardian box?

  • Adjustable, waterproof collar
  • Base station 
  • Power adapter for the base station
  • Wall mounts for the base
  • Battery charger
  • USB plugs
  • Extra set of static correction prongs (short and long contact points depending on the length of your dog’s hair)
  • Rechargeable and removable solo battery
  • Warranty, quick start, and training guides

First Impressions and Highlights

So here’s the rundown for my PetSafe Guardian GPS dog collar review: I’ll set it up, check out the app, draw and customize a pet fence, and do a quick boundary test to make sure the fence is working.

Setting Up The PetSafe Guardian

PetSafe Guardian wireless pet fence claims an hour or two for setup, but I breezed through in 15 minutes or so. Mounting the base on a wall might stretch that time, though, depending on your DIY skills.

GPS dog fence reviewer Zach Lovatt explains the set up process for the PetSafe Guardian.

To start setting up the device, you’ll need the quick start guide. First, scan the QR, and install the app. Next, register with an email, go in, and add your product. Lastly, choose “Guardian GPS Fence.”

To actually use the device, you will first have to get the battery charging. In the meantime, the app’s on-screen guide will walk you through the rest especially placing digital fence posts to create your virtual fence.

The base unit is essentially Mission Control. All your fence settings live there, so keep it powered and Wi-Fi connected. You get some pointers on where to place this work of art—out in the open, no hiding allowed.

Drop the base where you plan to install it and enable location services—from my experience, it locates quickly. Plug it in, turn on Bluetooth, and just like that, your wireless dog fence is recognized. Connect to Wi-Fi, and once it says the fence is active, give it a name. Got multiple dogs? PetSafe GPS fence says, you only need to get an additional collar to include more dogs in the containment system.

The PetSafe Guardian App

My PetSafe GPS fence review is not complete without scrutinizing the app. The PetSafe App has some low ratings on the app store, but based on my experience, it’s user-friendly—mostly because it’s kind of minimalist. You can tweak pet profiles, edit your fence, and adjust collar settings. I also like that the static correction starts off disabled—it’s a plus in my book. Your dog’s PetSafe GPS collar battery life and notifications? Yep, you can track those in the app too, but it’s pretty basic stuff, with no bells or whistles.

Here’s the deal: one fence at a time. Need a new layout? Edit the existing one.

GPS dog fence reviewer Zach Lovatt shows the GPS Fence Training Guide for the PetSafe Guardian.

And for training guidelines, you’re stuck with good ol’ paper. Sure, you can navigate to the Help section, which throws you into the depths of the website for the PetSafe wireless fence. But honestly, you’ll end up scrolling forever just to locate a digital guide. Stick with the paper version—it’s less of a hassle.

Field Test For The PetSafe Guardian

PetSafe wireless containment system promises a reliable GPS fence technology, so like my other GPS dog fence reviews, I did a field test for it too. After setting up the collar and the boundary, I took the collar with me to test the accuracy and reliability of PetSafe Guardian’s GPS. After repeated boundary testing, I will note that the collar does issue warnings and corrections in pretty much the exact same spot. Basically, the collar will produce a warning tone when your dog gets close to the boundary. Now if Fido lingers too long close to the boundary, it does switch over to correction, similarly when he goes past it. 

If your dog continues to stay outside of the boundary [1], the collar also turns off the correction tone or static, should you choose to use that, as a safety feature so that your dog only gets corrected for so long. Some users say that the collar can get slow in dense overhead tree coverage due to signal loss.

Summary

Compared to SpotOn or Halo, this collar seems less comfy. But hey, you can get the PetSafe Guardian GPS fence today if you prefer a one-time spend of $600 without any subscription. Read my PetSafe Guardian Reviews #2 for more in-depth field test results.

And if you decide to get the PetSafe Guardian, make sure to score a discount from my link below:

CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the PetSafe Guardian (applied at checkout) →

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