The SpotOn GPS dog fence and the PetSafe Guardian both claim to be the “most reliable GPS fence.” Clearly, only one can take the crown. So, which one is right for your pup? You’ll find out in this SpotOn vs PetSafe Guardian review.
When you decide on the best GPS dog fence for your pup, use the links below to score a good price.
CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the SpotOn (applied at checkout) → CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the PetSafe Guardian (applied at checkout) →What You Need To Know
SpotOn carries a hefty price tag of about $1,300. Plus there are optional monthly fees starting at about $6 for real-time tracking, escape alerts, and a few more perks. This isn’t just any wireless dog fence—it’s a GPS fence; it’s the OG. It’s engineered by the same minds that built GPS devices for the U.S. military, and it delivers top-tier technology to keep your dog inside a set boundary, among other features.
The PetSafe Guardian is a budget-friendly $600 or so as I’m writing. It’s a no-frills option, pitching the absence of tracking and alerts as a selling point, not a downside.
Your decision boils down to how much precision and control you want for your dog. So let’s dig deeper.
What’s In The Box
Open up the SpotOn box, and you’ll find two sets of static correction prongs, along with a contact point tester, a charging base, a wall charger, the user guide, and the star of the show—the collar itself. It screams quality, comfort, and functionality.
Inside the PetSafe Guardian box we have the collar, a GPS base station, a removable, rechargeable battery, a wall charger that can handle two batteries at once, extra static correction prongs, a power adapter for the base, and the hardware you’d need to mount it on your wall.
Just from unboxing, you can tell which collar screams premium and which is a wallet-friendly pick. But of course, there’s more to the story.
Drawing the Fence
SpotOn lets you store up to 20 virtual fences and allows you to set up to a whopping 1,500 fence posts, which is more than any other collar I’ve seen. For that hefty price tag, you’d expect nothing less than pinpoint precision. The fence has to cover at least half an acre to function properly. PetSafe, on the other hand, asks for a bit more real estate—over 3/4 of an acre. Here’s where wireless fences are practical to use as it is difficult and expensive to put up a physical fence on a huge property.
To draw fences with SpotOn you can doodle your fence on the app’s map, or you can walk your property with the collar in hand. The collar drops posts automatically as you go.
With the Guardian it’s just app doodling. Tap the map to outline your boundary. The interface looks nice but it could be more intuitive. You have to head to the settings to edit your fence. You can zoom and drop fence posts for more accuracy, but you can do that with SpotOn, too. Once you find the edit fence function, making adjustments is easy. The guardian only allows one fence at a time, though.
Boundary Tests
SpotOn’s collar uses their ‘TrueLocation Technology,’ combining more satellite connections and AI to give your dog better GPS coverage and consistent, reliable boundaries. It also offers a ‘Forest Mode’, ensuring that a canopy of leaves won’t throw the collar off track. Then there are “keep-out zones” for off-limit areas like your flower bed and “home zones” that essentially mean, well, home. This helps prevent any unintended corrections indoors.
When I tested the SpotOn boundary, I found that it consistently gives two warnings and enough buffer for the dog to return to safety.
PetSafe Guardian was also pretty consistent with the correction feedback starting with the warning and then the static correction. I like that the PetSafe collar gives correction that can still be felt but without any pain even at the lowest setting. I’d say this is absolutely the most gentle invisible fence collar that I’ve tested.
Training
SpotOn provides training modules right in their app. Plus, you get a free 30-minute chat with an expert.
With PetSafe you’ll have to settle for a printed manual, which you can find online as well.
Battery
SpotOn’s battery lasts up to 22 hours in containment mode and up to 14 hours when tracking. It charges from zero in just about 90 to 120 minutes.
PetSafe was still going strong at 1.5 hours into testing—three bars and counting. They don’t tell you percentages—only bars. Four days later, it still had some juice left. But I’m sure the battery life would be less under heavier use.
SpotOn vs PetSafe Guardian— The Verdict
Alright, let’s circle back to our kick-off question: which collar wins the title of “most reliable GPS dog fence”?
My answer after the tests I did is that I’m still leaning towards SpotOn GPS dog fence. They have this patented, military-grade GPS tech that’s pretty rock solid. However, don’t sleep on PetSafe—it has performed well in my testing so far.
So, what’s the bottom line for your dog?
If you’re just looking for truly basic GPS fencing—no frills, no subscription—PetSafe is for you. But if you want high-end functionality and performance then you want the SpotOn. It’s the best in class, in my opinion at least.
If you think this PetSafe Guardian vs SpotOn GPS fence review helped you decide which collar to get, use the links below to get the best price!
CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the SpotOn (applied at checkout) → CLICK HERE: Get my EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the PetSafe Guardian (applied at checkout) →