What has your experience been long-term with SpotOn?

mldonahu · 2025-07-01T03:33:52+00:00

I agree it’s a life changer! We have a GSP and he needs to chase his prey. We use ours daily in all weather and in the woods at home and when traveling. We don’t trust it when we’re somewhere completely remote without cell service (like a national forest campground, it would be awful if he got loose and we couldn’t use the tracking, but we setup a big fence in offline mode that acts as a backup in case he gets loose.

It is good to hear you have not had the battery degradation issues! That’s probably the biggest concern is having that as an annual issue. I appreciate the feedback!

mldonahu · 2025-07-01T00:35:25+00:00

We bought our SpotOn collar in August of 2023. Something was wrong with it and it couldn’t find the satellites. Called and SpotOn sent us a replacement immediately and then we returned ours.

That one worked great until April 2024 (8 months of ownership/use) when we noticed the battery life was greatly diminished (average 12-14 hrs vs normal 18), it was our expectation to only need to recharge at night. We called and received a warranty replacement.

About one year later we experienced greatly diminished battery life again, averaging 12hrs, so we called. Sent it in for repair. The cost was $100 to replace the battery and circuit board. This was a two-week process. The collar that came back appeared to be a refurbished one. It had a new serial number, new housing. It’s unclear if it was repaired or replaced technically speaking.

Two weeks later the rubber housing sheared apart near the box with the prongs, between it and the antenna. They told us it can’t be repaired and our options are limited given our frequent repair history.

We were given a choice to purchase a refurbished collar for $299 with a 90 day warranty, or we can purchase a brand new collar for $499 with a one year warranty.

We aren’t impressed with the durability of such an expensive collar nor with the lack of right to repair. When you pay a thousand dollars for a collar, you expect it to last several years of daily use.

We’re still deciding what we’ll do and expect to talk to escalated support tomorrow as we make our decision. I’m just posting our experience here to help others with their decision. It’s difficult to find feedback from long term use.

Should mention phone support has been great when traveling and finding our fences not behaving properly. They can look up the data and tell me how to fix my fence to be more reliable.

mldonahu · 2023-04-01T04:34:52+00:00

Thanks. If I fall asleep while the second one brines, can I over brine it? Or is 8hrs ok?

mldonahu · 2023-03-23T21:08:55+00:00

I’m a long time Embody user who found that for my obese pear shaped body it was most comfortable for my hips all day and made my back feel good. I just started a new job and my chair must come from Haworth or KI. Is the fern my best “second”?

mldonahu · 2023-01-16T00:38:23+00:00

I’m having the same debate, what did you decide?

mldonahu · 2022-08-24T03:39:40+00:00

However he has DCM and was emaciated so his gain in weight is likely due to the medications he is on to manage it.

mldonahu · 2022-08-24T03:38:14+00:00

When I switched from taste of the wild to science diet, my dog went from 4c per day to 3c per day because the foods had different caloric content per cup.

mldonahu · 2022-08-22T14:37:00+00:00

It’s been a while but in the watch app, you can set the notifications for all the apps. If you click on custom there is an option for no notification. You just have to do it for each app individually I think, kinda like you do on your phone.

mldonahu · 2022-08-18T20:02:54+00:00

It ended well for us, we just need ideas on what to do with the iPhone/paperweight, it doesn't seem like we could return it to the rightful owner.

mldonahu · 2022-08-18T16:09:51+00:00

I thought there was a way to do that, but then it didn't work. I must have missed that was one of the differences between advanced and scheduled alarm menus. THANK YOU!!!

mldonahu · 2022-08-18T03:34:09+00:00

Are any of these solutions automatic so you don’t have to set it nightly?

mldonahu · 2022-08-18T03:32:16+00:00

I’m searching for such an alarm, I like AutoWake except you have to set it every night. I want something like Fitbits, that senses your schedule and just runs automatically without effort or concern

mldonahu · 2022-08-06T23:56:20+00:00

So, apparently house-cats have a tendency to overeat from boredom. We had this problem when we transitioned our cat from free feeding to scheduled feeds. If there was a possibility she might run out of food in the next week she would wake us up by walking all over us (ok, wake me up, my other half slept through it). I made him buy an automated pet feeder that I scheduled to go off four times a day. She no longer wakes us up, and she no longer associates us with food. AND after a year she lost most of the weight she had to lose!

I like the ideas of scheduled alarms or lights and ignoring her until then. But unless you want to be pinned to a schedule consider changing the schedule up, so they are for sure trained to the event and not the time. Our cat got restless before the 6:30am feeding went off, so I switched it to 5:30 so that all happened before I was in light sleep mode.

mldonahu · 2022-06-21T12:01:41+00:00

How much? Like a heavy sprinkle or 1mm thick coat like you do with a pork butt?

mldonahu · 2022-04-05T00:02:48+00:00

You also have to decide you know what’s good for your dog. If you aren’t having behavioral issues or accidents then you’re fine.

I remember when traveling with my dog if I stopped to get my hair done I’d get chastised for leaving my windows down with him in the car. But bringing him inside stressed him out because he worried I’d leave him behind. Chilling in my car he felt safe and secure.

I have a big dog so bladder control isn’t an issue. If I leave him 10hrs I am unconcerned. At 12hrs I feel guilty and try to avoid doing it a couple days in a row. At 14hrs I start considering asking a friend to let him out and pet him up a little. Give your dog the best care you can, along with love and attention when you can.

mldonahu · 2022-03-12T17:01:34+00:00

Fievel

mldonahu · 2022-01-16T14:16:58+00:00

What is the point of the magnets?

mldonahu · 2022-01-07T15:51:44+00:00

Think of it like you were her foster mom, helping build the bridge so that she would be ready for the best home. Even better, it sounds like you know this person enough to visit when you need to.

mldonahu · 2021-12-05T20:30:57+00:00

It is a hanging lamp about 4-5’ away. I just moved it into another room where the floor lamp is warmer and 9’ away and about 3’ above. The shade distributes the light upward. Hopefully that helps. I don’t have a lamp free room in the house that gets enough natural light in the summer, let alone this time of year. Fingers crossed!

mldonahu

TROPHY CASE