DogFence - Trouble Shooting

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Trouble Shooting

Below are troubleshooting tips that should help you find answers to the most commonly asked questions about DogWatch products. If you don't find the information you need here, we can help!

DOGWATCH TROUBLE SHOOTING

SYSTEMS R1200, R1200m,Performance R7 & R8 SYSTEM 3000 & R6

Before checking the receiver collar function please ensure that your DogWatch receiver collar is correctly fitted – a loose collar will not make a good contact with the dog.

Place a piece of food on the ground and when the dog’s neck is down & stretched make sure that you can ONLY place 2 x fingers between the dog’s neck and the nylon collar strap or 1 x finger behind the metal contact post and the dog’s neck. Anymore and the collar is too loose.

Testing the collar & Changing the levels:- (This can also be found under instructional videos).

Take the magnet adjuster (test lamp collar tester) that was supplied with your DogWatch collar and insert the contact posts into the holes in the back of the adjuster. Hold the receiver collar with adjuster in place over the contact posts and place up against the Transmitter (main DogFence panel). The face of the DogWatch receiver box collar (Black) should be touching the face of the (Grey or White) transmitter panel. If the collar is working correctly you will hear the audible warning (beeping) and the light in the back of the test lamp will illuminate. If no light appears or the beep is not heard the collar could be faulty.
If the receiver collar is not responding:- take the magnet adjuster away from the contact posts and use the magnet end to test the shock levels. To carry this out you must first locate the raised lines on the receiver box collar. On the R1200 & R8 these are located on the left hand edge near the bottom of the box – you may need to pull the nylon collar back slightly and the line will be located here. On the R1200m & R7 receiver the raised lines are at the top of the box also on the left hand edge – the easiest way to locate these is to place you finger on seem directly above the dogs head and follow around to left – again you may need to push the collar back slightly to locate them. Place the magnet between these lines and the collar should beep. 1 beep = level 1, 2 beeps = level etc through to level 4 on the R1200 & R1200m and 7 on the R8 & R7. The very long beep indicates that the shock has been turned off and the collar is set to audible only. To change the level leave the adjuster in place until the receiver changes the amount of beeps i.e 2 beeps become 3 beeps.

If the collar is set to audible only the test lamp will not illuminate when held up to the transmitter box, only the bleep will be heard. If the collar has been set to audible only you will need to adjust the level to a shock level. To adjust the level place the magnet end between the two lines – when the long beep is heard leave the magnet in place and the collar will then give a short beep (to indicate level 1), leave in place until the desired level is reached (indicated by the number of beeps) and remove the adjuster. If you miss your level and end up on a higher level you can keep going in a continuous loop until the correct level is reached.
If the collar is still not responding check that the battery cap is inserted correctly and snugly.
If none of the above gives a response – it maybe that a battery is required. You can contact us and we can check when the battery is due for replacement. Please note that the collar should never be stored near to the main transmitter panel, TV, radio or computer. As the collar will pick up the signal from the appliances and reject the signal – this will naturally cause the battery to drain quicker than the time quoted.
If the collar is working correctly but the dog has been escaping then this will indicate that the collar is too loose. To check the collar fit place a piece of food on the ground and when the dog’s neck is down you should only be able to insert 2 x fingers side by side between the dog’s neck and the collar – any more gap will indicate that the collar is too loose. YOU CANNOT CHECK THE COLLAR FIT WHEN THE DOG IS SITTING UP as the neck muscles will be contracted and the collar will feel snug or even tight. For customers who ride horses adjusting the collar is similar to adjusting the girth – often a dog will relax after the collar has been adjusted, allowing for a further adjustment to be made.

Testing the Transmitter

Testing the transmitter – check that you have a green loop light & red power light. To check that the transmitter is working please remove the zip wire (marked LOOP). The Green light should go out and a high pitched audible sound will be heard. The red light will stay on. Check the socket by plugging another appliance into the socket.
If all is OK – adjust the range located on the right-hand side of the panel. Turn the range dial ½ turn and repeat the collar test as per no.1. If the collar still does not work remove the panel from wall and check that the dip switches are all in the up position. If any of the switches are in the down position this means that your panel has been either switched to 4 KHZ or to an AM transmission and the receiver collar will not respond. Lift the switches back to the up position and turn the power on and off on the transmitter – this will re-set the transmitter.

Short Loop Test

If you have carried out all of the above and your collar/s are still not responding you may have a break or partial break in your boundary cable. To test the cable take a screwdriver or coin to the surge protection box (this will be located outside and just above the ground rod). Open the box and place the coin or screwdriver across the two terminals which are situated side by side at the bottom (this will create a mini loop between your transmitter and the surge protection and eliminate the boundary cable). Leaving the bridge across the terminals in place take the collar and collar tester and repeat the test at the transmitter panel as per no. 1). If the collar responds then you have a break/partial break in your boundary and you will need to locate the break. Please note if you have a beeping noise before carrying out this test and the green light is not showing on the transmitter this test will confirm that your cable is broken – when placing the bridge across the surge protector the green light should illuminate and the beeping should stop.
If you have followed all the above tests and your collar is still not responding please contact us. If you have a break or partial break on your system we can offer a breakfinding tool for hire or a service call to trace and repair the break – (08450) 623623.

Test the Battery

Using the above test the battery. A light and audible tone shows that the collar is operating properly. If you get the audible warning but not a light, replace the battery. The 3.6 volt battery for the R1200 & R8 receiver lasts one or two years depending on the serial no. and 3.0 volt batteries Performance Series R7 lasts about 6 months. We offer a battery plan, if you join the DogFence battery plan you can have new batteries sent to you automatically, just when you need them! – when your battery runs out guess who else runs out!

Check Contact Posts and Transmitter

Check contact posts and the battery cap on the receiver collar and tighten if needed. Also, check the lights on the transmitter occasionally. Remember - the red light shows you have AC power to the system, green light shows there are no breaks in the wire. If you have a wire break, the green light will go out an audible warning will sound.

If both lights go out, you may have experienced a lighteing surge.

If you still experience problems, please contact us for assistance - (08450) 623623 enquiries@dogfence.co.uk

Know where your wire is buried

Use the training flags or some markers to define the edge of signal fields around the property before any landscaping is done. You can locate your fence by using the receiver collar. This will help any workmen to identify the approx location of the boundary wire. Remember if you have been recently installed and the training flags are still in place that the flags are marking the edge of the signal field and not the location of the cable. Do not throw your training flags away after training.

Hold the receiver at the dog's neck height (at your knees) and hold the receiver with the contact posts up. Walk perpendicular toward the boundary wire. You will first hear the audible tone. The audible tone will stop when you are directly over the wire. You will now hear the correction beeps and you can set your flag in the ground. This would also be applicable if you are placing the flags in the ground for the training of a new dog or cat.

Signal Range

The dial for adjusting the range is located on the right side of transmitter. Depending on the size of your property and needs of your dog, signal range may vary from the boundary wire. Your installer has adjusted the range that is most suitable for your dog and property size.

Be aware that the signal range dial is very sensitive. Changing the signal field can significantly compromise the effectiveness of the boundary loop, so you should not change this setting unless your installer recommends it.

If you increase the signal field, be sure to only turn the dial clockwise in small increments. Remember, increasing the signal range, decreases the safety zone for the dog (safe area of the garden). If you decrease the signal range, be sure to turn the dial counter clockwise in small increments.

Pets Need Time Off

Remember to remove the collar at night. If your dog stays outside, periodically remove the collar and check for irritation. The DogWatch receiver collar should never be worn for a period of more than 18 hours in one day.