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Troubleshooting Tips
Below are troubleshooting tips that should help you find
answers to the most commonly asked questions about the outdoor dog
containment system and indoor wireless fences from DogWatch. Simply click on
a green headline below to get the information you need.
If you don't find what you need here, we can help!
Contact us.
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R7 and R8 Receiver Features
Adjustable Collar: Both the R7 and R8 receivers come fitted to an
adjustable nylon collar. The collar should be positioned above the dog’s regular
collar. The collar should be adjusted to insure that the contact posts touch the
skin on the dog’s neck. Check the fit for the first few days of wear to insure
that the collar is not too tight or causing irritation to your pet’s neck.
Safelink® FM Radio Signal: Our patented FM design allows the DogWatch
receiver to recognize and activate only to our unique radio signal. This
protects your pet from unintentional correction caused by stray radio signals
that may be emitted by other electronic devices.
Automatic Shutdown: The dog containment system is designed to protect
your dog from an over-correction in the unlikely event that your dog gets caught
in the signal field. If your dog does not exit the signal field, the receiver
will automatically stop correcting after 15 seconds – protecting your dog from
over-correction. The receiver will automatically reset once the dog leaves the
signal field.
CollarBone™: The DogWatch® CollarBone, metal lock washers and contact
posts fasten the receiver to the nylon collar. The plastic “collar bone” is
designed to fit two collar thicknesses. For single-ply collars, mount the
recessed holes of the CollarBone against the collar strap and for double-ply
collars, place the flat side of the CollarBone against the collar strap. See
above illustration.
Contact Posts: The receiver comes with a set of contact posts. Your
DogWatch Dealer will determine the correct set based on your dog’s neck shape,
coat, and skin sensitivity. The posts must make contact with the skin in order
for the dog to feel the correction. In certain cases, your dealer may recommend
clipping some of the hair around the contact posts so that they can touch the
skin more easily. Use care if you find it necessary to tighten the contact posts
with the collar wrench, as over-tightening could cause damage to the receiver.
Antenna: The receiver’s omni-directional antenna design assures optimal
reception from the signal field.
Status Light: The status light continuously monitors your receiver and
provides the following features:
• Start-Up
When you first insert the battery into your receiver, the status light will
flash red and green. This indicates that the receiver has started
properly. Once started, the status light will continue to flash green once
every 30 seconds indicating normal operation. In the event that the light
does not flash, check the battery to be sure that it has been inserted properly.
• Training Level Indicator
When programming the training level of your receiver, the status light will
flash green in conjunction with audible beeps. The number of flashes will
equal the training level you have chosen.
• Signal Field Indicator
When testing the receiver in the signal field the status light will flash
green when the receiver is in the audible zone and will flash green and
red when the receiver is in the correction zone.
• Correction Alert
You will be able to tell if your pet has tested the boundary by looking at the
status light. The status light will double flash green every 30 seconds
during the 24-hour period after the dog has entered the boundary area.
• Battery Indicator
This feature monitors the voltage level of the battery. Once the receiver
detects that the battery has reached a low voltage level, the status light will
change from the normal blinking “green” every 30 seconds to blinking “red”
every 10 seconds. This indicates that your battery is close to the end of
its useful life and you should change the battery within the next 3-4 days.
If your light flashes double red, this indicates that your battery is low
and your pet as challenged the dog containment system.
FastReact™: The DogWatch R7 and R8 receivers offer the fastest reaction
time available in a pet containment fence receiver. Whether your dog, strolls,
runs or sprints into the Avoidance Zone, the DogWatch receiver will react - and
correct - within .125 (1/8) seconds.
User Programmable Feature: When you combine the transmitter “Rate” and
the receiver training levels, you can customize the receiver to one of 20
training settings. For example: If the receiver is on Level 1 and the
Transmitter Rate is on Level 1, your dog is receiving the lowest level of
correction and the least number of pulses per second.
Status Light Indicators
The status light in the R7 and R8 receivers provides the following features:
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Start-Up
When you first insert the battery into your receiver, the status light will
flash green. This indicates that the receiver has started properly.
In the event that the lights do not flash, check the battery to be sure that
it has been inserted properly.
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Correction Level Indicator
When programming the correction level of your receiver, the status light
will flash green (in conjunction with the audible beeps) the number
of flashes will equal the correction level you have chosen.
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Signal Field Indicator
When testing the receiver in the signal field the status light will flash
green when the receiver is in the audible zone and will flash green
and red when the receiver is in the correction zone.
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Battery Replacement Reminder
The status light will flash red approximately every 10 seconds prior
to the end of the battery life to remind you to change the battery. Be sure
to change your battery every 6 months (R7) or two years (R8) . Each time you
change your battery it is important to reset the “Battery Reminder” feature.
Using the Test Light
The test light allows you to test the receiver.
Hold the test light in place over the contact posts and carry the receiver into
the signal field a few feet from the ground. When the receiver picks up the
signal from the boundary wire of the pet containment fence, the audible warning
will sound and the test light will come on when you enter the correction zone.
R7 and R8 Receiver Battery Instructions
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Remove the old battery.
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Using your test light, hold the magnet in the
programming position (without a battery in the receiver) for
15 seconds to fully discharge the unit. If you have
misplaced the test light, let the receiver sit for 5 minutes
without a battery.
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Insert a new battery.* The Battery Indicator feature is
now automatically reset for 6 months for the R7 or 24 months
for the R8 receiver.
* R7 batteries: the positive (+) end of the battery must be
inserted up.
* R8 batteries: the positive (+) end of the battery must be
inserted down.
R7 Battery: The Performance Series receiver is powered by
a 3 volt 1/3 N lithium battery. The receiver is designed for a 6
month battery life. The positive (+) end of the battery must
be inserted up.
R8 Battery: The R8 battery is powered by a 3.6 volt
lithium battery. The receiver is designed for long battery life
of up to two years. The positive (+) end of the battery must
be inserted down.
Battery Plans: Ask your DogWatch Dealer about a battery
plan. If your DogWatch Dealer does not offer a battery plan, you
can join the DogWatch Battery Program and a new battery for any
of the underground and wireless fences offered will be mailed to
you every 6 or 24 months. Call DogWatch at 800-793-3436 or join
through the DogWatch website on the
Battery Plan page.
Important: When you remove the receiver collar from your
dog at night, do not store it near or on a television. Please
note battery handling instructions marked on the battery.
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Testing the Receiver Battery
A battery test magnet is included with your dog containment system. Place the
tester on the contact posts of your receiver and hold it up to the transmitter
or walk out to your driveway where you can see the driveway cut where the wire
for your underground dog fencing is buried. A light on the battery tester and
audible tone on the receiver confirms that the collar is operating properly. If
you get the audible warning but not a light, replace the battery.
Please contact your local Dealer to see if they offer a Battery Plan. If not,
you can join the DogWatch Battery Plan and have new batteries shipped to you
automatically for any of the underground and wireless fences offered, just when
you need them!
Use the Proper Battery for your Receiver
Please consult the Owner's Guide for your particular pet containment fence to
ensure you are using the proper battery for your receiver.
R7 Battery: The Performance Series receiver is powered by a 3 volt 1/3 N
lithium battery. The receiver is designed for a 6 month battery life. The
positive (+) end of the battery must be inserted up.
R8 Battery: The R8 battery is powered by a 3.6 volt lithium battery. The
receiver is designed for long battery life of up to two years. The positive (+)
end of the battery must be inserted down.
Battery Plans: Ask your DogWatch Dealer about a battery plan. If your
DogWatch Dealer does not offer a battery plan, you can join the DogWatch Battery
Program, where a new battery for any of the underground and wireless fences
offered is mailed to you every 6 or 24 months. Call DogWatch at 800-793-3436 or
join through the DogWatch website on the
Battery
Plan page.
Setting the R7 or R8 Receiver
Setting The Receiver:
Both R7 and R8 Receivers provide six training levels that allow you to customize
the training setting to your dog’s individual needs: Audible Only, Level 1(low),
Level 2 (medium), Level 3 (medium high), Level 4 (high), and Level 5
(extra-high). When the receiver is first turned on (from the manufacturer) it
will automatically be set to Training Level 2 (Medium).
Changing the R7 and R8 Receiver Settings:
Your Dogwatch Dealer will start the training on the appropriate level according
to your dog’s personality and traits. If you need to change the training level
on the receiver, hold your test light magnet to the two raised lines on the side
of the receiver. Hold the magnet steady and you will hear a series of beeps that
indicate the current (set) training level. The Training Level will continue to
advance as long as the magnet is held in position. For example, Level 1 is one
beep, Level 2 is two beeps, etc. The beeps (or Receiver Tones) represent the
Training Level the receiver is set at.
When you reach the desired training level setting, pull the magnet away from the
receiver. The receiver is now set.
Any time the magnet activates the receiver, it will first tell you what level
the receiver is set to. As long as the magnet is held in place, it will advance
the receiver to the next training level and continue to cycle through the
settings.
Please consult your Owner's Guide.
AutoMemory™ Correction:
Levels 4, 5 and 6 contain the AutoMemory™ feature. When the receiver is set to
one of the AutoMemory levels, and the dog enters the signal field, the dog will
receive the correction of the initial setting. When the dog then leaves the
signal field the receiver will automatically advance the correction level
setting by one, and only one level. If the dog does not re-enter the signal
field within the next 24 hour period, the receiver defaults to the original
setting.
Adjusting the Receiver Collar
Your DogWatch Dealer has installed your dog containment
system, set the transmitter and receiver to the training levels appropriate
for your dog’s personality and traits, and has placed boundary flags around
the perimeter of your yard. Your Dealer has already begun your dog’s first
day of containment training. Now it is your turn to continue the training.
Before you begin training your dog with the dog containment system, be sure
to place the DogWatch receiver collar on your dog’s neck before you go
outside.
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The collar should be worn snugly on the dog’s neck.
This is extremely important!
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Place no more than one thumb width between the
contact post and dog’s neck.
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When checking snugness of collar, the dog’s neck
should be facing down (sniffing position) as this is where the dog’s
neck is the smallest.
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If the collar is too tight, the receiver unit will
stick out to the side when the dog shakes his head.
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If the collar is too loose, the dog will not receive
the intended correction when he or she wanders into the Avoidance Zone.
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Remember to periodically check for irritation around
the dog’s neck.
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DogWatch strongly recommends that the collar be
removed daily and when the dog is inside the house.
Adjust the collar as needed. Remember — collar fit is
critical! Make sure the collar is on tightly enough to keep the posts in
good contact with the dog's skin. When checking collar snugness, place no
more than one finger width between contact posts and the dog's neck. Be sure
the dog's neck is down, in the sniffing position, as this is when the dog's
neck is the smallest.
During colder months, your dog's fur may be thicker and you may need to trim
the fur under the collar to be sure the dog receives the correction. If your
dog has a naturally thick coat, you may need to trim the fur year-round.
Longer contact posts are available for especially heavy-coated dogs.
If your dog was trained with the DogWatch pet containment fence as a puppy, chances are he or she has grown and may need a larger collar.
Performance Series™ PT4 Transmitter Features
The transmitter sends a coded digital FM radio signal through the boundary wire. This signal can be adjusted, allowing you to control the underground dog fencing around your property. It operates on a standard 110 volt outlet.
PT4 Transmitter Features
Never adjust the transmitter while your dog is wearing the receiver collar.
- Power On/Off: This switch gives you easy access to turn the transmitter
on or off. The red Power light on the front panel lets you know that it is
operating.
- Power Supply: The transmitter is powered through a power supply that is
plugged into a properly grounded 110 volt outlet. The adapter is plugged
into the transmitter jack labeled "PWR."
- PowerPak™: Optional battery back-up system keeps the transmitter
operating in the event of a power failure. When transmitter is being powered
by battery back-up, the red power light will remain off. PowerPak plugs into
the transmitter at "P-PAK".
- Ground Wire: The green ground wire is plugged into the transmitter at
the location labeled “GND.” The round connector on the green ground wire is
attached under the screw on the outlet faceplate. It will, however, only be
effective if your outlet is properly grounded. If you have any questions
about having a properly grounded outlet, consult your local electrician.
- Loop Plug: Your system comes with zip cord with a plug on one end. This
plug fits into the hole marked “Loop” on the bottom of the transmitter. This
is the beginning of the boundary wire. Once your boundary wire has been
properly installed and plugged into the transmitter, the Loop Monitor
Display (LMD) light will turn on. If the underground dog fencing boundary
wire is broken or the signal is interrupted, the LMD light will go out and
an audible warning will sound. If the LMD light is out, consult your Dealer.
You should also check around your property for a visible broken wire.
- Loop Monitor Display (LMD):The Loop Monitor Display provides a visual
indication of the status of your boundary signal. On traditional boundary
wire configurations each number on the scale represents the boundary signal
distance in feet, that is being broadcast from each side of the wire.
(Minimum setting is one [1] foot.) A significant change (drop) in signal
range could indicate a partial wire break or other boundary wire problem. If
you have a wire break in your underground dog fencing, the blinking green
light (or steady green light) will go out and an audible warning will sound.
Contact your dealer for troubleshooting tips for any of the DogWatch
underground and wireless fences offered or to schedule an appointment.
Note: For non-traditional wire configuratons where the boundary wires may
be close to one another, the LMD may not measure the boundary signal
accurately in feet, but is a visual setting reference point. Your DogWatch
dealer will explain the LMD setting and your actual signal range.
- Range: The radio signal is transmitted from the boundary wire in all
directions. The signal is adjusted by the digital range control on the
transmitter to create a signal field on each side of the wire. The
recommended signal field width is 6-10 feet. Your DogWatch Dealer will
adjust the radio signal distance according to the personality and traits of
your dog. Consult your DogWatch Dealer first before making any adjustments
yourself.
Signal Field: The signal field has two areas. When your dog first
enters the signal field, he will receive an audible warning. If he continues
further into the signal field, he will receive a correction. The audible
area is approximately the first 10% of the total signal field. To prevent
your dog from entering the signal field and remaining in the audible area
causing depletion of the battery, the receiver will transition from an
audible warning to a short warning correction after a period of 15 seconds.
This will activate regardless of the mode switch setting, but will not
activate if the receiver is in the “Audible Only” Training Level.
- Training Mode: This turns the stimulation on and off. If your dog enters
the signal field with the Mode “on,” (Full Function) he will receive an
audible warning followed by a correction. When the Mode is “off,” (Audible
Only) he receives an audible only warning (see “Signal Field” description
above). The Mode should only be turned off if your dog has been thoroughly
trained with the Mode “on” and consistently responds to the audible warning
alone. We recommend that the Mode be left in the "on" or "Full Function"
position.
- Rate: This adjusts to three levels (1-slow, 2-medium, 3-fast). When your
dog experiences a correction, he receives it in a series of pulses.
Increasing the Rate means that he will receive a greater number of pulses
per second.
Note: On the back of each transmitter are four small switches. These
switches set your transmitter to the correct broadcast frequency. Your
dealer will set these switches for your system. Do NOT change these
settings. They are for DEALER USE ONLY.
Setting The Transmitter: The Transmitter Rate switch adjusts to three
settings:
(1 – slow, 2 – medium, 3 – fast). When your dog gets a correction, he receives
it in a series of pulses per second. Increasing the rate means that he will
receive a greater number of pulses per second. Rate 1 is the slowest pulse rate
per second; 3 is the fastest.
Outdoor Dog Containment System 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 dealer has adjusted the range that is most suitable for your dog and yard.
Be aware that the signal range on your dog containment system 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 dealer 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 underground dog fencing safety zone for the dog.
If you decrease the signal range, be sure to turn the dial counterclockwise in small increments.
Know where your underground dog fencing wire is buried
Use the training pet containment flags to mark your yard before any landscaping is done.
You can locate your underground dog fencing wire by using the receiver collar.
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. When you first hear the audible tone only, mark the area with pet containment flags. Walk to the opposite side of the boundary and walk back in toward the boundary wire. When you first hear the audible tone, mark the area with a flag. The middle distance between where you placed the pet containment flags should be where the wire for your underground dog fencing is buried, give or take a few inches. If you continue to walk toward the boundary wire, you will hear both the audible tone and correction beeps. Depending how wide the avoidance range is, depends on the distance between the pet containment flags. Be sure your range is set correctly on the transmitter. The range can be set up to 10 feet on either side of the boundary wire. You can also refer to your Instructional DVD or see "Signal Range" below
Indoor Wireless Pet Fence Signal Range
The signal range on the I-50™ and Skedaddle™ indoor wireless fences can be adjusted by turning the dial clockwise to increase the range or counterclockwise to decrease the range. The signal range on the I-50™, when in the wireless fence mode, is from 0 to 8’ in diameter. The signal range on Skedaddle™ wireless fences is from 0 to 10’ in diameter. Remember to turn the dial in small increments and test the range with the receiver. Do not touch the contact points on the receiver.
Pets Need Time Off
Remember to remove the collar at night. If your dog stays outside, periodically remove the collar and check for irritation.
In addition to your local dealer, DogWatch
Customer Service is always available to help you troubleshoot your underground dog fencing system.
Safety and DogWatch Hidden Fences
Important SafeGuards
- Please read all the literature
included with your dog containment system before turning the system
on or beginning training.
- Do not attempt to shortcut the
complete training of your dog.
- The dog containment system is
intended for the purpose of containing domestic dogs. Use for any
other purpose is at system owner’s risk.
- In the event your system requires
servicing, please contact your local Authorized
DogWatch Dealer.
Attempting to service the system yourself may invalidate the
warranty.
- The dog containment system is
recommended for dogs four to six months or older. Your Dealer will
recommend if a puppy under 6 months old is ready.
- Keep the collar and the
transmitter out of the reach of children.
- Never adjust the transmitter or
receiver when your dog is wearing the collar.
- DogWatch recommends that you
unplug your transmitter from the wall outlet and disconnect the loop
wire during lightning storms or when it is left unused for extended
periods. This will prevent possible damage from lightning and
powerline surges.
- This product is only intended for
use with trained domestic dogs. If your dog is aggressive or violent
and could cause harm to itself or others outside the fenced
premises, you should take other measures to restrain your dog such
as traditional fencing.
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To troubleshoot an older AM Transmitter
If your system is not working, check contact posts and the battery cap on
the receiver and tighten if needed. Also, check the lights on the
transmitter.
The red light on the transmitter shows you have AC power to your dog
containment system, the green light shows there are no breaks in the wire.
The green loop light will blink quickly when the Rate is set on "1". When the
Rate is set on "2" the green loop light will blink slowly and when the Rate is
on "3" the green loop light will be a steady green light and it will no longer
blink.
If a wire break occurs, the green light will go out and you will hear an
audible chirping sound.
If the power light and the loop light go out on your AM transmitter, you may
have experienced a lightning surge.
If your transmitter is plugged into a GFI outlet, reset it and your
transmitter will operate.
If you still experience problems with any of the underground or wireless
fences offered by DogWatch, contact your Dealer for assistance.
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