: Petsafe PIF-275-19 Wireless Dog Collar with Radio Receiver for Wireless Fence

Rating: - Battery Issues
OK, so here's the deal. The collars use to come with standard batteries that you could pick up at the store for about $5.00, but PetSafe decided they could make much more money if they sealed the batteries in a "Easy to replace" cartridge and charge you double the price of regular batteries. I was VERY dissatisfied with the life of their batteries and the cost, although I love the performance of their system. As a result I carefully filed down the top of their battery cartridge so that I could extract the battery in it. I then found a replacement battery online. The cost for a battery for my dogs collar was $12.50. I found I could replace the battery inside the sealed unit for $4.00. Needless to say, I am once again a fan. So here is the tip: Take a worn out battery unit out of your dog's collar. Carefully file away the plastic lip that holds the battery in the unit. Take a pair of needle nose pliers and remove the battery and then identify the battery type. I have two dogs that wear these collars and they take different batteries (one is a Boxer, the other a mini-Shnauzer). However I have found that I can replace the batteries for one-third the price that PetSafe asks for battery replacement. Other than the battery issue, these collars and fence syatems are awesome!

---

Rating: - Works for us!
We already had found success in using this product with our 45 pound chocolate lab mix, so when we adopted a 15 pound rat terrier, we knew this would be a good choice for him too. Although I personally tend to have mixed feelings about "the zap" (ie negative reinforcement, rather than positive), I have felt the zap myself and know that it is definitely unpleasant, but not actually painful. In the bigger picture, we know we can let our dogs roam around our small yard without fear, stress or worry that they are going to run off into the nearby streets or other dangers. They stay at home! They also stay close when we bring the whole unit camping with us (we have a small power generator to run the base unit). The peace of mind it gives us both makes it HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

---

Rating: - Works great
Have a 2 1/2 year old beagle who was always getting out of the fenced in yard. This works great. I can have him outside without worrying about him leaving the yard. Downside is the batteries do go fast sometimes without much notice. Also, does anyone know of a collar that would work with the wireless system that also has a bark control? As I said I have a beagle who loves to bark as much as he likes to run.

---

Rating: - over a barrel
The Petsafe wireless fence system is ideal for my family. However, Petsafe knows that they have us over a barrel. The system is a simple transmitter/receiver setup but is has been made unnecessarily expensive. The system is not cheap, however, the fact that any additional collars are at a minimum of $120 and the batteries, that you will need to change every 6 weeks or so, are expensive - and exclusive, of course.

This is a wonderful alternative to having to fence in your yard to contain your pet, but you need to realize that it is an ongoing, not insignificant expense. I will be glad when Petsafe has some competition out there and are forced to bring their product more reasonably priced.

---

Rating: - Life just got better
When I first recieved this unit I absoulutly hated it. The first time my dog got "bit" I was ready to return it. My husband talked me into trying it for 1 week and then making up my mind. Well my dog has only been "bit" twice! We have since aquired another dog. She learned just as fast! This product is amazing for the normal pet. I wouldn't trust it on overly aggressive animals.