Update | Fi Dog Collar BROKE - My Dog Got Loose
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- My dog snapped the leash attachment ring on her Fi Smart Collar less than 3 months after I got it. We spoke with Fi to get to the bottom of it.
For the last two-and-a-half months, I’ve been testing the Fi Smart Collar. The collar has some neat technology that allows you to track your dog’s GPS location over your cell phone. All that is well and good, and I wrote about it a ton on my first review:
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To update, Fi has now improved the attachment point with a stainless steel D-ring. It seems much stronger than the original.
What about the plastic clip part?
The GPS UNIT is still PLASTIC ... it’s not well designed at all IMHO.
It took me quite a while to finally figure out how to swap collars. Because the product came completely assembled, I was unable to see what I was working with clearly. Considering that this is all plastic does not bode well at all.
I watched probably ten other reviews HOPING that someone would upload the “how to” on a real product, and not a cartoon. The only thing I walked away with from those reviews was concern about the plastic housing, connections and severe warnings NEVER TO USE the GPS Collar on a Leash.... EVER, they warned, over and over and over...
I concur. I’m quite discombobulated to finally understand how this part works. Understandably, most folks pointed to this being Version #1 released into the Real World, and so... yeah... DO NOT USE the GPS Collar on a leash... Like EVER.
I love the device, the actual electronics and app.
The collar is GARBAGE. The plastic broke on mine as well. AND I don't even use the collar for leash attachment. I always use a harness, 100% of the time. Still broke.
The whole design is crap. I just want to be able to put it on a real collar!
But they've designed it in the most inconvenient way possible.
If the way they attach the collar to the tracker is the same I say still don't trust it to control your dog. With those short pins, it doesn't take much to deform it just enough for the pins to come out. Use a harness.
Mine broke where the plastic meets the metal attachment point for the collar. After contacting Fi they told me that they would replace my device if I paid for another year of service. Mind you, I just paid for another year 2 months ago. GJ's D-ring breaking was probably a QC problem. While the plastic piece breaking is a known design flaw (see series 3), and they simply tell series 2 owners to pound sand.
I don’t use a collar to tether my dogs, I use their harness for that.
Same, any dog that pulls enough to break even a cheap D-ring, should be on an Easy Walk, choke, or Gentle Leader. Mine has aspirations of being a sled dog, and would have a collapsed trachea by now, if I didn't use the Easy Walk harness, which makes her pulling 90% more manageable.
I've had two Fi Collars break at the plastic case where the metal C clips attach. Do not use a Fi unless you're not applying any force on it. For reference my pup is 47 lbs
And have the one that has a clip and not the c clips because you can grind down the plastic like the martingale caller which is completely flawed and would not be worth buying it at all
I actually had my dog break it at the device back in December and get lost at night when I barely had any light to be able to see where she was running around. Unable to get her for a good two two and a half hours
Thanks for this very helpful video. I also noticed the collar isn't terribly strong and certainly didn't trust it's strength for my dog. But I have a 171 pound Saint Bernard who is far from perfect on the leash so the purpose of his Fi collar is just as a tracking device. When I take him out of the backyard or on walks I put a stainless steel choker chain collar on him. He needs a 32" choker chain now so I am very grateful that the Fi collars can fit dogs with up to 35" necks.
Just got my new Fi collar and watched your video before getting it. Just wanted to let you know the collar has a different traditional D ring now.
Casey Shepard mind if I ask how it’s holding up? Those things are high up there but could definitely pay off if it’s going to help me find my run away pup if need be.
Ditto, hows it holding up? Are you using it just as a GPS tracking collar or do you use it as the dogs usual collar? Even if I ordered it I still think that I would use a harness just to be safe and sure. I was interested in buying the product and it's just been watching it on the market to see what it does and if their software is any good for tracking. That seems to be one of the biggest problems in dog tracking technology how do you find the software to be?
To update, Fi has now improved the attachment point with a stainless steel D-ring. It seems much stronger than the original.
@@70sHollyDay I like using the Fi collar for my dog. I do use a choker chain when walking my dog because he is not perfect on the leash but then he is a 171 pound Saint Bernard and you want to make sure he doesn't get away. For using the Fi dog collar as a tracking device it is very important to have AT&T as a cellular phone service.
I am on my second one that broke on the plastic case. Both of them in the same pace. I also have never used it to leach my dog. For a collar that cost $150 plus $100 for the subscription. Good luck trying to get ahold of them. Thank you for bringing this to there attention.
How did you get in touch with company? I cannot reach them by phone?
Oh, No where did I see that a subscription is required.Tell me more..
@@Justiceair you also have to pay for an AT&T sub.
In my case, customer service refused to do anything but upsell me. Because the color was 18 months old and just out of warranty, they would do nothing about it, but they would give me a free fi 2 collar if I add two years of subscription. Or they suggested I buy a fi3 collar + more year of subscription and then I’d have a lifetime warranty on it. PITIFUL
If FI decides to create a military/police K9 grade collar (with a control handle) I will pick one up for my German Shepherd. Maybe they need to pair with K9 Tactical since they make an amazing collar. Hope they are listening.
Hey, I'm currently researching a Fi for my pup and was just on their site this weekend, they have now partnered with several different collar companies, and I thought I'd let you know that I saw at least two stores with all k9 tactile type stuff.
Might be worth going by their page and go to collars on the menu.
It's actually really nice that they've teamed up with so many different types of collar makers now.
@@melindaengland8534 I actually saw this a few days ago myself. Thanks for updating the post.
Modern Icon and LandShark have semi tactical Fi compatible collars that are much stronger. I’m looking into this myself, and think Fi’s current design is dangerous..
Glad i saw this. I was getting ready to order this but i have a 100lb Lab who has snapped his fair share of leashes so this worries me.
Those saying use a harness or something else
Your paying $150 for this collar it should at least work safely as a collar 🤷🏼♀️
You use a harness so that you don't injure your dog, it has nothing to do with whether this can hold up or not.
@@stevetyrrell98 I have used collars with all my dogs including 103 lb St Bernard mix, 70 lb Chow/Rottweiler mix, 80 lb husky/? Bigger breed mix, and 60lb pit bull. I worked with all my dogs about walking with no pulling. They did great. The only time that I did have problems with pulling is when I used a harness with the pit. Harnesses aren't always the answer. Time and training will do the trick.
@@stevetyrrell98you should look into the damage "no pull" harness can do to a dog's chest if you're worried about injuries. My pup has several harnesses for play, exercise, and for covering with morale patches, but a collar is mandatory on our walks. No harness has ever given me the control that a collar has. Decades of dog ownership and no issues with collars. To be specific, I use padded agitation collars. The durability and reliability of a collar matters to people with dog breeds that make the news for bad reasons.
Thanks for sharing! I hear this is the best tracking collar, so I think I'll still get it but use an additional collar or harnesses to attach a leash to, as you suggested.
I had the same thing happen to me today. I had the collar less than a year. I contacted FI for a replacement hopefully, I will hear back from them tomorrow. On the module where the silver clasp hooks to, if you look at the indentions on the left and the right side of the module the black plastic gets rounded out which prevents the silver claps to hook into place. I was walking my beagle in busy neighborhood and the collar came undone. I was really disappointed because he could’ve been hit by a car.
I had the same thing happen. they sent me a new one but i was disappointed to see how soft that plastic is. I told them basically it's a dumb design
I have had 3 fi collars do the same thing for my livestock guardian dogs. It’s a terrible design
I would never use a neck collar to tether my dog, as my dog tends to pull and a traditional collar can harm the dog's neck. I have this collar and I use a harness for walks and runs.
I see from comments the D-ring got upgraded, what about the other attachment point that broke?
The other attachment points (where the GPS unit attaches to the collar) are plastic and our 10 month old malamute just broke his going after a soccer ball the kids were kicking. It is a terrible design that the GPS unit is a load-bearing part of the collar instead of attached to it. They do it so that they can sell you overpriced collars since they are the only ones that will work with the unit.
I don’t know why you would have leash attached to it. D ring on ANY COLLAR should only be used for ID tags! I have a 80 pit and she broke a 1 inch leather collar. 100+ dollar collar or not.
I call bull crap
Fi Collar owner here: please note that the GPS service you buy for this is PREPAID and they DO NOT OFFER REFUNDS AT ALL past 30 days for the service even if your device breaks and you can't use the service anymore. I paid for a full year of GPS service, $119, in Oct and my device broke in Feb and they will not give a prorated refund for the 8 months of service I can't use anymore. Also, the device never once actually was able to find the GPS cell phone network. If your dog is standing under a tree, its too much interference. Don't get the GPS. In my opinion its a scam.
This may say that it is designed to hold a leash but ask any good dog trainer and they will tell you the only thing you put on an every day collar is tags. You wouldn't go for a run in your house slippers, they'll fall off, you use shoes designed for running. As you should do do for your dog, whether it's a full harness, a pinch collar or a martingale. Those are specifically designed to keep your pet safe and not fall off when out and about. This collar is specifically designed as a tracker.
Late to this party, but I'm super disappointed to hear this. The elephant in the room is that if this collar breaks and falls off when we are out, my dog is now roaming without the GPS device. Thank you for the info. I will be using this as a secondary.
Sexy Beast and Harbor Hound make a collar for the Fi GPS unit so that it integrates an outer strap for the GPS unit and doesn’t put any force on it. It’s sad that the Fi CEO can’t come up with this design for his own product. He has to rely on another company that solves HIS design flaw.
It took me quite a while to finally figure out how to swap collars. Because the product came completely assembled, I was unable to see what I was working with clearly. Considering that this is all plastic does not bode well at all.
I watched probably ten other reviews HOPING that someone would upload the “how to” on a real product, and not a cartoon. The only thing I walked away with from those reviews was concern about the plastic housing, connections and severe warnings NEVER TO USE the GPS Collar on a Leash.... EVER, they warned, over and over and over...
I concur. I’m quite discombobulated to finally understand how this part works. Understandably, most folks pointed to this being Version #1 released into the Real World, and so... yeah... DO NOT USE the GPS Collar on a leash... Like EVER.
Rope Hounds out of Bentonville, Arkansas makes awesome, made-in-the-USA collars that allow the attachment of the FI tracker. The construction is top notch and the way the FI tracker attaches is independent of the operation of the collar. The attachment of the FI will never be responsible for the strength, integrity or "stay-ability" of the collar when subject to force.
Just throwing out some options for folks.
Had been concerned on how the unit is integrated into the structural integrity of the collar right off the bat. Ended up buying an aftermarket caller that the GPS unit attaches to outside of the full nylon structure of the collar. There are a few companies/individuals that make some so you can still use the fi gps tracking/etc features without these issues.
Thanks so much! This a really helpful update. Question: I’m considering a Fi for the tech, but was planning on replacing the collar with an aftermarket brand that has the Fi attachment on outside of the collar, meaning, the collar stands alone, and if the device were to come off the collar would still stay on (I’m looking at the AlpinHound, but there are a few companies that build Fi compatible collars this way). Would you recommend the tech if the collar were more sturdy?
The little metal piece with the Fi logo came off mine and they replaced it with a defective module.
I can't use the old one that still worked flawlessly either.
They insist the my phone signal coverage changed the moment I activated the new one.
I ordered yesterday, I'm hopeful and will plan on this being a secondary collar. thanks for the update. Great job
The series 3 is much better
I have had the series 2 for about 6 months and have had no problems. My dog is also a little over 40lbs but the D-ring on mine looks bigger than yours pictured in the review. The thing to remember is there are lots of collars available that are heavy duty collars. You don't have to use the one that they send you. There are several people commenting with the same problem, so something is obviously wrong in the manufacturing process with the D-ring.
You are correct! The collars are not well made. I did not have a problem with the D ring, but with the plastic to metal connection. The plastic wears out. My dogs collar started falling off at random moments. Fi told me that, as I was not within the warranty window, I had to buy a new unit (plastic piece) which costs over $50 at a minimum. Not cool.
Damn bro. I’ve had a series 1 Fi collar for 3 years on a 40lb heeler without any issues. I absolutely love it. That sucks for you. Thanks for the info
I had one and was using the d ring and while the ring didn’t break on mine the collar itself came apart. The company sent me another, I NEVER used the d ring on the new one. The other day my dog literally just shook his head and I watched it fall of him to the ground. I LOVE the concept of the tracker. But they really need to work on how it connects to the collar itself or just make it to attach to any collar you want to use.
If you cut the collar off of the end links (you'll have to destroy the straps), you can then just thread any collar you want through the module. The end links have to be swiveled toward the front face to remove from the unit, so if it's on a traditional collar, the end links will be swiveled towards the back, and there's no way it will come off. And as a bonus, for those people who don't use a harness (like the guy in the video), the module is no longer the weak link, and will not affect the strength of the collar.
I really like this product. However, I have gone through a couple collars because the plastic that joins the GPS/tracker to the collar breaks at the hinge if the dog is large or pulls extremely hard. They warranty replaced them both times. So kudos to them. To avoid the problem, I wish they would have incorporated some type of contiguous metal backplate to prevent this. Perhaps that would have interfered with the radio in the unit. As a workaround, I'm using a harness now so leashes won't be hooked to this collar. I just ordered a second collar for my new dog. I found my other dog 3 times when he escaped with this.
The clasps are points of weakness, and appears to be a big failure point. Instead, the GPS adapter should be attached to the exterior of the collar, and not be part of the collar’s structure. Third party collar options are available, and some make it much stronger, but it’s as if they designed it this way intentionally to sell more collars perhaps, but it puts our dog’s lives at risk…
@@adamsarwar I actually ended up cutting the claps out of the OEM collar and just put them on another collar at a point that places zero stress on the joints. We put a couple of stitches around the clasp so it doesn't move. I would have liked to have done it on both sides but I couldn't because I still need to move the collar away from the back when charging. Time will tell, but it has been ok so far.
@@jeffdhartman thanks for the info!
I just saw a video clip of someone who seems to have put nylon or neoprene material and turned it 90 degrees and basically put it on the side of a collar using the metal clips that it comes with. I like that idea, but I couldn’t find it after I saw the clip. 🤷🏻♂️ I found an article that mentioned that the person used velcro to help keep it in place once they got it where they wanted it with the DIY sleeve thing.
Fi is actually super annoying for not making this much easier considering not everyone wants to use one of their collars.
Is the cellular tracking accurate for you etc?
ALL of my FI collars have broken at the device where the plastic BROKE!
5 of them broken. But the company replaced the broken devices (the employees). They are GREAT for finding your dog IF the emoter has not broken off.
I now use harnesses with pockets for the emitter.
This is what exactly happened to my brother, which unfortunately lead to tragic results. He was walking his 2 huskies and one of them got spooked by a stray dog in the neighborhood. He reached down to grab the collar with his hand and it snapped off at the plastic. He then panicked and proceeded to over exert himself chasing the dog down, which ultimately led to him having a heart attack. That was 2 weeks ago and he's still recovering in the ICU. While I don't blame Fi for the heart attack because it would have happened eventually anyways, its the false sense of security these collars are actually providing. For that, these collars completely fail at actually being a collar... especially since anyone who's looking at purchasing one likely has a dog that is prone to escaping in the first place.
So sorry to hear about your brother. Hope he’s recovered.
This happened to my fi collar as well. I have a 70 pound lab who pulls a bit, but it is not anything excessive where I would expect this to happen. It looks like the connecting points on the plastic piece are not strong enough and are extremely vulnerable to being snapped.
I am going to attach the collar to a harness. I will probably sew it into a harness for our Kangal after cutting off some of the leash. The battery life and features are worth the hassle compared to other options.
Hey Shaun did you do this? Quick overview on how you did it? I used to have Whistles but my dogs always pulled them off. I just don’t trust that this is going to stay on my dogs at all. I’m pretty crafty just wondering if you had some trial and error tips you can share!
Easy answer. An additional collar should always be used with the Fi collar. The Fi collar should never have a leash attached. Btw, before we got the Fi the Whistle actually snapped right off on the first use, inferior weak plastic is used.
That D ring is way to thin. 100kg a static weight is nothing. Beautiful dog. Keep us updated. I have a 70 pound lab would break that in the first run.
To update, I see that Fi has now improved the attachment point with a stainless steel D-ring. It seems much stronger than the original.
For a dog that pulls a lot you need a harness, especially with a long tracking leash.
I’ve worked in vet clinics for years and this is a misconception. A dog that pulls a lot needs to be on a training collar and not a harness. Harness is way to comfortable for a dog pulling so it’s not a deterrent and your dog will continue to pull. You can do a combo of training collar/leash and harness but never just a harness if you wish to train your dog not to pull.
We have gone through three of these units on two different dogs. All have broken at the attachment points where the tracker connects to the collar.
We were not using them for restraint collars. Our dogs roam around our land.
UPDATE:: Finally figured it out and now I’m even MORE CONCERNED 😟
As of yet, aside from the cartoon “how to change collars” I’ve yet to see anyone show how to do it in real life.
Mine refuses to come apart, and at least now I know that it was put together in the box, so I had zero opportunity to attempt myself. Ugh ... that’s a huge CON.
Also. Fi does everything via email. You cannot TALK to anyone anywhere which is rather disconcerting.
I've been using Fi for a year without problems...but for the last 8 days i have not been able to connect the collar to the base which makes the collar useless. The company writes me back the exact same instructions in different emails...and the instructions are not working which is to reset the base by touching the reset button on the bottom of the base. I have been a happy customer but 8 days is a long time to not have my dogs tracking collar working. I am tempted to sign up for the tmobile one just to get something that works asap.
I have also had the Fi collar and it has broken twice where the plastic connects to the metal. Fi replaced my first collar and I just submitted a new claim. I have not even had the collar for a year. I have a 1 yo Lab that weighs 72 lbs. First time it broke he was under a year old and probably 50 lbs.
Thank you for the update
I like the easy walk harness. We notice dogs at the park of all shapes / sizes using it too.
I decided to try out the martingale collar which is completely flawed because it puts all the weight on the device itself, even using it as a secondary collar. It's still has flaws because you have to unclasp it every time you want to charge the device. And I realize that after on clasping it, if you don't understand how to take the five device itself off to be able to take one side of the collar off to charge it and you don't get it right all the time. You will grind down the plastic making it so the collar doesn't stay on pretty much most of the time. And if you're warranty
I’ve found a way to attach my Fi Dog module to any 1 inch collar
I've been trying to figure a way out to do that myself character share any ideas?
You just need to cut off the original band. On a belt buckle collar, you can just slide it on. On a slide adjustable clip collar you can push the hardware outwards and up to remove the hardware from the module. Then reattach the hardware to the module with the new collar in between it.
The rings are tested against holding a certain weight. But a dog can easily generate 300lbs of force in a split second.
The fi series 3 is much better then the series 2. I own both
This happened to us yesterday at the point where the gps connects to the collar. I had a sheer panic moment and luckily I was next to my dogs flirt pole (her fave toy) and got her attention on me and snatched her up. She is only 15 lbs and she wasn’t even pulling when it happened, it just fell off when we walked down our driveway. Always using it as a secondary from now on, but so ridiculous it even happened
Thanks for updating! I have a newfoundland puppy so I'll definitely be using this as a secondary collar on my dogs.
Have you heard anything back since it's been awhile?
I have a 1yr old female GSP (Molly) and a 6 month old GSP male (Cappie). We continued to keep our traditional collars on them along with their smart collars in case we leash them....we dont live in the city so we rarely use leashes. We have used the petco wireless fence for years and they have both become accustomed to having two collars on at one time. I read the update that they have improved the attachment points but i reckon its better to be safe than sorry. I totally get the scary moment you had when your collar broke and hate that it happened. Also, Leika is a beaut!
It depends on how they test. If they put a 100 kg weight on the end of an open collar and drop it from 10 feet I would feel it was a sufficient test that a new collar would hold. If they get the same 100 kg weight and just hang off the collar, as opposed to dropping it from a height I would not. Huge difference. Then you have the question on whether the metal pins rubbing on the plastic slots of the case would wore it to a point where it would fail more easily. Unfortunately it seems people design these products (Fi and Whistle) for dogs that are on the gentler side of the spectrum.
GSP’s have tremendous pull force. I would never use the tracker as a primary collar.
Man, you got ahold of the CEO? I can hardly get tech support to respond. The lack of instructions and support is frustrating me horribly
none same I was going to buy but I had questions and no one answers
Bro! I bought off someone bc their dog passed and now it won’t connect. And no one will answer my email from Fi. How did you?????????
@@Josiah0344 Don't stop emailing. I had to continuously follow up. Be prepared to wait but also be prepared to get answers at a random times. If they respond and you don't reply immediately, the waiting game starts all over. Still have the collar and I very much like the being able to track my dog but they never did fix the base/sync issue I had from day one. I would have paid twice the price if it meant I could simply dial up a human in tech support.
My 60lb pit/lab is 18mos old and busted the metal part that clips together (not the d-ring). We have 6mos left on our contract and the collar is 18mos old. The company will NOT refund us the remainder of the contract but will gladly sell us a Fi3 collar (no discount) because they said Fi3 has an unlimited warranty in case this happens again. So now we’re stuck with the rest of a year subscription and a completely worthless collar. Oh and yes my dog DID get away and spend 30min romping through woods near a very busy street chasing squirrels and rabbits before I could get her back.
And acknowledging that if I buy a series 3 collar, I will get a lifetime warranty, kind of acknowledging that they know there’s a problem with by two colors, I have lost all trust in this company and will never buy something from them again. It will also tick me off every time I see that broken collar sitting there and remember that I paid for a year subscription, they got the money, and they didn’t have to give me a single service for the last six months, aside from a clearly week collar that endangers dogs’ lives.
My Fi collar broke where the transmitter meets the collar. The plastic that the transmitter is made from seems to be too soft for the design where the collar metal pieces slide inside to create the attachment. After a while the plastic basically wore out and now the transmitter won't stay connected to the collar. I'm awaiting a response from Fi.
I've had the latest FI for a year and half. It's a last resort. As far as real time, it sucks. There is way too much lag in the live tracking. If there are roads near your house and your dog is a runner, then you might find your dog dead before the device works. FI and the Whistle should have HUGE disclaimers on the top of their website pages warning owners.
We recently had a similar experience. Our 35lb hound mix was tethered while we handed out candy to trick or treaters. She was excited and ran down the front walk to say hi to another dog. Leash slack pulled tight and the plastic that attaches to the metal collar clips snapped off.
I’m not a product engineer, but I severely question metal to plastic in any weight/shock-bearing application.
Fi is replacing our unit and was very prompt when contacted.
My first one broke after 2 months. They sent out a replacement and It just broke in the same spot tonight. The tracking is much weaker and less reliable than the Whistle 3 (my other two dogs have the whistle 3) I will be canceling the Fi and getting another Whistle 3. I gave them a shot... twice, im out.
I have done some modifications to my fi collar to make sure the plastic attachment point does not break. Let me know if you are interested in what I did. I could sent pictures or a video
bpfina@gmail.com I'd like to hear about your mods
Pulse like to see what modification you did on collar. My 40 pound retriever just all out n collar snapped of her
I’m sure ur review made them to do it thicker because I JUST got mine and it’s thicker BUT I don’t use a leash
Wish we had seen this before. Our 40lb puppy has now broken 2 collars (at the attachment of the tracking unit) while being tied up outside. The first time we were sent a replacement but this time we were told that we should be using a harness or 2nd collar instead. 🤯 So like you said we can't use the collar as a collar?
I've had 2 series 2 collars break where the unit attaches to the collar. Sadly the series 3 subscription is much more expensive.
We’ve had the Fi collar for the last year and have tested its tracking feature on our husky quite a bit. I can’t say that it’s particularly accurate but by far the worst part is Fi’s ethics. Fi is a subscription service but when you attempt to cancel, there is no easy way to cancel except for submitting a “Request”. This is a scummy tactic to keep users from unsubscribing from the service because they make it so difficult. Besides the product, which works moderately well, I would not recommend this collar.
It sucks as I to have the caller just randomly drop of my dog it seem like I should be given a big price brack on the new updated version as it sucks to have to get the new one to keep this from happening with the older version
I am soooo glad I watched this. Thank u so much!! Love your channel.
Ive got a cane Corso and bull mastiff and both are on fi collars. The D links look good after the update and I trust the collars. I did find some metal fi links on eBay and they work well too.
I sewed them onto extra collars( with LEDs) that we use when we let them out at night as we live in the woods and it gets dark early.
After seeing this review I almost decided to pass on the FI -- however sexy beast dog collars have a fix. They actually make a collar that fits the FI. So you can have the best of both worlds - the FI and a sturdy collar.
Appreciate the share, I was planning to get one for my German Shepherd and I’m not now. Safety first!
Harness to tether, Collar for tags and tracking,
Simple!
Had the same problem with the collar breaking, they sent a new tracker but not a collar. So bought a collar and now can't get the tracker mechanism to attach.
When a company tells you "We test the collar to X force", your immediate follow up question should be "Okay, so how many cycles at X load until it fails?" I'm a mechanical engineer, but we've all done that little experiment in physics class where we bend a paperclip back and forth until it breaks. Once or twice, the clip is fine, but start bending it 5, 6, 7 times at the same point, it will get brittle and fail. I suspect that's exactly what happened to your collar. Your dog pulls on it once, no problem. Your dog pulls on it 20 or 30 times, big problem. All materials suffer this issue, including the plastic that broke on your collar as well. Whenever your dog pulls, the metal ring, the plastic, and everything in the collar that secures your dog gets loaded, and is therefore susceptible to loading fatigue. I agree with your assessment and can tell just by looking at it that you probably need a different collar for securing your dog, which is a real shame. Good luck, love your dog.
I only use as a secondary collar. I use a martingale as her main (leash) collar.
I had to say The ring is updated...the one you have does not look sufficient compair to the one that is on it now...
an Appropriate size...
I've got two huskies that play pretty rough with each other. I've gone through 3 of these collars now. They all broke where the plastic case of the module connects to the steel posts. I'm looking at the series 3 right now and I'm willing to try it if I can get a deal. The connection posts look redesigned. it's been really disappointing
This is why I use a harness for walks
Is it possible to remove the unit and attach it to a regular collar?
Planned obsolescence
Exactly. A much better option is needed…
I have gone through 4 of these the plastic device connections is terrible it needs to be metal
You keep buying these after they’ve broke?
No I send them in and ask for replacements
whistle or fi . which one is preferred ?
I absolutely have to harness my husky. Too much left to chance. She is crazy strong. Also the force of a collar on her neck.
Good luck when your fi collar stops working. Mine worked great for 10 months. Then I unplugged the base and took it with me on a trip. Now it hasn't worked for over a month and the companies solution is to cancel my subscription. Avoid them b/c if you have problems you won't get it fixed and then you just own a $100 collar.
I feel that my HUSKIES can pull more than 100kgs force.
For 150$ it should be chew proof and have a locking collar so no one can take it off
Same thing happened with my dog 5-6 days ago. I emailed the company with photos and haven’t heard back yet . Did you get a free replacement collar from the company?
The company did send me another collar. Fi has now improved the attachment point with a stainless steel D-ring. It seems much stronger than the original.
I always have used different versions of "choke" collar's to attach a leash anyway, so that's ok for me.
Why is your dog pulling so hard? If that can’t be trained out of her, attach a leash to a harness, less stress on her throat anyway
My fi collar had the same issue. I have gone through 3 collars from fi that have all had the same problem. It’s a bad design.
Worth noting - Fi has since improved the quality of the D-ring in response to this problem.
Other dog collar companies have made an adapter for this Fi GPS component because the Fi owner can’t fix his own design problem with the plastic frame that is breaking. What’s wrong with this picture? I want one of these but don’t know about spending another$60 for an add on adapter from another company on top of the $150 tor this useless Fi collar.
But not the c clips at all
I had the same one you have in the video and the D ring completely bent. Just ordered a larger size collar and they just sent me a new collar with a metal D ring and metal buckle. The only plastic pieces are the part holding the fi piece to the collar.
Mine broke at the attachment point also.
collar to big 10" only need 6".
I can cut4" off.
question
how to finish the collar end to hide the cut mark???
Ya right
I've never trusted dog tracker collars to restrain my dog, it's obvious they are not as strong as the leather collars I used to use and I've had Whistle and fi. But the fi is the worst. Holding the collar to the tracker by those two little, way too short pins is bad engineering, fire whoever approved that. And the D ring separating like that is a sign of extreme cheapness. Besides, you should use a harness which is the best way to safely control your dog. I'll never go back to a collar for control.
I hate the collar snap. It works loose constantly.
Great information here!!! We are getting ready to welcome an Anatolian Shepard puppy into our home, and she is expected to be around 110#, so if we get this, it will be a secondary collar. The collar aside, has the tracking worked as expected?
I like it. Very effective.
We have 2 labs, one is 65 pounds, the other is 95 pounds. I love the concept of this design, but we have had our share of problems. I can’t speak to the reliability of the D ring, as we never used it. However, the plastic part of the module that connects to the metal part of the collar needs more work. 4 months after we started using them, the plastic broke on one collar (so collar came off in yard). A week later the plastic broke on the other collar (and collar came off in yard). Customer service was great and sent replacements at no cost, but after the second one broke I asked if there were any improvements coming to that part of the collar. I received a vague answer that they were always looking to improve, but did not specifically address the part that keeps breaking. About a month later the replacement collar for the first one broke. Unfortunately the GPS was not that accurate at the time and we had to wait until it was dark and turn the collar light on to find it. For us, it was three strikes and you’re out. The concept is great, but is worthless if the collar won’t stay on the dog.
Robert Cabral said to use a different collar for walks. I use a pinch collar for walks in addition to the FI collar.
tonysurface1 hows it worked for you? Are you happy overall? I’m on the fence about ordering one.
It’s good. Just remember there is a 2 year subscription you have to pay for plus the price of the collar.
This collar is garbage. They want it on the base, or connected to you. When it does get away form you or the base "it can take up to 5 minutes to locate and begin going you 1 minute updates" 5 MINUTES? Anyone who owns a husky knows 5 minutes is an eternity. I have tested with the collar in the back yard, base disconnected, and me walking away form it. I was 243 feet away form the collar and it still said my dog was 50 feet way connected to the phone. After over 500 feet I gave up and came back. Their support is a joke. The CEO doesnt seem to care either. Their site says 1 business day in some spots, 2 business days in other spots, their "chat" says 12 hours. Their chat never works, they are never online. They boast being their from 8-5 eastern, but there for what? Their emails are 2-3-4 business days later. And even then they are data form the website I already know. They have a "test" gps but that tells you nothing. Also search youtube, there are NO videos of people testing this or showing what happens when a dog is lost or testing lost.
Works fine for me. I've "tested" mine. Picks her up in just over a minute. Support is slow, but they have taken care of my issue. If you want to test, disconnect the base AND turn off the Bluetooth on your phone, delete the safe zone (if you're in one) or go outside it. Then hit the "lost" button.
It's not so bad, once you calm down and get used to how it works.
Great info. Thank you. I have a #45 Border Collie that can lose any collar and tag. I sure don’t need her to lose this too.
Surprised to hear about people’s dogs jerking on their collar. If their still jerking the collar after six months or so initial training their getting too much leash and not trained properly. Always exceptions of course, thank you squirrels and rabbits but those are exceptions and I’ve had zero issues training those charges out of my babies!
Is there an update to this at all?
Do you still use it.
I am going to use it for weiner dogs it should be fine for them. If on a Lab or great pyrenees, it will not be what I put their leash on. It will be tracking only.
can you provide a link for those shelves in the background - super cool!
it happened to me as well!!