Today we are giving you our detailed, unpaid Halo Dog Collar review! The Halo Collar is a dog training collar marketed by reality TV star Cesar Millan.
People are interested in the Halo Dog training collar (and now the Halo 2+ for dogs) because it offers something no other device has yet: automated boundaries for your dog based on a phone app.
The idea is amazing. Put this Halo Collar on your dog, draw a boundary on a map in the phone app and the collar will keep your dog inside of the boundary (with some training, of course!).
Imagine the possibilities! This is an idea that many people have asked about but no company had done gracefully yet. Halo collar vs invisible fence – these devices are marketed as a modern alternative to traditional invisible shock fences.
We were DEFINITELY intrigued and know that a lot of Great Dane owners are asking about Halo and Halo 2+ Collar reviews.
This is our review of the HALO dog Collar by Cesar Milan. Is this a Halo Collar buyer beware, or a Halo Collar buyer buy it? Read on, friends…
Does the Halo 2 Dog Collar Shock the Dog?
The Halo Dog Collar uses tone, voice corrections, and stimulation.
Stimulation is an electrical current that causes the muscle to twitch. When used at low levels, muscle stimulation can be used as a positive tactile sensation or communication.
When used at high levels, muscle stimulation is an aversive sensation that can be used as a correction.
Shock (which is intended to be painful) and stimulation (which is intended to be a gentle tactile sensation) are two different things.
While Halo pet collar did NOT pioneer modern stimulation E-Collar technologies, they are using stimulation (not shock) in the Halo and Halo 2 collar.
Halo Dog Containment Systems Reviews – What is the Halo Dog Collar?
The Halo (or Halo 2) Dog collar is an automated E-Collar. It uses sound, vibration, and electronic stimulation to teach and reinforce invisible boundaries.
Using a phone app that is connected to the collar, you can create an invisible fence.
The collar will, in theory, keep your dog inside of that invisible fence. This could be very helpful technology! We definitely like the concept.
If your dog gets out of the boundary that you set, despite warnings and corrections, you are supposed to be able to find your dog with the included GPS tracker. This is a nice feature.
The Halo collar retails for nearly $1000 (yes, you read that correctly!) but is occasionally seen offered at around $699.
2022 Update: The Halo 2 has been released with updates to the GPS capabilities and overall build.
Is There a Monthly Fee for the Halo Collar?
Yes, there is a monthly fee associated with the Halo Collar app.
We have noticed that it’s something many buyers are VERY surprised by!
The monthly fees to use the required app are an additional cost. Without a paid monthly subscription, the features of the Halo Dog Collar are very limited.
The Cesar dog collar comes in two colors and three sizes; the largest size Collar expands to 30.5″ and may or may not fit a giant breed dog. Measure your dogs neck before ordering!
Now, if you have spent any time on our site, you know that we support ethical, positive, and humane E-Collar use. You can view our popular E-Collar training guide HERE.
We are not going to have any issue at all with the concept of the Halo Collar as an electric training device. Keeping a dog safe by using tactile electric communication is one of the most gentle, humane, and responsible things dog owners can do.
How Well Does the Halo Collar Work?
The idea behind the Halo Collar is that it automates boundary training. It’s kind of like a modern ‘invisible fence’.
The Halo marketing department focuses heavily on this tool easily giving dogs off-leash freedom anywhere you go.
It’s important to note that all training devices require diligent training and conditioning. The Halo and Halo 2 are no exception. Do not expect to put this collar on your dog and be quickly and easily safely off leash anywhere you go.
Because it works on GPS and a phone APP, your dog’s safety relies on the system not experiencing a failure of some kind.
As with ANY training tool, it also relies on your ability to follow the training instructions and work with your dog on a regular basis.
If the halo collar gps system is functioning and you’ve spent time teaching your dog how to respond to the corrections from the Halo Collar, it can absolutely work beautifully!
People are Talking: Real-Life Halo Dog Collar Reviews
There are hundreds if not THOUSANDS of reports from people that their smart collar has broken, stopped functioning, doesn’t work, and is cheaply made.
If you read through the Halo Dog Collar Review commentary on their social media and on Youtube, the results are shocking. This is what we have found to be the most alarming thing.
These are not a few random, expected bad reviews. The percentage of customers that are unhappy with the cesar millan halo collar is unreal.
A lot of people on Youtube cite that the collar is made primarily of weak plastic parts which may fail and leave your dog unprotected.
Please check youtube and find this information yourself; make sure to scroll PAST any ‘sponsored’ ads which will be naturally biased towards the product.
Several dog owners have reported that when they had problems with their Halo Collar, they were given the option to purchase a refurbished model for another $250. So the halo collar return policy may not be customer-oriented. Tread cautiously.
Halo says often ‘we are working on it‘.
JUNE 2022 UPDATE: We’ve read that Halo has supposedly completely fixed and updated many reported issues. However, if you look in our comments section, we are still receiving reports from people who are upset with their experience (as of April, 2023).
If you are looking to purchase a Halo Collar for your dog, you should in theory feel much more confident in the newer model, but we’re not convinced. We are giving this some time before updating our review with information about the quality and consistency of the newer version.
GPS Automation Failures on the Halo Wireless Fence
There have been many reports out there that the GPS aspect of the collar, on the original and currently updated version, is unreliable. We are concerned that the collar is correcting dogs inappropriately.
If the GPS thinks the dog is at the boundary and corrects the dog with warnings and static, but the dog is actually sitting right next to you, that’s a massive problem.
Or imagine if the dog is running towards the boundary (and perhaps even traffic), and the GPS thinks the dog is right next to you…
Well. We don’t want to think about that.
Unreliable electronics and poor use of corrections are a massive reason that we never advocate for the use of cheap shock collars (remember, a properly used E-Collar is different).
Normally we say to stay away from cheap shock collars….but this device isn’t cheap!
How the Halo Dog Training Collar Works
IF the Halo collar is actually functioning properly with a strong, reliable GPS connection to the ‘fence’ you built in the app, you do still have to work on training.
Don’t be made to believe that this is an ‘easy fix’ to a well-trained dog.
Proper conditioning and training are important with any training tool, including harnesses, so this is to be expected.
The cesar dog collar functions by using a tone or audible voice and then static (muscle stimulation) to remind dogs to turn away from a boundary.
The company does say you have to train your dog how to respond to the collar. It’s automated, but not automatic.
Once your dog understands how to respond to the communication from the collar, you should be able to draw a boundary and have your dog understand it, almost anywhere that you go.
The collar will issue sounds, verbal communications, and static stimulation as needed to direct your dog into the boundary.
We prefer that our dogs are AMAZING off-leash, not just ok at it.
NOTE: the Halo Collar does NOT teach recall or off-leash communication with you as the owner.
For this reason, we feel that a real E-Collar (such as E-Collar Technologies Mini-Educator) + positive training may be a better, safer, and more effective overall solution for some dog owners.
E-collars do SO much more than Halo collars and at a much more reasonable price point, too.
You lose the automation aspect, but if you’ve trained your dog to be reliable off-leash, that’s much less of a concern. With an E-Collar, you have an advanced communication system.
If automation and ease of use is important to you, however, the Halo may be a valid choice!
Is the Halo Collar Worth It?
The price of the Halo Dog Collar is very, very high for a tool with what we believe to have had questionable functionality and construction (Original Halo, this may have changed with the release of Halo 2!)
As before, we are hopeful that recent updates to their device will give millions of dogs a valuable opportunity to be off-leash! The Halo Collar may be the ideal solution for you if:
- You don’t have a fence
- You regularly visit people where there is no fence
- You like to go camping and want your dog to stay within a boundary of the tent site
- You want a simple, user-friendly training tool
- You don’t mind automating parts of your off-leash training
- You have a dog that likes to learn, likes to be near you and already has a least a basic recall
Halo Collar Alternatives
We mentioned this before, but it’s important to note that the HALO collar will be limited in what it can do.
Modern E-Collar training can provide many of the same benefits as HALO, plus many more, at a much lower cost.
We recommend high-quality E-Collars from www.ecollar.com (or purchase from our site)
E-Collars, when paired with positive, humane training methods create dogs that have an amazing, enthusiastic off-leash recall, loose-leash walking skills, and more. They can also be used to set boundaries (note, E-Collar boundaries are NOT automated or tied to an app like Halo boundaries will be).
E-COLLARS:
+ Use muscle stimulation, which is NOT at all like sharp static shock and when trained properly can be a powerful and positive method
+100 levels of stimulation to choose from, so you can work at very low levels and customize for your dog (on the MINI-EDUCATOR) Be sure to read the mini educator instructions before use.
+Teaches dogs to have a positive feeling about stimulation, making it infinitely more versatile and humane than traditional shock collars
+ Not automated, requires a LOT of training but puts the control 100% in your hands
+ Waterproof and shockproof. Used often with hunting dogs who are in the field and in the water often
+ Training ideas are on Youtube; you won’t be stuck only with ‘Cesar’s [outdated] way’
+ Can be used as a training device for boundaries, off-leash recall, obedience, loose-leash walking, etc. Extremely versatile.
+ Eliminates confusion and simplifies communication when used properly. Offers many more training opportunities than Halo.
+Affordable. Established technology.
How Do E-Collars Work?
An Educator Collar from E-Collar technologies can be used with two dogs and retails for $349 (see it as well as 1, 3 and 4 dog models here).
When you choose an E-Collar instead of a Halo collar, you’ll have FULL control of all communication and stimulation at every moment.
This is especially important if your dog has poor off-leash recall, fear or aggression, or were to try and bolt or do something dangerous.,
Read our guides on this and learn more about modern, humane, and insanely effective E-Collar training: https://www.hellodanes.com/category/training/e-collar/.
E-Collar Training Resources
We love to refer people to Larry Krohn when they are looking for off-leash, recall, and positive training resources. You can view his Youtube channel HERE.
SUMMARY
Now that you’ve read our Halo Dog Collar review, would you buy one?
Do we think you should buy a Halo dog collar?
Do we believe that the Halo 2+ for Dogs is a solid update to what was previously an unreliable, overpriced product?
We’ve been very hesitant to recommend this option before Halo developed a more reliable product and better customer service. It appears they may have been working on this with the release of the Halo 2+ for Dogs.
Our Halo Dog Collar Review is NOT sponsored.
(YES we have a ‘sponsored’ note in our sidebar. That’s an automatic notification in our theme that keeps us in line with FTC guidelines for the posts we share that DO have sponsored products).
We are here to provide our honest observation of the product and the company. Thank you for reading our spot on dog collar reviews!
The main reason we’d recommend a HALO collar is for people who cannot build a physical fence around their property and want something slightly more flexible than a traditional invisible fence.
It’s a GREAT solution for that situation (above), and the reason we were initially excited to see a product like this on the market.
Not, however, that’s really ALL this collar is, assuming that it works properly at all.
Training boundaries with an E-Collar instead of Halo may take a little more effort from you as the dog owner at first, but it will pay off!
ESPECIALLY because you’ll help your dog develop amazing off-leash skills and recall, which is much safer than relying on a poorly made device to keep your dog safe.
We know many Dane owners who comfortably let their E-Collar trained dogs outside in an unfenced yard, even without their collars on, because they’ve put the time in and know that their dogs know how to recall AND respond calmly to distractions (two things that no invisible fence or boundary collar can teach).
Halo Dog Treats Reviews
Is Halo dog treats legit? Some people confuse the Halo Collar with the Halo dog food and dog treats company.
We do not recommend Halo Dog food, but the treats may be ok!
I read through this review, and it doesn’t appear you have ever tested this collar and actually used it. What I find concerning, is that you assessed only the comments that fit your need for this collar and instead advertised a product – that you state at the beginning – “ane lovers! We use affiliate links through which we may receive a small commission for referring you.We only recommend products that we truly believe in. This commission does not affect the price of the product and is used to fund our content and feed our Danes. Read on!”
I have used this collar for over a year, taken advantage of their customer service, and provided such a higher quality of life for my dog as she is able to have much more independence and flexibility no matter where we go.
I believe in the collar so much and the concept of this product I started a Youtube video series capturing my journey as an owner and user (started in FEB 2021- and still produce helpful content today for other users out there.
—- issues I have with your article:
The Halo Dog Collar uses tone, voice corrections, and stimulation.
*** but you don’t note that the user has the ability to turn on and off these corrections and to adjust the level of correction. In addition, it has an encouragement positive audio aspect for a “return” to a safe space.
The idea behind the Halo Collar is that it automates boundary training so you don’t have to do the work.
*** Not accurate at all – the boundary is set up by the user … and the training is a long process of working with the dog, but also handling the various technologies at work – there is nothing automated … it’s not a magic wand, it’s a tool – and needs to be used and implemented correctly.
Sponsored users are often offered free merchandise in exchange for content. This is a good reason to look for reviews of the Halo Dog Collar in multiple different places!
*** Actually, I want to clarify this … the content I have produced has been independent of HALO. The company reached out after over six months and sent a thank you package – I produce content merely for my own purpose and am not given anything in exchange.
Very disappointed that this review is not based on actual user experience … and e-collars are great tools – however, they are different in purpose and need. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.
Hi there! We are MORE than happy to address your concerns about our review of the Halo Dog Color.
a. Our site theme places our affiliate / sponsored notification at the top of every post automatically. It doesn’t matter if the post contains absolutely no sponsored or affiliate content at all, that block of text is part of our blog theme. This notification is required by the FTC/by law and letting people know that our links often generate revenue for our website is important.
Our review of the Halo dog collar was not sponsored in any way.. If you are in content marketing (it sounds like you are, with a youtube channel?) you know about these notifications and probably use them yourself.
We are an authorized dealer of E-Collar technologies and have a wholesale account. We are NOT an affiliate or sponsor with them. Any content we produce where we share E-Collars does not require any kind of sponsored or affiliate notification, because of this. It just happens to be part of our site (as above) because we are affiliated with many other brands. Hope that clarifies for you! 🙂
b. We are SO glad that you’ve had a good experience with the collar and their customer service! Those reviews can be found online, too. Please share that! People need to see positive results.
Giving dogs independence and freedom is literally THE REASON we so heavily promote E-Collars! You and us are literally in the same boat here. Giving our dogs off-leash freedom is life-changing.
The idea behind HALO is truly wonderful! We want to love the Halo especially for people who cannot build fences. It’s a better option than underground fence systems. We like that it does use a more modern stimulation sensation, not shock like old school collars. That’s great.
What it does can also be done with a proper E-Collar + training, just without the computerized automation. That’s also true, and also great.
c. That said, Halo actually blocked us when we asked for more information about the collar functionality, quality, and training method. They also didn’t like when we asked if Cesar was a spokesperson, stakeholder or owner. Our experience with them mirrors what we’ve heard from many others. A lot of upset owners have had their comments removed from Halo’s social media posts, so we encourage people who are considering Halo to dig well past affiliate and sponsored posts (which will nearly always be biased towards ‘positive’).
The truth remains that we have seen thousands of very questionable and negative reviews of the actual product (customer service, product quality, functionality, etc.) from frustrated owners. We’ve made it a point to keep tabs on this. It’s an EXPENSIVE purchase.
So while we haven’t put this collar on our dogs ourselves (they don’t need it, all are E-Collar trained and as a result are amazing off leash and in unfenced areas no matter where we go), we can make some thoughtful assessments and commentary.
Here is a link to their BBB Profile, where they are currently red-flagged because of the number of complaints: https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/plano/profile/dog-training/halo-collar-0875-91126956/complaints
From the BBB, April 12th, 2022:
Pattern of Complaints:
In March 3, 2022 , BBB identified a pattern of complaints concerning:
***Receipt of payment for dog collars that did not operate and/or function as advertised
***Poor customer services (e.g. failure to return consumer phone calls & emails)
***Processing unauthorized transactions from debit/credit cards
***Delays in the refund process through requests for duplicate information, leading to Warranty time frame lapse.
On March 3, 2022, BBB submitted a written request to the company encouraging them to address the pattern of complaints.
d. One of the questions we had for Halo was whether the collar utilized Cesar Milan’s intimidating ‘PSSCCHHT’ sound. They never answered us. 🙁
e. Most electric collars allow you to turn off/adjust tone/stim/sounds and make adjustments. That’s a given. A proper E-Collar has 100 levels of stim, that the user has full control of happening, and the process starts with finding the lowest level the dog will respond to. Humans cannot feel the stim at the low levels most dogs respond to on an E-Collar.
HALO doesn’t have that many levels that we are aware, and we cannot find any information about the sensation felt at the lowest level. The conditioning process takes time and dedication, of course. Nobody is saying otherwise (we do mention in the review that training IS required).
f. The Halo DOES automate boundary training and enforcement, however. Of course, you have to teach the dog how to respond to the cues of the collar. We realize that the app walks owners through this process and as AVID E-Collar trainers, we 100% understand the entire training process of E-Collar conditioning. It’s the most important (and often skipped) step. Of course you have to put work into teaching the dog how to respond to the collar.
But the fact is, after that, it is automated; that’s literally the whole scheme of their marketing. You aren’t watching your dog and reinforcing boundaries, the collar is. While they may offer some ability to enforce something yourself via the app, the concept is that the collar ultimately controls and monitors your dog.
The APP monitors your dog, enforces the boundary, and reinforces any new boundary if you set one. It’s automated and it’s meant to be, up to and including the ‘positive encouragement’ that you mentioned. Automation is fine if that’s your thing, but if you want full control over the corrections, encouragement, boundaries, and recall it’s smart to also look into tools that give you more choice.
That’s all we are saying.
I don’t really want an automated collar correcting my dog if he runs out of a boundary because he’s being chased by something dangerous. So we’re inclined to make this commentary and educate people about the limitations of having the collar automate corrections and communications to keep dogs within an invisible fence. We have the SAME complaints about traditional invisible fences, FYI! 🙂
We don’t have to ‘use’ this product to understand the concept and educate people on how it’s different than an E-Collar or a shock fence. An e-collar remote is very simple, has a few buttons and doesn’t require us to go into an APP to change settings or issue a communication or correction.
g. Have you ever used a proper E-Collar? E-Collars start with weeks of positive conditioning exercises that can be used to then easily reinforce boundaries, build an incredible recall, and reward obedience. E-Collars are an incredibly gentle and versatile tool and much more price-effective for people that can’t stomach the high price and limited capabilities of a Halo.
The Halo reinforces set boundaries. Boundaries are great. We believe that recall is more important than boundaries, especially with Great Danes, and that good recall and establishing boundaries can be done easily with a proper E-Collar. That’s the theme of our review.
I’m sorry you felt frustrated by it, given how much time you’ve spent promoting the HALO on your own platform. There is a time and a place for Halo.
Hope that helps clarify!
Have been using my halo 2 collar for 2 weeks or 3. one of the contact tips for stimulation broke off. I am seeking replacement collar but am skeptical. I will update this thread with follow up. I did not use the collar immediately so may not have warranty–not that it should matter ethically as if you’re product breaks within 2 weeks of use you should replace. it.
The collar was working great and saved the day for our unique and large property in the country so I do love this collar. Back soon with their response.
How frustrating! Please keep us posted when they send you a replacement. Make sure to ask them if you are getting a new one or a refurbished collar as the replacement, too. These collars are too expensive for things like that to be happening 🙁 The idea of this collar is great and we hope you can get one that holds up!
Been using this collar (halo 2) for only 4 months and I’m amazed! The short whistle sound it makes when near a boundary puts our pup at our side every single time. We’ve only had 3 actual “emergency feedbacks” (electronic stimulation) and it turned him around every time, even in “squirrel” situations. I’d say the only thing to remember is to set the app to “ignore fences” when the dog is inside. GPS (not the collar) is unreliable under a roof and the pup can get “stimulated electronically” even when inside if not they have a feature that deactivated it when GOS signal is low, but it still happens occasionally.
Thank you for sharing your honest assessment with us! We agree that because it’s an automated tool, there is always a chance of the dog being corrected at the wrong place or time. You bring up a GREAT point about setting it to ignore fences while indoors! Smart tip!
Horrible product. It doesn’t work. Basically the GPS sucks. The concept is good. But the GPS isn’t accurate so it zaps the dog at random. I called support multiple times. They know the thing doesn’t work. Not sure why they are still trying to sell it. Don’t buy it, send it back if you just bought it.
Unfortunately, this is the story we’ve heard from so many people. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Yeah, it’s got problems. The people I worked for ordered two collars and many a snafu:
a) No printed manual. You are forced to wade through time-wasting videos, keep notes, replay etc. just to gain information that could easily be printed, and the info is poor. The app itself has crappy design, hard to navigate. A printed manual (even a PDF I had to print) where one can focus on the material, look ahead, etc. would have made it MANY TIMES easier.
b) These people live on an island and the AT&T coverage is really poor, but collars presently support no other carriers (though rep told me support for others was in the works maybe even by June 2023). So though if it works correctly the collar can still correct the dog (big IF there) the owners can’t receive push notifications or real-time updates about the dog’s position. So basically useless and we must return it.
c) The app tries to do a step where it hangs and the support rep finally told me the new firmware didn’t need that step.
The Zoom support was really helpful (though greater tech knowledge was needed) but this company DOES NOT offer a good product in my opinion.
Thank you so much for sharing your notes on this! It’s one of those products that is a great idea but doesn’t work in practice. The technology may not be yet where it needs to be.
We’ve tried to train on the Halo Collar 2 for 3 months now- the training starts indoors and the GPS has created a huge problem for us. We are going to get the PetSafe wireless fence- we had their in-ground wired fence over a decade ago and it was easy to train and put in place. We cannot even return the collar- it’s been 3 months. I was all in for the training because I am a behavioral psychologist and am good with dog training, but the delayed collar responses and incorrect feedback from the collar to the dog is like swimming upstream.
Wow what a headache! Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s very frustrating. The idea of this collar is so good but if the GPS and corrections aren’t reliable, it is not fair to the dog nor is it safe to use. I am really disappointed to hear that you cannot return it 🙁
Any product like this should not be used on sighthounds. My Afghans are very well behaved and have decent recall. However, if a squirrel or cat were to run by, a sighthound with a full head of steam will blow right through an invisible fence. No amount of recall will stop them.
Yes thank you for this comment! Sighthounds were bred to chase no matter what gets in their way.