{"id":925083,"date":"2022-11-02T12:31:24","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T17:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.halocollar.com\/?p=925083"},"modified":"2025-10-08T03:39:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T03:39:17","slug":"understanding-your-halo-collars-gps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/dog-safety\/understanding-your-halo-collars-gps\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Your Halo Collar’s GPS"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Halo system uses patented, industry-leading GPS technology to monitor your dog\u2019s location and keep them safe. It is important to understand how Halo\u2019s GPS works so you and your dog can get the most out of your Halo Collar.<\/p>\n

Read below to learn some tips and tricks for getting the best results from your Halo\u2019s GPS.<\/p>\n

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1. Get to know your GPS<\/b><\/h2>\n

Your Halo Collar always knows your dog\u2019s exact location because it is constantly listening to dozens of satellites orbiting the earth. This process does not involve your phone or your Halo Collar app. This location is what the collar uses to enforce fence boundaries and is always up-to-date.<\/p>\n

Your collar also sends location updates and event alerts to your phone as soon as possible after they occur. Your collar can use any of three different types of network connections to communicate with your phone: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular.<\/p>\n

The only difference between network connections is the speed at which location updates get delivered to your app. Bluetooth connections allow for the fastest communication, and will update your dog\u2019s real-time location in the app within one second. Bluetooth works when your phone\u2019s Bluetooth is enabled and your collar is within 50 to 100 feet of your phone.<\/p>\n

Your collar will also constantly try to connect to your Halo app via Wi-Fi or cellular data. When there is no Bluetooth connection, and only a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, your collar will send location updates to your app every few seconds. You can request your collar\u2019s current location at any time by hitting the Refresh button on the map.<\/p>\n

Remember \u2013 your collar knows your dog\u2019s location at all times, regardless of where the Pet Pin is showing up in your app. No matter which connection your collar is using to communicate with your phone \u2013 and even if it\u2019s not connected at all \u2013 your Halo Collar is ALWAYS protecting your dog in real-time.<\/p>\n

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2. Position your collar for strongest GPS signal<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Positioning the Halo Collar properly on your dog\u2019s neck will allow for the strongest possible GPS signal.<\/p>\n

To acquire the best GPS signal strength, position the Halo Collar with the speaker facing toward your dog\u2019s right ear. The word \u201cHalo\u201d on the protective case should be right-side up and under your dog\u2019s chin.<\/p>\n

Make sure both contact tips are touching your dog\u2019s skin; otherwise, your dog will not feel Static or Vibration feedback. When your collar is fitted properly to your dog, you should be able to fit two fingers between the collar and your dog\u2019s neck. The collar should fit tightly and should be snug so that it does not rotate or slide on your dog\u2019s neck. Your dog must be able to swallow food and water normally. You should observe your dog\u2019s behavior to verify that the collar is not too tight.<\/p>\n

Click here for detailed instructions on adjusting your Halo Collar strap.<\/a><\/p>\n

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3. Charge your collar daily while connected to Wi-Fi<\/b><\/h2>\n

You should get into the habit of charging your collar in a location with a good Wi-Fi connection whenever your dog is not wearing it. Ideally, this location would be near a window \u2013 especially if you don\u2019t use your collar every day.<\/p>\n

Your collar will automatically download performance updates and retrieve new satellite position data while it\u2019s plugged in and connected to the internet. This will optimize your collar\u2019s GPS accuracy.<\/p>\n

Your collar\u2019s Battery light will blink Green while it is charging. When the collar is fully charged, the Battery light will remain solid Green.<\/p>\n

When your collar is plugged in and downloading a Collar Update, the Battery light will blink Red. When the Collar Update is complete, the Battery light will go back to blinking Green (or solid Green if charging is complete).<\/p>\n

When your collar is plugged in and downloading Satellite Position Data, the GPS light will turn solid PINK. When the satellite position data update is complete, the GPS light will turn off.<\/p>\n

If your collar has been powered off for an extended period of time \u2013 or after some Collar Updates \u2013 you may receive a \u201cGPS Requires Initialization\u201d notice on your phone. To initialize your collar\u2019s GPS, bring it outside by hand with a clear view of the sky. Wait until the location is accurate on My Map before putting the collar on your dog.<\/p>\n

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4. GPS is weakest indoors<\/b><\/h2>\n

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When you are indoors, your collar\u2019s location may not be displayed accurately on My Map. The roof and walls of your home can block the signal between your collar and the GPS satellites in space. When GPS signal strength is low, the Pet Pin will stop moving and fence preventions become automatically disabled.<\/p>\n

Note that your collar works reliably with indoor Halo Beacons because Beacons use Bluetooth to communicate \u2013 not GPS.<\/p>\n

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5. GPS signal strength<\/b><\/h2>\n

You can see your collar\u2019s current GPS signal strength (High, Medium, or Low) on the collar itself (GPS light indicator), as well as in your app on the Pet Card. The signal strength your collar is receiving impacts the feedback your collar will provide to your dog. The higher the signal strength your collar is receiving, the more accurate your dog\u2019s location will be on My Map.<\/p>\n

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Generally, your collar should be receiving High signal strength while outdoors and \u2013 depending on your home\u2019s construction \u2013 Low signal strength while indoors.<\/p>\n

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  • Your collar will only provide Fence Preventions for your pup when GPS signal strength is High. When your collar\u2019s GPS light is blinking Blue, signal strength is High.<\/li>\n
  • When receiving Medium signal strength, your collar will only provide Encouragement Feedback to keep your pup safe; Fence Preventions will be disabled. When your collar\u2019s GPS light is blinking Pink, signal strength is Medium.<\/li>\n
  • When receiving Low signal strength, all collar feedback will be disabled (not including Beacon Feedback). Low signal strength will be indicated by a GPS light that is not lit up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    If your GPS signal strength is High or Medium while indoors, and your dog\u2019s Pet Pin position is inaccurate, you have a few options:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Adjust your signal-level settings from My Collars > Advanced Settings<\/b>. You can do this to ensure that your collar only provides Fence Preventions while your pup is outdoors.<\/li>\n
    2. Deploy a Halo Beacon as an Ignore Fences<\/b> Beacon in the area of your home with High\/Medium signal strength. This will ensure that your pup does not receive any Fence Feedback when they are within range of that Beacon.<\/li>\n
    3. Manually disable fence feedback when your dog comes indoors (but remember to turn it back on when you let your dog out!)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      The Halo system uses patented, industry-leading GPS technology to monitor your dog\u2019s location and keep them safe. It is important to understand how Halo\u2019s GPS works so you and your dog can get the most out of your Halo Collar. Read below to learn some tips and tricks for getting the best results from your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":925090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-925083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dog-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=925083"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925083\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1560909,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925083\/revisions\/1560909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/925090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=925083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=925083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/halo.onitdigital.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=925083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}