All GPS devices experience a natural phenomenon called GPS drift. If you’ve ever used maps on your smartphone, you’ve likely seen this—sometimes your location appears a short distance away from where you’re actually standing.
This happens because GPS relies on signals from satellites, which can be affected by factors such as tree cover, terrain, buildings, and atmospheric conditions. As a result, your collar’s reported position can shift slightly over time.
Most smartphones typically experience GPS drift of about 10–20 feet. SpotOn is designed to account for this natural variation and provide consistent, reliable containment. SpotOn Fence’s Nova edition features high precision, with drift of about 6 feet (our Omni edition can drift up to about 10 feet).
You can think of drift like a slow, gentle movement that may shift back and forth throughout the day. While it often changes gradually, it isn’t fixed in one direction and can vary depending on your environment.
When setting up your fence, we recommend adding a buffer zone of at least 15 feet from roads, property edges, or other hazardous areas to ensure your dog stays safely within boundaries. If you find the GPS drift is more drastic than anticipated, you can draw or walk your fence again and adjust for the drift. If you are experiencing a significant drift of 10 feet or more for your Nova edition (20 feet or more for Omni edition), please reach out to customer support at support@spotonfence.com or 603.488.1504.
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