Also, as someone with a disability - it also helped me on numerous occasions of satisfying my active dogs HIGH exercise needs without overextending myself in the process! If you are a Senior and/or have a disability with yard space, I'd HIGHLY recommend SwiftPaws on that ALONE. I truly haven't not been able to exhaust my 2 Italian Greyhounds with any other exercise method other than SwiftPaws.
Tips:
- Self explanatory - do NOT leave the battery/unit outside in the elements!
- I'd personally recommend only 1 dog to play at a time. I've allowed both of mine to chase together for a long time until they knocked into one another out of excitement (like children).
- Mandate breaks, the dogs will not want one, but they will need water and a break FREQUENTLY
- Purchase extra compostable flags from SwiftPaws. They are non-toxic/safe for dogs to chew and easily melt into the grass when it rains!
- I personally leave my pulleys/rope/course in the yard (apart from the main unit) in FL as often as possible for my own convenience for a quick set up, only removing when I mow. It's allowed me to take advantage of the system quickly during breaks while working from home.
- BUY the "line winder". It will save you SO much time in picking up the rope, avoiding tangles and knots. This has saved me so much time / convenience if I bring the pulleys/rope to a friends/park/inside due to weather.
The Good:
+ My dogs go NUTS when I touch the remote/device/battery. They now prefer SwiftPaws vs running/jogging/walking in the neighborhood
+ High Quality System/Software and Components even in the intense FL weather
+ Great customer service, American-based company
+ Intense exercise for the most active dog breeds while the human does not have to actively participate, especially if you're unable to walk them frequently and/or handicapped
+ Automatic shutoff after 90 seconds of play to prevent exhaustion
+ System will stall if dog steps on line/pulls line/interference on the course for safety
+ Slow-speed mode for older/slower dogs
The "Bad":
- The system is an inve$tment. I'd love to see a more accessible price point option because they're a GUARANTEED hit with the pups! However, the quality of the product truly reinforces the worth/investment and I consistently recommend SwiftPaws to my friends
- The initial set-up felt intimidating, however after watching SwiftPaws YouTube instructions, it was actually really easy!
- The SwiftPaws Home System battery has 10 minutes of active play time, which for a regular breed would be PLENTY as its truly high intensity exercise. However, as I have 2 active greyhounds playing separately, I wanted more battery time on a single charge and longer courses. I took advantage of SwiftPaw's upgrade process on their website to the SwiftPaws Plus System (30 minutes of battery time, photo included*) and the dogs LOVE being able to play back-to-back. The process was super smooth and I was able to get my device back VERY quickly.
Overall: I HIGHLY recommend SwiftPaws as its the best game of chase out there!