The Innotek IUC-5100 is a great system that adds a remote correction feature to the Innotek IUC-4100. To accommodate for the remote correction, the collar is about 50% bigger. So it is not quite as streamline as the 4100. It is also not a whole lot more expensive. It is a very effective training tool but should not be used by people that don't have much training experience.
The Innotek IUC-5100 shares all the same parts as the Innotek IUC-4100 except the collar. It is also rechargeable, waterproof, and has the same collar fit feature.
Furniture Feet Protectors
5100 Remote Training
As well as being able to use the collar with a dog fence, you can use it with the remote control to give your dog a correction. Remote training is popular with the hunting dog set, who use it very methodically to train incredibly well turned out dogs. It is not as simple as just pressing a button, you really need to be structured with your training and know what you are doing otherwise it is easy to do more harm than good. But if you are experienced with training, this can be a great tool. The 5100 remote training is not as good as a dedicated unit, it has a range of only 100 yards and is not as responsive. You definitely would not use this for training hunting dogs, but it will do just fine for the more domestic applications.
You activate the unit by holding the remote to the collar and pressing the dog selection button. You will know that you have it activated because this second light on the collar will go on. You can use the remote correction on up to two dogs, and each dog can be corrected separately with 9 different levels. Once you are in correction mode, the battery on the collar does not last nearly as long, you only get 2-3 days instead of the month that you get when the collar is in regular mode. So you want to switch off the remote correction mode when you are finished using it. If you are going to use the remote correction, I would wait at least a month after you have done the basic training to avoid the dog getting confused or overwhelmed.
As well as the remote correction, you get the twisted wire and the lightning protection in the box with the IUC-5100 which make it good value if you need these things and can live with the larger collar. Ultrasmart Collar is a very similar and also reliable collar with the rechargeable lithium ion battery and the collar fit feature. It is about 50% bigger as we mentioned before. We would not use this on dogs under 20 lbs. The long/short and training prongs are also provided in the box.
Transmitter Box
The transmitter box is exactly the same as on the sister 4100. All the same controls:
- boundary width adjustment knob - that control how close they can get to the boundary wire
- correction strength - you have three setting and the correction is progressive so the strength will increase the closer they get to the wire
- field size - to adjust the system for installations up to 25 acres
- battery backup - In the back of the control box, there is a spot for 8 AA batteries that give you a couple of days of power backup for the control box in case there is a power failure. It has the same limitation as the 4100, that you cannot individually adjust the correction level for each dog while in dog fence mode, so look at other systems if you have a Doberman and a Westie.
Accessories
You can use the Innotek 5100 with the indoor and outdoor zone. This indoor zone creates a circular exclusion zone from 2-12 feet in radius to keep the dogs out of rooms or off the furniture. The outdoor zone also creates a circular exclusion zone, but can also be used with up to 100 feet of wire to keep the dogs away from flower beds or other small sections of the garden.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a very good system. Just make sure if you are going to use this that you either have experience with remote correction or you can work with a good trainer who will help you use it in a smart and safe way.