# My e collar experience / question



## arc323 (Jul 7, 2015)

Hello all,

I recently started e collar training my 2 year old GSD "Jack". He has a solid foundation in basic obedience but we were struggling with him obeying commands under distraction (we tried slowly introducing distractions but we didn't get very far). For example, he obeys "sit" every time in the house but will not obey if he is outside and sees a bird or something (actually, he will obey about 50% of the time under light distraction but we want him to be reliable).

In spite of everyone suggesting to invest in Dogtra or Garmin I went and bought a $40 PetTrainer from Amazon. Big mistake. I figured since it had 100 levels maybe levels 1 - 10 I wouldn't even feel. When I opened the collar and tested it on myself I found that I could feel it at level 1 (it wasn't painful but definitely able to be felt). I charged the collar and let Jack wear it for several hours. I then put it on level 1 and started to find his working level. I pressed the button and he let out a big yelp! I quickly removed the collar and went out to purchase a Dogtra.

I now have a Dogtra IQ 400 yard collar. I cannot feel it on any level below ~20 but it seems that Jack works at a level between 25 - 40. This was confusing for me because I can definitely feel it around level 20. I read up on how to tell if you dog feels it but I'm having a hard time. I've been working him in these levels with extremely positive results. We are still in the recall phase and I am mixing in some "sit".

Jack weighs 77lbs. 

*My question is*, for this model (Dogtra IQ), what level do you work your dog at generally? I know the level will vary but I am worried that I might be messing up. Jack isn't showing any signs of annoyance. In fact he always has fun when we go out in the mornings to "work" and looks forward to it. 

I have watched videos that show dogs working at level 8 (albeit on a different brand). Just looking for some insight from the community as to what levels you work your GSD at. 

Thanks!


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Check out How To...

There is lots of good info there.

I have a PE900 and my dog works at about 6-8 out of 100.


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## arc323 (Jul 7, 2015)

eddie1976E said:


> There is lots of good info there.
> 
> I have a PE900 and my dog works at about 6-8 out of 100.



Thanks. I read most of Lou Castle's site prior to purchasing a collar. My main concern was the fact that Jack was working around level 20 when many other people have said their dogs are working around 6-9. I think the Dogtra IQ just has a very low starting level for use with smaller dogs (it is approved for dogs a small as 10lbs).

Thanks for your reply. Much appreciated!


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## KPK (Jan 28, 2015)

To be honest the level really has nothing to do with the size of the dog. I have witnessed 200 pound Great Danes on very low levels and a small Jack Russel Terriers on the upper levels.

The dog yelping is not always from to high of a level on the collar. Think of it as if you were typing on a computer and didnt think anyone was around. If someone suddenly tapped you lightly on the shoulder you would prob jump from your seat and your heart would start racing. Now if you were in a heated argument with someone and the same tap on the shoulder was given you would prob not even realize anyone was there. This is why when around higher distractions the same level might not be as effective. 

I would also make sure that the collar is adjusted very tight and then mark the hole so you are consistent. A big mistake and common problem is fitting the collar to loose and this will cause very inconsistent training.


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## sourdough44 (Oct 26, 2013)

I would hardly ever use a level where the dog would 'yelp'. I'm also a big fan of the 'page' feature, vibration.


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## CroMacster (Oct 23, 2013)

The actual level stim you are working at doesn't really matter. Just focus on how the dog responds. With my dogtra my dog works between 5-10 for basic obedience, maybe up to 20 for higher drive state. A guy I know with the same collars works around 55-60 and gets the same response. As Lou says on his site, you should be looking for the smallest indication that they feel it. A small eye twitch or a flicker of their ear. It doesn't need to be a whole neck twitch type response.


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## dhaney81 (Nov 5, 2014)

I just started my dog on the dogtra 1900 and his working level is around 20 of 127 settings. I can't feel mine until it gets to 15 so 20 doesn't seem to rough. When I was trying to find his working level the first response I noticed from my dog was him looking back, or turning his head in the direction of where he felt the shock. Then as I went up a little more I noticed a total neck twitch so dialed it back down a few. Working level is something that's going to change all the time, so in different settings you might have to use a different level.


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Ky's working level is 15-16 (with a page), if that doesn't work, then I have to up it to 20 with a "stim". (I haven't had to do that in about a year!)

Every dog is different, and can be radically different. 

Keep in mind adrenaline will play a HUGE part in training as well. 

I was working with Ky on impulse control / crittering and she lunged for a cat that "appeared" in the park (we were working on squirrels). I wasn't holding the leash properly at the time as I was playing with the remote and she flew after the cat. I had the stim at 127 and I held it for about 5-6 seconds, and she still went after the cat. It didn't stop her at all. (Thankfully, the cat climbed a tree and there was a "happy ending".

Definitely not something I wanted to repeat again so I made sure to practice in a different area from then on. 

I've never had to do that again, but it was certainly a lesson for me (in more ways than one!)


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## HIM_Darling (Apr 7, 2015)

After a good review from a friend we also bought a cheap ecollar on Amazon. Ours is the Dogwell Remote collar. We got it in the mail Saturday. We followed Lou's advice on fitting(the collar we bought didn't come with any fitting instructions). We also tested it on ourselves and found the 1 to be unpleasant and the 2 to be uncomfortable. And this "friend" claims he uses a 2 on his dogs. My main concern however is when our 8 month old is wearing it, she starts acts like she is being flea bitten, running around acting irritated and scratching at it. I asked the manufacturer about it, asking if it was possible she was feeling a stim without us pushing the button(a malfunction maybe?) and this was their response "Hi,We are regretful to hear of this problem. Maybe you wear the collar on your dog too tight so that your dog can not fit to the collar. You should put the collar on your dog with a suitable size. Besides, all the functions are controlled by the transmitter, so the shock function can't work by itself.
Is any other question, please just feel free to contact us via [email protected] and telephone 1-888-971-6539. Thanks!"
We haven't used the shock function on her, only the vibration function to get her focus back on us when she was bothering the cats last night. After she started acting funny we took it off her and dumped it in the junk drawer. Their response certainly didn't endear me to their product. I think next payday I will be looking into a dogtra.


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