# Best E-Collar?



## BulletProof

I gather from some of the last posts that there is a fundamental split in this group re: treat training versus discipline training methods. Now, I don't want to justify my beliefs or cause a new argument, but I was hoping for some advice:

What is the best e-collar out there? I read some good things about the "Sit Means Sit" collar.  But would like to hear if there are better options before I make the big purchase...

Thank you!


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## AbbyK9

If you are going to invest money into an e-collar, my recommendation would be to stick with one of the big brands - Dogtra or TriTronics - as they have been making these for years and are putting out an excellent quality product. 

I asked the same question before and most people seemed to recommend Dogtra over any other brand. That's what I have now and I've been very happy with it, but hardly ever use it anymore. (I used it for proofing off-leash behaviors.)

I saw in your other thread that your puppy is only 3 months old - is that correct? If so, he's much too young for any kind of training device to be needed other than a flat collar, a simple nylon leash, and rewards (not necessary treats).


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## doggiedad

how old is your dog?


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## BulletProof

The collar isn't for him right now, I agree he's too young. What age do you suggest moving (temporarily) to an e-collar?

And thank you for the advice, I will look into those two collars!

BP


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## Cassidy's Mom

At 3 months old I think it's way too early to even think about what age to move to an e-collar. Why use one if you don't need to? Right now I'd be working on a solid foundation of motivational training. You have plenty of time before you need to worry about taking that step, and hopefully if you decide it's what you really want to do, you'll find an experienced and qualified trainer to work with you who will be able to recommend a good brand to buy.


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## Pitts

I agree on what is said here by several of the posters, I like both the dogtra and tritronics collars. and really the method of training your talking about is compulsion training not discipline, (I know symantics LOL) but you shouldnt be using it on a young dog like that and you cant use it on any dog without first showing them what the correction from it means. for example using your prong collar along with the E collar to teach this, you would have the prong on with the E collar, when you give a correction you use both at the same time, this helps the dog learn that what they feel from the E collar is a correction and they will know what they need to do to get past that correction. you can ruin a dogs training with an E collar if you dont know what your doing, but if you do know what your doing you can really fine tune and improve your dogs training. If you havent used one or dont know how to use one, find a good trainer who uses it in their toolbag and have them teach you the best way to utilize this tool to maximize your effectiveness with your dog.
And for the record, I wouldnt even use a prong collar on a 3 month old dog, You wouldnt move to that until the dog is around 6-9 months depending on their level of maturity.


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## AbbyK9

> The collar isn't for him right now, I agree he's too young. What age do you suggest moving (temporarily) to an e-collar?


I don't think there's ever a recommended age to move to a training device. A training tool is just that - a tool you use when and if it is needed. Many dogs will never need an e-collar, many dogs will never need a prong collar. Many dog, but it's not a requirement for all.

Since you have a young puppy, I would go ahead and start training positively, using rewards (those can be praise, petting, playing tug, throwing a ball, etc. and don't need to be treats) to teach your puppy the behaviors you want him to do and on which cue (word/command) they are supposed to occur. Work on that using a simple flat collar and an inexpensive leash, keeping it fun and positive. And, bear in mind, your puppy is just a little puppy - attention span of a GNAT. So keep training to short sessions.


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## Cassidy's Mom

AbbyK9 said:


> I don't think there's ever a recommended age to move to a training device. A training tool is just that - a tool you use when and if it is needed. Many dogs will never need an e-collar, many dogs will never need a prong collar. Many dog, but it's not a requirement for all.


Exactly. I looked up the prices for Dogtra ecollars, and they range from $175 - $490 - yikes! :wild: That's quite an investment for the equipment alone, not to mention the additional cost of a knowledgeable and experienced trainer to assist you in using it properly. Why would someone even be thinking about spending that kind of money at this early stage of training?


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## golfingirl

We have a Dogtra. I'm unsure of the exact model. We payed about $170 on Amazon. It was what our trainer recommended. I also recommend you work with a trainer closely to introduce this technique. Our trainer won't use one on a dog less than 9 months old. She is a leading authority in off leash training. It's such a delicate technique that can be screwed up easily. That being said, anyone can zap their dog to deter a behaviour but that's not what using an e collar is about, IMHO. It's about a physical sensation in association with a verbal command. It should not cause pain but merely a contraction of the neck muscle ( a twitch). The less twitch the better. My trainer relates it to someone tapping on your shoulder to get your attention while they say your name. Yes, I know it's different than tapping your dog but it is a good analogy. A physical association with a verbal command to have the dog focus. Never to be used as punishment. By the way, it works excellent and will not hurt the dog if used properly. I believe only a professional should use this technique with an owner. Good luck!


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## Liesje

golfingirl said:


> Our trainer won't use one on a dog less than 9 months old. She is a leading authority in off leash training.


That sounds like a far more appropriate age 3 months. Just a note to the OP though, you don't have to wait to start training or even off leash training. Just use a lot of praise, rewards, and motivational techniques. I've never differentiated between training and off leash training, my dog was trained off leash from day one.


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## golfingirl

Liesje said:


> That sounds like a far more appropriate age 3 months. Just a note to the OP though, you don't have to wait to start training or even off leash training. Just use a lot of praise, rewards, and motivational techniques. I've never differentiated between training and off leash training, my dog was trained off leash from day one.


Great point! Using an e collar is just a tool that is excellent for off leash training. We, too, did off leash training from day 1. It's amazing how a treat can motivate. My dog, Jack, is not food motivated... although he'll do anything for a ball! Use what works. Be consistent and praise!


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## JKlatsky

I have a Dogtra 3500NCP Super X. 

Dogtra Super X Collar - Electronic dog training collar

We wanted to get a really nice collar that would fit all possible situations and we sort of went with the idea that if we were going to be spending a couple hundred dollars on a collar to use with a number of dogs we wanted somethign that would hold up. We hike with our dogs so I wanted a longer range- this one has a mile range. It's also fully waterproof, so when we take them to the beach or in the water it's still functional. I think we found ours on EBay from a licensed dealer for just under $300. I love it.


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## PupperLove

I think an e-collar can be a lifesaver in some pets. It brought out the very best in my childhood dog, it was like night and day. He was too smart for his own good and would do anything he could get away with if he knew you couldn't catch him fast enough.

I would start using one if your dog is off leash and knows his commands (you are 100% sure he knows the commands) and refuses to listen. I think it is extremley impoprtant for a dog to ALWAYS come when called for it's own safety and an e-collar can provide a long range correction for a dog who is stubborn and ignoring you. Every dog has a different personality and some dogs may respond well to it, but if you have a softie, he may just get scared.

Go with a collar that works long range and is waterproof. They are expensive but you get what you pay for. I have had collars ruined when they got wet, and collars that don't work 100% of the time. I liked Innotek brand. Make sure you get one that has a "tone only" button. Very quickly the dog will respond to the tone only without stimulation.


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## lroberts

Great info in here. I too am looking for the right e-collar. I know this is a 50/50 thing when it comes to people who agree and do not agree. Our GS is 6 months old and follows commands perfectly within our yard, home and mostly on walks. The problem we are having is around other dogs such as dog parks. She likes to bite the back of the neck of little dogs. When I say bite I mean she grabs them sometimes by the ear and then wants to shake her head. I have tried everything in the book to stop this however it seems to continue. So that is the reason I am going to attempt an e-collar so she see's that my voice can reach her. I have high hopes that this will stop this.


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## AbbyK9

lroberts - in your specific case, working with the e-collar has a great potential to be an absolute disaster unless you are working with a very good e-collar trainer. 

If you are planning to use the collar to correct her for rough-playing with the other dogs, she may associate the correction with the other dog, which may lead her to become more aggressive rather than stopping the game she is playing.

Please be very, very cautious trying to use the e-collar for this.

As far as little dogs go - how small of a dog are we talking about? If these are small breed dogs, like Yorkies, Maltese, etc. my honest recommendation would be to find an off-leash play area where small breed dogs don't mix with medium and large breed dogs. Or finding a better place to get off-leash exercise altogether.


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## Liesje

Yeah I'm with Chris on that one. If she can't play at the dog park, why go? If she is too rough to be playing with the dogs there, then I'd find a suitable play mate and arrange play dates rather than take her with an e-collar on but not let her play. Some dogs are just rough, you can correct it to stop it but not change the dog's style of play. I'd focus on finding a way for her to play with you or another dog that matches her style and is enjoyable for her rather than using an e-collar for play.


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## lroberts

Thank you for all the info. Its a big help. I did go out this afternoon and pickup a Pet Safe unit and I must say it has worked. This afternoon after sizing it for her I set it to the lowest setting. This unit has the tone feature as well. We then visited the GoldenDoodle and she started to fit the Doodles whole head in her mouth again. First I told her no 2 times, then I told her no with the tone 2 times, then I told her no at the same time I hit the button at level 1. No jump or yipe but she stop right that minute. I only had to do this one more time and then for the next 20 minutes after that she was 100% fine with the Doodle. 

So in my case it seems that this is working thank god. 
I will keep you all posted.


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## Liesje

If you're going to use it that way, I'd use the level 1 as you say "no" the FIRST time. She should not blow you off a few times. Find her appropriate working level, do some foundation work so that she _understands_ what the stim means, and then use that level. To be honest I would not use a collar this way especially without any proper training or foundation work with the collar first. Whether it's "working" really depends. She may be stopping the unwanted behavior but if she doesn't understand this type of training you may just be building confusion and frustration.


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## lroberts

I did use level 1 which is the lowest setting on it and it seems that just that one time did the trick. We went back today and no more going after the neck. She was perfect with the Doodle.  

Guess shes a fast learner.


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## Samba

Actually, an ecollar at low levels can be utilized well in early stages of training. 

I myself am not impressed enough with the quality of the PetSafe products though.

If a person is just starting in training, it is still worth the investment in the better collars because of the low level options available on them. You want to be able to set the stim just right... not too high and not too low. With the cheaper collars the range jumps are too broad for exquisite control of the stim.


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## lroberts

Well I just went through this... I had a PetSafe and I have got to tell you that they are 100% junk. In fact, I would go as far as to say some of the stores push them knowing they do not work well in an effort to get you to not use these collars.

After 3 returns I have gone with a Tri-tronics Sport Basic and its perfect!
I do not have a single issue with it. Works everytime.

WELL worth the extra money.


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## AbbyK9

For what it's worth, I've had the same experience with PetSafe brand products. Absolute junk. Spend the extra money on TriTronics or Dogtra.


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## LouCastle

There are three brands that are head and shoulders above all the rest. Dogtra, Tri-Tronics and Unleashed Technology. 

Most commonly you'll see six months recommended as the minimum age to use an Ecollar. 

Those people who say that you can't use an Ecollar to teach with are just plain ol' wrong. My website describes methods that anyone can use to teach your dog new behaviors when he's old enough. 

Contrary to popular opinion one does not need a trainer to learn to use an Ecollar. Lots have done so by just reading the articles on my site.


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## LouCastle

lroberts said:


> Thank you for all the info. Its a big help. I did go out this afternoon and pickup a Pet Safe unit and I must say it has worked. This afternoon after sizing it for her I set it to the lowest setting. This unit has the tone feature as well. We then visited the GoldenDoodle and she started to fit the Doodles whole head in her mouth again. First I told her no 2 times, then I told her no with the tone 2 times, then I told her no at the same time I hit the button at level 1. No jump or yipe but she stop right that minute. I only had to do this one more time and then for the next 20 minutes after that she was 100% fine with the Doodle.


 

I'll suggest that you stop using the Ecollar like this immediately. It's easy to make a dog aggressive towards other dogs doing this. The dog wearing the Ecollar thinks that the other dog _"bit him"_ from a distance. He shuts off the display of aggression but is still aggressive. This gives you no warning of his intent. 

This is especially true of the unit that you bought. They have few levels of stim and are not known for being reliable.


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## lroberts

I have to point out that the collar has worked perfectly for me.
Since moving to the collar we have no more issues at all and there is no aggression at all with other dogs when using it to train her not to bite the necks of other dogs. It has done what I had high hopes it would do and that is to teach her respect of the other dogs.

In NO WAY am I saying this would be the same results for everyone.
All I know is for mine it had worked perfectly. Not to mention how well this collar has worked in general. I must say that now I have gone this route I fully think a collar like this is a good thing when used correctly.
Keyword there... Correctly. Starting at the lowest setting and going from there. I also will say that the video that comes with the tritronics collars are great as well. 

For those who say this is not good for a dog. That is what my wife and I thought as well. However the guy who sold us the Tritronic put it on his finger and then his face to show how it really does not cause pain WHEN used CORRECTLY. I then did the same thing as he was right. It does nothing more then grab the attention of the dog WHEN used CORRECTLY.

Just my 2 cents on it. Again not saying it will be the same for everyone however in my case it has worked like a charm.


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## Cheerful1

When we adopted Joey last August, his former owner gave us his Tritronics Junior collar. The loop broke after a month. We bought a new one (same model) in September, and the loop (same place) broke this past weekend. 

I e-mailed Tritronics this morning, and will see what they will do for us.

In the meantime, Joey's former owner told us he's now using Dogtra. He trains dogs for Schutzhund. He was not happy with Tritronics when we told him what happened.


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## trophytimegundogs

*E-Collars*

Both DT Systems and Dogtra make nice e-collars that work well, are dependable, and some are waterproof. They are easy to use and you can get the handle of what is appropriate amount of stimulation pretty easily. Also keep in mind, most of these collars have a beep tone or several beep tones. If you only need to beep the dog to get the correct behavior vs stimulation(shock), then that all you need. I can tell you I hunt with german shorthair pointers, for most of the experienced dogs I seldom need to stimulate them a simple beep reminder is good enough to get their attention and focus on what is needed. E-Collars are not cheap, you do get what you pay for and they do last for years. I have one e-collar that is 7+ years old and still works great. So they will last. Regardless of your decision best of luck.


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## BlackJack

I have a Dogtra 1900NCP which I like a lot. Though if I had to do it again, I would have spent the extra $50 or so for 2300NCP which has a faster recharging model.


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## jakes mom

lroberts said:


> Great info in here. I too am looking for the right e-collar. I know this is a 50/50 thing when it comes to people who agree and do not agree. Our GS is 6 months old and follows commands perfectly within our yard, home and mostly on walks. *The problem we are having is around other dogs such as dog parks. She likes to bite the back of the neck of little dogs. When I say bite I mean she grabs them sometimes by the ear and then wants to shake her head.* I have tried everything in the book to stop this however it seems to continue. So that is the reason I am going to attempt an e-collar so she see's that my voice can reach her. I have high hopes that this will stop this.





lroberts said:


> Thank you for all the info. Its a big help. I did go out this afternoon and pickup a Pet Safe unit and I must say it has worked. This afternoon after sizing it for her I set it to the lowest setting. This unit has the tone feature as well. We then visited the GoldenDoodle and she started to fit the Doodles whole head in her mouth again. *First I told her no 2 times, then I told her no with the tone 2 times, then I told her no at the same time I hit the button at level 1. No jump or yipe but she stop right that minute. I only had to do this one more time and then for the next 20 minutes after that she was 100% fine with the Doodle. *
> 
> *So in my case it seems that this is working thank god. *
> *I will keep you all posted.*





lroberts said:


> *I did use level 1 which is the lowest setting on it and it seems that just that one time did the trick. We went back today and no more going after the neck. She was perfect with the Doodle.  *
> 
> *Guess shes a fast learner.[/*QUOTE]
> 
> 
> 
> lroberts said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well I just went through this... I had a PetSafe and I have got to tell you that they are 100% junk. In fact, I would go as far as to say some of the stores push them knowing they do not work well in an effort to get you to not use these collars.
> 
> *After 3 returns I have gone with a Tri-tronics Sport Basic and its perfect!*
> *I do not have a single issue with it. Works everytime.*
> 
> WELL worth the extra money.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can't you see the contradiction Iroberts? You say it worked and solved the problem - Great - Job done. So why did you go and buy another when the original broke - if it had done the job so well ?
> 
> What happens when your dog no longer responds to the level you are using - will you up it?
> 
> As you have been advised by others on here, who do use e-collars - it is very unwise to use one of these on your dog in this situation.
> 
> BTW how did you know it had broken?
Click to expand...


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## LouCastle

impig33 said:


> Aetertek AT-919 e-collar,led display


Impig, you have seven posts on this forum. SIX of them are promoting this particular brand of Ecollar. This thread was over two years old before you resurrected it. Do you have any connection to the company?


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## AthenasMom

*e-collar*

We have a DOGTRA that we used for our APBT.....worked wonders! We are beginning to introduce iyt to our 6mo GSD - to correct behaviors............so far so good.


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