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Shock Collars For Dogs, Everything You Need To Know About Them

        
          

shock collars for dogsIf you are looking for information on shock collars for dogs, you have found the right place. Some swear against shock collars being used on dogs but if used in the correct way, they are a life saver. Is your dog defiant, know your command but doesn’t listen? Or are you field training your dog for hunting? We are going to go over everything you need to know about what I call dog electric training collars, it sounds much better than shock collars for dogs…

We will go over:

  • What these collars should be used for and what they should not be used for
  • Different kinds of shock collars
  • What to look for when buying one (they are not all created equally)
  • My views of using them
  • Tips on using the collars

What they should be used for

It is common sense why you are looking for a dog shock collar. You most likely want to train your dog that is either a little stubborn or field train them. You do not want to buy one just for punishment. It is easy to just push a button when you get mad at your dog but it will not work without any command and training aspects to it. Shock collars can turn into a inhuman act very quickly. They are meant as a training aid. If done right, you will only need to use the shock feature a couple times. We will talk more about that in the tips section.

Common uses for shock collars are to stop barking, stop jumping on people, train yard boundaries, teach to come along with many others like hunting.


Types of dog shock collars For Dogs

There are a couple different types of shock collars on the market. The two main types are bark collars and training collars. Bark shock collars are just for that, to stop barking. These do not come with any type of remote. When a dog barks, it will give him/her a zap. It will do it on it’s own with nothing from you needed but to check the batteries. The training collars on the other hand will come with some type of hand held remote for you to use.

Most if not all brands of training collars (remember, don’t think of the as shock collars for dogs!) have adjustable setting for strength and some kind of tone on the remote. Some come with extra options like good and bad tone and vibration that can be used in place of the shock. The vibration setting can be used after your dog knows about the shock. It is enough to catch his attention quickly if the tone didn’t get it.

As mentioned above, not all shock collars for dogs are made equally. If you are looking for the cheap option, they are there but do not expect a good product. I will only go over some that I would recommend to a friend. If you want to check out cheaper options you can do so here, just make sure to read through the user reviews.

Dogtra 1900NCP Field Star

Dogtra 1900NCP Field StarLet’s start with the one we purchased for our over 100LB Lab/Sheppard/Grate Dame mix (you see why we needed one lol). This is not the cheapest dog shock collar you can find but it is one of the best. It is very well made and have a wide range of settings. It might be a little over complicated for some.

Some of the features the 1900NCP has is:

  • Stimulation levels (0-127)
  • 1/2-mile range
  • Nick, constant, and non-stimulating vibration modes
  • Rechargeable Ni-MH batteries which is normal
  • Fully waterproof collar/receiver and transmitter
  • LCD screen

You can find a little cheaper models, this is top of the line. Over 260 people have reviewed this one giving it 4.5 stars  you can find them here.

PetSafe Yard & Park Remote Dog Trainer, PDT00-12470

PetSafe Yard & Park Remote Dog Trainer, PDT00-12470

PetSafe makes some good products. The PDT00-12470 is a popular model, I’m guessing because of the name. They have over 500 reviews by every day people that you can find on Amazon here giving them 4 stars overall. I will say that you will find some people say that this model doesn’t last. I can say myself because I went with the above model after doing my research. This goes back to not all training collars are built the same but if you are looking for a mid range dog shock collar, this one might be for you.

Some of the features of the PDT00-12470 are:

  • For dogs 8 pounds and up
  • 400-yard range.
  • 8 levels of corrections
  • Waterproof remote and Collar
  • A battery indicator to let you know that your collar needs to be charged.

What to look for

Knowing what to look for in shock collars for dogs is pretty important. Just like everything else in life, there are high end and low in products and price doesn’t always equal quality. Since we are putting a decent amount of money towards this training aid, we want to make sure we know what we are getting. The best way to do this is ask friends that might have one. I asked my sister about the one she had, and was told it was a strong unit but the battery died on them just after a couple months of not charging. I can’t remember the brand off the top of my head but I will update this post when I speak to her again. After doing some research I found this to be common with a lot of low/mid range units.

If you do not know anyone that has a dog shock collar, your next best bet is to find real reviews done by real people. The best place to do that is on Amazon. Click here and you will find a whole list of training collars with reviews by people that have used them. Once you find one you are thinking about going with, read as many reviews as you can. I have found clicking on the 3 star reviews you get the most common issues from people that care about giving full reviews. Also note how many reviews each has. If there are 300 5 stars, 150 4 stars and 25 one stars, chances are most people recommend the product. If you see a lot of one or two stars, you might want to really look at them.

You want to find a dog shock collar that is made well, waterproof and a good battery that will not go bad quickly.

My Views

I’m sure I will get not so nice comments about using training collars for dogs. Yes, I run a dog blog and I do love animals, but they are animals and some are harder to train than others.

I don’t think training collars are meant for every dog. I do see valid use for training stubborn dogs that know the commands but do not follow them, runners and field training. If fact, I believe electric training collars can save the life of your dog or help prevent someone getting hurt by large dogs jumping on them.

I do not believe they should be used on dogs that are not being trained. Commands are a must when using these.

Tips on how to use shock collars for dogs

  • These electric training collars should be used as a training aid. Use consistent commands before pushing the button. Like: down, off, come, with me, stay, etc.
  • Start on the low side of settings and move up as needed if your dog doesn’t respond. You will find what works and doesn’t hurt them.
  • After a couple shocks, you can use the vibration in place as a warning. This reminds them what will come if they do not obey.
  • Use the bad beep before giving a shock. They will catch on and respond to the sound.
  • Use the good sound and/or praise your dog when they respond to your correction.
  • If you are training to stay in your yard, pre-train before shocking. I will be writing on this for my next article.
  • To get best results out of your battery, charge frequently and do not over charge for days at a time.

 

So, how do training collars work for you? Let us know what your thoughts are on them in the comments below!

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