E-Collar - ooh scary - Page 1

Well, I have to wonder. Is the e-collar not the safest of all the collars amongst corrective collars? I have recently purchased one and have to admit that personally I would rather receive a hit from the e-collar than either the prong collar or the choke chain. It's really quite mild - I tried it on myself. What opinions do the experienced amongst you have?

One of my dogs had a terrible experience with a ECollar, apparently the thing shorted out and literally left burn marks on his neck, I won't say who it was made by here as I wont slader their company,it(the defective collar) was returned immediately for a replacement, which I recieved plus a full refund and they covered my dogs vet bill, plus a little extra as it was a freak thing, I have yet to this day used the new one, it has been taken from the packaging but never used. I would rather be shot by a BB gun 10 times than shocked by an Ecollar, if that would ever happen again. Kari

I took the e-collar on a scale of 0-100 to 50 and it was barely anything. I mean honestly, how could this thing be mean when compared to prong or choke?

1st- u prolly weigh 100 lbs more than your dog 2nd- its not necessarily the "pain" aspect of the collar that the dog responds to, but the literal 'shock' of a new sensation... i've experimented on friends who drink too much & have the decency to pass out at my place- attach collar, step back, & press button (hilarity ensues); they are way beyond feeling pain, but boy they sure do jump ;o)

I have always wondered about e-collars. I am considering getting one for my lab mix who is a VERY soft dog (only on our property) all you have to do is raise your voice a little and she is down on the ground if you say "platz". I do OB in our yard and she is 100%. BUT, once you cross the street or go to the park or something she is like a totally different dog. If I let her go loose she doesn't even care a word I say. Thats where the prong collar comes in. She was fine the fist few weeks I tried it on her and now she doesn't even care she is wearing it. She will fuss outside if the prong collar is on but if I let her go she will chase anything and everything that moves. She wouldn't "heir" if her life depended in it.. Literally she was already hit by a truck @ 55mph once chasing a cat(thank god she was okay, but $1500 in vet bills and the anxiety I went through not knowing if she was gonna be alright or not). So just for her safety, I am looking around for like a LOW correction e-collar. I agree with you meanderer990 I dont think they are that harsh. A close friend has a GSD and uses a e-collar with him. I did actually feel the e-collar on low-medium and I FELT it, but it dident HURT thats the difference. Does anyone think that using a e-collar on a soft dog is good idea? And if so can anyone recommend a good brand thats not too expensive, and is not too hard in corrections? Thanks, Andrea

I love my e-collar. It's basically a long distance leash without possibility of tangling. I use mine on my dog when taking him out mountain biking with my husband. If we come across deer while riding, which is common in our woods, then the ol' prey drive kicks in and my dog will start to chase. I start at a low level and "turn up the volume" as necessary to remind him that chasing deer is not allowed. When my dog is in drive, he needs a much larger correction than if he's not. D'uh. My e-collar is a Dogtra, but there are other good brands. Dogtra sells several collars with different strengths of correction, different ranges, features, etc. So ask around and do some comparison shopping. I think mine is model NCP 1200, and trust me - you do NOT want to have this baby strapped on you when I turn up the volume. I've tried it and it can be potent! As to using it on a soft dog, you shouldn't have problems if you get one with a broad adjustment range. Only use the level that you need for your own dog's temperment and the circumstances. Best of luck and happy shopping! Yvette

Lucinda, remind me never to come to one of YOUR parties, lol. I use low stim, and I always do the page function first, then if the behavior continues, we move to nick. Very rarely do I have to use continuous, even then it's on a low level. Angela

These collars are a great tool...but just like any other tool...they can be mis-used...So if your going to get one...Take the time to learn how to use it right...from someone that knows how to use it...and there's also an instructional video that comes with the Dogtra Collars...that explains how to use it to teach all of your commands just like using a choke chain or a pinch collar... Every dog has a different level of pain...and you have to find that level so you don't over stimulate them...this is a training tool...it's only as good as the person is that's controlling it... ~Bob~

lioness9918, to funny.

I hate that they have to be put on so tight. I remember my dog kinda gulping like they were choking when I would first cinch them on. If I didn't do this I didn't get a good connection. I didn't want to shave a small spot for the prongs to go either. Also they new when they were "not" on (no brainer, I am not choking!!). I mainly used them for a deer chasing problem. The system could run 2 dogs at a time. Some dogs would scream bloody murder and others show hardly a reaction. One female that I considered softer would just cock her head like she was saying "what was that?" then she would snap at the air. I haven't used them in a long time now...