E-Collar Buyers' Guide TEST

Where do I begin?

When choosing an electronic training collar, there are a few factors you should consider. These collars can be a major investment and can provide long-term training for you and your dog, so it's important to pick one that does what you need it to do. The first question to ask yourself is what you're trying to accomplish using your training collar. Are you wanting to do basic obedience training with your dog at home? Are you hunting ducks? Are you upland hunting with big running dogs? Are you running beagles or hounds? The purpose of your interaction with your dogs is the starting point for the e-collars conversation. Knowing what you want can greatly help guide your decision-making process.

How much range do I need?

A dog being trained at home for obedience would be fine with a shorter range (less than 1/2 a mile) - rarely are you in a situation where your dog is over half a mile away from you. Dogs that are hunting ducks or may go on off-leash hikes could benefit from a bit more range - 3/4 to 1 mile of range. Longer range collars (over 1 mile) are needed when you're running big running dogs upland hunting or running hounds/beagles in a pack. Now, it's important to remember that these collars operate on line of sight. So, if your dog is through some brush and pretty far off, you may not get that full range.

What am I looking for in a training collar?

When picking a collar, it's important to look at the number of levels of stimulation. If you're wanting fine-tuned training from your dog, having more levels of stimulation allows you to find that perfect level of stimulation for your particular dog. Every dog is different, so if you call our customer service line and ask for a product specialist, they won't be able to tell you what level to use for your dog. Instead, they'll all tell you that you should start at the lowest level and work up from there. If you're running hounds and you really just need to stimulate them if they get after undesired prey or get a little farther than they should, you probably don't need 21 levels of stimulation.

How many dogs?

The number of dogs you currently have does not necessarily equal the number of dogs you may have or anticipate having in a year or so. If you have one dog with no anticipation of adding another, you can stick with a 1-3 dog system. If you have multiple dogs (2-3) and you're hoping to grow your pack, maybe consider an e-collar with the ability to add more dogs on – dog people tend to acquire more dogs.

Our Top Picks

Yard Trainers

• Perfect for backyard use.
• Start basic obedience training.
• Solve behavior problems fast!
• Control your dog off-leash in neighborhood, dog parks or beach.

Medium Range Collars

• Great for most training situations.
• Great for most any dog breed.
• Perfect for most hunting dogs (unless you need longer range or other PRO features).

Long Range Collars

• Recommended for almost any dog training situation, for example, duck hunting in thick timber, big-running bird dogs.
• Some folks don't need RANGE but want additional features.
• Exceptions: Have 4, 5 or 6 dogs? Need 2-mile range?

Click PICTURES to the right to view PRODUCT pages →

Click EXPLAIN under the TERMS below to know what we mean
↓↓↓

Innotek
ADV300

SportDOG
SD400

SportDOG
SD800

Tri-tronics
Sport Basic

SportDOG
SD1825

Tri-tronics
Pro 100

Tri-tronics
Pro 500

Price
EXPLAIN

$139.95
free shipping

$159.95
free shipping

$199.95
free shipping

$239.00
free shipping

$289.95
free shipping

$447.00
free shipping

$509.00
free shipping

Popularity
EXPLAIN

#3 Best-selling
short range
system.

#1 Best-selling
short-range
system.

#3 Best-selling
medium range
system.

#1 Best-selling
dog training collar
of ANY system.

#1 Best-selling
long-range
system.

#4 Best-selling
long-range
system.

#3 Best-selling
long-range
system.

MAX Range
EXPLAIN

Short
(300 yards)

Short
(400 yards)

Medium
(1/2 mile)

Long
(1 mile)

Comes with
EXPLAIN

Collar. Remote.
Carrying case.
Free lanyard.

Collar. Remote.
Training DVD.
Training book.
Free lanyard.

Collar. Remote.
Training DVD.
Training book.
Free lanyard.
Belt-clip.

Collar. Remote.
Training DVD.
Training book.
Free holster.
Free lanyard.

Collar. Remote.
Training DVD.
Training book.
Free lanyard.
Belt-clip.

Collar. Remote.
Training DVD.
Training book.
Free holster.
Carrying case.

Innotek
ADV300

SportDOG
SD400

SportDOG
SD800

Tri-tronics
Sport Basic

SportDOG
SD1825

Tri-tronics
Pro 100

Tri-tronics
Pro 500

Steve Says:
EXPLAIN

"The ADV-300 is the cheapest collar I recommend, but if you've got the extra $20, just buy an SD-400."

"The SD-400 has an extremely wide range of STIM for short-range collar."

"Want to save $40? The SD-800 is a great alternative to the best-selling SPORT BASIC."

"The SPORT BASIC is a best-seller because it works for 95% of the folks who need a training collar."

"The SD-1825 is my new favorite e-collar. It's what I use for training my retrievers and my bird dogs"

"Pro 200 is opposite. 6 continuous, 18 momentary."

"Think of the PRO500 as a PRO100 and a PRO200 stuck together."

READ FULL REVIEW

Programs
EXPLAIN

1 mode

7 modes

1 mode

13 modes

1 mode

Multiple Dogs/
Expandable
EXPLAIN

1 dog
not expandable

up to 3 dogs*
* some loss of features

up to 3 dogs
no loss of features

up to 3 dogs*
* some loss of features

up to 3 dogs
no loss of features

Tone / Vibration
EXPLAIN

tone

buzz

tone + vibration

tone

Spread of
Stim Levels
EXPLAIN

normal

extra-wide

wide

extra-wide

Continuous
EXPLAIN

7 levels

up to 16 levels

10 levels

up to 16 levels

18 levels

Momentary
EXPLAIN

7 levels

up to 8 levels

10 levels

up to 16 levels

6 levels

18 levels

Charger
EXPLAIN

slow
(12 hours)

rapid
(2 hours)

Run Time
EXPLAIN

40 hours

100+ hours

75 hours

100+ hours

Collar Battery
EXPLAIN

6-volt

rechargeable

Transmitter Battery
EXPLAIN

6-volt

rechargeable

9-volt

rechargeable

Innotek
ADV300

SportDOG
SD400

SportDOG
SD800

Tri-tronics
Sport Basic

SportDOG
SD1825

Tri-tronics
Pro 100

Tri-tronics
Pro 500

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ordered an e-collar. Now what?

Educate yourself. If you don't know how to train your dog using an e-collar, you need to learn. Your e-collar purchase includes a Robin Macfarlane video that will help get you started. We also have a variety of free training videos and articles so you can start learning before your e-collar even arrives! If you want even more educational material, we have a variety of resources available to help. By educating yourself, you're setting your dog up for success.

What if I don't like it?

As always, all of our e-collars come with our risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so USE YOUR COLLAR! Every day. On your dog. Outside. Train in the water and in the mud. Cut your collar straps down to size. Using your new e-collar WILL NOT affect your ability to return or exchange it during your 30-day trial period. You DO NOT have to send it back "like new" or in resellable condition! Plus, you pay NO RESTOCKING FEES. If for any reason you decide it’s not right for you, we’ll take it back and exchange it or give you a refund. In addition to our Money Back Guarantee, all the collars we sell have at least a 1-Year Warranty from the manufacturer which begins on the invoice date. If you have any questions, call us at 1-800-624-6378!

NEXT: options-feed

UP: UTIL -- Util and Test Pages Hidden from Search Magic Internal Search

PREVIOUS: mike3

link to original id

Gun Dog Supply home page

Questions? Since 1972, we're here to help. Call 1-800-624-6378 or 662-324-2410 and we'll answer any questions or take a phone order. Prefer email? Contact sales@gundogsupply.com. -- Steve Snell