I bought this when I was running out of patience with my 9 month old German Shepherd mix puppy.
Even after I got this thing, I didn't use it right away. The biggest reason for this is the included instruction manual. It is an extremely well written handbook for training dogs, and it emphasizes several things:
1. Your dog must know the basic commands like No, Sit, Stay, Come, Down, etc.
2. Try a different type of leash such as the suggested "Wonder Lead"
3. Use the collar sparingly and as a supplementary instruction tool, not a full replacement training tool
The manual was great and I found it to be more instructive than the numerous dog training books that I had already purchased. I continued working with my dog without the collar, and I bought the "Wonder Lead", a very simple nylon noose-type leash that relaxes immediately after the dog stops pulling. I like the lead very much it functions better than a collar that I bought called "The Illusion Collar". Both serve the same purpose to put pressure high on the dog's neck for considerably more control. But the Wonder Lead is simpler because it is easier to adjust and it relaxes quicker since the nylon is stiff.
Until I bought this collar, my dog was impervious to everything. He was terrible on the leash. He would lunge at other dogs and would make such a scene that people would glare at me or my wife, as if to say "What's the matter with you, thinking you can just walk a vicious animal around in public like that?". He knew all the basic commands like Sit, Down, Come, No... but only if I had a treat in my hand. Outside of the house he was a different dog.
Rewards or punishment... nothing seemed to get through to him. My wife and I decided one night that we'd take a relaxing stroll up to the ice cream shop. We took the dog with us. We found a table on the sidewalk in front of the store and sat there eating our ice cream, and I sat the dog next to me and scratched behind his ears because he likes that. Everything was fine until another dog showed up, and our puppy suddenly transformed himself from happy cute puppy to vicious attack dog. People actually jumped back because he sounded so bad. It was downright scary and not only were we concerned, but we were also terribly embarrassed. I felt silly for bringing the dog up there just assuming it would be okay. We got the heck out of there as fast as possible.
But I didn't give up on the walks. I've watched every episode of Dog Whisperer I could catch, man. I've tried everything Cesar says, and I've walked that dog for miles and miles, I've said "heel" a billion times, I've used treats, I've used a pinch on the neck, I've tried ignoring him, and he still pulls and lunges and growls at other dogs. I'm convinced there is a lot of training going on that doesn't make it to the final cut of the TV episodes because I've tried everything. I'll ignore him and it works about 50% of the time. I'll yell at him and it works about 30% of the time. I'll reward him and it works 100% the first time, 0% the next time because he just wants a treat and throws a fit until he gets one. The only thing that ever seemed to get a result was that if he was being bad, I would make him lay and firmly hold the scruff of his neck until he stopped panting. Then I'd slowly release him until he was laying quietly by himself and I could walk away. That was a Cesar trick I saw and since it was the only one that worked, I was beginning to fear I would wear it out. But that's a dumb way to try to be the alpha. It's impractical, no fun for you or the dog, and half the time the dog probably doesn't understand why you are mad anyway. I had to find another way. I'd take him out to rural areas and let him run it out. He would be happy, and I'd keep him nearby with a tennis ball or a bone, and lure him back to the car with treats and happy voices. But I still had to "master the walk" as Cesar says.
Again and again I would take him out for a walk, and I just couldn't trust him with other dogs. And it began to get worse, where even fast-moving kids on bikes would set him off. I was using the new leash with him at that point and it was only a marginal improvement. I worked with him daily, trying to teach him to heel and walk by my side. Finally one day when a dog was passing by, I thought I'd try something new and just relax and let it go, thinking that maybe my tension made it worse. So I let the dogs do what they would. The two dogs sniffed each other, and then my cute little puppy turned into Mr. Hyde. At that point I couldn't take it any more because I couldn't trust him with other dogs, kids, and my wife couldn't take him for walks any more. I was starting to get a sore shoulder from constantly correcting him and restraining his lunges during walks. With this last dog fight incident it was the last straw, so I marched him home, put the collar on him, and took him outside for his new phase of training.
The first thing I did was try to get him to associate the "beep" on the collar with "No". I did not use the shock yet. I was hoping that by instilling the fear of the beep, I would only have to use the beep later to teach him. Like everything else, the beep was generally ineffective. So we were out on the leash again, and he was tugging and being obnoxious as usual, and here I was saying "No" (beep) "No" (beep) "Heel" (beep) like an idiot. With no other ideas I sat him down, took off his leash, and said "Stay".
So he started to wonder off in leashless bliss. I told him to come. He would not. He kind of looked over his shoulder with a look that said: "See ya." So I said "No!" emphasized by the beep, but there was no response. So I hesitantly set the collar on two, told him to come, and when he did not obey I hit the button.
He didn't even flinch.
Now I had tested this thing on my forearm the day I got it. I knew that 2 and 3 were nothing more than an itch on your skin. But 8 gave me a surprise. It made my hand involuntarily clench, but the effect of the surprise was most evident for me it wasn't painful, just surprising.
So I moved it up to 3. I commanded him to come, and when he did not I hit the button. It did not phase him at all, and at this point I was wondering if the collar was working. The same process was repeated until I was all the way up to 8. Finally he jumped a bit and gave me a look like "What the h*ll was that?". He hesitated, but when I told him to come, he continued on. He continued to disobey my command so I gave him another jolt and he looked at me again, this time with a bit more concern. But still he disobeyed, and by now it was obvious that 1) I was angered with him and 2) he did not care. With one last command to come, I used the button again. He let out a little yelp and came running back to me and sat down. I was elated but I tried to restrain myself. I put his leash back on, hoping to just walk him home and be done for the day.
On the way back, I was lost in thoughts about what I should do with this new power because I was also struggling with causing him pain. One of the reasons I love this dog is because he's got a lot of spirit and spunk (he's a brat but he's a fun dog), and I didn't want to scare it out of him. It bothered me greatly that I had obviously hurt him. But, just then, my thoughts were interrupted by another dog encounter and my dog's instantaneous growling and lurching. Panicked, I used the collar and simultaneously yelled "No!", forgetting it was still set on 8. But holy cow did I get instant conformance. He went silent and immediately lay down. Meanwhile the other dog was going crazy. At that point I ran home with him to get him in the house and out of trouble.
That was about 2 months ago. These days I do not have to use the collar often, and per the suggestion of the manual, I never let him associate the collar with bad things. I put the collar on him when we go play fetch. Sometimes I'll put it on him for no reason in the house and let him wear it all day and never turn it on. He thinks it is me that has the Magic Invisible Command From A Distance and I don't think he knows it is the collar. I am at the point now where I regularly walk him without a leash. I let him wander as he pleases but he never goes farther than 10 feet or so. If he sees another dog all I have to do is mutter "No" and he comes back to me and sits. I think that is the greatest gift this collar has given: the dog understands "No" better than he ever did, and now we both enjoy going for walks much better. He has more freedom now than he did before when I was tense and trying to reel him in with a tight leash. Now he can roam free as he pleases, and he doesn't get into trouble any more. On the rare occasions the collar is required, I have never taken the collar above 4 since that first day, and these days I can take him for short walks even without the collar or a leash and he is generally well behaved. He obeys command, and even though he isn't a perfect leash dog, he is manageable and my wife can now walk him comfortably. We took him out in the crowds on the 4th of July at the local festivities, and despite kids and dogs, his worst offense was sniffing the butts of other people passing by.
On occasion I still use the collar for corrective measures, but 3 seems to be adequate and it is only a reinforcement of the word "No." I hope that in a few months I will not need the collar at all.
I am very happy with this product but I think its effectiveness is completely dependent on the user. I do not think my story is the ideal way to handle a dog. I have made many mistakes with him but finally he is learning from me and I am learning from him. The collar is really one path of many to take to eventually build trust between a dog and owner. He still jumps, barks at the cat, and makes a bee-line for the door if it is open, but he comes to me when I call him, doesn't terrorize the neighborhood any more, and finally understands that when I say "NO", I mean it. Perhaps I could have obtained the same results with other methods, but I am thankful for what progress I've made.. He's a different animal now and he hasn't lost any of his spunk he just listens better. I think that's all that was required the collar gave me a way to get through to him.
The Sportdog Field Trainer 400
is a mid level collar, it's better than the Innotek and PetSafe but not as good as the TriTronics. It has a decent range, small, easy to hold transmitter, and will get the job done. The DVD is also useful.
I find the stimulation a bit sharper than the TriTronics but if you have a hard dog that may be an asset. The single charger charges the transmitter and the receiver and the charge lights flash to let you know it's charged from solid when the charging starts.
It's solidly built and won't fall apart on you. A convenient holster can be purchased separately which is more convenienty than a lanyard. It looks
to be waterproof though I haven't tested that.
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It took me over a year to finally try this with my dogs. I was worried I might hurt them or change their personality (one a rescue terrier mix, the other a Soft Coated Wheaten). Furthermore I baby and pamper both of them and consider them family and I felt guilty even thinking about trying this method of training. Dogs rule and Dog is God spelled backward at our house. Both dogs have successfully participated in traditional obedience classes and agility training in the past. Both are very intelligent, but stubborn and a bit feisty. They also love to chase after other animals. I live in a rural area, and while my dogs were obedient in a confined area, or when on a leash, they would not return when outdoors off-leash if they were distracted, chasing other animals, or far enough away to know they could ignore me when called. Mostly I pleasure-walked them on extra long flexi leads, seldom letting them roam free because of worries they would run off and tangle with coyotes or other dogs in the area. When off-leash, they understood what I wanted, but they knew when they were free, and would come only when they felt like it. Actually the first time I bought the stimulation collar, I sent it back because I couldn't bring myself to use it. Finally, I ordered it again (Cabellas had a better price at that time with a coupon). Sorry Amazon, I love you and consider you the best and always my first choice unless it is significantly cheaper someplace else. Back to my experience with the collar. This time I ordered and kept the collar. I tested it on my own head, neck, and hand at all the various settings. I started with my 2 year old male (the one that loved to bolt as soon as he could get out of arms reach), He caught on immediately at a very very low setting (2 and 3), and I think I only used the stimulation control 2 or 3 times. After that it was buzzer only if needed, but mostly he just comes when called, and comes very fast. Like I mentioned, I live in a rural area, and I am talking about using it outdoors around our farm and on long hikes at home or in parks where it is OK for the dogs to be only in eye sight. I can't begin to tell you how much more I love hiking with my dogs, and they get way more exercise on a regular walk because I allow them to run ahead, etc. until I call them back. I started with the SportDog 800 model, because I wanted to make sure the range was adequate. In a few weeks I wanted a 2nd collar for the other dog, a very intelligent, but very stubborn 9 year old female. She is alpha dog, she is princess. I wound up ordering a 2nd complete unit, both collar and receiver, but I went with the SD400. I chose this because I learned that by adding a 2nd collar to the 800 I would loose the beep only function on both collars. With better planning I probably would have started with a higher model that would have supported beep only on 2 collars. I wrongfully assumed they all had this capability. Oh well, not a big problem, because I find that having 2 remotes works for me. The 2nd dog, Mila, was a bit more stubborn and she ignored me unless I cranked the stimulation up higher. But she only required getting the stimulation a few times. Now she comes when called or occasionally requires beeped only. Both dogs come running gleefully in the house to get their collars on because they know they are going out for a walk. Any fears I had about the collar being cruel or hurting them were unfounded, and I truly love the collars, and feel they have helped the dogs have much more fun and get much more exercise. I have not tried to use the collars for any other type of training. My only goal and purpose was what I described. I didn't mean to write so much, but I know this type of training is very controversial. I did a lot or research on the Internet and much of what I read scared me off at first. But this system has really worked for us and our use. I think it's worth every penny and then some. I am very glad I made the decision to try this. Again I emphasize my dogs were adults, had training, and understood my commands before I used this method. I hope this helps somebody else who might be in a similar situation Happy hiking.
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The product works as advertised. After a few weeks of careful use, Maizy learned that coming was no longer 'optional'. It has greatly increased our ability to control her outside, so that she can now spend more time out with us off-lead. Both owner and dog are happier with this. At this point, we still have her wear the collar when she is going to be out for an extended time, but corrections are rarely required any more.
The product has held up well after two months of regular use.
Battery life is fine. At least 12 hours of use per charge. Might last longer, but I've never let it go that long.
Range is at least 100 yards. I have not tried it past that.
Waterproof the few times she has gone swimming with it. I usually take it off before she swims.
I wish they packed a second collar with it in a different color.
This is a professional quality product. I've not used any of the less expensive ones out there, but I feel like I got the quality I was looking for.
Some tips for use:
Make sure the collar is snug. If you don't have it snug, you won't get any shock, or worse, it will work intermittently which is confusing for both you and the dog.
Follow the directions for getting the dog used to the collar. We had her use it for a week before I even turned it on.
I've found that Maizy would ignore nicks (very brief shocks) up to level 4, but even a half-second continuous shock at level 3 always gets her attention. Now that she is trained with it, even a nick is enough of a reminder to get her to respond.
Update 1 year later: We are still really happy with this collar. It's held up really well. Battery life is great.
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The Sportdog brand training collar is magical. It can transform a snooty, self-important, brazen, obnoxious, delinquent standard poodle into a perfect canine citizen.
I used to call my wife to see how her day was going. Her response was frequently a passionate, "I HATE her!" She was referring to our dog who's hi jinx ranged from bolting during a walk on the leash pulling my 110# wife off her feet and scraping her knees, to a two hours long dog chase when the little dear got off her tether and refused to come back, to the dog jumping up on a little girl in the park causing the frightened child to cry.
Sure, I was reluctant to shell out the cost of a fancy, 400 yard radius training collar. But, it was getting so we weren't enjoying our pet. We resented the heck out of her, actually. And that was after having taken her to obedience classes for 12 weeks. It wasn't great for the dog either. The dog loves to run and we could never take her off the leash. She loves to walk but we didn't enjoy the walks much because she'd try to drag us around.
I've never gotten greater satisfaction from a purchase. (Well, maybe when I got my Porsche -but that's pretty hard to beat.) Anyway, I'd definitely buy the training collar again. It does everything claimed and more.
Now, our dog comes whenever she's called. She sits when introduced to strangers. She walks calmly next to my wife when on walks. Occasionally, she still needs a little level 1 jolt to get her attention but that little reminder is enough. The Sportdog collar is effectively the equivalent of having performed a successful exorcism.
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I bought two of these carriers, size small, and they are perfect for a large cat. I love the peacock blue color and it is pretty darn close to what is pictured a rich blue very nice! I put rubber feet on one carrier so they can be stacked and not slide apart.
