I have got a black lab pup about 8 months old and i was wondering what shock collars are better then others hes going to be mainly for duck hunting and i was just looking for some tips and pointers on shock collar’s and what you guys think about them, and how much they help because he’s a little crazy sometimes. And im looking to buy one. 
You have no hope to settle the CRAZY in your dog! 
Haha. 
Just kiddin.
Don’t know much about the collars, but you have to remember that she/he is still a pup. My 10 month old lab can be so high strung at times I have to have her chase the truck for a few miles to wear her out. 
DT
Check with Don H. He is very knowledgeable in dog training. I’m sure he will put a post on shortly. Remember your dog’s handling is a matter of time and perseverance on your part. You cannot rely and it certainly won’t work if you think the collar will be a magic cure. Having said that, I always put it on when I’m in the field. Take a few minutes each day on basic commands and move on when the dog is ready for more commands. My dog is the same way. I took him out last night to work some fields, the first ten minutes he has to run like a mad man, once he gets the initial burst out he is focused. As far as the collar, research what features you think would be helpful and then compare them head to head. My collar is only a year old, but its so muddy and beat up, can’t even remember what brand. Decide if you want a beeper, what range you want, digital display, cost, ability to fine tune the intensity of the shock etc. With range, if it says up to one mile, that it probably isn’t near that strong. Some are only 3/4 of a mile. If I had the cash, I would get a GPS as well. Until the dog handles reliably, if the dog takes off, the GPS could save you a lot of time and heartache in looking for a dog all day. And your hunting buddies won’t be as mad at you. Just my 2 cents.
Keep in mind that the e-collar is used to enforce commands (here, heal, sit, look, no, mark, fetch, hold, out and so on) that the dog has REPEATEDLY demonstrated to know. An e-collar should not used to teach the dog something new.
my uncle uses dogtra. its worked well and has help up thru 4+ years of duck and upland hunting.
whatever you do, make sure you get a waterproof collar.
and dont train with it… its a game time tool to help your pup “remember” how to do something youve already taught them.
I bought the sport dog brand, they work good and the dogs chewed one up and the company sent a new one no questions asked. for just one collar they are not to expensive. see you this weekend probably.
Quote:
Keep in mind that the e-collar is used to enforce commands (here, heal, sit, look, no, mark, fetch, hold, out and so on) that the dog has REPEATEDLY demonstrated to know. An e-collar should not used to teach the dog something new.
Oh yeah……..I have a late 90’s Tri-Tronics Field 70. I sent it in a few years ago for a refurbish and never have had a problem with it.
Quote:
Quote:
Keep in mind that the e-collar is used to enforce commands (here, heal, sit, look, no, mark, fetch, hold, out and so on) that the dog has REPEATEDLY demonstrated to know. An e-collar should not used to teach the dog something new.
Oh yeah……..I have a late 90’s Tri-Tronics Field 70. I sent it in a few years ago for a refurbish and never have had a problem with it.
x2 
Thanks for all the input, its really helped me alot.
Quote:
Keep in mind that the e-collar is used to enforce commands (here, heal, sit, look, no, mark, fetch, hold, out and so on) that the dog has REPEATEDLY demonstrated to know. An e-collar should not used to teach the dog something new.
X2
I have had a Tritronics in the past and now I have a Dogtra. Both are very good units, but the Tritronics had a very large sender (the part I carry) that I did not like. Other than that, I don’t thin you can go wrong with any of the newer units out there.
A little crazy is a good thing! You can turn that into drive and desire especially when chasing birds.
As others have mentioned the collars are not use as a shortcut to training. If you have not done it already, you want to get your pup out training on livebirds and gunproofing him. After the bird and gun training you than can comeback and formalize the obedience.
We like to have the dog wear the collar for about two weeks before we even push a button. Think of it as an extention of the checkcord. That being said when our obedience is done and the dogs know and respond to leash or checkcord pressure. Then you can start with the e-collar. The dog is used to pressure from the choke or pinch style collars. We then transition that to the e-collar, using low level stimulation.
We use a method of training thats teaches the dog how to avoid the stimulation. There a varying methods of training systems but by using the avoidance system, you are helping the dog learn to solve the problem on their own. Its a easy way to train using the collar.
We use SportDog brand and have had good success with them. We use the collars between 3 and 6 hours a day everday. They have a very good customer service.
It worth mentioning again- Never use the collar on a command the pup does not know!
Good luck and have fun training.
I ended up getting the sport dog shock collar. and before it even came in the mail i took him out duck hunting and when i shot a mallard he did not have a problem with retreving the duck and he has been doing really well! 
And iam looking forward to having a really fun season with him even though hes young yet it will only get better. 
Great news! Have fun and they grow up fast! 
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
