We purchased this control collar a week ago after waiting several weeks for it to come out. We have a 20 month old 69lb lab/boxer and possibly pit mix, extremely smart and equally strong willed, short but solid muscle. We need an electronic control collar to reinforce commands and curb excessive pulling. We've had her since she was 10 wks old and have attempted all manner of collars: fabric control, choke chain, pinch/prong, chest harness, head halter, abdominal leash, nothing kept her from pulling so hard, regardless of what containment device she was wearing, that she either pulled us off our feet, choked herself constantly to the point she was wheezing, or dug holes in her face trying to get the collar off every time we stepped foot out the door. We had to stop walking her for fear of hurting her or ourselves, as she already had multiple times.
This replaced a cheaper unit purchased 6 months ago, the
Esky™ Rechargeable Wireless LCD digital Smart Electric Shock training collar Dog Pet System
. The Esky worked fine for some situations, however despite having "100 levels" of intensity, it did not work when we absolutely needed it to due to low charge on the electric setting. The unit simply doesnt give a shock strong enough for our dog. It was also cheaply made, which we knew paying the low price for it, but the prongs holding the unit to the collar are small and plastic and broke off within a few months. The range is very small, and battery life weak.
We chose the Sport model of the Garmin to have the built in bark limiter as well as the control collar. We dont use the bark limiter function much as our dog isnt much of a barker, but it has occassionally seen use and works fine for us. We tested the control functions at all levels on ourselves, and can say it goes from a minor barely noticeable tickle at 1 to a painful shock at 18. I shocked myself multiple times at the highest level, and it seemed to hurt more each time, but thats probably just me heh. Either way, its more than enough to get our dogs attention and bring her back to our side even when at her most uncontrollable. We are currently using it on level 15 and are backing it down over time. The vibration for us is mainly used for reminders as its not enough to stop her. The rechargable battery has good life length and charges fast at about 2 hours. We charge it every other day and have never seen the battery drop below 3/3 on the meter, and both units are on 24/7 during that time. It also came with a splitter for the charger, so we can charge both parts at once, unlike the Esky.
We have had the control collar for 6 days and have had it on her every day inside and for four of those days outside. Normally she watches if we go to the door, and she tries to squeeze out and then is off like a bullet down the street. Today she spent nearly 2 hours out on the front lawn with my husband and boys. She was off leash and our yard is not fenced in front. We had people go by on the sidewalk and 2 of our neighbors dogs were barking. In addition, my sister was out tending her yard across the street, and our dog adores her, treats her as if shes made of bacon, and loses bladder control at the sight of her. Our dog ended up getting corrected only twice in that time outside, and didnt slobber or pee on my sister even once. For walks, she is a bit more stubborn and gets corrected a few times on each outing, but is able to be walked without pulling until she chokes.
The build quality is what you would expect from Garmin. The part of the unit that the collar goes through is large, thick, and solid, part of the whole piece, not something that will easily get snapped off or broken. It takes a 3/4" collar, and LupinePet even makes their lifetime guaranteed collars specifically to fit this unit (available on Garmin site and from some retailers in a package deal with the control). Its easy to operate with one hand, which is important if you have a pulling dog on the other hand, and comes with a lanyard so you can carry it around your neck. We havent tested the range yet, but it is suppose to work up to 3/4 mile.
Overall, an excellent collar. I am extremely frugal but find I do not regret this money spent at all. If you only need bark control, you could do with a less expensive model, but this is the only one at this time that gives you the options of both automatic bark and control functions. If you are looking for a well built control collar with a wide variety of functions and good range, this definitely fits the bill.
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Reviews with images
Two 80+ lbs Active Dogs, One Regular Guy
Summary: Great produce - 4 months of use so far - I am not a trainer or hunter - After training, I rarely ever need to use e-stimulation - just bought second collar for my other dog - not a paid reviewerI hope this review helps someone. First, I am not a professional reviewer, so forgive my lack of order. I have a mixed breed boxer that is about 80 lbs. He is pretty good on the leash, but I was having problems with him at off-leash parks. He would not come when I called. When it was time to leave the park, he would ran into the lake and swim back and forth. This issue was quickly corrected with this e-collar. Furthermore, I have been able to train him to run with me off leash which was an added surprise. I am not a dog trainer or a hunter. Just a regular guy with a very high active ADD dog. This tool worked great!!! After the initial training period (twice out on long walks), I rarely ever use the e-stimulation. Tone and vibrate are more than enough to get his attention and get him back on track. Prior to buying this Garmin collar, I read several review about how this collar doesn't compare to previous models and how the bark limiter doesn't work well. I haven't had the other models and I have not needed to use the bark limiter, so I can't speak to it. What I can say is that i am a regular non-trainer guy with a high active house dog. I Youtube a few videos on how to properly introduce my dog to the collar and read up on the does and don't of an e-collar and have had great success. At the time of this review, I have had this collar for 4 months and have add a second collar for my other 110 lbs mixed Bull Mastiff.
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