Dogs are natural hunters and they love working in groups, which is why when we started hunting with them, we got along so fast. They took on roles like tracking, pinning them down, and retrieval. We used mainly sounds and gestures to signal them, but now that technology has advanced enough to make powerful portable batteries, we created shock collars. We both use this for training them better, and to quietly and quickly signal them over long distances.
Thanks to this technology, we can manage multiple dogs, train them and signal them all in rapid succession. Being able to signal them without uttering a sound yourself is already huge, as you can even do it in heavy rain. In this list, we’ll give you five great examples of these remote trainers to help you figure out the best shock collar for hunting dogs. We’ll also share time-tested safety and training tips to optimize your experience.Â
- Pros
- Great Value for its Price
- High-Range and Strong Signal
- Built-in Bark Control Ability
- Cons
- Not for Dogs 14 Lbs and Smaller
- No Standby Mode / Battery Saver Mode
The first on the list has great value for its price. It’s still quite pricey if you compared it to the lower-priced collars out there, but with this price, you also get quality features.Â
The first on the list is one of the standard training collars that has all the required features for hunting dog collars. Virtually any training collars can be hunting collars if you use them properly, but there are some that work better than others. One such feature is a reliable set of training modes. This one has static shock, vibration, and an audible enough beep tone is almost required, especially the shock.Â
Pet Resolve’s training collar has ten levels of stimulation with slightly above-average shock strength on higher levels. Shock is important here not just for reinforcement training, but also to get your dog’s attention when they are heavily distracted.
They might end up chasing the wrong animal and in some cases, it’s near impossible to stop, but electrical stimulation causes the muscles in the neck to pulse, making it hard to ignore. It also has an impressive range, enough that even if your dog goes full speed in any direction for 10 seconds, you’ll still be able to signal them.Â
The receiver can turn into a fully automated bark collar. In this mode, you can’t use the remote so you have to switch it back to training mode. In bark limiter mode, the device will listen for significant vibration from your dog’s throat when it barks.Â
When it detects barking for a few seconds, it will beep. If your dog keeps barking after the beep, the receiver will use static stimulation and rest for 1 minute before listening again. The strength of the stimulation depends on the level you switch it to.Â
If you lose sight of them, especially in the dark, the collar has bright blinking lights when the number paired to the collar is pressed. With this range, managing a total of three dogs is not difficult at all.Â
The remote control can shrug off rain no matter how heavy, but should not be submerged. The collar, on the other hand, can withstand being submerged underwater for 15-20 minutes.Â
Thanks to lithium-ion battery technology, the receiver and remote have solid battery life. It has a battery duration of about 50 hours. Because it’s also meant to be a hunting collar, the device does not go into idle mode or sleep mode.Â
This is more of a feature because it allows the receiver and remote to respond on demand instead of having to be pressed and “wake up” for a second or two, which could be impactful during a hunt.Â
Last but not least, it comes with a free plastic clicker. Out of all the training tools out there, this little additional tool is highly effective in dog training. Combine that with the negative reinforcement of this collar and the positive reinforcement of treats and praise, and you’ll have an incredibly tight and solid training regime.Â
Features:
- Three Training Modes: Shock, Vibration, and Beep
- ¾ Mile Range
- Built-in Bark Control Ability
- 10 Levels of Stimulation
- Built-In Beacon Lights
- Remote Control Supports 3 Remote Collars
- Weather-Proof Remote, Waterproof Collars
- Includes 3 Pairs of Metal Prongs of Different Lengths
- 50-Hour Average Battery Lifespan per Charge
- Comes With a Free Training Clicker
- Pros
- Good Range
- No-Look, One-Hand Operation Design
- Waterproof Remote and Reciever
- Cons
- Takes practice to master the One-Handed Operation
- No Additional Training Accessory Options
SportDog is one of the more popular brands in the hunting/training collar line. It has many models but one stands out as the most “optimal” in its line-up. You can always try the more high-end ones if you need them, but this one has everything you need.
At a glance, this dog hunting shock collar has a little dial on the side and three buttons. Two on the front and one on the side. These are all shock buttons that deliver low, moderate, and high strength. With seven levels you can quickly switch back and forth on the dial, you’ll have a total of 21 static stimulation levels.
When you eventually learn your way around the remote, you can operate it without looking and be able to deliver stronger stimulation when needed with a flick of the thumb and the press of a button.
The only drawback in this design is getting the vibration function and tone to activate. You have to switch the dial to V/T to turn the buttons to vibrate and beep. At least in this mode, you won’t accidentally shock your dog unless the dial gets turned.
The remote has a 1/2 mile range in an open field. In denser forests, you might get about 70% of it. It’s still a large range, farther than you can generally see in a dense forest.
If you need to manage multiple dogs, the remote control can support 3 collars. Follow the instructions in the manual on how to pair the collars, and like all the collars in this list, you need to purchase the extra collar receiver separately.
Both the remote and receiver are waterproof, so even if join your dog to swim in a lake, or if the remote accidentally falls in the shallower parts during a duck hunt, the kit will still work.
As far as battery life goes, it will function for about 50 hours, but in idle mode, can last as far as 70 hours on a single charge, which normally just takes 2-3 hours.
Features:
- Three Training Modes: Shock, Beep, and Vibration Mode
- 21 Total Stimulation Levels
- Three Different Buttons for Stimulation
- 880-Yard Range
- No-Look Button Layout
- Remote Supports 2 Additional Collars
- Waterproof Remote and Reciever
- 50-70 Hours Battery Lifespan
- Pros
- Quick Level Adjust Dial
- Very Good Range
- Built-in Anti-Bark
- Cons
- Higher Price Range
- No Additional Training Accessory Options
Garmin is well known for their commercial-use GPS devices and they also have GPS Hunting and Training Collars in their product line-up. However, those come at a hefty price. If you need them to track your dogs from an incredibly high distance. If you don’t need GPS tracking, then this is the optimal choice from their shock collar hunting kits.Â
The price is a little steep, but you get quality out of it. The remote is sturdy and can rough it out as much as you can, and the features are perfect for mid-range hunting. It has a range of 3/4 miles and its effective range depends on your surroundings. On average, you’ll get about 80% of the range, but that’s still above 1/2 miles.Â
The receiver delivers an above-average shock, but in the lowest levels, is still suitable for training. Stronger shock does not mean pain, it will just cause their throat muscles to pulse stronger, making it hard to ignore. This kit has 10 levels and you can easily switch it using the dial. Being able to thumb the dial means you can switch from high to low very quickly.Â
The receiver also has a built-in bark limiter with standard programming. When in this mode, it won’t respond to the remote and will start listening to your dog’s bark. When it does back, it will give a warning beep, then after a few seconds, it will deliver a shock. The strength of the shock in this mode is adjustable. Refer to the manual on how to set it.Â
The receiver also has a bright LED light. Combined with the high range, you can easily spot your dog in the dark. The remote control can be paired with a total of three collars, so if you have two or three dogs with you, you can purchase additional collars and manage them all with one remote.Â
With full battery levels, the kit will last for 50-60 hours. It only takes 1-2 hours of charging to bring it back to full battery power. Most modern collars have an average battery life of 50 hours and take the same time to charge, but expect slower charge times during much colder temperatures.
Features:
- Three Training Modes: Static Shock, Soft Beep, Vibration Function
- ¾ Mile Range in Open Areas
- 10 Stimulation Levels
- Built-in Bark Limiter Mode
- Can Be Paired With Three Additional Collars
- The receiver has Remote-Activated Night Light
- Waterproof Remote Control and RecieverÂ
- 50-60 Hour Battery Life
- Pros
- Very Good Range and Strong Signal
- Quick and Easy Access to Training Buttons
- Waterproof Remote and Reciever
- Cons
- Stimulation Level can be hard to adjust on the fly
- Slightly Pricier in Exchange for Convenience
The next on the list among the higher-end hunting dog collars but with a “handy” gimmick. Hunting collars are all about utility and ease of use, because in these situations when you need to do something, you often have seconds to react or do that action, which is why all these training collars are designed to be operated without looking.
Off the bat, the remote has 127 levels of stimulation, more than 10 times the usual. This doesn’t mean it’s more powerful shock-wise, in fact, the receiver delivers a milder shock overall. A rheostat works by adjusting the resistance of a circuit and with that, you have incredibly fine control over the energy output. This means you can find the lowest correct stimulation level your dog will react to.
To give you an idea of how important it is to have a collar with at least a 1/2 mile range is that a dog in a full sprint goes about 17 miles per hour. This means they run at about 1/5 mile per minute. With this collar having a 3/4 Mile range, your dog has to run at full speed for 3 minutes before they go out of range.
Considering that you’ll get less range in more forested areas, that window grows shorter. This becomes more important when you handle more than one dog, and this kit can support up to 2 paired receivers.
The reason why it has “hands-free” in its name is because of the little wireless button that comes with it. It’s supposed to be strapped on your palm so you can press it with your thumb at any point. This means you don’t need to always have the remote on hand. You can press the shock button in an instant, and when it comes to hunting and training, signaling them at a moment’s notice can make a significant impact.
You can pair up to 14 Handsfree buttons per remote and it’s up to you how you’ll make use of it.
Both the remote and the receiver are waterproof. This means both devices can be submerged in water for 30 minutes before potentially taking any kind of water damage. That means even if you and your hunting companion get drenched in the rain, you’ll worry more about your smartphone getting damaged than this device.
Features:
- Three Training Modes: Shock, Vibration, and Audible Beep
- 127 Stimulation Levels via Rheostat
- 3/4-Mile Range
- Expandable Up To 2 Collars for Dogs
- Comes with a “Handsfree” Wireless Button
- Waterproof Collar Waterproof Remote
- 50-60 Hour Battery Life
The last collar on the list is a big jump in price compared to the other devices in this list, but we can’t make a list of the best hunting collars without including a GPS-enabled collar. When we think of GPS, Garmin is one of the companies that pioneered them, and it was only a matter of time before they made a hunting collar.
Think of this as a training collar on steroids. It has all the features our training devices on this list have, with a GPS collar added. With the remote, you can reach them from a staggering 9 miles away. The receiver also has a bright LED, allowing you to see your dog as far as 100 yards away in total darkness.
Since it’s using GPS, you can track where your dogs are at all times, including yourself so you always know how far they are from you. The remote comes preloaded with 100 US maps and there will be instructions on how to update the maps in the manual.
As a training collar, it operates just a good as the others in this list. Some have observed a mild delay though, but this might be because of too much interference, or low battery. The shock is quite weak at the lower levels for mo
Speaking of batteries, this collar has half the average battery life of a shock collar because it’s practically a smartphone but it doesn’t need a SIM card to activate the GPS. The remote has a non-reflective touchscreen panel that’s visible no matter the light conditions.
You can pair as many as 20 collars in one remote and keep tabs on all of them. The remote can be programmed to act as a kind of wireless fence collar with a highly adjustable boundary range. The device can automatically recall your dog (Provided they are trained) when they cross the virtual boundary.
Features:
- Three Training Modes: Shock, Vibration, and Audible Beep
- Highly Sensitive GPS Remote Using GLONASS
- 9 Mile Coverage
- 18 Levels of Shock and Vibration
- Preloaded TOPO U.S. 100k maps
- Measures Dog’s Current Speed and Distance
- Remote Activated LED on Reciever
- Can Act as a Wireless Fence Collar
- Pair Up and Track Up to 20 Collars
- 20-40 Hours of Battery Life
Safety Tips
If this is your first time using a shock collar, then it’s very important that you know all the basic safety measures any pet owner should know by heart when using them.Â
1. Always use the lowest level of shock your dog will respond with during training
Shock collars are used for negative reinforcement, so as much as possible, you wouldn’t want to use any shock levels stronger than needed. To find out the lowest level, place the collar in properly and set the remote to the lowest, then activate the shock. Watch your dog carefully when you press it. If they react to it in the slightest way, like tilting their head, or closing their mouth when panting, then stick to that level during training. If they don’t show any visible reaction, raise the level and try again.
2. Remove, or significantly loosen the collar after 8-10 hours.
If you’re using shock, then you’ll likely use the metal prongs on the receiver. If worn with the proper tightness for too long, it could cause pressure sores that could turn into ulcers, which could get infected. This is easily prevented by rotating the collar every 2-3 hours and removing it after 8 hours. If you can’t remove the collar, then loosen it to relieve them from the pressure.
3. Always test the collar’s functions before using them.
All the collars in this list come with a small plastic tester that you can align with the prongs. When you press the shock with the tester on, it should light a small LED. The stronger the shock level, the brighter the LED will be. This lets you find out if the collar has any issues and it only takes a few seconds.
4. Keep the collars charged, even when not in use.
All lithium-ion battery-operated devices should be kept this way. This is a safety tip mostly to keep the devices operational and active, and you get the most out of your devices. When you’re planning to keep them in storage for a while, charge them to full, then turn them off. This applies even to smartphones and GPS hunting kits.Â
5. Never use the shock for punishment
The only good way to use the shock is during training with negative reinforcement to keep them from getting hurt, like running into a busy road or chasing after something they shouldn’t. A dog that’s focused on the chase can be incredibly hard to stop, which is why hunting collars have above-average shock strength.Â
If they are used when and after a dog is doing any kind of bad behavior, they might become afraid of the collar because for them, they don’t know that what they are doing is bad, just natural, so if they feel the stimulation while in the middle of doing something, and it happens again and again, they might think the shock happens randomly, or whenever they do anything, causing them to fear the shock. In worse cases, they might feel aggression against wearing the collar. This is likely one of the reasons why some dogs become aggressive when owners use shock collars on them.Â
Conclusion
Hunting collars are tools, which means their effect on your dog still depends on how you use them. These devices are not for everyone, and those who want to use them must be willing to learn and adapt. It’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you prioritize caring for and respecting your canine companion. In the end, you’ll always improve your relationship with them.
Last update on 2024-04-27 at 08:29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
