It’s really challenging  these days when it comes to choosing a dog training device. There are plenty brands, models and types available. But do they work? And are they humane? These are just a few of the many burning questions we have when shopping for our dog. The main types of devices to today for various problems are:

• Dog shock collars
• Perimeter training flags
• Bark trainers

I’m assuming that if you’re here then shock collars are what you’re after. They’re by far the most important tools in the non-professional trainers arsenal these days. Paying for a trainer and taking the dog regularly for classes is such a chore and very few people have time for it these days. That’s where collars come in. Some factors that need to be considered when shopping for them are:

• Strength of shock
• Durability
• Price

If you have big dogs then some of the models out there simply won’t pack the punch necessary to train your dog effectively. The bigger dogs will barely even notice the shock. Also, you have to be aware that if you have a very small dog, some models cannot be turned far down enough and you will be inflicting too much pain in your dog. This is completely cruel and totally unnecessary.

If you have an outdoor-loving dog, then be sure that the collar is strongly made, has high quality components and is waterproof. Dogs are dogs and their normal behavior is hardly gonna change just because it’s wearing a collar. Expect him/her to dive in rivers, run in the rain, roll in mud and lie in the sun. It’s what they do. Just be sure that your collar can handle it all. The Petsafe PDT00 10603 is a great example of one such collar.

The prices for these collars varies quite drastically from brand to brand and model to model. Be sure that you’re getting all the features you want, while staying within your budget.

I hope this narrows your search down a lot. Happy shopping!