Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I got this product for my very "soft" herding breed dog. I'm not hunting with him, but I do take him off-leash in the woods often. Lately, in his "teenage stage (he's 1.5 yrs. old), he's been not responding as well to my calls. He lags behind to dig, or runs off on a coyote scent.
He's extremely scared of any sort of corrective measures (such as spray bottle, loud noise, whatever). I didn't feel I needed a full out shock collar for him, even though I hear those do work even on soft dogs. I googled "vibration only collars," and this is what I came up with. It seemed to be the only one with multiple levels of vibe, waterproof, far-reaching, and sturdy. But, there were no reviews for it anywhere online that I could find, and it's expensive.
I found it here on amazon for about $70 less than anywhere else.
Gentle Trainer - GT1
It works so well. It really just feels like holding your cell phone against your neck when it's on vibrate. My dog is not scared of it, and it doesn't hurt. It can vibrate faster or slower, which is what makes it louder or softer, and it has 15 different levels on the dial of the remote.
It serves, as a hunter once told me about his very low-set e-collar, as a "tap on the shoulder" to my dog if he gets caught up in something good. "Hey, boss lady's over here. Pay attention." It's even broken his focus when he's on a coyote scent, which is a very powerful stimulant for him. Not sure I'd trust it to work every time, but for now, it's worked.
My dog new the "come here" command prior to my getting this collar, and now after buzzing him and calling him simultaneously, he comes when I "page" him only, which is great when I'm conversing with someone during the walk.
This collar would also be excellent for a deaf dog. You could train him with different levels or patterns of the vibration and use those as commands.
This has been great out in the field. My dog has worn it completely submerged in the water and it still works.
It comes with a recharger, and a single charge lasts 48 hours of regular use. The design of both the remote and the collar is attractive, even though the collar part is a bit heavy (doesn't seem to bother my 50 lb. dog). A light on the collar blinks red to show you that it is still working.
I cut my plastic collar too short and replaced the collar with a fabric / nylon one, and it looks better but works just as well. Make sure you don't cut off too much!
If you think maybe your dog may not react to just vibe, look at the GT-2. It has 15 different vibe and shock levels, which may be more helpful for a wide range of behaviors. The shock feature on the GT-2 is supposedly quite gentle as well. The company actually suggests trying all their collars on yourself before using them on your dog. Very humane! :0) Unleashed Technology has a great support website as well, complete with videos.
I recommend this collar very highly, especially for those soft dogs needing a little reminder, and for deaf dogs. I hope this review helps someone trying to make a decision. Great item!
Click Here to see more reviews about:
PetSafe GT-1 Guidance Trainer
Get 48% OFF
Click here for more information about PetSafe GT-1 Guidance Trainer
