Top 6 Best Dog Training Collars of 2024

It is important to train your dog not only well, but safely and efficiently. However, not all behavioral problems can be foreseen or are easy to fix, especially when adopting a dog with past trauma or a stubborn personality.

Collars like these are among the most efficient, safe, and fool-proof methods for correcting behaviors that could otherwise persist and ruin your experience as a dog owner.

Training collars – sometimes referred to as “shock” collars – can get a bad reputation due to unethical manufacturers or incorrect use. But that is not true if you get a good product and use it well. That’s why we’re giving you our top 6 options on the market this year, so let’s get into it!

Our Top List

#	Preview	Product	Our Rating	Link	Price / Value
1		Educator E-Collar Remote Dog Training Collar	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9.5/10
2		SportDOG Brand 425 Remote Trainers	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9.5/10
3		Dogtra EDGE Long Range Dog Training E-Collar	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9.5/10
4		Dogtra 1900S Waterproof Remote Training Collar	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9/10
5		Flittor Shock Collar for Dogs	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9/10
6		Dogcare Remote Dog Shock CollarText	4.5/5	Check Today's Price	9/10

The Educator E-Collar is an excellent place to start for beginners with training collars. Instead of delivering sharp nicks, this collar emits a gentler and blunt stimulation that causes the least amount of stress for both you and your dog. We love that the vibrations provide certain safety and a humane way to train any dog.

When we tested it, we found that dogs wearing this collar never gave any vocal or physical indication that they were hurt, scared, stressed, or upset during training.

Having the 100 different levels of stimulation helps you to tailor the perfect setting for any dog’s temperament. Plus, the transmitter is able to release Pavlovian tones that improve the effectiveness of the training by including sound association in junction with the physical stimulation.

Due to the low level of stimulation intensity, this collar is the #1 choice for small dogs and even larger puppies. It can fit any dog weighing as little as 5lbs, which is the smallest weight we’ve been able to clear with any of these collars.

To top it off, the Educator E-Collar is waterproof, shockproof, and reaches easily to 0.5 mile range, so we never had to worry about rain or dogs wandering farther way.

Overall, we think that this collar could probably have a better shelf life as far as the batteries go. That’s a small cost compared to the wide range of benefits we think this collar offers.

Choosing the right collar has a lot to do with the lifestyle and relationship you have with your dog. For those training their companion to be a hunting dog, we’ve selected the SportDOG Brand 425—it even comes in camouflage!

The reason why we love this one for hunting dogs is the fact that it is completely 100% weatherproof. Both the transmitter and the collar can be submerged in up to 25ft of water and no amount of rain, mud, snow, or dust seems to affect their functionality or compromise their durability.

Basically, you can use this collar on your dog out in the field no matter what time of year or day you need to do so.

We also know that one hunting dog can usually mean a couple of hunting dogs, which is why we love that the transmitter for the SportDOG 425 can be used with three collars simultaneously. It makes training your pack efficient, safe, and stress-free.

This collar also has multiple stimulation options for you to choose from, so you can customize your dogs’ experience and training as you see fit. The three different types are a quick nick, a slow and low vibration, and an audible tone. Different dogs and different situations often call for different types of stimulation responses, so it’s always good to have the power to change the training technique.

These batteries last up to seventy hours, which gives you about three days of usage before they need to be charged again. Under normal circumstances, we would think this is fine, but it may be inconvenient for anyone going out on longer over-night hunting trips.

If it’s a huge priority for you to have the maximum amount of range possible, then we have to recommend the Dogtra EDGE. It has a crazy-long range of one whole mile, and it’s one of the only training collars we’ve found that can actually reach that far.

This long-range feature can come in handy if you have a dog who runs towards roads or tends to escape a lot. When you have noticed they are missing or dart away from you, this collar can help let them know when they are too far away from you and associate the stimulation with needing to come back.

We’ve discovered this collar is an extremely useful technique when dealing with curious, high energy, or “too-smart-for-their-own-good” type dogs who you want to keep safe, but haven’t quite figured out how to handle their bursts of excitement. We’ve even been able to locate lost dogs using this collar.

The Dogtra EDGE comes with two different stimulation adjustment options depending on your needs at any given moment. In more controlled settings, you have the option of choosing from 127 different levels. In more dire circumstances, there is an option that allows you to choose between 8 simpler levels instead, saving you time and stress.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Dogtra EDGE transmitter is completely waterproof, and it even comes with a hard travel case that makes transporting everything safe and easy. With a mere 2-hour charge time, this collar is all kinds of convenient.

The downside is that this collar is only suitable for larger dogs that are at least 35 lbs, which doesn’t make it accessible to all dog owners.

This Dogtra training collar, the 1900S, is pretty similar to the one we just mentioned. However, there are a few key differences and highlights this one has to offer, so we had to include them both.

For example, the 1900S isn’t just water-resistant or waterproof, as many of the collars on this list can boast. The collar is IPX9K Waterproof Certified, which mean that this collar has gone through a vigorous test to see if it can withstand 80-100 bars of pressure from close-range liquid spray—and it passed.

It can also reach up to three-quarters of a mile range, making it a versatile collar that can suit many needs, from hunting to competition to general obedience training. It also comes with two different types of stimulation, including a quick and sharp nick as well as a longer and less intense vibration that lasts up to 12 seconds.

We love how versatile this collar is, and that probably makes this one of the best picks for checking as many boxes as possible. The transmitter can even control up to two collars at once and has 127 stimulation levels to choose from, making training as specific and easy to control as possible.

The Dogtra 1900S runs into the same problem as its counterpart, though, and cannot be used on small dogs—it should only be used with dogs weighing at least 35lbs.

The Flittor Shock Collar is an option for those looking for lots of functionality, customization, and convenience while using a training collar. It has a variety of features that are fun and easy to use, and that cut down on training time.

One such feature is the memory setting, which allows you to store information about three different dogs. This means you don’t have to waste time resetting and recalibrating stimulation levels for the members of your packs who require different training techniques.

Not to mention, having three different modes makes it easy to adjust the collars for different dogs, their personalities, and their behaviors. The different modes include a standard, default setting, a 1 – 100 vibrate mode, and a 1-100 shock mode.

Considering this collar can last up to 15 days without needing to be charged, reaches a half-mile range, is IP67 Waterproof, and can be used on dogs as small as 10lbs, this collar is absolutely one of the most versatile we have on this list. It’s perfect for any type of obedience training and works on almost any dog.

We sometimes experience a lag between the transmitter and receiver when using this collar, but we found it wasn’t a large enough delay time to make a difference in most training situations.

Many dog owners are concerned about accidentally shocking their dog due to their own human error—sitting on, nudging, or dropping the transmitter can result in an ill-timed and confusing shock for your dog. The final collar on our list prevents all of that.

The Dogcare Remote Dog Shock Collar has a security keypad lock that keeps your dog safe from any vibrations or shocks outside of training. The transmitter can also operate up to a whopping nine training collars at a time, which is the most of anything on this list by a landslide.

It has three training modes that come in handy when deciding a training regime for any dog: beep, vibration, and shock. These modes can also be adjusted on a scale of 0 – 99 to ensure you have complete control over your training situation.

We mostly recommend this collar for people operating training centers or dog kennels in which training is included. This is mostly due to the unique features of this collar, such as the safety feature and the 9-dog maximum. It can also be used on smaller sized dogs, as long as they weight 15lbs.

Our recommendation that this be used primarily for training professionals in enclosed settings is also because this collar has the smallest range we’ve experienced. It comes in at 330 yards, which is less than a quarter of a mile. It works great for trainers, but may be difficult for regular home or outdoor use.

Buying Guide

To make training collar-shopping less stressful, we have broken down all the things you need to think about when eliminating collars that won’t work for you and selecting the one that does.

There are many other types of collars out there, like collars to stop dogs from barking or stress-relief collars with pheromones. For winter, we recommend using a light-up collar to make your dog more visible to other people. Alternatively, there are light-up harnesses available, too.

Size and Weight of Your Dog

Most important when talking about collars is the overall safety and well-being of your dog. The last thing you want to do is buy a collar made for a 50lb Pitbull when you actually have a 10lb Boston Terrier.

It may come as a surprise to learn that small dogs are, on average, more popular than their larger counterparts. Yet, there are tons of collars out there that are potentially dangerous when used on the majority of small dogs.

Always make sure to know how much your dog weighs, and look for weight minimums when shopping for collars.

Range

Another important thing to think about is how much range you’ll need in your collar. If you live in an apartment or your dog’s behavioral problems don’t include escaping and running from your home, you probably don’t need a collar with a ton of range.

However, for individuals training their dogs on large properties or who train hunting dogs, having a range of at least half a mile is essential in guaranteeing your dog’s safety and the collar’s function.

Stop Pulling

While the collars above are all useful for training, there are other options when it comes to dogs that pull excessively. For this purpose, you can look into pinch collars or harnesses to stop pulling. Both options are perfectly safe to use and are effective.

Stimulation Modes

Most collars boast at least one or two different stimulation modes. The three most popular are shock—which is typically a sharp, quick “nick” that quickly gets a dog’s attention—softer vibrations, and audible tones.

Some collars offer all three different types, whereas others will only offer a couple or even just one of those modes. We recommend starting with the lowest and safest mode if you are just starting out using collars or are worried about your dog’s sensitivity: vibrations.

More stubborn or larger dogs may have a hard time feeling or responding to vibrations, though, so as you learn more about what training techniques your dog responds to, consider getting collars with the “nick” or “shock” feature.

How Many Dogs

One dog isn’t enough for some of us, and for those of us who have multiple companions, you may need a transmitter that can work with multiple collars at a time.

Being able to work with more than one dog isn’t a feature all training collars have, so if that’s important to your lifestyle, make sure to look for it while shopping.