Vibrating Collars
Yesterday I was a dog. Today I'm a dog. Tomorrow I'll probably still be a dog. There's just so little hope of advancement.
- Clark Gesner
A vibrating collar works much like a pager. It has 2 parts, a hand held unit for the person, and another unit that the dog wears as a collar. When you push a button on the remote, the box on the dog's collar vibrates. It does not hurt the dog (although occasionally a very sensitive dog can still have a negative reaction to it). We have instructions on how to train your dog to respond to the vibration. It is generally used as a way to get the dog's attention when he or she is not looking at you (like calling the name of a hearing dog).
Please note that a vibrating collar is not needed to train a deaf dog. It is a training tool, not a magical device that will cause your dog to respond to every signal you give him or her. It will not help your dog to learn anything you want to teach him. It simply gives you a way to get your dog's attention when they are not looking at you. Many deaf dogs have been successfully and completely trained without one.
Even though they are made by the same manufacturers, a vibrating collar is not the same as a shock collar (which is a correction meant to stop a dog's misbehavior). A shock collar gives off an electrical charge, which can range from a small zap to a strong, extended shock. Some of these collars contain both a vibrating and a shock feature. You may want to read Delta Society - Professional Standards for Dog Trainers - Section 2.4: Use of Aversives (and see their page on Remote Training Collars, which does mention vibrating collars). There is also information available at Using Electronic Training Equipment to Train Dogs.
This page contains information that we have gathered on various vibrating collars. They are available for purchase from the manufacturers (which is where the links below will take you), but are also available from many other sources (including other e-commerce sites), sometimes including on-line auction sites. Our goal is to show the choices available, not where to get the best deal. If you find a manufacturer or model not listed here, we would love to hear from you. We also welcome any of your comments on any of the companies or products listed below (see our Contact page to do this). Please note that these prices were correct as of April, 2005, and may change without notice. All links to the various collars will open a new browser window.
The "Ideal" Vibrating Collar Would ...
- have a Long Range (the farther the better)
- be Waterproof (both the collar and the remote unit)
- be Small, both the collar unit and the remote. As a general rule of thumb, the collar should weigh 5% or less of the dog's healthy body weight (which is still quite a bit: think about carrying 5% of your own body weight around your neck for any length of time). Most of these collars will only fit a medium to large sized dog.
- have an Option for Vibration & Tone, that can be used separately or together (the tone is handy to know that the collar worked when you paged, and also to locate your dog if he/she doesn't respond).
- would have a Long Battery Life (both the collar and the hand-held unit generally require batteries).
- be Inexpensive (less than US $100)
While none of the collars we've found contain all of the ideal qualities listed above, each has at least a few. DDEAF does not endorse any particular collar: we merely provide this listing for your information. If you decide to use a vibrating collar, you should decide which one best suits your needs and budget.
Model | Range | Waterproof? | Weight | Tone? | Battery | Price |
Unleashed Technology |
Gentle Trainer (model GT-1)
Vibration only | 1/2 mile | waterproof | unknown | no tone | Rechargeable and replaceable NiMH batteries | US $249.99 |
Gentle Trainer (model GT-2)
Vibration only or Vibe with Shock | 1/2 mile | waterproof | unknown | no tone | Rechargeable and replaceable NiMH batteries | US $279.99 |
Gentle Trainer (model GT-3)
Vibration only, Vibe with Shock, or Shock only | 1/2 mile | waterproof | unknown | no tone | Rechargeable and replaceable NiMH batteries | US $299.99 |
Innotek |
Innotek Pet Call (model VC-100A)
Designed primarily for deaf dogs, sometimes sold under the brand name of "Smart Dog" | 300 yards | water resistent (but not waterproof) | 6 oz | vibration with or without tone, but no tone only | 3 volt battery lasts about 3 months | Unfortunately, this collar is no longer made, but can often be found as "used" |
Innotek Smart Dog Advanced Professional Trainer (SD-300A)
includes a shock element | 300 yards | waterproof | 3.7 oz | tone with or without vibration | 3 volt battery lasts about 3 months | Possibly no longer available |
Radiofence |
Radiofence Pet Pager Remote Trainer (model PVPP-300) | 100 yards | waterproof to a depth of six feet (as long as the cover is on properly to ensure the proper seal) | 2.3 oz | tone only, vibration only, or both | 9-volt batteries should last approximately 3 months | Possibly no longer available |
D. T. Systems |
Ultra-e Training Collars
Of the models in this series, only the 2040 does not contain a shock element | 250 yards | waterproof | 4 oz | has tone (beep) or vibration only modes (but not both at the same time) | collar uses a 6-volt battery, transmitter uses watch-type batteries - the battery life is very short (a few days to a week) | US $154.99 plus s&h |
Micro-iDT Training Collars
includes a shock element | 500 yards | waterproof collar, weatherproof remote | "lightweight" | no | comes with rechargeable Ni-MH batteries, which should last a long time (a charger comes with the unit, and the collar lets you know when it is getting low) | US $179.99 plus s&h |
EDT Super Trainer Series Collars
see model EDT 300, last collar in listing (model 302 for 2 dogs)
includes a shock element | up to a 1,200 Yard Range (over 2/3 mile, depending on terrain and environment) | collar is waterproof, the remote is water resistant | 6.7 oz | no | same battery system as Micro-iDT model above | EDT 300 is US $259.99 plus s&h EDT 302 is US $359.99 |
EZT Plus
not all models in this series have a vibration feature, see EZT 2000 (model 2002 for 2 dogs, 2003 for 3) or EZT 3000 (model 3002 for 2 dogs)
includes a shock element | 1200 yards | waterproof collar, weatherproof transmitter | 8 oz | no | same battery system as Micro-iDT model above | EZT 2000 is US $269.99 plus s&h EZT 3000 is US $239.99 |
ST-PRO DT-Gooddog Series Collars
see model ST 200, second collar in listing (model 202 for 2 dogs)
includes a shock element | one mile | waterproof | 7.7 oz | comes with a separate beeper (tone) feature for locating your dog | same battery system as Micro-iDT model above | ST 200 is US $345.99 plus s&h EDT 202 is US $485.99 |
Super-Pro Elite Dog Trainers
not all models in this series have a vibration feature, see SPT 7200 (model 7202 for 2 dogs)
includes a shock element | 1.25 miles | both collar and transmitter are waterproof | 8 oz | no | same battery system as Micro-iDT model above | SPT 7200 is US $389.99 plus s&h SPT 7202 is US $529.99 |
Super-Pro Elite Dog Trainers
not all models in this series have a vibration feature, see SPT 7300 (model 7302 for 2 dogs)
includes a shock element | 1.25 miles | both collar and transmitter are waterproof | 8 oz | comes with a separate beeper (tone) feature for locating your dog | same battery system as Micro-iDT model above | SPT 7300 is US $449.99 plus s&h SPT 7302 is US $599.99 |
Dogtra - all of these collars contain a shock element, note that only the models ending in a "P" have a vibrating feature |
175NCP (under "Companion Pets")
200NCP Gold | 400 yards | collar is waterproof, remote is water resistant | 3+ oz | no | rechargeable Ni-MH batteries, which will last up to one week (between charges) | 175NCP
US $175.00
200NCP
US $199.95 |
e-linear Training System 1200NCP (under "Obedience/Service K-9") (model 1202NCP for 2 dogs) | 1/2 mile | both transmitter and collar are waterproof | 7.8 oz | no | rechargeable Ni-MH batteries | 1200NCP is US $349.95 1202NCP is US $499.95 |
e-linear Training System 2000NCP (under "Pro-line Series") (model 2002NCP for 2 dogs) | 1 mile | both transmitter and collar are waterproof | 7.8 oz | no | rechargeable Ni-MH batteries | 2000NCP is US $399.95 2002NCP is US $549.95 |