Perhaps one of the most popular services breeds out there, the German Shepherds are fiercely loyal, highly trainable, and courageous. It’s not a surprise that they became the go-to breed for police dogs and even the military. Even though they are highly trainable, it doesn’t mean training them is easy, as getting a command to stick is 90% of the entire process. That can be challenging, and this is where training tools such as shock collars come along. There are many kinds, all having bells and whistles, but which one is the best? It depends on what you need, whether it is affordable, has great value, or has great performance. We’ll give you a list of great collars to choose from, as well as our take on how well it fits your German shepherd.
Top 8 Best Shock Collars for German Shepherds
1. Pet Resolve Dog Training Shock Collar Kit
We start strong with a mid-range shock collar kit with strong features and sits between the expensive brands and the affordable ones, giving it a high bang for the buck.
Advertised as a collar that can be used for hunting and reducing unwanted behaviors, that in itself could mean that this collar can tough it out with the rest of the high-end German Shepherd training collars on the market.
Let’s check the features and see:
- 10 Levels of Static Stimulation and Vibration Mode
- 3/4 Mile or 1300 Yard Maximum Range in Open Spaces
- Remote Activated Beep Sound
- Remote Activated Collar LED
- Remote Controller Pairs with 2 Additional Collars
- Remote Remembers Each Collar’s Intensity Levels
- Can be Switched into Anti-Bark Collar Mode
- Water-Resistant Remote and Waterproof Collar
- 2-Hour Quick Charge Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries
Off the bat, this collar has 10 stimulation levels that affect the vibration and shock levels. The shock strength overall is moderate, which should suit a German Shepherd as they are quite stubborn creatures and may not even notice the shock. The remote has a fantastic coverage range, reaching your dog as far as 500 yards through thick trees and vegetation. The beep is quite weak, but it’s for your dog to hear, and prevents damage to their hearing.
The LED causes the entire receiver to light up, so combine with the high remote range, you’ll be able to locate your German Shepherd at night. If you train your dog to come back to you when they hear the beep, you’ll never lose them, and if you’re in open spaces that can use the full effective range, you’ll always reach them.
If you’re out for work and you’re worried about your dog’s unwanted barking, (or your neighbors have complained about their barking behavior,) you can switch the collar into an anti-barking collar. The collar will listen for your dog’s barks, and if they bark for more than 2 seconds, a beep will warn them. If they keep barking, the collar will deliver a static shock based on the level you set, then go on standby for 1 minute before listening again. Eventually, your dog will automatically learn not to bark for too long. Some German Shepherds are highly protective of their territory they sometimes have excessive barking problems, so having a collar that doubles as an anti-barking collar solves that problem.
The remote is weather-resistant, but should not be submerged in water. The collar, on the other hand, can withstand being under 10 feet of water for 30 minutes before any potential water damage can happen. This is perfect as German Shepherds are strong swimmers and won’t shy away from the beach or a lake. You can worry less about the collar and worry more about drying your dog afterward.
The battery will last about a week or two of regular use, or about 50-60 hours of continuous use before it needs a charge. It does not have a standby mode so the collar will respond the moment you press the button.
2. DOG CARE Training Collar
If you’re looking for beginner experience to train your German shepherd but you’re not willing to spend too much, then this might be a good choice. It has all the basic features a shock collar should have and a decent range.
The bonus is the receiver looks like a neat little bowtie, giving your dog a small pop of personality. Let’s see the features and see the overall value this electronic collar can provide.
- 100 Static Correction Levels (Does Not Affect Levels of Vibration)
- The Remote has a Shock-Lock Switch
- 1000 ft. or about the 330-yard range
- Warning Beep Sound
- Remote Control Pairs with 9 Additional Collars
- 40-50 Hour Long-lasting Battery Life
The first thing to highlight is the 100 levels of stimulation. You adjust this using the dial on the top of the remote. The lowest level is 0, meaning it won’t give any shock output. Handy if you’re going to use the collar mainly with the Beep Vibration combo. Speaking of vibration, the dial does not affect the levels of vibration.
In case you’re worried about accidental shocks when the remote is in your pocket, there’s a switch on the side that keeps the shock button from activating. It’s a bit uncommon for shock collars to have safety features like the lock, but the higher-end German Shepherd training collars have buttons designed against pocket presses.
1000 ft. is a decent range. In open spaces like beaches or dog parks, you’ll get the best out of it, but the strength of the antenna isn’t as good when you’re in a place with lots of obstacles. The range can go as low as 20-30 yards if there are large metal objects between you and the collar.
One astonishing part of this collar is how one remote control can manage a squad of dogs. Having 9 channels, it can be paired with 9 different collars. It’s not as practical because of the limited range, but if you do have many dogs and shoulder the relatively affordable additional cost of the extra collars, you can train each of them one after the other in one good training session. It’s worth noting that the remote does not save the shock level, so if you’re training multiple dogs with different resistances, you’ll have to turn the dial each time.
The remote and collar are not waterproof, only water-resistant. However, it cannot withstand heavy rain. It’s better to use this electric collar indoors, or in great weather.
Despite the lack of some features, the battery life is good. The collar still has a decent battery life that lasts 40-50 hours. This is mostly due to the lower electric shock the collar delivers. Depending on your German Shepherd’s temperament, you might use much higher levels, which can lead to less battery life.
3. Educator E-Collar ET-300 Black – Training Collar with Remote Control
Like the first electronic collar on this list, you could say that this is a multipurpose remote training collar. The remote is small with an ergonomic design and has all the features of a modern shock collar.
According to the Amazon store, the receiver has a unique “blunt” shock feature which might mean the shock is weaker compared to other types of shock collars. If you’re worried about causing your German Shepherd any pain during training, then this might be a good choice. Here are the features:
- 100 Levels of Stimulation: Both Shock and Vibrate
- 60 Additional Boost Levels of Shock
- “Blunt” Type Shock
- 1/2 Mile Range or about 900 Yard Range
- Remote Supports Up to 2 Reciever Collars
- Hearing-Safe Tone Mode
- Water-Resistant Remote that Floats
- Waterproof Receiver Collar
- 2-Hour Rapid Charge Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries
There are many versions of the Educator E-Collar, but this one is often used by a professional trainer for working dogs, probably because of the extra shock boost and the professional-looking design. It has 100 levels that can be adjusted using the dial on the top of the remote. You can lock the level by using a down on the dial. It won’t change the level no matter how you rotate the dial when it’s locked.
This model can be quite complicated to use at first. You need to consult the manual as there are many button combinations you need to learn to fully use the kit’s capabilities such as using the additional boost stimulus. You can still use the basic features out of the box and it’s still easy to use as is.
The blunt shock mode is more subjective, but you can always boost the levels if your German shepherd isn’t responding to the static stimulation.
The collar has a decent range of 1/2 miles or about 900 yards range. This range is more common among modern shock collars and is enough for even the most expansive dog parks.
Depending on the model, a remote can support up to 2 dogs, but you need to make sure you buy the ET-302 version, which also comes with another receiver collar. The 302 version also has a slight difference in button functions so consult the manual before using it.
One small issue with this model is despite the ergonomic design, it has limited buttons, so it relies on button combinations to activate other features.
When it comes to water resistance, the remote is not waterproof but does float, so if it accidentally falls on water, it won’t suffer any damage. The collar receiver is waterproof for about 25 feet, for about half an hour, so unless it’s been submerged in the deeper part of a lake or pool for a while, the receiver won’t get any water damage.
Battery life is great, lasting as long as 60 hours continuously on a full charge. It does have a standby mode so, after about 10-15 minutes of non-use, it will switch to sleep mode. It’s still better to turn both the remote and the collar off when not in use.
4. PetSpy P620 Dog Training Shock Collar
We go back to the budget collars and among the budget collars out there, this is another one used by dog trainers even though it’s a bit outdated. Perhaps because this collar has all the features, all in decent quality and intensities, and comes at a relatively pocket-friendly price.
As far as bang-for-buck goes, this might be the second on this list. Let’s check the features and see.
- 16 Stimulation Levels, Both Shock, and Vibration
- Mild but Audible Warning Beep
- 650-Yard Effective Range in Open Spaces
- Remote control supports up to 2 Receiver Collars
- Water-Resistant Remote Control
- Water-Proof Receiver Collar
- 40-50 Hour Battery Life
- 2-Hour Quick Charge Rechargeable Battery
The remote is quite large but the shape makes it easy to hold. Having 16 Adjustable levels means each level won’t be a big jump in intensity. Still, it depends on how stubborn or enduring your German Shepherd is. Even if they are in the same breed, your buddy could be a softy or someone who wouldn’t even notice stronger shocks especially when they focused on something else. The vibration is decent, definitely palpable and the beep is just enough for your dog to hear.
The range is shorter than the rest of the German Shepherd training collars in this list. 650 yards is still a vast range, but always expect that you won’t get the entire range unless you’re in a completely open and empty space.
The remote can support 2 collars and remembers the settings of each collar. Switching between each collar is as easy as flipping a switch, literally.
Like most mid-range collars, the remote is water and weather-resistant, while the receiver is waterproof for up to 10 feet, for half an hour. This just means that unless the collar gets dislodged and sinks down a deep pool, you won’t worry about water damage if your German Shepherd decides to go for a swim.
Battery life is decent. 40-50 hours means you just need to charge after a week of regular training. Two weeks if you keep your training short and sweet. Since this collar is using the same batteries as cellphones do, it charges fairly quickly, around 2-3 hours and you’re good to go for the week again.
