What are the Best Shock Collars for Hunting Dogs?

Last Updated/Info Checked on January 26, 2024 by Linda Michaels

Incorporating shock collars on a need-based basis during my hunts greatly reduced the distractions. The dogs started listening well. That ultimately led to more successful hunts.

Not just beagles, I have recommended shock collars for every other hunting breed out there. The owners reflect the positive changes I felt.

Deriving products from there, here’s the list of the tested and tried best shock collars for hunting dogs.

What Makes A Training Collar Suitable for A Hunting Dog?

The first thing is the reliability of the brand you order from. Trusting any brand in hunting may lead to a lapse you do not want. For example, you could lose the signals transmitted to your dog. During a hunt, you know how the dogs are super charged and ready to chase anything and bring it down. This valor brings danger many times, especially, when the dog ignores recalls.

To mitigate that and to get their response, you need a collar that does not compromise on signal quality and transmission; that stays true to its promise; delivers a world-class performance in eliciting response from a dog, all the while giving you an impressive battery life.

A Recap of The Products

Collar Name	Receiver Size	Neck Size	Dog Size	Charging Hours	Stimulation Levels
SportDOG Brand SportHunter 1225X	2.6″ x 1.2″ x 1.3″	5″ to 22″	8 lbs to 120 lbs	50 to 70	1 to 21
Dogtra 1900S	2.8″ x 1.8″ x 1.2	10″ to 26″	20 lbs to 35lbs	60 to 72	1 to 127
Educator E-Collar	2.7″ x 1.7″ x 1.2″	12″ to 23″	20 lbs to 100 lbs	60 to 72	1 to 100
Garmin Delta Sport XC	2.4″ x 2 x 2.1	8″ to 25″	10 lbs to 120+ lbs	20 to 60	1 to 36
PetSpy P620	2.9″ x 1.2″ x 1.3″	9″ to 21″	10 lbs to 140 lbs	60 to 70	1 to 16
Bousnic	2″ x 1.3″ x 1″	6″ to 30″	5 lbs to 120 lbs	50 to 100+	1 to 99
INVIROX	2.3″ x 1.2″ x 1″	8″ to 24.8″	8 lbs to 110 lbs	40 to 100+	1 to 99

7 Shock Collars for Hunting Dogs for Successful Hunts

I’ve chosen these products after raving reviews from the hunters that used them.

The first three are my personal choices, as they have been by my side in thick and thin to train dogs and keep them well under my control, come what may.

1. SportHunter

I’ve included Sportdog Sporthunter because the brand has amassed quite a following in the market for its products.

Quality

The quality is amazing, there’s no doubt, but the utility just takes things to the next level. With multiple stimulation levels that are appropriate for single-minded hunting dogs, the product will deliver the promise it makes.

The Main Highlight – Continuous Static Stimulation

The product wins when it comes to stimulating your dogs during a busy hunt somewhere in the woods.

As a hunter, you know that they could get distracted so easily. A passing deer may distract them from the bird you shot and so on. That’s where the continuous static stimulation comes in.

Situated on the left and center, the three buttons let you send an unbroken stream of current with varying high, medium, or low intensities.

When you press any of them, the current itself corrects the dog’s behavior on-site without your physical intervention. In short, Sportdog is one of the safest dog training collars.

However, you may have to train your pet to make it accustomed to it or to let it understand what shock means. 

Usually, that takes about a week or so.

Design – Suitable for day hunts

The remote and collar both have features suitable for day hunting. You could use them during the night, but the lack of a reflective strap or light may put a little hindrance on the activity overall.

So far, there’s no stopping when you have an ergonomically designed remote control at your disposal during the day. The buttons are situated in the right places for you to access them quickly and blindly.

High continuous stimulation is on the left, while the medium and low face you with the intensity knob on their top. 

That knob also doubles as a vibration and tone button. You just have to dial it to the 8th position.

However, getting both at the same time is hard. There’s a learning curve to set your favorite setting. I recommend you go through its literature for better usage.

Durability

Both receivers and transmitters are durable in their own right. The collar is sturdy enough to take on the efforts of the dog to remove it.

It also withstands the pull of vegetation when the dog zooms past a bush or right through it during retrieving. The remote stands the test of time also but it’s not waterproof as the collar, so beware of dropping it in water or mud.

Range

The remote has a ¾ miles range, which means you’ll have to stay close to the dogs. In fact, it’s not wrong to say that the product is meant for close hunts.

Leaving out your pups to hunt in the night and hoping for them to return unscathed isn’t this product’s forte.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

I recommend SportHunter for its durability for day hunting.

What Makes It Different From Other Products?

There’s no LCD but the design of the remote encourages blind usage.

Pros

• Sturdy construction
• Remote allows blind operation
• Great for close hunts during the day
• 21 levels of stimulation are hot
• Buckled strap ensures a snug fit

Cons

• No LED in the remote
• No light in the collar but a small LED

2. Dogtra 1900S

The range woes of Sportdog Sporthunter have been addressed by the Dogtra 1900S Black edition. With a 1-mile range, it offers a solid collar with a sharp LED to help you detect your dog at night.

There’s even an LCD on the remote. These are things that make 1900S Black perfect for nighttime hunts.

The Main Highlight – HPP Vibration

Dogtra has this feature in all of its 1900S series such as this one, the 1900S Wetlands, 1902S, and the simple variant 1900S. It’s different from the rest of the vibrations you may have seen or experienced on other collars.

The HPP stands for high-performance pager, which as the name indicates, provides a precise vibration with a tapping sensation.

The dogs not only feel the collar vibrating under their jaws but also take those vibrations as if you’re tapping them to do the action or refrain from doing it. 

Again, you’ll have to train them first to help them understand what the pager means. It’s fairly easy because a dog associates with a pager quickly.

Design – Built for the action

The remote and collar are built for night hunts with proper placement of buttons for one-hand operation, an LED on the collar, an LCD on the remote, and more.

Coming towards the button layout, the rheostat dial on the top is accessible for your thumb and index finger to control the stimulation levels from 1 to 127.

In a night hunt, getting to the right buzz is necessary if you don’t want to lose a charged dog. Then comes the nick and continuous stimulations situated to the left, which also offer easy access. 

The HPP button is on the remote’s face. It’s evident that the company knows you’ll be using that more often because it’s easier to get the job done with it than shock the dogs unnecessarily.

Talking about the collar, it’s sturdy and well-built, with a buckle to get to the right hole for the right size. You could easily fit it around a small to medium hunting dog such as a Beagle, but the transmitter may stand out because it’s big.

Durability

There’s no question that the product is as durable as the ones from SportDog or the upcoming Educator E-collar.

Although the company has a product for super wet environments, you could still use this one because of its highest level of water ingress protection. I had no problem when my labs splashed in water or swam 1.5 miles to retrieve a game.

Range

The range here is 1 mile, which is decent enough to give you a little room, unlike the Sportdog Sporthunter.

However, I don’t recommend you leave your dogs away for an extended period. The collar may have a wide range, but it still comes with some limitations.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

The durability is off the charts.

What Makes It Different From Others?

Compared to SportDog SportHunter, the Dogtra 1900S Black Edition has a small LCD that comes in handy during hunts.

Pros

• Sleek undetectable design doesn’t alert the prey
• High quality pager works better than most collar’s shock
• 127 level of corrections covers a wide range of dogs
• Readable LCD
• High range

Cons

• Too big for medium hunting dogs

3. Educator Dog Training Collar

Educator E-Collar is my third favorite collar for hunting dogs because of its unique remote design. It’s literally a stopwatch which makes its usage not only easy but also foolproof.

Then, just like the Dogtra 1900S series, the one-dog system has a tapping sensation that works fine in establishing recalls with one tap. With multiple simulation levels, the Educator is highly recommended for dogs with sensitive skin.

The Main Highlight – Round Remote

What does design have to do with convenience? Everything. The remote of Educator E-collar retains a bizarre character that makes it distinct from the rest. From a mile when you see the remote, you’ll understand that it’s an Educator E-collar.

Taking convenience into consideration, the foremost is the ease of use. Here, you’ll find buttons sprinkled on the sides rather than the face, thus, making one-hand operation a reality.

There’s a stimulation button on the left of the intensity dial, followed by the stimulation boost.

On the other side, you get a tapping button, and on the back, there’s a light controlling button that also works as a continuous mode button on programming.

Design – Built for night hunts

Not just the remote’s shape but also the product’s overall color is distinct. A glaring neon orange helps you detect the dog in the dark.

To act as a cherry on top, there’s also an LED on the collar, easily controlled by a button on the remote. Talk about night hunts, and Educator E-collar will serve you the right way.

I do agree that the transmitter is a bit bulky, and it may weigh on the dog’s neck, but that’s just my opinion. Dogs have incredibly strong necks, some would say.

Durability

The remote control is plastic, making longevity a reality. Being the strongest dog collar on the list, you could say the same for the collar, and the buckled strap is just an added benefit. This one will also last longer than expected.

Range

The transmitter works for 1 mile, which is decent. The strength of signals seldom drops when you increase the stimulation levels from 1 to 100. You won’t need to go all the way there because dogs generally yield at level 10.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

It’s easy to use and highly recommended for stubborn pups.

What Makes It Different From Others?

The product caters to low tier users who don’t want to use complex collars such as SportDog and Dogtra.

Pros

• LED light on the collar for dog detection at night
• Stopwatch shaped remote control
• Sturdy transmitter
• Orange color makes detection easier
• One-hand usage is a possibility

Cons

•  Battery life is not as great as the two products above

4. Garmin Delta Sport XC Dog Collar

Garmin Delta Sport XC stands out from the three products above for its BarkLimiter. It’s one of its kind feature necessary for the owner to control a dog’s incessant barking.

Although hunting dogs seldom bark when they are on a hunt, it’s still usable for conditions where you may have to keep one breed or one dog quiet to let the other work.

The Main Highlight – Highly Programmable

This is one of the most technically advanced products in the market. It’s highly programmable to choose from the 5 distinct behavioral corrections, where barking is one.

You will have to read and understand the manual to get a hold of selecting the right mode. Once you’ve done that, everything seems to fall back into its place.

Design

The design of Garmin Delta is as simple as it gets. You’ll find the remote quite handy with its non-slip material, but it may be a little big for an average-sized hand.

The three buttons responsible for the beep, vibration, and zap are located right at the front. You may have to spend some time memorizing what each button does.

Still, I didn’t find blind usage a luxury on this one because there are hardly any labels.

The collar is exceptionally good, however, in terms of quality, build, and function.

There’s no light to help you find the dog in the dark, but considering the huge transmitter sizes on the rest, this one will prove appropriately sized for small to medium-hunting dogs such as Beagles, Brittany Spaniels, and their counterparts.

Durability

Just by the looks and feel of the product, you’ll understand that it’ll go on for years. Garmin is adamant to make that happen by using premium plastic on both the transmitter and receiver.

The buttons retain that characteristic as they are rubbery and tough.

Range

The range is ¾ miles, that’s equal to the Sportdog Sporthunter. Here too, you’ll find it consistent. However, I won’t recommend pushing it to its limits.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

I recommend it for its durability. It will stay intact even after taking multiple hits during a hunt.

What Makes it Different From Other Products?

Compared to its competitors, the Garmin Delta Sports XC also has an anti-bark mode.

Pros

• LCD on the remote 
• Tough and durable
• 36 hot levels of stimulation
• Buckled strap
• Barklimiter works great

Cons

• No LED on the collar

5. PetSpy P620 Collar

PetSpy is yet another product that has made many hunts for my peers successful. It’s simple to use, sturdy enough to stay functional for a few years, and effective to keep your pups beside you in a hunt. It’s one of the cheapest shock collars on the list without compromising the quality.

There’s no LED light on the collar, but the tiny yellow blinker works just fine. Besides, the range isn’t wide enough to require that.

Main Highlight – Ease of use

You have to learn to program most remotes of premium or costly products. PetSpy, on the other hand, has motives to keep things super simple for you.

The buttons are situated on the front for one-hand use. You could easily access them with your thumb. There’s nothing on the peripheries, so you won’t have to search for the right thing to hit during a busy hunt.

Apart from that, each button has been laid out with raised indications for blind usage. You’ll know instantly which one you’re hitting just by grazing your thumb over them.

Even the intensity-controlling key and the channel switch are different from the rest for easy identification. The only caveat here for people with stubby fingers is that they may hit the wrong key because the whole panel is a little congested.

Design

The remote’s design is also as simple as its functionality. It’s tapered in the middle, giving it a glass hour shape to fit easily in one hand. It’s also rather small. Add a lanyard, and your chances of dropping it somewhere will reduce to none.

But yes, the design could be improved further, only if they take the intensity buttons and the channel switch to the sides.

Presently, by the looks of it, the product seems to be suited for people with small hands. I do wish to add here that my friends didn’t complain about the size. Either they figured out a way around it or just didn’t notice what was going on.

Durability

PetSpy is mainly plastic – so there’s little doubt about its durability as a whole. It will stay with you for a few years, given that you don’t hit it with a rock. You may see dents as a result.

That’s about the remote. The collar stays intact even after some major push-and-pull events. However, do not let the canine chew it. The material isn’t too hard to take that beating.

Range

This product is for short-range hunts such as rabbits. With only 650 yards range, you shouldn’t expect to chase a deer or any other large animal.

The range will keep your dogs in plain sight, thus, reducing the chances of their wandering away from you.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

Switching between the channels is extremely easy and the range is consistent throughout.

What Makes It Different From Its Competitors?

The curvy design is easy to hold.

Pros

• Easy to use remote control
• The tone is effective enough to work separately.
• Requires no programming
• Small readable LCD
• Sturdy plastic
• Suitable for small hunting dogs

Cons

• The collar may be a little hard for your dog.

6. Bousnic Training Collar

Normally, hunters take more than one dog on a hunt, and that’s understandable. It increases the success rate, not to mention strengthening the bond of the whole pack.

However, the more here may not be the merrier because controlling many dogs have its fair share of problems.

Main Highlight – Dual Collars

You get two collars with Bousnic’s variant. They have nylon straps with clasps that will hold on for a good span of time if the dog’s not too imposing. You may want to change the collar to a bungee collar for stubborn dogs.

Bungee collars have a reputation for staying on the dog’s neck, even in extreme conditions.

Both collars can be tied easily to the remote, and gladly enough, the remote has a separate gigantic button to let you switch channels.

My only complaint here is that the charger comes with one slot for one collar. You’ll have to charge the two collars separately.

That may sound like a deal breaker, but if you buy it for one dog and keep the second collar as a spare, you won’t have to wait for a full charge at all.

Design

The remote and collars are made to withstand harsh environments. You’ll find the former well protected against falls. It’s wide and has depressions for a tighter hold.

The buttons are situated on one side, while the elongated LCD is on the other side. There’s a genius separation of colors to help you understand what lies where.

The LCD shows which stimulation level you’ve selected and the mode. It also shows the remote’s battery life. For the collar, you’ll have to manually check if it needs charging.

To stay away from any possible charge-outs, I prefer charging everything daily once they have been used.

The manufacturer has also been generous to include a channel switch and key lock right below the LCD. That makes security against accidental hits a reality.

Range

The range is 3300 feet, equalling 1100 yards. Considering the average range for a hunt, this stands as a medium range – just appropriate for hunting a deer, a skitty rabbit, or retrieving a shot bird.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

I recommend Bousnic because of its consistent range.

What Makes It Different From Its Competitors?

It has variable vibrations and beeps.

Pros

• Sturdy remote
• Nylon straps are flexible
• Easy-to-use interface
• Readable LCD
• Hot shock levels
• Beep and tone suffice because of the many levels

Cons

• Remote isn’t waterproof

7. INVIROX Dog Collar

The Invironx training collar has simplicity as its cornerstone. But don’t take that against its abilities to help you hunt well or train the dog to retrieve.

Main Highlight – Bigger and better LCD

Most LCDs, even on top brands, help little in the dark, let alone during the day. Not this one. The Invironx has a bigger LCD that’s taken at least half the face of the remote.

It shows levels of stimulation, charge limits of the remote, whether the remote’s locked, and channel selection. Unfortunately, the limit where doesn’t show the collar’s charge.

You may have to follow the same advice I gave you above – charge the collar each day for an hour at least after usage to stay on the safe side.

Design

It’s fairly simple. You won’t find the bling dings of a premium remote, but the manufacturer has worked a little to make it stand out from the rest.

It stays well in one hand, but the lack of a grip may not stop it from falling off your hands in some events. A lanyard, therefore, is a must with the remote.

The buttons are laid out in a decent fashion necessary for convenient use. The shock key is bigger and distinct in an effort to make blind usage a possibility.

The tone and vibration buttons face each other and are of the same size, so you may have to memorize which key does what. There’s also a locking mechanism.

Then comes the collar and its appropriate design. It’s a nylon collar, so make sure the dog doesn’t chew it at any point during its use. You won’t have to replace it with another collar, that’s a plus because it’s a bungee collar.

They are my favorite for one reason – they are easy to put on and take off. It’s like putting on a sweater.

Range

This one, too, has an 1100 yards range suitable for medium hunts. I prefer using this for retrieving geese, ducks, or pheasants.

The receiver has a green light that flashes every few seconds, while the remote has a tiny flashlight. Both these serve to help you in night hunts without alerting the prey unnecessarily to spoil it.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

The huge LCD really makes usage easy.

What Makes It Different From Its Competitors?

The remote is small and thus, holding it in a strong grip is a breeze. It’s fall proof.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Collar has a green flashing light
• The bungee collar strap makes putting on easier
• Big LCD shows everything clearly
• Separate and bigger shock button
• Steady range
• Vibration and tone suffice because of the different levels

Cons

• The remote isn’t slip-proof.

Also, here’s a video to help you train your hunting dogs before you go on a hunt:

Frequently Asked Questions

Let me share some common questions that I normally receive from dog owners during my live training sessions.

The Winner

The best shock collars for hunting dogs that I shared above will help you train your dogs in the off-season and then use that training for the hunting season to keep them close.

You’ll be able to increase your success but not without proper training.

While all of the products have their own highlights that make them distinct, I’d still call SportDOG Brand SportHunter 1225 X Remote Trainer the winner. The brand has dedicated itself to hunting.

That’s why the product stands the test of time, goes for weeks without charging and delivers during busy hunts.