Shock Collar For German Shepherd

In this article you’ll find everything you need to pick out the best shock collar for your German Shepherd (also known as e-collars, bark collars, and shock/beep/vibration based dog collars). We also throw in a quick guide on how to choose the best collar for your dog plus a full FAQ of commonly asked questions.

If you wanted to start using both positive reinforcement training and negative reinforcement training via dog collars that provide static shocks or corrections then this is the right place.

We also poured through hundreds of customer reviews to bring you the best dog collars possible.

Note: If you click some of the links in this article we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

What Is The Best Dog Training Collar For a German Shepherd?

To answer this question we’ve reviewed the top 5 e-collars available that work great with German Shepherds and similarly sized dogs.

The Top 5 Shock Dog Collars (i.e. E-Collar Product Type) for German Shepherds

Top Pick – Best Budget Option For Long Distance and Range

Want to try a low cost version that doesn’t have as long of a range as the Dogtra but is recommended by at least one Police and Military K9 trainer? Plus it’s way cheaper!

If so, then you’ll want to try our top option by TBI Pro.

What We Like

• 1600 feet of distance (1/3 of a mile)
• You can turn off the receiver (collar) to save battery
• Beep, vibration, and static shock or correction functions – use the minimum needed to get a response from your dog without causing any pain or anxiety
• Peace of mind – Great for dogs off-leash while still allowing boundary control
• Sleek looking collar
• Water resistant
• Less bulky than other models
• Light (not a burden on your dog’s neck)
• Easy to charge – rechargeable battery

What We Don’t Like

• Manual is hard to follow and only includes instructions on turning on the collar. Would prefer more depth on how to use e-collar training safely and effectively.

Best on a Budget – Dog Care Training Collar

Our top pick comes from one of our favorite brands, Dog Care. You can read our full guide on some of their most popular collars.

Why do we like them so much?

Low price, effective, and great starter training collar. Most models are rain resistant if not water proof. Some models, including this one below can withstand small amounts of swimming.

Plus you can switch it between beep, vibration, and static shock or correction. In addition to the three modes to suit any temperament, you can also fine tune the intensity with up to 99 levels.

Warning – Always start with beep at the lowest setting and move up from there. Level 99 static correction will cause just about any dog pain. Never use it that high. If your GSD doesn’t respond past level 15 then consider other training options. Also, see our training article on shock collars to know how to properly use them.

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What We Like

• Waterproof and rainproof
• 3 modes to fit any dog – beep, vibration, or static correction (shock)
• 1,000 feet of range
• Fine tune intensity with 99 levels (generally no need to go above level 15 – always start on the lowest level).
• rechargeable battery

What We Don’t Like

• Only includes USB plug – can’t plug it into a wall without an adaptor
• Delay between button press and collar action is too long – can be up to 4 seconds depending on how far they are and the battery strength in the receiver and/or transmitter.
• Not as reliable as higher end models (e.g. Dogtra or SportDOG)

This model is not for high end dog training (protection dogs, military dogs). For that you want fast response times between pressing the button and collar response. You want the best water resistance you can get.

Plus you want it to be reliable, easy to charge and long lasting.

For that we have Dogtra, our next option for high end uses.

Best High End Model by Dogtra (Reliability and Longest Distance)

What We Like

• Built by the trusted brand Dogtra
• Well time, consistent correction – reliable
• 3/4 mile range – the longest of any model on this page
• Quality – transmitter is solid
• Heavy duty
• Well designed, easy to understand button location
• Easy to read instructions (in proper English!)
• Amazing and fast training results when used properly
• Low profile – The receiver is under the collar. For long haired dogs other people won’t be able to see it. Great for judgmental neighbors!
• rechargeable battery

Another Warning! The instructions for this model are excellent. If you plan to use ANY shock collar then you must spend some time reading and training yourself on how to use this technology. Start with our training article on shock collars. If you can seek a local dog trainer to get professional help.

What We Don’t Like

• Expensive – When anything goes wrong it hurts even more since this unit can be 4 times as expensive as other models

Best Reliable Barking Control by SportDOG

What We Like

• Trusted, reliable SportDOG brand
• Good quality craftmanship
• Automatic – Trains the dog without constant supervision
• No false corrections – works using two signals – noise and vibration. This rules out other nearby barking dogs and other vibrations that could falsely trigger a more poorly made bark collar
• Great customer service
• rechargeable battery

What We Don’t Like

• A bit more expensive than the budget options but worth it for reliability, training, and customer service
• Long-haired dogs require trimming for this to work – This is true for all bark collars on long haired dogs

Best for Budget Barking Control (Automatic E-Collar) by Authen

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What We Like

• Focuses on barking
• It’s automatic – No button pressing needed. You don’t need to be there constantly to make this thing work.
• Vibration and beep based – Does not use static correction (shock) – Uses warning beep first then vibration – Ultimate kindness and patience yet still effective!
• Good seller – over 15,000 reviews on Amazon as of the time of this writing. This thing sells!
• Rechargeable batteries – no need to change batteries
• Interchangeable prongs for different hair lengths – great for short hair or long-haired dogs alike
• rechargeable battery

What We Don’t Like

• Only includes USB cable to charge – need an adaptor to connect to the wall
• Can hurt dog’s neck if left on too long – NEVER leave this on for long periods unattended. If your dog isn’t responded to this collar stop using it and use manual training.

Warning – Never leave bark collar on overnight for for extended periods without your oversight. Also, watch the basic training videos below. One covers manual bark training and one covers bark collar training. Train yourself first then train your dog!

Best for Basic Training by SportDOG Brand

What We Like

• Made by the trusted brand SportDOG
• Fine tune correction settings – use the lowest setting so it’s not painful, just “surprising” and gets your dogs attention – Try testing it on your forearm to fine tune this
• Very popular with German Sheperd Dogs (GSDs) – Not sure why but many owners try this out
• Especially good for high energy dogs that ignore commands when excited
• Heavy, high quality – does not feel cheap
• Comes with lanyard so you don’t lose the button transmitter
• Beep, vibration, and static correction modes (shock)
• Good for training adult dogs (Get trained yourself first on how to use these collars here!)
• Gives consistent correction – reliable
• Good customer service – Fast response if you contact SportDOG with issues
• rechargeable battery

What We Don’t Like

• Expensive
• Somewhat short battery life – some units stop charging after awhile – If so contact SportDOG customer service at their Customer Care Center at 800-732-0144

How To Choose The Best Bark Dog Collar For German Shepherd

1. Choose your budget (high or low). There are budget friendly models above that work great for under $100. There are also well known brands with high reliability and great customer service that go for hundreds of dollars.
2. Do You Need a Training Collar or Bark Collar? Training collars require your attention and involvement. However, they can be used to train on just about anything. The top trainers in the world for extreme situations – police and military use train with e-collars. Bark collars are automatic. They don’t require your attention but they do require your mindfulness. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Get the Right Collar for Your Dog’s Hair length. Some collars come with exchangeable prongs. Longer prongs work for longer hair. Shorter prongs work for shorter hair. Choose a model accordingly. If you use long prongs on a short haired small dog you will hurt them. Don’t do this! If you use short prongs on a long haired dog it won’t make a connection and transmit the stimulus.
4. Get trained on how to train with E-collars! E-collars are serious business. In the wrong hands they can do damage to your dog’s neck let alone their anxiety levels. In the right hands you work with your dog and get to a whole new level of training and understanding.

FAQ

Is a Shock Collar Safe For My German Shepherd?

Shock collars (e-collars) are only as safe as the trainer using them. Have you read everything you can and watched multiple videos on how to train with shock collars (see below)?

Did you research and buy the best model for your dog and your training needs?

Have you chosen the correct prong length?

Have you used the lowest setting to get an attention response without pain?

If you’ve done all of the above there’s nothing to worry about. Shock collars are safe for German Shepherds as long as the owner/trainer/collar user uses the collar properly, follows all warning and instructions, and is trained to correctly use the device.

Do Shock Collars Work On German Shepherds for Behavior Modification?

Yes. We recommend checking that the model you seek will have long enough prongs to get through the somewhat thicker hair of GSDs.

How Do I Train My Dog to Stop Barking (Top Tips for Barking Behavior Modification)?

Want to stop your dog from barking without using an e-collar or bark collar? Simply follow these steps:

1. Give them enough exercise. Adjust the exercise based on their breed and size. Higher energy and bigger breeds need more exercise. This means you must walk them, play ball with them, and exercise them. Letting them wander around a 1/4 acre backyard is not exercise. Playing with other dogs in a dog park can be a great passive option if you don’t have a ton of time.
2. Break your dog’s attention on what they are barking at and turn it towards you. The best way to do this is with food or treats combined with a command or cue. This is stage one – get them to divert attention back to you then give a reward. Doesn’t that just reward barking? No. It rewards them for diverting attention.
3. Immediately have them sit or do a simply command that they know. This is the next step beyond diverting attention. Give them something easy to do. Reward them again. Treats and praise.
4. Are they still too excited, can’t break attention? Pick them up and calm them or walk them away till they go back to being calm. Give a treat or praise. Then have them do a known trick. Again treat or praise. Sometimes dogs get too excited. You can’t divert their attention. You’ll need to bring them back to a place where they were calm.
5. Correct barking BEFORE it occurs. You know your dog. You’re walking and paying attention. You know they are about to bark at something. Intervene. Get their attention on you. Reward. Command a trick. Reward.
6. Be Patient, Rinse and Repeat the Above. Know your dog will learn with enough patience and training.

6 Tips to Use a Barking Shock Collar

How to get the most out of your bark collar without hurting your dog (the last one is most important):

1. Dog’s Get Collar-Wise – Use This to Your Advantage. Dogs are smart. They’ll soon learn when you put on a bark collar that they’ll get stimulated when they bark. Then when it’s off that goes away. They might bark again but only when the collar is off. Use this for situations where you don’t want your dogs to bark.
2. Make Sure Other Dog’s Barking Can’t Set It Off. Know What Activates the Collar. Does sound activate it? Is there a dog close by and if it barks your dog gets the correction? That’s not good. It will confuse your dog and make the collar completely ineffective. Know the trigger and adjust accordingly. Not all triggers work in all environments and situations. High end bark collars from SportDOG and others require two signals – sound and vibration. That ensures the bark is coming from your dog not from outside.
3. Make Sure The Collar Doesn’t Get False Signals. Some units trigger due to vibration only. In theory the vibration comes only from your dog’s throat as it barks. That’s not the only thing that can trigger the vibration signal. Again, collars that trigger only when they get a vibration and a sound are best. See the SportDOG brand for a great example of that.
4. Fit the collar properly. Choose the right prong length for your dog’s hair length. In addition, cutoff an extra loose collar flap at the end.
5. Don’t Leave the Collar On Longer than 2 Hours at a Time. Even without vibration or shocks the prongs can do damage to your dog’s neck. Never leave these on longer than a 2 hours at a time. You can leave it on longer but you need to check it every 2 hours and readjust the strap as needed (loosen it). Even with checking and adjusting it every 2 hours you shouldn’t leave it on continuously for more than 8 hours at a time. Ignore the directions that say it’s OK to leave it on for 16 hours. That’s irresponsible.
6. Pay more for higher quality brands (SportDOG, Dogtra). You get better customer service, better quality devices, better manuals and instructions, and safer products for your dog (and a happier dog).
7. Don’t Use Normal E-Collars to Train Your Dog. This refers to any e-collar or shock training collar. This requires you to press the button immediately each time your dog barks. Any delay and your dog gets confused. Forget to press it randomly. Even worse. Your dog gets trained against the collars signal for barking. The benefit of a bark collar is that it’s automatically training for you. In many ways that’s superior to trying to use a normal e-collar to manually train your dog not to bark. Don’t even try it. Just get the SportDOG bark collar and follow the tips above.

How Does an E-Collar Work?

E-collars provide one of three forms of stimulus to get your dog’s attention:

• Beeping or audible signal
• Vibration
• Static Correction

Static correction is a better name than shock. It’s actually static electricity. It’s the same shock you get when you rub your feet on carpet in the winter then touch metal.

Static correction – Static shock

It doesn’t provide a real electric shock that you would get from a high voltage electric fence.

What’s the Difference Between Static Shock vs Electric Shock?

Static shock uses the same kind of shock you’d get wearing socks in the winter, dragging your feet across the carpet, then touching your sister in the back of the neck to give her a shock. It’s a static shock. That’s how e-collars work.

Electric shocks are much higher current and voltage shocks from real electric fences that supply 2,000 up to 10,000 volts of shock. That is NOT how an e-collar operates.

What’s the Best Size Dog E-Collar or Shock Collar For German Shepherds?

The average size of a German Shepherd neck ranges from 18″ to 24″ measured with a measuring tape. The models recommended above by Dogtra, TPI Pro, Authen, Dog Care, and SportDOG will all fit German Shepherds.

Once fitted you’ll want to cut off any excess collar strap if you are using a vibration triggered bark collar. You don’t want the extra flap hitting the collar and setting off the bark correction.

Also, you’ll want to start with the smaller prongs for shorter hair and see if the static correction gets your dog’s attention. Different varieties of German Shepherd have different length hair. Longer haired breeds need a slight trim of the hair where the prongs connect plus you need to use the longer prongs.

Most e-collars come with two sets of prongs – a short set for short hair and a long set for long hair.

Take your time to fit this right so your dog doesn’t get burns or other damage from an incorrectly fitted collar.

Which Is The Best Bark Collar For German Shepherd?

We highlight two bark collars above. One from SportDOG and one from Authen. SportDOG is more expensive but it’s an older brand with great customer service. Authen is a newer contender that is quickly making waves. We recommend reading the two reviews above for more details and to better make your decision between the two.