Great tool for proofing, impulse control
UPDATE April 16, 2019: Customer service remains one of the best I’ve ever spoken to. I used the chat to speak to a representative and not only did she assure me that cutting the extra length off of the collar is fine and that the remote is waterproof even without the rubber covering over the charging port, she also offered to send me a few extra mud plugs completely free under my warranty. :) As for the collar, I bumped the static stimulation range down to low, put on the long prongs, and made sure it’s on tight enough. I’m not appearing to have any more problems with him not feeling it. I can even use a level 2 on the low range (something I couldn’t even feel when I tried it on my arm) and he responds. If you have a small dog or a sensitive dog, try lowering the static stimulation level to low. If your dog has even SOMEWHAT long or thick fur, use the long prongs—it makes a difference. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I purchased the 825X collar. My dog is a 20 lb cattle dog mix. I live in an apartment building that has a big yard, but it isn't fenced and I don't have the option to fence it. My dog is high energy and loves playing fetch outside. I've been using a 50 ft leash and let it drag, but sometimes I can't grab it fast enough and it's altogether annoying having to deal with that much leash all the time. My dog is relatively obedient until he sees another dog...then he is deaf to all of my calls. He's not aggressive, just wants to play, but it's irritating because anytime my neighbor brings her dog out he tries to run/runs to her. I'd love to let him off-leash but multiple incidents with dogs have showed me that can't happen until his obedience shapes up. Thus, I did research and decided to purchase an e-collar. First off, customer service is excellent. Since SportDOG has so many products, I wasn't sure which to purchase. I didn't feel like looking through all of them (lazy I know), so I used the chat on their website to talk to one of the employees. He was very friendly and helpful and led me to the 825X easily. The shipping was also CRAZY fast...I ordered free shipping but received it two days later, on a Sunday no less. So when I received the collar, I was already pleased and impressed. The 825X comes with a remote, collar, charger, short contact points (for dogs with short/regular/thin fur - already on the collar), long contact points (for dogs with long/thick fur - in a small baggie), a lanyard, a belt clip, a test light, a basic training manual, and an operating guide. I didn't know it would come with a lanyard/belt clip but I'm very happy it did -- it makes the remote hands free but easy to grab in case of emergency. I initially was so confused on how to remove the belt clip, but I figured it out.. The lanyard was a piece of cake to put on. Also, I was extremely confused as to what the test light actually was at first, but it actually ended up being a useful tool for me to ensure the remote and collar were working. I do have a few issues with the design, but they are mostly minor. First, the remote appears to have no on/off button. It confused me so much when I first opened it up. Second, I can NOT get the rubber covering to close over the charging port on the remote. It closed fine on the collar but not the remote. I have no idea why. It's really irritating to me, but it doesn't affect the function of the product. Third and finally, the collar is WAY TOO LONG for my dog. My dog's neck is 13"-14". He's left with a solid 13" dangling. It is so LONG. I wish it was adjustable or came in different lengths. I will probably have to cut it. That is VERY disappointing for a $200 collar. Now let's get down to business...the actual collar's functions. The 825X collar has THREE ranges of static stimulation: low, medium, and high. Within those ranges, there are also the 7 levels of stimulation on the dial. The collar is automatically set to medium range. I tested levels 1-7 of medium range on my arm before using the collar on my dog; level 1 is just a nuisance, but level 7 actually hurt a little bit. I highly recommend you try the static stimulation on yourself before using it on your dog, just so you know exactly what your dog is receiving. I haven't tried low or high range yet (and doubt I will use high). Page 9 of the operating guide outlines how to change the range. The 825X also has SEVEN modes, which are outlined on page 10 of the operating guide. Modes 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 are for one dog only. Modes 3 and 4 are for more than one dog. I've seen some reviews complain that you can't use vibrate/tone when you have more than one dog. You absolutely can. Rotate the dial to V/T to deliver a tone or vibration (tone on mode 3, vibration on mode 4). You can do so much with this thing, even with 3 dogs. JUST READ THE OPERATING GUIDE FRONT TO BACK...it takes 10 minutes tops. As I mentioned above, it comes with a basic training manual. As with the operating guide, READ IT FRONT TO BACK. ESPECIALLY if you haven't used an e-collar before. It tells you how to do everything. But I did want to add a tidbit of information. I think the wording is a little bit misleading when it says you shouldn't use your e-collar until your dog is "100% obedience trained on leash" or something like that. It really means "your dog should know exactly what you're asking of it with each command." I wouldn't say my dog is 100% obedience trained on leash -- he sucks at obedience with canine distractions. But he does know EXACTLY what I want from him when I say "sit," "lay," "come," etc. THAT's what it means: don't use your e-collar until your dog has a solid knowledge of each command. Overall, the manual is such a USEFUL thing. I've never used an e-collar before and I feel like it gave me the knowledge to do so. If you aren't an experienced e-collar user, READ. IT. I do disagree with a couple things in the manual. It says to give verbal/physical praise sparingly...I just don't have it in my heart to do that. If my dog is behaving splendidly, I am going to let him know (with a click from the clicker, a bunch of "yes!!" and "good boy!!", and pets). I like to see his tail wagging, and the praise didn't seem to affect his obedience negatively. In fact, it might have helped. I do agree, however, that you shouldn't bribe your dog with food, at least at the e-collar stage. They should know their commands and respond to them reliably with or without food. The training manual also recommends you don't use the e-collar straightaway, but i'm impatient and used it the same day I received it (and also, my dog is already trained, and he knows what leash corrections are...use them all the time). I put the collar on him for a few short games of fetch and walks just so he could associate it with good things, and then I just left it on inside so he'd get used to it. Then, I used it once for a training/play session outside in conjunction with a clicker and a tennis ball. My dog has a penchant for not dropping the ball when I tell him to even though I know he knows exactly what "drop it" means. I used the static stimulation to correct this two times outside and once inside. My method was kind inspired by the manual. I'd give the command "drop it." If he did it, I'd click, verbally praise, and throw the ball. If he didn't, I would say "No" sternly and then "drop it." If he still didn't do as told, I would say "No" again while giving a nick, so he would associate the feeling with disapproval. The reason why I gave him the first no before the stimulation is because I want him to realize something bad will happen if he doesn't listen to my first "no." I don't want to have to shock him all the time. The first time I used it outside, I went through the vibration, 1, 2, up to 3 before he responded with a kind of shocked jump. He wasn't really phased and I made sure to give him lots of praise and keep my attitude positive. The second time, I bumped down to level 2 and he responded to that right away. However, inside, I had to go through vibration, 1, 2, 3, and 4 before he responded with a shocked yelp. I immediately felt terrible about it and ensured he was okay. He was okay; he wasn't hurt or anything, and his tail wasn't even between his legs, so I'm assuming it just startled him a little. I'm assuming the weird variance between levels is because he has long fur and i was using the short prongs. I switched the collar to the long prongs, so I hope that will help. I don't have the impression he was fearful of me/the collar. While we were playing he was very happy, tail wagging, and excited to retrieve the ball. This may be me just being hopeful, but after one day of having this collar I feel he's acting better already. While we were outside, a neighbor arrived home and my dog didn't act in his usual manner (barking, trying to get to neighbor, etc.). I noticed as the neighbor pulled in, my dog gave his attention to that, so I commanded him to sit and stay...and he did without a correction, bless. I could even wave and say hello to my neighbor. Usually I'm too busy holding back my lunging dog and apologizing to do that. I'm hopeful about this e-collar and can't wait to see how my dog's training progresses. I'll likely update the review after I've had more experience with it, but I just wanted to share my initial thoughts. OVERALL, the 825X is for you especially if you want your dog to have the freedom of off-leash play and exploration. :) Read more