Best Shock Collars for German Shepherds in 2024
Wondering what the best shock collars for your German Shepherd are? Read on to find out!
Written by Sarah Connor - Pet Nutrition Expert. Updated on 27/07/2024.
Shock Collars for German Shepherds
If you're as passionate about German Shepherds as we are, you know this breed is one of the most interesting and trainable breeds to work with.
The German Shepherd is alert, agile, intelligent, eager, and outstanding in his working ability and always finely tuned to his pet parent or handler.
In this buying guide for the best shock collar for the German Shepherd, our German Shepherd dog training experts tested over 30 e-collars and anti-bark collars for German Shepherds. When opting for the best German Shepherd shock training collars, we considered the German Shepherd's distinct personality, intelligence, and sensitivity.
Written by Sarah Connor, an experienced canine trainer and nutritionist for over a decade. Her positive reinforcement methods and passion for pups make her a go-to for dog owners.
Top Picks for the Best Shock Collars for German Shepherds
Our best picks for German Shepherds include the best-selling Nomobark (7 adjustable sensitivity levels), three training modes where you have the option of using beep and vibrate with no-shock training.
Nomobark's safe and humane Smart-AI shock and bark collars are easy to use and feature lightweight, weatherproof, and fully adjustable collars that fit all dog breeds comfortably.
Our top picks have been carefully chosen based on the brand's commitment to safety, effectiveness, and humane training techniques.
Our #1 Pick for German Sheperds
CHECK TODAY'S PRICEHow to Train a German Shepherd Puppy
That said, before training your German Shepherd with an e-collar, it's important to understand that the German Shepherd was bred to herd, guard, lead, and be a companion. GSDs are a remarkable breed that all have different personalities and drive.
When training the GSD, one has to first start with basic obedience classes so that your German Shepherd understands what you're asking him later on with e-collar training. The German Shepherd has a strong willingness to work and does well with lots of praise and positive training.
At What Age Can You Use a Shock Collar on a German Shepherd Puppy?
When using a shock collar on a German Shepherd puppy, the appropriate age can vary depending on different factors. It is crucial to prioritize the well-being and proper development of your dog.
Generally, most experts recommend waiting until a German Shepherd is at least six months old before introducing a shock collar for training purposes.
This allows them to reach a certain level of maturity and understanding. However, consulting with a professional dog trainer who can assess your GSD's needs and work with you makes training easier for you and your GSD.
Remember, positive reinforcement techniques should always be the primary focus of any training program.
What is the Best Rated Shock Collar for Dogs?
There are three top-rated training collars that are recommended for German Shepherds: Nomobark are well-liked for their effectiveness and safety standards in various training scenarios, including basic obedience, intermediate obedience, advanced obedience, and even dog hunting.
As a brand, Nomobark is known for providing positive training options throughout different stages of a dog's life. Nomobark's anti bark collars for large dog breeds like the German Shepherd with long-range remote offer beep and vibrate features and an 800m training range while allowing for gentle training modes to keep your German Shepherd safe during obedience and off-leash training.
Reinforcing the Behaviors That You Like
However, training must be done correctly so your German Shepherd can grow up to be relaxed, confident, and gentle. The only way to train a German Shepherd is with positive reinforcement, reinforcing the behaviors you like and ignoring the ones you don't like. A GSD training collar needs to be introduced gradually with positive reinforcement training.
Redditors
Redditors explained that when training a German Shepherd with a shock collar, you should always work with a professional trainer at first. Never use an e-collar on a reactive or aggressive GSD.
Another Redditor explains that you should do the following if you're having recall issues while out hiking with your GSD:
- "Stop the off-leash stuff and set up scenarios where you practice with a long line. Pay friends with food/beverages to be your practice dummies and practice calling off people. Reward with whatever is the highest value for your dog. This is a layer of proofing I think you're missing."
- "Introduce the collar fairly and tie it with a reward system so the collar = good time. I recommend the remote collar course by Michael Ellis on Leerburg, " says another Redditor.
"Research e-collar marker training. Instead of using e-collar to punish unwanted behavior like most trainers do... use the e-collar on low stims to talk to your dog. It’s like teaching your dog a new language. Hold down e-collar and release it when your dog performs desired behavior, heel, sit, down, come here, etc."
"If your dog ignores you, tap vibrate or stim to get his attention. Only use stims on higher when its emergency situations or more urgent. Teach your Dog to associate collar with your voice. Take turns using collar, no collar, treats, no treats, etc. Give your dog plenty of treats after he performs desired behavior to mark it," says another Redditor.
AKC German Shepherd
"A well-bred German Shepherd Dog is highly intelligent, thriving on praise and wanting to please the owner. This combination makes them very trainable, which is one of the most appealing qualities of the breed," says the AKC.
Many annoying behaviors your puppy does can easily be changed and included in training in so many ways. This can be done by turning an unwanted behavior into an outlet for exercise or a reinforcer for good behavior.
German Shepherd Puppy Socialization
Proper socialization during puppyhood and throughout life allows for a confident GSD. German Shepherd pups need to be socialized from puppyhood and exposed to different environments, new sounds, smells, people, and other dogs and animals.
If your GSD puppy is well socialized, this will translate into a confident and happy dog that is approachable, not timid and has good character.
How to Choose a Shock Collar for Your German Shepherd
Although you may have doubts about using a shock collar on your German Shepherd, working with a positive trainer and using high-quality e-collars like the NomoBark Beyond S2 collar with beep and vibrate modes that allow you to choose from adjustable sensitivity levels, allow for safe and humane training.
You should also understand your dog's emotional state to avoid potential problems, and that's why it's essential to work with a positive trainer first. Your GSD should not fear you during training, and you will need to learn how to read your GSD's body language for signs of stress or nervousness.
Can I Use a Bark Collar on a German Shepherd?
If you're dealing with an excessive barker and have tried everything from increasing exercise to more dog park trips and even turned to DOG TV to help you out, an anti-bark collar may be a temporary training solution.
A bark collar for a German Shepherd is a training tool designed to help address excessive barking behavior in dogs. These collars provide a correction or deterrent whenever the dog barks, encouraging them to reduce or eliminate their barking habits.
How Does an Anti-Bark Collar Work?
Most anti-bark collars, like the NomoBark S2, feature a safety shut-off feature. This helps to ensure your German Shepherd's well-being by automatically turning off for a few minutes if your GSD exceeds x amount of barks within an x-second timeframe.
Anti-bark collars offer the following features:
- Detection Technology: Like the best-selling Bark Beyond VI anti-bark collar, Bark collars feature Smart AI bark detection technology to sense when your dog barks. When the collar detects barking, it triggers the corrective action. Smart AI bark collars from Bark Beyond prevent mishaps that can trigger the collar when other dogs bark.
- Progressive Learning: With progressive learning, the collar begins at the lowest correction level and gradually increases by one level each time your dog barks within 30 seconds of the previous bark. If your GSD remains silent for over 30 seconds, the collar resets to the lowest correction level.
- Correction Modes: Bark collars like the Bark Beyond V1 offer three training modes: beep and vibrate, and eight adjustable sensitivity levels. This gives you control to choose the lowest setting.
- Threshold Settings: Many bark collars allow you to adjust the sensitivity level or threshold at which the collar will activate. This helps to ensure that the anti-bark-collar only responds to excessive or unwanted barking rather than normal vocalizations or environmental noises.
- Positive Reinforcement: Some bark collars emit a beep or provide a vibration warning before delivering the primary correction. This helps your German Shepherd associate the warning signals with the need to stop barking.
- Safety Features: Modern bark collars prioritize the safety and well-being of the dog. They often include features like automatic shut-off after a specific duration, so the corrective action is not continuous. Shock collars may also have built-in mechanisms to prevent overstimulation and protect the dog from any harm.
When searching for the best no-bark e-collars or shock collars for your German Shepherd, it is essential to consider several key factors.
Among these considerations are the efficacy of the bark or shock dog training collar, the ability to customize its settings to suit your GSD's needs, whether it is waterproof for durability and versatility, and the overall cost.
NomoBark's training shock and bark collars tick off all the requirements and meet and fulfill safety and quality control standards.
We found the Bark Beyond 800m remote training range to be an important consideration for off-leash training for the German Shepherd because of their high prey drive. The extended range of 800 meters provides ample distance for effective training and control.
FAQ's Best Shock Collar for German Shepherds
Q: When should you not use a shock collar?
A: German Shepherds that are younger than six months of age should not use an e-collar. They are still in their critical developmental phase and require positive reinforcement-based training methods to establish a strong foundation of obedience and trust.
Shock collars can potentially exacerbate fear or anxiety-related behaviors in dogs. Addressing these underlying issues through behavior modification techniques and desensitization is important before working with e-collars.
Q: Why is my German Shepherd shock collar not working?
A: You must ensure that your battery is charged for both the collar and the transmitter. If your battery is low, your shock collar may not work properly. Opting for high-quality waterproof shock collars like the Bark Beyond E3 that charge up fast for at least a week's training time prevents shock collars from not working.
Q: What is the most humane shock collar?
A: The most humane shock collar is the Bark Beyond E3 multi-dog e-collar for Shepherds with 3 signals for three receivers, which features vibration and shock levels that can be easily adjusted between 1 and 99, ensuring a suitable and gradual training experience for your German Shepherds.
If you're a multi-pet household, then the Bark Beyond E3 e-collar with remote is the best and most humane shock collar for dog training three dogs together. The Bark Beyond German Shepherd E3 shock collar offers an 800 m training range that has an adjustable collar and backlit screen.
Bark Beyond includes several models of beep, vibrate, and shock and also carries Smart AI anti-bark collars that are ergonomic and waterproof and offer German Shepherd training via safe and humane mode and sensitivity options. Keep in mind that when using the Bark Beyond shock collars, you don't have to use the shock mode. There are beep and vibrate mode alternatives.