I recently purchased 280NCP Dogtra Platinum E-collar from Leerburg.com and I have been desensitizing my dog for several weeks before I tested the stimulation. When I began testing the stimulation my dog had no reaction until I got above 100 and it was a mild reaction at that point. I checked to make sure there was a snug fit and good connection with the collar's pins and my dog's neck. The max setting is 127. My dog is a 60lb male pit bull mix that my wife and I rescued when he was 8 weeks. I have charged the receiver and the remote for several hours to ensure they had power. I also tested the unit on my leg and definitely felt the charge at a low setting. I plan on using this to correct aggressive behavior toward other dogs and people so I need to have more reaction from the stimulation to match higher levels of distraction in those situations.

1) Is this normal to not have any reaction until almost the maximum setting?
2) Should I try to exchange this for a more powerful model?

Any advice is welcome. Thank you

Don't know much about the 280. I have a 1700. I will say one thing. It is surprising how snug a ecollar has to be to get proper contact. I also had to go to the longer posts. Dogtra will mail them to you. It's a easy swap.

Others can comment on the stim strength of the 280 for a 60 pound dog.

Hi Chris,

I have the exact same e-collar and in areas of virtually no distractions (i.e., inside my home) a setting of 22 gets the type of response on my almost 7 month, 55 lbs., GSD pup I want. That is, she blinks. I tested this setting on my hand and I do not feel anything until 31. So, I guess my question and comments are as follows:

1. How do you define "reaction?" A "reaction" to me in which I deem appropriate is a blink of the eye or twitch of the ear (not a leap or a yip).
2. Are you testing this in an area of no distraction? If you do it outside where cars are driving by and squirrels are running all over the place, then it would be very difficult to gauge a reaction based on what I deem as a "reaction."
3. Are you using the collar that came with the unit or the Cinch-It? The Cinch-It is AWESOME and to me made a difference. If this is your first time using an e-collar, I would say to make it even tighter. The first time I used an e-collar I thought I had it tight and high enough, but I did not and ended up having to use a medium-high setting (did not have the digital numbers on the old unit).
4. You say you want to use the collar to correct aggressive behaviour toward other dogs; can you elaborate on this aggression? How old is this dog?

SM

SM,

1. I was testing levels to see at what point my dog moved his head in response. It was only around 100 that he did. I'll test again and look for any blinking because I wasn't really paying attention to his eyes close enough.
2. I tested him in my home with no distractions. He was calmly standing when I tested the stimulation.
3. I am using the cinch-in, I really love how easy it is to adjust and remove. It will be difficult to make it tighter since I have the large collar and I'm at the last notches. When I have it that tight I can get my fingers between the nodes and his neck if I push my fingers in there.
4. He's been very aggressive toward smaller dogs, especially puppies, but he is very playful with 2 dachsunds that our friend's have. Not sure if weak energy or something else is what sets him into aggression mode. He always tries to mount new dogs but he's been fixed so he must have strong dominance. He has poor nerves in that loud noises and strangers startle him. He is 4 years old and we've had him since he was about 8 weeks.

I think you may need the medium Cinch It collar. My dog is a 80 pound Dutchie with a medium collar. I grab hold of the leash connector on the Cinch It collar and push the strap hard to get a extra click or two to improve contact.

If you are out of notches this won't work. Longer posts may help or you might have to think about a medium collar.

Hi Chris,

Just as a point of reference, when I have the e-collar on my dog, it is difficult for me to put my fingers in between the nodes. This also may be because my dog has a longer coat, but may be indicative that you may need to push for a few more clicks. Also, run your finger under and along the Cinch-it collar in the direction the inserted piece goes in to make sure the end of it is not lodged up against your dog's skin. This would prevent you from tightening it all the way.

As a side question - may I ask why your dog at 4 years old is still intact?

SM

Stick the thing on your hand, crank it up all the way, and zap yourself. It's only fair that you know what it feels like when you're doing it to the dog. Plus, you'll most certainly know if it's working or not.

I have a 1900NCP. I have not used it on mine yet, just conditioning for the collar right now, and I'm only going to use it on very low levels as an invisible leash for now. However, I felt it was only fair that I zapped myself. I can feel the stem at about 5, but it really doesn't get unconfortable until at least 45-50. At 127, it doesn't hurt as much as my fake shocking stapler.

I think first I will install the longer nodes. Contact may be the problem. I've noticed my dog's reactions at lower levels (65) so that's an improvement.

He is not intact (see my second post)

I tested the ecollar on myself before I tried on my dog (see my first post)

Thank you for all the advise. I've got some work to do but I should know what to look for now.

I would suggest switching to the longer probes and move the collar back and forth to verify that the collar is making contact with the skin. Introduction to the collar should start at 15 and go up very slowly to watch for the slightest response.
Sixty five would send most dogs over the edge especially when first introducing the collar.