Customer Reviews

Micro-iDT Super Trainer 1 Dog Sys

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the second electronic collar we have purchased as a training tool for our deaf dog. She is only 14 pounds and I was concerned that it would be too heavy and bulky, it is not. The first collar we purchased was smaller but used several watch style batteries which only lasted a few hours and it had a range of about 25 feet which was almost useless. This one has great range and the batteries are rechargeable and seem to last a long time per charge. The remote control is outstanding and the way you turn it on and off is very convenient; you just hold the remote against the collar and it comes on. The collar itself is well made but be aware that you cannot cut it short to fit since it contains the antenna. This is not a problem since it has a natural coil and the extra just loops itself around the dog neck.

I have had this training collar for about 3 months and so far I am very pleased. Important features for me when choosing an E collar was comfort for the dog, ease of use, range, water resistant and the option of the vibrate tone. I have a 90 lb Male Doberman and I use this collar when we are in the fields or brush by the river trail. And previous E collars I've used had big antennaes on the collar itself, so this collar has a built in one which makes it more comfortable for him. I actually have only had to use the Shock function a total of 4 times because I trained him with the Vibrate function has an initial warning,he quickly learned to avoid the Shock function, he needed to heed the command. I would say if your dog is strong willed or have thick fur, perhaps you would need to turn the shock control up a notch or two. My Doberman is very sensitive so the vibrate function is effective. The collar has helped curb unwanted behavior such as digging in gopher homes, chasing Deer, and even eating horse poop ! But you also need to read the manual that comes in the box as it is really brief but gives the proper technique. I like how you recharge this collar directly into the electrical socket with the adaptor. The charge usually lasts about 2 weeks for us, I use it daily for about 40 minutes. Only negative is since the antennae is built directly into the Collar itself and the collar is one size fits all with adjustability, it cannot be cut. So my Dog is about 18 inches around the collar but there is quite a bit extra. I wish I could either cut it to size or the collar came in different length options. Otherwise, this has been a great purchase and makes for a more pleasant Walk for my dog and I.

I did alot of research about 2 years ago when i was looking for a collar for my 70lb GSP. I ended up buying this collar locally from a Fleet Farm due to price, options, and the way it appeared to be made with good detail and sturdy materials. I never once had an issue with this collar. Very sturdy/rigid product, it never bothered my dog when it was on her, the range of shock power is incredible, from very little (almost cant feel it), to drop a 170lb full grown man to his knees on the highest setting. Basically, i find it hard to believe this thing wont stop any size dog no matter the temperament. We had this collar submerged several times while swimming and retrieving, the battery is incredibly strong, lasted weeks without charging, and charging it is super simple since you can just plug the collar directly into the adapter.

This has a neat on/off feature as well. The collar and the remote have two little dots on them, put them together for a second or two and the collar blinks showing its on. To turn it off, you just do the same thing, it blinks fast a couple times, then stops blinking. The module on the collar is really small, so it doesnt get in the way of anything the dog is doing, as well the remote is very small so it doesnt look like your caring a tv remote with you while your out.

I am writing this review now, because we ended up giving the collar to a family member that had a troublesome dog, and our new pup seems to have a bit of a mind to run. I am going to pickup another one of this model because i was extremely happy with it the first time.

I'm sitting in a fabric fold up chair at the edge of my garage with a JimBeam and Coke. My 2.5 year old son is riding his tricycle on the sidewalk. My 2 year old black lab mix is lying in the driveway about 6 feet in front of me, watching the neighbors do yard work. He's not tethered in any way. This would not have been possible 6 weeks ago. My dog Bently, whom we adopted at one year of age was a "darter". The second we opened the front door, Bently would do his best to dart past us and roam the neighborhood at his leisure for an hour or so. We tried soft voices. We tried mean demanding tones, we tried food, we tried "wanna go for a car ride", but nothing would convince him he had to listen. Inevitably, we would receive a call from a concerned citizen or neighbor who would capture him and request we pick him up. Of course we did not want to continue playing the odds of him possibly getting hit by a car, getting in a fight with another animal or re-adopted by a not-so-friendly citizen.

I took my son camping and saw a fellow camper with two very well behaved, untethered dogs. She had a very similar problem and showed me her Micro-iDT system. After we returned home, Bently was practicing his familiar darting routine and when I realized that I had been chasing him nearly a half mile away from home, it started pouring down rain. That was the final straw. I started looking at other cheaper versions of shock collars but the main thing that sold me on the iDT was that this system has a vibrate feature instead of a beep feature. iDT explained that if the dog is in a dog park and hears other collars going off, it can get confused about what it did wrong. I figured with all the beeping toys around our house, this was a distinct possibility. Not only that, but the iDT had twice the range (a full half mile) compared to the cheaper versions I was considering.

When the unit arrived, I read both the user manual and the suggested dog training booklet. I followed the booklet to a "T" with the cage lesson (which he already follows the command "go to bed") and I about gave Bently a heart attack. He started shaking and I felt terrible. So I stopped that day and a couple of days later, we worked on the heel command. He got really good at the command in his first session! I used the collar over the next week or two and had to shock him about 4 or 5 times before I started to use the vibrate command on a regular basis. Since he seemed to respect the vibration, I stuck with it. A couple of weeks later, I tested him by leaving the front door open. I invited him to go for a car ride, which he loves. My car was parked in the driveway and he went straight to the car door with zero hesitation or thought about darting off. I couldn't believe it. When we got home from the store, he jumped out of the car and went straight up to the house. This may not sound like a big deal, but believe me, this was a major milestone for us. He has never passed up such a golden opportunity to dart in his life. So the next day, I let him out front again. He stayed with me. I then started to walk next door. Again, he stayed with me. I then kept walking and ended up going on a half mile walk with him all the way around my neighborhood with NO leash! I've always been jealous of people who had dogs like that and now I have one! We did another walk the next day just to prove it wasn't a dream.

A couple of weeks later we took Bently with us to Colorado. He was able to play with his cousin Brigg and roam freely at our cabin in Estes Park. I can't express how much happier he is and we are with Bently's new-found freedom. Now when I put his collar on, Bently gets excited because he knows he's going to either go out front or go for a car ride. I rarely have to vibrate him anymore and almost never have to shock him because he now listens to me. We now have to knock Bently down the Alpha-dog list so he listens to my wife and kids as well as he listens to me.

Now on to the product details.... DT Systems says you CAN cut the collar length about 3" without effecting the range. I cut Bently's collar about 4". I've never had a range issue, but the furthest I've tested it, is about 100 yards. The collar is water proof (submersible) and the remote is water resistant. The remote is about 1.5" wide by 3.5" tall and the antenna extends about another 2.5" for a 6" total height. It only weights about 2 oz and includes a nice lanyard to wear around your neck. This system can control up to 3 dog collars with one remote. There is a tiny color-coded dip-switch on the top that selects which collar to use. The voltage range is from 1-16. I can't feel 1 and neither could Bently. In fact, he didn't even respond to anything below 6. Our magic number is 8. The shock is plenty strong at that number and I can't imagine using 16 on any dog. One thing to keep in mind is you have to have the collar tight enough to make contact with the dog's neck. I had it too loose to start with so it didn't matter that I had the collar on at 9 - he couldn't feel it. The magnetic on/off system is pretty slick as it makes both units a bit more water-tight and also acts as the frequency setter for each collar. The buttons on the front have "continuous" and "nick" - continuous maxes out at 8 seconds for safety reasons. Typically, when I charge the collar, I just leave it on Bently with it turned on. I get about 4 days per charge out of it. I've noticed that the collar shuts off about every 18-24 hours when it's not being used. I then have to match the magnets back up with the remote while the collar is still around Bently's neck. The collar's electronic unit is pretty small (2" x 1.5"). It does not bother Bently at all. he sleeps with it on all the time.

Rarely does a product exceed my expectations as much as the Micro-iDT Plus has. I tell my wife on a regular basis that this is one of the best investments I've ever made. It not only does what it says, but it actually has improved our lifestyle. Few products can make that claim, especially in this price range. I highly recommend this product.