Customer Reviews

SportHunter 800 by SportDOG - SD-800

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've only had the collar for a week and only now had the chance to use it in the field ... all I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I should say that my dog already knew basic commands like "Come", "Sit", "Stay", "Heel", and "Down" but getting him to do those things off-lease was a real challenge. With the radio collar, things are a snap. Games of fetch are now actually fun for both of us. He used to run after the ball, catch it, but then proceed to not come back with it. Prompts of treats didn't help past the first one or two throws. After only two "tickles" on the lowest setting (and we really are talking a "tickle" here ... I tested it on myself and the lowest setting is far less than you might get from a shock from walking on synthetic or wook carpeting), he now makes a bee line back to me after only getting the tone prompt. With only one tickle at the lowest setting, he's even heeling off lease as we walk home from throwing the ball. Truly ... if you have a dog who already knows basic commands and you'd like to be able to take him off-lease for games (or hunting as the product description states) this is a wonderful product. This is not a substitute for training but is a very effective supplement to it. All my dog needed was the reinforcement that I meant the commands I was giving him even off-lease.

An additional kudos to the Petsafe company ... the originally shipped transmitter (the part that looks like a little FRS radio) was defective making the set essentially useless. One call to Petsafe and they replaced the transmitter with a new one with no problelm.

I've had the Sport Dog training collar for 2 weeks now. It was a replacement for a "cheap" ($100) one from W.Mart that used watch batteries on the collar and a 9V on the transmitter. After buying more batteries than I care to admit, I finally bought this one. Both the receiver and transmitter batteries recharge by a wall plug (at the same time) and the unit is waterproof - which is great. The dog responds well to one of the low settings and has quickly gotten used to the tone to avoid the zap. The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star rating was that the batteries need to be recharged every other day if you leave it on. It's not an issue, I would just prefer to have larger capicity batteries. Add that to the lifetime warranty and it has been a good deal so far.

I had owned one before (the 400) and this one is much better, better range and my dog really listens to this. I am not cruel in using this I mainly use the short zap button which is enough to remind her to listen and I don't have to turn it up onto the max setting. She is a very strong willed dog and refuses to listen sometimes and needs to be reminded. Many times the tone alone is enough to get her attention. The charge lasts longer on this unit than my old one also, expensive but a very good buy if you need help in controlling a strong willed dog. Just be careful, don't let the kids use this (they may deliver too much shock and hold the buttons too long) and make sure you are not cruel in it's use. This is a tool which if used right will make a world of difference in you dog's behavior. There are times when you need control but you can't catch up to the dog or it is too far away to want to listen. I am happy with this purchase and would reccommend it.

An e-collar is the way to go. You need to follow the instruction manual and work with your dog in a positive way. Their DVD does a great job. Used correctly, the collar reinforces the connection between dog and you. The results can be amazing, and independent of the presence of the collar. It makes having an energetic, intelligent pointer even more delightful and fun.

I was looking for a training collar for my large dogs. I bought this along with the Add-a-dog collar because I had been told good things about this brand. When I received the product, however, I was disappointed to find that there was only one mode available when you had two collars attached. In this mode, I could only shock each dog- I could not warn them with a pager or tone. While I think this product would work great with just one dog, (there are a lot of different settings), it is not a great two dog system. Also, to switch back and forth between one dog use and two dog use, you have to insert a sharp point in the back of the transmitter to reset the whole unit. I decided to go with something better.

This product works exceptionally well. The company has sensational customer service. It is worth every penny. I have a big 100+ pound Malamute and they are stubborn animals but this device keeps her in line and usually with just the tone setting. Buy it.

My brother and I have each purchased this product for our dogs. The range starts out excellent (several hundred yards) but after 6 months or so both of our remotes saw a huge decrease in both battery life and range. I am going to purchase a replacement battery for the remote, but this is the second sportdog product I've owned and they have both had serious issues with battery life and remote range.

I had purchased a cheap e-collar some time ago to keep my 65 pound dog from running off every time an interesting smell caught his fancy. The collar did not rate high enough to make him vocalize and he quickly learned that he could outrun the signal.

I also have a 170 pound Dane. The cheaper collar would not fit him so I never tried it but this system works great. A very few 2 second bursts at #4 has kept him from running off no matter what the temptation. A "nick" at 4 now keeps him firmly where he belongs and reminds him to ignore the chickens.

Back to 65 pound Scrappy, I wish I'd never tried the cheaper collar because he believes he can still outrun the signal. Even if I hurt him with it he keeps running to get away rather than coming back. Its going to take a lot of work to retrain his brain, but that is my fault not the equipment. All in all I'm very pleased.

I'm editing this some months later and am still enormously pleased. It wasn't nearly as hard to fix my problem with Scrappy as I'd thought and my dogs have never been happier. They can run around doing doggy things with no leashes (I'm out in the middle of nowhere, its over a mile to a paved road) The tone setting is all I need to use anymore and that is rare as voice commands are no longer ignored when fascinating diversions on four legs wander into view.

GREAT product and service!

I always had a hard time correcting my Lab quick enough, at the moment she would start to get 'puffed up' and ready to bark like crazy. Going out on walks, while on a leash, was always a problem. But now she gets a small 'nick' whenever she gets puffed up and we can now pass people (AND KIDS!) without an all-out bark fest.

There are 8 settings, but I've never brought it over 2 and I have so far not had any problems with distance.

Off leash is great, it has given me the confidence that I needed, and she loves it when I take it out and turn the device on. When it gets turned on, it beeps twice. This sound is something she recognizes as "Its time to go play!"

Bottom line, its a great training tool. Think of it as a $200 insurance policy that keeps your dog from running into the street or taking off after someone.

I am using this remote trainer for two very different dogs. The first dog is my border collie who is already extremely smart and willing to learn, but she was lacking the ability to focus on me from a distance. My goal for her was to be able to use the collar to communicate basic and advanced directional commands from afar. The trainer comes with an instructional dvd and booklet that outline the best way to introduce the collar as a training tool to your dog. This was especially important for my border collie, since she can be a little reactive and doesn't always respond well to negativity. Following the training instructions allowed me to turn the collar into a positive experience for her! One thing I did that it doesn't tell you to do in the training guide was condition a tonal response in addition to the electronic stimulation. Right before I used any kind of electronic stimulation on her, I first hit the tone only button. Now that's all I need to do, no shock needed! I am still working on some of the more advanced commands, but she is coming along nicely.

The second dog I am using this on is my fiance's lab mix. For him, the collar is not an advanced training tool, simply a corrective devise. He had a habit of running after other dogs and people and no matter how we called him, he would only come back when he wanted to. So, the introduction of the collar was minimal as we simply put it on him before taking him to play. After about 20 minutes of fetching and playing, a friend of ours showed up with his dog and sure enough, ours started off toward him. I gave the command 'Leave It' but he made no effort to stop. He made it about two steps, I hit the tone, then the shock. At first he just shook his head and kept going so I did it again. At this point he stopped, shook his head, looked at me, and returned. We had a few of these episodes, once having to increase the level, before he understood that he was no longer free to bound after whatever or whoever walked by. For this dog, I thought there was no hope, but this collar has helped immensely. This collar truly is like having an 800 yard leash. The most important thing is to understand your dog and what you are looking for out of the collar before you start using it. Keep the training light and fun and you should get good results.