Best Dog Training Collars With No Shock

Okay, all you dog owners out there. We love our precious pups more than anything in the world, but sometimes we need a little extra help communicating with them.

Whether you have a new puppy, a rescue dog who needs guidance, or a long-time best friend who needs a gentle nudge back to the right behaviors, you have to be patient and consistent.

One of the best ways to speak your dog’s language is to use a training collar to teach obedience.

And yes, there are shock collars out there that may make a quick difference, but there are also plenty of drawbacks to these E-collars. Some believe that they can even lead to aggressive behavior in the long term.

Rather than take that risk, why not explore alternatives that are equally, if not more effective – with no shock required.

If you find yourself at a loss with your dog, or just want to start training with your best foot forward, dog training collars can make a considerable improvement.

You will find our recommended dog training collars without shock below.

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Vibration Neckbands

Vibrating collars use the same principle as shock collars, with much less pain for your pup. They still address negative behaviors but not at the expense of your dog’s comfort. Here are the best vibration collars to help your dog be on his best behavior.

1. WOLFWILL Humane Shock-Free Remote Canine Tutoring Neckband

Number one on the list is WOLFWILL’s no-shock training collar. This is the perfect solution for dog owners who want to make a marked difference in their dog’s behavior but have reservations about using a shock collar to get there.

This collar operates much in the same way that a shock collar does, but instead of delivering a painful shock to your dog’s neck, the collar vibrates, sending a clear message to your dog without intense discomfort.

The transmitter for the collar has touch-distinctive buttons that allow you to select vibration or tone to give feedback to your dog.

There are 16 levels of vibration intensity to choose from, and the transmitter has a range of 660 yards – plenty for an average house dog!

As a bonus, this collar does not have the metal prongs that are typically found on training collars, so no metal pieces are digging into your dog’s neck. That’s much safer for their throat and airways!

2. PaiPaitek Shock-Free Safe Canine Tutoring Neckband

A close second for vibrating collars is PaiPatek’s No-Shock Safe Dog Training Collar. While it also has the prong-free design that WOLFWILL’s does, this collar has some added features that set it apart.

For starters, the receiver on the collar is waterproof, so your pup can enjoy a hike in the rain or a day at the lake without you having to worry about their safety or the collar’s integrity!

The transmitter has a range of 1,640 feet, and both the transmitter and collar can be recharged via USB – at the same time, no less!

The battery life is pretty impressive, lasting up to 10 days after being fully charged.

Another handy feature is the LCD screen on the transmitter, making it easy to see the settings you’ve selected.

The vibration levels range from 0 to 100, so the easy-to-read display will come in handy!

This collar is best suited for small to medium dogs, ranging from 4 pounds to 66 pounds.

3. GoodBoy Mini Shock-Free Remote Neckband

Last but not least, for vibrating collars, we have GoodBoy’s Mini No-Shock collar, perfect for our tiny furball friends. It is ideal for dogs ranging between 5 pounds and 15 pounds, and it is super lightweight to accommodate even the most petite pooch.

While there is only one volume level for the tone feature, there are nine vibration intensity levels to choose from. The transmitter is quite sleek, user-friendly as well, and has a range of up to 1,000 feet. However, the battery life leaves a bit to be desired. Once fully charged, it lasts for up to 16 hours before needing to be charged again.

There is a bonus with this collar, though! When you purchase it on Amazon, it comes with a training booklet, a guide to teach you how to use the collar on your dog safely, and to get you started with training commands!

Citronella Bark Neckbands

Perhaps your furry friend needs some guidance when it comes to excessive barking. Bark collars, particularly citronella bark collars, are just the ticket. You’ll need to make sure you train your dog properly for these collars to work correctly.

Citronella collars use the same method as vibration collars, but instead of sending vibrations, the collar sprays a burst of citronella oil.

While citronella is a natural, plant-based oil that is not harmful, dogs still don’t care for the smell and will associate this awful scent with negative behaviors.

Here are some of the best citronella collars to help train your dog!

1. PetSafe Remote Spray Trainer, Tutoring Neckband & Remote

This spray trainer is the best of all worlds. It has three modes to choose from as you work with your dog: spray stimulation, tone, and vibration.

Fair warning – because of these fantastic features, the price is a little steeper than other citronella collars.

However, when you weigh the cost against the price of a professional trainer, it suddenly doesn’t seem so bad!

The range is somewhat limited with the PetSafe collar, only extending up to 300 yards out, so it is best used for indoor training, small yards, or close-contact training.

Two 6-volt batteries power the collar and transmitter, and you do receive a pair when you purchase the collar.

The citronella spray comes out of refillable cartridges that attach to the collar, and each cartridge lasts for about 35 sprays.

PetSafe does sell refill bottles of the citronella on Amazon, so don’t fret if you go through the first cartridges quickly!

2. Downtown Citronella Spray Neckband

This collar is unique from the others listed so far. While the other collars are manual, triggered by a button on a transmitter, this collar is automatic, so it is strictly a collar for barking.

The collar is triggered when the built-in microphone detects your dog barking and sprays a burst of citronella to discourage the behavior.

While the cartridge only holds enough citronella for 15 sprays, the collar does come with a bottle of citronella to refill it.

It also includes one battery to get you started as soon as it arrives on your doorstep.

Downtown’s Spray Collar is recommended for dogs weighing 6 pounds or more, but keep in mind that the cartridge is a bit more bulky and heavy than other choices.

Smaller dogs may have more trouble adjusting to it because of its size.

3. Queenmew Canine Bark Neckband

If you’re looking for a hybrid option between manual and automatic, Queenmew has the perfect collar for you and your dog!

After you turn the collar on, you can activate the manual mode by simply pressing any button on the transmitter.

If one minute has passed and the collar does not detect a signal from the transmitter, it activates the automatic mode, using its built-in microphone to sense when your dog barks.

The receiver of the collar is USB-rechargeable and is fully charged within two hours.

The transmitter requires two AAA batteries, but Queenmew does include a set when you first purchase the collar.

While it’s listed as being waterproof, the manufacturer’s notes do say to remove the collar when your dog is swimming or bathing.

The one drawback to this collar is that it does not come with the citronella spray or refill bottle; the citronella has to be purchased separately.

However, it’s easy enough to buy one of the PetSafe refill bottles to use for this collar as well!

Alternative Neckband

1. PetSafe Gentle Leader Headcollar

Some dogs struggle with lunging at other dogs and people, jumping, and pulling on the leash while they walk.

If these are the issues you’re trying to address in your dog, the Gentle Leader is an ideal solution without using any sprays, shock or vibration collars, or choke chains.

The Gentle Leader works much like the harness of a horse. The band slips around their nose and clasps just behind their head, giving you more control of their whole body.

The padded band around their nose puts pressure on calming points of their snout rather than putting an excessive amount of pressure on their throat and neck.

As a bonus, the Gentle Leader can help calm anxious dogs who typically struggle with walking calmly on a leash.

Those pressure points on the snout can tame a jumping dog but soothe an anxious one as well!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Difference Between Positive Reinforcement and Aversive Training?

Dog training can be broken down into two primary groups: positive reinforcement or aversive. Many kinds of training rely on both of these groups, but any single technique can always be classified as one or the other.

Positive reinforcement training rewards dogs when they perform a behavior you want. Aversive training punishes dogs when they perform a behavior you don’t want. In their purest forms, positive reinforcement trainers ignore behavior they don’t want while aversive training ignores behavior they do want.

Many training techniques use a combination of positive reinforcement and aversive punishments. For instance, when training a dog to sit, a combination trainer may pull up sharply on the leash if the dog doesn’t sit and offer a treat or toy if the dog does sit.

How Do No Shock Collars Work?

No shock collars include vibration collars and citronella collars. Vibration colors can be used for either positive reinforcement or aversive training while citronella collars are used for aversive training.

Vibration collars create a vibration that serves as a signal for the dog. Typically, you can choose from several different levels of vibration. There is often a tone or several tones that can also be triggered.

A handheld remote is generally used to control the collar. The vibration itself is not inherently perceived as either positive or negative for most dogs, but it can be tied to something positive or negative. For instance, a vibration can be connected to a tasty treat so that whenever the dog feels the vibration they know a treat is coming. Alternatively, the vibration could be connected to a punishment.

Citronella collars are inherently aversive for most dogs. However, they are much less aversive than a shock. Citronella collars release a small puff of citronella vapor which dogs find irritating.

Citronella can either be released when a handheld remote triggers it or when the collar senses a behavior from the dog, such as barking. Studies have found that citronella collars are more effective than shock collars and aren’t associated with the negative effects that are tied to shock collars.

What Can These Be Used For?

No shock collars can be effective for training just about any kind of behavior in your dog. Here are a few of the most useful ways to utilize vibration or citronella or collars:

Vibration Neckbands

1. Rewarding Desired Behavior

Whatever you want your dog to do, you can use vibration to mark the correct behavior. For instance, you can ask your dog to sit, trigger a vibration, and then give your dog a treat. In time, you won’t have to give your dog a treat after each positive behavior. The vibration will indicate to your dog that they’re doing the right thing.

2. Training Deaf Dogs

Vibration can be extremely effective for training dogs that can’t hear. The vibration can be tied to different behaviors and replace verbal commands. For instance, one vibration tone can indicate that the dog should come back to you when off-leash. Two quick tones can indicate that the dog should stay, etc.

Citronella Neckbands

1. Barking

No bark collars that utilize citronella can be very effective. The collar releases a little puff of citronella every time it senses the dog barking.

This works so well for two reasons: it provides an aversive reaction when dogs bark which makes them less likely to bark again, and it distracts your dog from whatever was causing them to bark in the first place.

This kind of collar is far from a quick fix and it’s not an ideal solution, but it can be a good tactic for dogs who bark persistently when you aren’t there to train them.

2. Chewing, Jumping, and Other Unwanted Behavior

As an aversive training technique, citronella collars can be useful for reducing all kinds of unwanted behaviors. The citronella collar can be deployed the moment a dog jumps up on somebody, begins to chew on an undesirable object, digs, etc.

The trick is to deploy the citronella the second your dog begins the behavior so that they’ll associate the punishment with the behavior. Immediately reward the cessation of the negative behavior and give the dog something positive to do.

For instance, if your dog begins chewing on a shoe, you can trigger the citronella, and then when they stop chewing on the shoe, give them an appropriate chew toy and verbally praise them for chewing on it.

What are the Potential Cons of these?

● Some dogs can have an allergic or unusually strong reaction to citronella.
● Some dogs find vibration frightening.
● Dogs may completely ignore citronella or vibration, especially if they are overused or not associated with sufficient training.
● Long-haired dogs may not feel the vibration, especially if you choose a weaker vibration setting or a collar that doesn’t have very strong settings.
● Dogs can become acclimated to the collar, and you may find it difficult to get them to behave without it.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a dog training collar without shock, there are some quality ones on the market.

You’ll want to compare the features of the listed collars above to see which one is the best fit for your dog and your budget.

You can choose from vibrating collars, Citronella Bark Collars, or even collars with calming pressure points.

Let me know your experience with these collars or if you have any further questions.