Dogtra 280X E-Collar with Remote [New Edition] 10 lbs+, 1/2 Mile Range, LED Light, 100 Levels of Precise Control for Stubborn Dogs, Waterproof, Boost for Quick Recall, Vibration, Safety Lock & Tone

I’ve been using the Dogtra 280C for over two years now, and I can confidently say it’s one of the best investments I’ve made as a dog parent. I originally bought it for my male Doberman, and after seeing how effective, reliable, and gentle it was in our training routine, I didn’t hesitate to purchase a second one for our newest pup.Even after two years of regular use, the first unit is still going strong. The battery life holds up, the remote response is instant, and the collar has stood up to everything from rainy walks to off-leash adventures. The design is compact, sleek, and doesn’t weigh my dogs down, which is a huge plus—especially with active breeds like mine.What made this even more enjoyable is how easy it was to buy a second unit. The process was simple and seamless, and I appreciated knowing I was investing in a product I already trusted.If you’re looking for a professional-grade e-collar that builds confidence, supports communication, and lasts over time, the Dogtra 280C is hands-down the one to get. It’s been a huge part of our glow-up journey as a stylish, structured dog family—and I can’t recommend it enough.

I like how I can clip it, hold it in my hand, or wear it around my neck. The unit is easy to use and the textured button is easy to locate while not taking my eyes off my dog. The incremental adjustment makes it perfect for dialing in what my dog needs to break his attention without causing him excessive unnecessary discomfort. It did take him a bit to get used to the pager function as it is pretty intense but I think that is a good thing as he is stubborn!

The media could not be loaded. I’ve been training dogs for fun and using an e-collar for the last 5 years. From raising Police K9 puppies to high energy cattle dogs. My current e-collar is the Pet Educator 902.When comparing the Dogtra 280x with the PE-902 the collars are pretty much the same. The 280 is a little smaller and I’m guessing because it’s not as powerful as the 902. The real difference is in the remote transmitters. Every system takes time getting used to. So saying which one is easier, well I think depends on the user. Overall the fit, feel and finish of the Dogtra is much nicer. It’s more robust and refined.I tested the 280x first with our cattle dog Mak. It took me about 2-3 minutes to get familiar with the controls. We did a basic 15 obedience training and not once did I find myself fumbling around to use it. Well done Dogtra.Next I tested it on our 95lb Dutch Shepherd at a home protection training class. I was a little worried that the 280x would not be able to provide enough stimulation to get my dog to respond in a high stress and stimulating environment only because the 280x’s collar is a smaller unit than the PE902. The 902 collars are more comparable to the 1900x. I never got above level 40 and again I did not fumble or miss a command even though I had only used the 280x once before for 15min.The last thing I really wanted to test and was light function. With the PE902 you have to go into “Program” mode on the transmitter and go through the settings to turn the light on and off. It’s annoying. Also the light is just a solid light. With the 280x there is a dedicated button and the light is brighter as well as it strobes! The things I don’t like, and this goes for both PE902 and 280x is that the light is too close to the fur and it’s only on one side of the receiver. It would be nice to have a light on both sides or even on the outward facing surface so you can see it better from any angle. Something to think about Dogtra.I don't really use “Tone” or “Vibration”. I was taught to just use the stimulation. That being said the tone is louder with the 280x and the vibration is definitely stronger as well.Both systems are 3 dog systems. If you were to buy only one, that would depend on one factor. If you have more than 1 dog and take them out on walks together I would choose the PE-902. This is because the 902 has dedicated buttons for each dog that are accessible at anytime. With the 280x there is only one set of buttons and you have to use the toggle switch to go between dogs. For me if I need to call my dogs to heel or have them down at any moment I can do that much faster with the 902. That just gives peace of mind if there happens to be an emergency situation on an off leash walk that I can achieve that without even looking at the transmitter.If you have more than 1 dog and never take them out at the same time then I would DEFINITELY choose the Dogtra 280x. Hands down. The overall feel of the transmitter is just better. It’s rugged and feels amazing in the hand.I’m impressed Dogtra, great job. You gained another fan.

I had bought a cheap dog collar and it was a complete failure where dog 2 would bark and the collar on dog 1 would go off.I decided to try something more serious and found this. This "tool" is primarily for teaching hunting dogs to retrieve but we used it to try and get our pair of shelties to not bark so excessively (and a little bit of obedience like "come" better). We have a 5 year old and a 2 year old and the 5 year old was teaching the 2 year old what to bark at.They would bark at anything with motor in it. Lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners, drills anything. Aluminum foil, getting in and out of the car, when we go swimming. They were out of control and neighbors were starting to complain and they were kicked out of doggy play dates.There was an almost immediate improvement within about 2 days. We started off with the 280C (Single) and quickly realized we needed to upgrade to the dual.You have to remember this is a training tool to teach them to obey your VERBEL commands. I really like the way the manual explains things and you can think of it as a tug on a leash, not so much as a punishment. Think of your dogs as having ADD and you need to get their attention with a tug (or a stronger tug). In fact if our dogs when on leash they were fine. So you can think of this tool as extending their freedom rather than something negative.Always start with a verbel command, if that fails try the "Page" (vibrate), if that fails try a "Nic" (short zap), if that fails "Continuous" (long zap). The point of this progression is to train them to think there is a consequence if they don't listen. Don't go straight to Nic (unless you already gave them a verbal and page). It's an easy trap to just go to the higher levels in panic. But they won't learn if your not consistent.What's also nice is that I realized an automatic collar will never work or be fair. Every situation is a judgement call. And the goal isn't to teach them to never bark. We are teaching them to not bark at stupid stuff. If they are playing and having a "conversation" we let them bark. But if they bark because I opened the door on the car that's not acceptable especially if I told them not to.One super important thing is how tight to make the collar. Our dogs have thick fluffy fur. DON'T compensate with a higher level if it's making poor contact. If it's making good contact it does not take much. If you don't make good contact and turn it up, it will make intermittent contact and zap them harder than you should (this has happened and will happen until you sort things out).Currently 80% of the time page does the job, 15% Nic and 5% continuos is needed. We find it needs to be uncomfortably "snug" to work reliably. It does not seem to bother them if it's snug. But it works a ton better when it's snug.I do hope we can ween them off this collar. Currently they behave a LOT better as soon as it's on. And they don't seem that upset about it and sit right down when it's time to put it on. It's kind of like putting on a leash to go walking. We try to take it off as much as possible because it is heavy and needs to be snug. If we had to use the collars forever, we will, but we hope not to.Friends and neighbors immediately noticed a huge difference and they are better with the collar off as well. But how long would that last if we never put the collar on again? We don't know.One thing I don't like is the dial to turn it up. This can get bumped up or down. Check it before Nic or Continuous every time.I zapped myself to know what I was giving them. It's kind of like a static shock from a switch plate. It's not going to hurt them.We run it between 20-28. Usually leave it on 20 Nic to be safe.We frequent a lake and pool and it has gotten very wet many times. But if they are going to swim, we try to take it off and not "submerge" it (even though it probably has) It is clearly VERY high quality. It works more consistent when they are wet :)We didn't realize how bad it was and what we were putting with and all the yelling and barking until we got it more under control with this tool.I will try to follow up on this review. We've had it like 2.5 weeks.Wish us luck.

Like it. Just got it charged and working with my dog. Like the page button