StarMark Training Collar, Large, Blue

Review by JON IN L.A. for StarMark Training Collar, Large, Blue
Rating:
UPDATE MARCH 2010

==================

I still think this is one of the greatest dog collars. (The price, the ability to control a VERY STRONG 100 lb+ APBT … and it has been personally and fully tested by myself when we were suddenly confronted with a ‘KILLER LAWN MOWER’ when we turned a corner on a daily walk.

I added an extra link so that it is just the right size to carefully slip on and off over his head without unbuckling the clasps.

PROBLEMS – I can see where there may be problems. If you don’t line the grooves up correctly when snapping in place or you twist to much trying to twist it off the wrong way – it will either break or frustrate you to death trying to get ‘a square peg into a round hole’ … so to speak. (NOTE: STUDY how the grooves line up carefully under a good light before you rush to put it on for the first time) the grooves (being plastic, will misshape or bend, and the most insignificant damage to a groove, will make THAT LINK useless)

I had one link get just slightly messed up from my own wrong twist and that link was permanently useless.

I do keep the collar looser that suggested since I have such a wonderful dog and I am not worried about his getting out of control … Just worried he may go to sniff a tree without my paying close enough attention and end up having him ripping my last remaining shoulder blade out of it’s socket … Without ever realizing how strong he is when he went to innocently smell what he thought was ‘doggie gold’ of some sort …. unfortunately a few feet beyond the length of my leash.

=========================================

*** UPDATE *** 12/05/09

AFTER REGULAR USE – MY RECOMMENDATION IS EVEN HIGHER THAN MY INITIAL ECSTATIC REVIEW!

WONDERFUL! MY DOG HAS BECOME A TOTAL NON-PULLER AND MY SHOULDER IS ALREADY FEELING BETTER!

ABSOLUTELY NOT CRUEL – MY DOG HAS NEVER HAD ANY ADVERSE REACTION TO MY TAKING IT ON OR OFF, AND IS COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WHEN I USE IT FOR ALL REGULAR DOG WALKS.

TIP: Some have commented on it being difficult to snap and unsnap. I fist thought they were crazy, because it was so simple, then all the sudden I couldn’t do it at all. Then I realized when taking it off, IF! it does not quickly, smoothly and effortlessly unsnap, just STOP!, go to the other side of the metal ring/center and it will easily snap on and off.

There is obviously a ‘front’ and ‘back’ to the collar, which you can’t tell which is which. It doesn’t matter for use, but for taking off and on – it is the difference between easy vs IMPOSSIBLE (literally).

I can also carefully slip it on and off over my dog’s head without any problem.

It is plastic, and will not last forever – but …. as long as you don’t mess up the grooves for the latches trying to clasp and unclasp while getting unnecessarily frustrated, it remains fully functional, safe and will have to be replaced probably when the nylon connection eventually wears thin from normal use … just like any non-metal dog collar wears out.

BTW – Also bought the metal kind, and much prefer this Starmark collar. It is much lighter, inconspicuous, and not even noticed by my dog when walking, whereas the metal kind gets twisted, chinked and have had some undesirable excessive pinching on my dog’s neck. The metal collar also makes my dog ‘appear’ to have a serious aggression problem already, when in fact he is the most submissive, loving and non-aggressive dog ever. He just looks scary from his massive size and incorrect bad-rap the breed has, and the metal collar only makes people MORE frightened when we walk down the street.

**** end of update *****

WOW! THERE WAS AN INSTANTANEOUS AND DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE AS SOON AS I PUT THE COLLAR ON.

FIRST: My dog has not shown any sign of pain, discomfort, fear, dislike or any negative association when in use or when I put the collar on in the morning or when I take it off at the end of the day (or when I leave him alone). And I have really been watching to make sure he is not in any pain or discomfort when in use.

EFFECTS: It is like suddenly getting ‘POWER STEERING’ on a car for the fist time. My dog stays closer to my side in general and responds to the slightest leash commands long before there is even a ‘pulling too hard issue’.

In addition to completely stopping all pulling, it only takes the very slightest of leash adjustment/movement for speed, direction or any other movement a dog walking properly on a leash makes. I mean you barely think and start to make what you would regularly do when walking any dog, and instantly my dog understands and responds to the proper movement before I can even make a full arm movement or gesture to guide him.

It is hard to explain, but it almost creates an unbroken link between my thoughts and the actions of my dog. He doesn’t look at me or seem confused or even appear to notice or be self aware of the command given and executed automatically by my dog.

The point being, I think he is actually much happier without knowing why, simply because he is now so intuitively able to understand me when walking on-leash with the Sartmark Pinch Collar.

I am amazed and would highly recommend anyone to TRY this or the metal pinch collar. There may be problems with long haired dogs (tangling the hair with the collar) or different breeds skin sensitivity or body shape/structure which, I would even more strongly recommend you start slowly with the collar and pay really, really close attention for the first few days to make sure there is no pain, discomfort and/or potential problems foreseeable for one’s own particular dog.

I like the plastic of the Starmark Collar, but if there seems to be any problem with wear-out, I would definitely consider the metal kind.

===>> CHECK OUT THE ON-LINE VIDEO DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE STARMARK DOG COLLAR WEBSITE (AND PROBABLY You-Tube) before you buy one. It could be very frustrating to attach and detach the links if you don’t see the twisting method the video shows.

Review by Adam G. Katz for StarMark Training Collar, Large, Blue
Rating:
We recommend these collars at Dogproblems.com as they are a fair substitute for those who cannot buy a metal pinch collar. (For example: If you live in a country outside of the U.S. where customs might confiscate the metal pinch collar, for whatever reason?)

I do not feel that the correction with these collars is quite as motivational as with a true pinch collar– however, it is a fair enough compromise.