I have had problems training my working dog breeds using normal collars. These dogs are muscular, and they often cause leash burns when they pull. Sometimes the leash slips and the dog escapes. I decided to try the much talked about E-collar. I have heard the good, the bad and the worst about this new technology.
But after some research, I realize it all depends on the quality of the E-collar you buy. So, I decided to test the popular mini educator E-collar. Almost everyone was talking about it, but for long I underrated its small size. It proved me wrong. Let me walk you through the powerful features of this small E-collar. I'll also dive into some tips on how to use it.
Mini Educator E-Collar: A Small Yet Powerful Tool for Effective Dog Training
Before I dive headfirst into the mini educator features, let me first explain how the e-collar technology works. E-collars use the Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. This is the same technology therapists use to stimulate nerves and relieve pain. The collar delivers a low-voltage current.
The current causes a mild electric shock. That's why some people call them shock collars. This causes an unpleasant tingling sensation. That's the stimulation that helps to correct the unwanted behaviors. As you can guess, the collar comes with electronics and a battery.
The best part of E-collars is that you control them remotely using a transmitter. That means you don't need a physical leash attachment to control your furry friend. Let's go back to our mini educator. This collar is one of the two E-collars from the E-collar technologies.
Its full name is ET 300 Mini Educator E-Collar. This E-collar is so popular that if you just search Mini Educator, you'll find it. Let's jump right into its specs.
Key Features of the Mini Educator
As you can tell, E-collars are quite different from standard collars. If you're used to only checking the material and size when buying a collar, there are many more specs in an E-collar. Here are the features that make the mini educator a small yet powerful dog training tool.
Size
Let's start with the basics. For the E-collar to function, there's a receiver located on the collar, and the remote transmitter. The problem with most E-collars is that the receiver is so large. Remember, the receiver holds the electronics and the battery.
If it's large and heavy, it'll easily exhaust your furry friend. For example, imagine the receiver weighing 10 ounces, and the collar is for a 4-pound miniature Yorkshire Terrier. That's so much weight for such a small dog.
Now, as the name suggests, the receiver of the mini educator is small and lightweight. It measures 1 x 1.5 x 2 inches and weighs 2.4 ounces only. The same compact and lightweight size is reflected in the transmitter. It measures 1.3 x 2.6 inches and weighs 3.4 ounces. It's a win for both you and your furry friend.
Keep in mind that this is the receiver and transmitter size, not the fabric wrapping around the neck. You still need to consider your dog's neck size when fitting the collar. But that's the same way you fit standard collars, so let me not dwell on that.
Battery
All E-collars come with batteries, but I want to talk about the uniqueness of the mini educator battery. It’s a lithium polymer battery using a gel-like electrolyte instead of liquid. It’s a newer technology than lithium-ion.
In fact, most smartphone manufacturers are switching from lithium-ion to lithium polymer. That one alone tells you this manufacturer meant business when making the collar. But let’s dig into the specs. This battery gives you a whopping 40 to 50 hours of battery life without recharging.
That’s around six days, assuming the dog wears the collar 8 hours per day. The interesting part is that this battery only needs 2 hours of recharge time.
Range
The range is the most common spec E-collar buyers check. Everybody wants the convenience of controlling a dog hundreds of feet away. I also like longer ranges, especially when I rest on hiking trails and allow the dog to explore. When it’s time to get going, I just press the button, and here comes the dog!
You don’t want a situation where you allow the dog to explore, only to press the button, and the dog is already out of range. The mini educator E-colar comes with a mind boggling range of 2640 feet. That’s half a mile; a real meaning of small but powerful.
Stimulation Levels
The biggest problem of the 1960s crude E-collar prototypes is the lack of stimulation levels. That means you’ll be subjecting your furry friend to the same level of stimulation all the time. That’s not fair. Sometimes, you’re reinforcing a relatively new command.
That needs lower stimulation so the dog isn’t confused about what he has done wrong. The same applies for different breeds. Some breeds like the Poodles, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers are intelligent and obedient.
They only need low stimulation to learn. High levels will be overwhelming and frustrating. On the other hand, dogs like the Huskies, English Bulldogs, Mastiffs, and Beagles are outright stubborn and independent. They require higher stimulation to learn the same commands.
The good thing with the mini educator is that it allows you to set the perfect level for your dog. It comes with 100 stimulation levels. You can precisely choose a stimulation level that triggers a response to your dog. The manufacturer even went a step further and added 1 to 60 boost levels.
If the dog is in a highly distracting situation like a fight, you use these boost levels to distract it back. I also love the vibration and tone buttons in the remote. Before I stimulate my furry friend, I use the vibration to warn him. If he responds, I don’t stimulate him. I reached a level of almost always using the warning only, and the dog obeys.
Why the Mini Educator Is Popular Among Dog Trainers
I have talked about the mini educator features. But is that the reason why these E-collars are so popular among dog trainers? Probably not! It’s a combination of factors. The main reason I think mini educators are so common is because they deliver blunt pulse stimulation.
This stimulation is so similar to the TENS technology used by therapists and chiropractors. It’s like a tingling sensation that excites muscles to reflex. You can relate it to a gentle tap on your shoulder, a colleague reminding you, hey! Tie your shoe races.
The other E-collars, especially those made in Asia (you guess which country), use sharp pulse stimulation. As the name suggests, the sharp pulse stimulation resembles a pinch. The electric shock penetrates the muscles of your furry friend to tingle the neurons.
It’s a painful thing, and you might notice head jerking. I sometimes feel that these crude E-collars are the cause of the bad myths and misconceptions surrounding the TENS technology.
On the other hand, the gentleness of the blunt pulse stimulation makes the mini educator a positive reinforcement training tool. Of course, that’s what all professional dog trainers want.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Mini Educator
Before you do anything, let me mention something. This collar has a 2-year warranty. Make sure you're covered by this warranty before assembling.
If anything happens, they'll have your name, collar's model number, and serial number. Your model number is the ET-300 E-Collar, located above the bar code. Your serial number is the unique number at the bottom of the bar code. You can then indicate where you bought the collar from.
Unboxing
I told you we're going to unbox together. Open the box and check whether it has the following accessories.
- A lanyard for the transmitter
- Dual battery charger. The dual design allows you to charge both the receiver and the transmitter at the same time.
- Contact point remover to help you change the contact points
- Two contact point sets. The ½ inch contact points come connected. Then you have ¾ inch contact points in a small plastic enclosure
- Biothane collar
- Remote controller
- Collar receiver
- Warranty registration card
- Metal allergy notice. It's all about warning you that the dog might be allergic to the metal contact points. If you spot two small dots on your dog's neck, it's an allergy. Visit the manufacturer's website and request a hypoallergenic collar.
- Manufacturer's user manual. Although this guide gives you a glimpse of how to use this collar, I still suggest you go through the user manual.
Assembly
As I mentioned, the receiver comes with the ½ inch contact points already attached. The correct size of the contact points depends on how thick your dog's coat is. If the dog is short-coated, like the Bull terrier, Bulldog, or Doberman, just use the stock contact points.
If the coat is longer, like that of the Labrador Retrievers and the German Shepherds, switch to the ¾ inch contact points. If your furry friend has a long, thick coat like the Great Pyrenees and the Huskies, well, you'll need to get aftermarket 1-inch contact points.
To change the contact points, use the Allen key to unscrew the factory contact points and screw the right size. Avoid over-tightening so you don't break the metal posts. Another thing is that the batteries of both the transmitter and the receiver come charged.
So, you can start using the collar right from the box. Something else is that the biothane collar is usually so long. Wrap it around your dog's neck, take measurements, and cut off the excess part. Remember to give room for sizing up in case your furry friend gains weight.
Receiver Controls
The receiver has a little flap. Open it, and that's where you'll put your charger. Remember to always close it so the collar stays waterproof. Otherwise, it'll get damaged when the dog swims.
Transmitter Controls
The transmitter has a charging point similar to that of the receiver. Again, always keep it closed so it remains waterproof. Then you have two buttons at the back. One is the on/off button.
I think this is one of the most creative designs, as you can't accidentally press the off button when holding the transmitter. Hold the button down, and the remote will come on and display on the LCD screen.
Transmitter and Receiver Connection
As you can see, I haven't talked about buttons on the receiver. The receiver and transmitter connect using a magnet. You'll see a small red dot on both the collar and the remote. Both are magnets.
Put them together, and you'll see the collar turn green. It'll also blink green every five seconds as long as it's on and connected. The other buttons you see on the remote are for controls like vibration, black button for momentary and red button for continuous.
Success Stories & Testimonials
Before I talk about success stories, let me mention something about user reviews. They reflect the true picture of how buyers feel about the product. Now, on the educator collars website, the collar is given a 5 star rating by 729 users.
Not even a single 1 star or 2 star. The total ratings are 852, so 5-star rating carries over 85%. The same statistics are in Amazon Canada. The collar has a rating of 4.5 out of 5, with 5 star rating garnering 80% of the reviews. The collar is rated by over 5,000 users, so you can see how popular it is.
Let's go the testimonial route. One of the users is incredibly happy about the small size of the remote. It fits in the hands perfectly, and the buttons are easier to locate. Another user reports on X how he had suffered with other E-collars.
Even the lowest stimulation was incredibly high for his dog. However, with the mini educator, he has a wider range of stimulation levels. In fact, he says level 6 is the one that perfectly fits his dog's needs.
Conclusion
ET 300 mini educator E-collar is the best deal when it comes to dog training. The blunt pulse stimulation is gentle, making it a very humane way to train your furry friend. The wide range of stimulation levels makes it possible to match your dog's obedience to the right stimulation. In short, this E-collar is worth trying.