Is the Dogtra 1900X Worth the $300+ Price Tag?
Approximately 8 months ago, we purchased the Dogtra 1900X. No freebies, no reduced cost. Nothing. Our own hard-earned money is what purchased it. In fact, we spent over $500 for the 2 Dog Unit setup. That included 1 transmitter, 2 collars, 1 inch titanium contacts (for Nyx), and easy on/off collars with a bungee so that the dogs can work and breathe easy, plus the handsfree square remotes.
Was it worth it? Let’s break that down, but first, you need to know how we actually use it. This context is needed.
How we use the settings
- The Tone is a “Good Girl” or “Good Boy” marker, or a quick way for us to break the initial intensity of a situation.
- The Page or Vibrate is how we use the “Bad Girl” or “Bad Boy” signal to absolutely break their hyper focus. Think Malinois.
- The Static and Shock is hardly ever used. It is only there for emergencies.
I bet you are wondering what constitutes an emergency out here? A dog running out into a street in front of a car, or a dustup with a Black bear. That is absolutely an emergency. I think you get the concept.
Let’s meet the players in my circus. I have a fast moving, high prey drive Malinois named Scarlet on collar number 1. Then I have a strong, giant breed Kangal named Astraea Nyx, or Nyx for short, on collar number 2. The purchase of this system was 100% because of these 2 specific characters.
What I like
- Durability. It is pretty rugged. I have dropped the collars and the Dogtra 1900X transmitter off the tailgate of my truck directly into gravel, and they work. I’ve banged it on hard objects and it never quits on me. This is pretty good, if you ask me. There are no questions asked from the transmitter.
- Waterproofness. For what we do, this is fine. I have never submerged them to test the limits, but so far, I haven’t had to. I suppose swimming would be a real test, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself, yet.
- Battery life on the collars is pretty damn good, honestly. Not much more to say on this.
- Distance. Pretty good. Three quarters of a mile isn’t terrible and I live on a wooded lot. Would I have loved a longer distance? Absolutely. But not many companies make e-collars like that.
What I hate, honestly
1. Sensitivity Settings
Why does Dogtra think that the sensitivity settings of the Vibrate, Static, and even the Tone warrant one single setting that is shared among the collars? Why would I need to use the exact same settings for my Malinois who, mostly, is happy to please me with commands, that I would use for my Kangal, who could care less that I barked a command? How is it that companies not nearly as renowned as Dogtra can figure this out, but they can’t?
2. Battery life of the transmitter
I was hoping that this would be a little better. I get about 4 days max, and to be fair, that is because I forget to turn it off, or just plain don’t turn it off. My Kangal wakes me up at all hours of the night and early morning to go out, so I leave it on and hang it on the hook so that I can easily grab it and walk out the door.
3. The stock collars
I am not talking about the electronics or the receiver box here, but the actual plastic collar straps. I despise them. While they have made them pretty universal for dog neck sizes, they are just abysmal. My dogs work and play. I need the collars to have a little bit of give so that heavy panting can easily be done. This should be a standard option out of the box, not an extra accessory you have to pay for.
At the end of the day
I paid for the units and it is my right to provide an honest review of what I like or don’t like. I do this so that people don’t have to suffer the same issues or problems I did, especially after a pretty decent investment over $500. It is not like the population is made of money and in fact, most people are looking for a deal as much as possible in today’s economy.
I also know there are Dogtra diehards out there. Huge fans that will tell me I am wrong, or incompetent, or insert your favorite insult here. Again, you are either allowing a company to fleece you, allowing your peers to dictate your shopping expenses, naive to the problem because it isn’t one you happen to have with multiple different breeds, or you are just looking for an argument.
I am too old to argue with people who just want a fight. So take it or leave it. Buy it or don’t. Dogtra doesn’t give me a single thing or offer me any products. I am just being brutally honest.
Oh yeah, for those that think we don’t like Dogtra, we just recently purchased the Dogtra Pathfinder 2 system, the 2 dog setup with the Compass Transmitter, for our Maine adventure. We will provide an update in the next month or so after putting them through the paces.