Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar Review

We purchased the Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar so our reviewer could put it to the test on her dog. Keep reading for our full product review.

If you want to train your dog to listen while off-leash, you’ll likely need a remote training collar, such as the Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar. This particular model is extremely popular because of its gentle, humane options—instead of delivering a static shock like other e-collars, the Wolfwill model uses solely vibration and/or an audible tone to provide a correction to your pooch. 

Over the past few months, I’ve been working with my young golden retriever, Addy, to solidify her recall—I want to make sure she always comes to me when called, no matter what distractions she might be facing. So we introduced the Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar into a few of our training sessions to see if it would be a helpful training tool. Here’s what we found. 

Design: Easy to use but bulky

Some training collars have a ridiculous number of unlabeled buttons, making them tricky to use, so it was a welcome change to see the Wolfwill remote’s simple design. The collar itself has a power button, and the remote features clearly labeleled buttons for tone, vibration, and light. I never had to question which button did what. This collar can also be used with multiple collars at the same time, and there’s a toggle that lets you switch between receivers. 

The Wolfwill training collar is marketed for dogs between 22 and 90 pounds with a neck size between 22 and 64 centimeters. The receiver is attached to a thick thermoplastic polyurethane collar with a buckle, and as is, the collar was way too long for Addy. However, it’s designed to be cut down to the proper size to fit your dog. 

My only real complaint about the design of this training collar is that the receiver is fairly large—I’d say it’s roughly 2 x 1 x 1.5 inches and surprisingly heavy. Addy is close to 60 pounds, so she didn’t have a problem with the bulkiness, but I can see it being an issue for smaller dogs. 

Battery Life: Long-lasting

Another nice aspect of this collar’s design is its charger, which has two ports so you can charge both the rec and remote at the same time.  

It took about four hours for the collar to charge up fully, and subsequent charges are only supposed to take two hours. I found this to be accurate—I ended up charging it when the battery indicator was at ⅓, and it took around two hours to get back to full capacity. 

I couldn’t find in the manual or online how long the battery is supposed to last, but many reviewers say it can be used for a week or so between charges. We used the collar for several short training sessions of the course of a week, and the battery still had plenty of life to spare. However, if you use the collar for longer periods of time, naturally it will need to be charged more frequently. To extend the battery life, the listing recommends turning off the receiver between uses.  

Range: Over 1/3 mile

One major concern about training collars is that they’re useless if your dog is out of range. The Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar has a range of 600 meters (or 1,980 feet), which is more than 1/3 of a mile. This is a larger-than-normal range for a training collar, and I felt comfortable using it with Addy when we were training in a big field. 

Effectiveness: Easy for dogs to ignore

We tested out each of the options on this training collar—light, tone, and vibration. Frankly, I couldn’t figure out a use for the light option unless you lost the collar in the dark. When you press the button, the collar simply blinks a small green light—Addy never even noticed it, so that was quickly ruled out as useless. 

Next up was the tone setting, which makes a single beeping noise that can’t be adjusted. When I pressed this button during our first training session, Addy would stop what she was doing and look around. This helped to bring her attention back to me when she was distracted. However, the next time we used the collar (experts recommend a number of short training sessions instead of long ones), she became less bothered by the sound and began to ignore it altogether. 

Finally, there’s the vibration feature. There are 16 vibration levels that you can select with the up and down buttons. I initially thought this would increase the intensity of the vibration, it actually adjusts how long the collar vibrates. So on the first setting, the collar vibrates for a split second, but when it’s on the 16th, the vibration lasts for several seconds. 

When using any type of training collar with your dog, you’ll want to make sure they figure out that you’re controlling the stimulation—otherwise, they might just think it’s a bug and try to run away. When we first tested out the vibrate feature, I kept Addy on a long lead. I would call her to me, and if she didn’t respond right away, I would hold down the vibrate button and use the leash to provide a little pressure to get her started in my direction. When she started coming toward me, I released the button. This way, she learned not coming when called equals annoying vibrating. 

All in all, I’d describe the collar as moderately effective. Addy figured out quickly that she needed to come toward me to stop the vibrating, but there were a few instances where she ignored it—generally, this was when she was really engrossed in a smell or watching a bird intently. Basically, she had no problem ignoring it if something else was more interesting, and for that reason, I don’t know if it would be effective on stubborn dogs. The retailer listing also warns that it may not be as effective on aggressive dogs or dogs with longer fur.

Oh, and one last thing—it’s definitely waterproof, as Addy decided to jump in the pond during our training session, and the collar held up just fine. 

Humane: A gentle option to start with

The appeal of the Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar is that it’s much more gentle than an e-collar that provides stimulation. The vibration and tone options provide a mild annoyance to your dog, as opposed to a static shock, which can be painful if the setting is too high. 

I liked that this collar is a gentle option for remote training. Thanks to her breed, Addy is very willing to listen and a quick learner, so this collar will be a helpful tool in her training. It’s also an incredibly useful tool if you have a deaf dog.

However, as with most e-collars, there is risk of skin irritation or damage if you leave this collar on for too long. The manual warns that you shouldn’t put the collar on your pet for more than 12 hours a day, and if possible, you should reposition the collar every couple of hours so it’s not rubbing the same spot. If your pet develops a sore or rash, you should stop using the collar until their skin has healed. 

Price: Moderate

The Wolfwill No-Shock Dog Training Collar retails for around $65, which is middle-of-the-line as training collars go. The quality is solid, and I think it will last for a long time.  

My only caution would be that more stubborn dogs might start ignoring the vibration, and then you’ll be out $65. The company does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, though, so you can get a refund if this happens within the first month.

Competition: Upgrade for more stubborn dogs

SportDog FieldTrainer 425X: If your dog is a little more strong-willed, you may want to choose an e-collar that does deliver a static shock. The SportDOG FieldTrainer 425X has options for vibrate, tone, and stimulation, and this high-quality model is well-made and extremely effective. However, it is significantly more expensive than the Wolfwill model.

E-Collar ET-300 Mini Educator: For an e-collar with a longer range, the E-Collar ET-300 Mini Educator can be used when your dog is up to 1/2 mile away. This collar also has 100 stimulation settings, as well as a vibrate option, making it ideal for a wide variety of dogs. 

Mockins Remote Dog Training Collar: Looking for an entry-level training collar with stimulation? The Mockins Training Collar is one of the least expensive options out there. It’s not the best quality and isn’t waterproof, but it will get the job done and help you figure out if a training collar will work for your dog.