Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Electric dog collar

Hi Guys,

New to bird hunting and I have two bird dogs(yeah, I know). The dogs are Vizslas and hunt around 50-100 yds out. I am looking for a collar that could stop the dog if he gets too far out. My wife would kill me if I lost one.

thanks

Tri Tronics probably makes the best collar. Mine works at over a quarter mile. It's waterproof and the battery works for a long time before needing recharging. They make models that can control 2 collars with one remote.

Make sure you learn when and how to use the collar. You need to know a little doggy psychology or else you could wind up ruining a good bird dog. 50,000 volts does not necessarily a good dog make. A little Googling will give you lots of info on training and hunting a dog or dogs using a collar.

Properly used, they are invaluable and make bird hunting much more enjoyable.

I got a Dogtra pretty happy with that.. Its got a vibrate mode and a stimulus mode to....

Garmin just announced the purchase of Tri Tronics, so there could be good things coming soon...

ive got a tritronics and love it......one thing i like is having a remote set up for more collars than i have dogs.....given i rarely have to actually use the collar most of the time i like leaving it set on a collar not in use as an added measure to insure i dont shock my dog when i dont mean to......seen ppl shock a dog accidentally using a remote setup to for only one collar....

I been training GSP's for 25 years. My belief is that if you have to train with a collar you'll perpetuate dogs into the future that require collars. Imagine you bred Dogs that didn't need collars, in other words you would only select Dogs for breeding that were successfully trained without Collars.

Surely a Dog needs correction from it's handler because i believe a Dog does not correlate stimulae to the neck as correction from it's handler!!!

Dogtra and Tri Tronics you can't go wrong with. As to range that depends on the cover and terrian you are hunting in.

I'd rather not use a collar or have a dog that needs one at all.
Good luck, the vibrate mode would be more user friendly i think.
Too many people I know think you can take a dog (not trained) and light him up like a christmas tree, and it will be an automatic fix all. The dog will sit, stay, fetch, etc.

But for your use, it may work well.

i never use the collar for a command he doesnt know, and train the commands with out the collar even on him.....actually bout the only time i do use it is when his nose/eyes overrule his brain temporarily and he doesnt come when called back......Jake listens real well in the backyard even without the collar on.....i just use the collar as a 1/2 mile check cord/leash out in the field.....

he will get zapped for not coming back when called and there is no reason he couldnt hear me and not much else.....most the time when heading out i could put the collar on him and leave the remote at home....

"I'd rather not use a collar or have a dog that needs one at all.
Good luck, the vibrate mode would be more user friendly i think. "

Not necessarily, first time I used the vibrating mode on my Brittany I though he was going to stroke out in fear of that crazy thing on his neck. The zap mode with the zap dialed back to an unpleasant tingle was more agreeable. Years ago it was sort of popular, among electronics geeks anyway, to make a tickle box for practical jokes. It gave a tingly sort of shock that wasn't painful, just annoying particularly if you're surprised. That's as high as I needed to go with Larry. But of course dogs vary in perception of annoying enough to listen by breed and individual.

It worked well for both of us as a communications tool for his selective deafness. Before the collar I'd get pissed with him, he'd pick up on my displeasure, and neither of us would be happy. Much better for both of us after the collar.

Imagine what it does to your "come" command when you light your dog up for not coming.

I worry about them collars. I feel many many good dogs are screwed up by them-PERMANENTLY!!!

Definitely helps the "come" command when used properly. Ferinstance Larry Brittany and I hunted together, as a team, but sometimes his nose and instinct to be fascinated by scent would lead him astray. That's when he'd go deaf. A little tickle, and I mean just that, would break the scent-trance and we'd be hunting together again. Sort of like tapping a kid on the shoulder to get his attention. The dog has to know the command and generally obey it, wanting to please you.

actually works fine.......as the other poster said it breaks his focus, he seems to have an "oh chit, i wasnt paying attention" moment and comes back to check in and i send him off again....

so long as you only use it to reinforce commands you are positive the dog knows real well it wont hurt....

Yip well. About a month back and while training my 8th GSP i've decided to give in and get a collar from Cabela's. Man, i just don't have the energy to train these young GSP's any more.

For every new Dog there's a new Challenge. I had easy ones but really GSP's can give you a hell ride if you not a quick and agile trainer, so having said my piece, i'm gonna try a collar.

Obviously i got to get him to understand the basics of sit, come and No. Then just enforce with the collar. Any advice is appreciated if you got some for me!!!!

Somebody here said think of it as an extended check cord, sounds like good advice. Use the minimum strength needed to get the dog's attention, it's not to punish or teach a command but to help the communication process. But then I've never dealt with a true hardhead or trained to meet a schedule. They all respected me as the pack leader and wanted to please, and the dog dictated the pace of training. You've got more experience in training than I do but that's the role I see for a collar.

Thanks Nighthawk. I've got the young pup on her first hunt this weekend with clients from England. This should be interesting since the collar isn't here yet. Oh well hopefully the older Girl will hold it together. I hope.

I use Tri-Tronics collars and have for years. Presently I have three dogs and have a controller that can run all three collars. Personally I don't even take my dogs for a run without putting the collars on them. Mostly I use the "tone" to turn the dogs on the end of a cast, don't have to use a whistle or a yell. If I need to get their attention I can do it immediately. Every dog will react differently to a shock collar and you have to be very careful how you use it. My two pointing dogs, a 14 year old English Setter and a 15 year old Shorthair will both hunt a little this fall although they are both nearly retired. Neither of them have much hearing left (never know whether the GSP is not hearing you or ignoring you) but I have learned how much of a "tickle" it takes to get them to respond to a hand signal.

Whaaaaaaaaa haahahaha Gauranteed the GSP is hearing you. They can be such naughty Dogs its increadible really!!!

The guy across the street has two lab-GSP crosses from the same litter, one more GSP-ish in looks and the other more like a lab. I take care of them when the neighbor is out of town. Both lovely dogs and interestingly their personalities reflect their looks. Siri is much more, well, independent.

Yow, Sadie, my GSP made me question my choice of dogs once in a while when she was a pup. But as I look back over the years she is the dog I and my partners shot the most birds over. And my next pointing dog will be a shorthair.