[November 02, 2008]

Electronic dog collars ring in new era for hunting, training

Nov 02, 2008 (Republican & Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
This being the time of year when hunters are pursuing various games species in Pennsylvania's woods, it is important to keep tabs on a dog when grouse hunting.

Traditionally, hunters attach a bell to their dog's collar to know its location in the woods. This tried-and-true method has worked for decades, but it has one drawback -- when the dog points, the bell stops making noise, so the hunter must locate the dog by trying to hone in on its approximate location the last time the bell was heard.

Now, new technology brings grouse hunters the tone beepers, which can be added onto the dog's training collar and run with a transmitter. Tri-Tronics, which is at the forefront of electronic training aids for dogs, has what many consider the best overall product on the market for hunting use in the Sport G3 Training Collar, which has a built-in beeper.

Among the features that place Tri-Tronics at the head of the pack among the many types of training collars and beepers available is the wide variety of options. While some may not need all of these; having them provides peace of mind when working or hunting with one's best four-legged companion.

Beepers are especially useful in locating a dog in the grouse woods and pheasant fields on public lands, which are usually shared with an undetermined number of other hunters and dogs. There are settings inside the battery compartment for "range/point" and "point," and the collars are equipped with an adjustable volume control, but the "high" setting is most effective to overcome the sounds that come with the fall breeze through the drying foliage and the patter of canine feet trotting through fallen leaves.

In the "range/point" mode, the beeper sounds once every five seconds while the dog is moving and once every second if the dog becomes stationary to go on point. In the "point" mode, the beeper only sounds when the dog points.

In "range/point," there are settings for a single, double or triple beep that will be transmitted every five seconds while the dog is moving. A single beep is fine if hunting or training one dog, but a different series of beep tones can be set if working two or three dogs.

In the once-every-second point tone, there is the option to use a beep or a hawk scream -- which is believed to help the dog hold the bird in place, since most bird species will freeze at the sound of a hawk. Although the hawk scream is a sound found naturally in the woods, many handlers and hunters prefer to hear a beep when the dog is on point.

As with any training equipment, dogs must be introduced gradually to beeper collars. It is best to begin with the collar set on low volume, and to further muffle the sound, wrap a piece of duct tape around a cotton ball that has been stuffed into the beeper so a dog becomes comfortable to the sound before putting the beeper on the collar.

It is important to place the beeper on the collar at the back of the dog's neck, as placing it under the chin or on either side of the neck runs the risk of the power switch getting turned off as the dog pushes through cover. And even with the use of a beeper collar, it is important that a dog wears its license, so that anyone finding a lost dog can call the treasurer's office in the county of issue.

As county treasurer's offices are open Monday-Friday during business hours, it is advisable to have an identification tag that includes the name and telephone numbers of the owner. Including a cell phone number should be considered, especially if it is carried in the field and someone calls the number after finding the dog.

Beeper collars not only add to the hunting experience, but they also provide a measure of safety for dogs. That is the major concern for all hunters, and grouse and pheasant are bonus prizes.

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