Bark Collars
Not all dogs have the same learning and attitude and demeanor. Training pet dogs not only depend on a dogs breed but also in its temperament and its lineage (if dog is a mix). Despite going through a battery of training, some dogs have a difficult time keeping quiet. Veterinary professionals usually recommend inhibitor methods to compliment obedience training.
Bark Collars work as an inhibitor of a dog’s bark. Before deciding on buying a bark collar, it is best to know if your pet’s barking fit’s cause is valid. There are some cases that excessive barking is caused by danger, discomfort or territorial marking. A pet dog normally barks when strangers are about, most often dog’s judge by a person’s scent pattern. Male dogs also bark a lot at the scent of a female dog. Most dogs bark continuously or incessantly on or at a certain place can be interpreted as a warning bark.
Then again, there are dogs that just go on barking due to loneliness or insecurity. Most often termed as having separation anxiety, these dogs find comfort in grumbling the day away because it lacks activity. A bored dog that can’t find anything to amuse itself are the likely candidates for Bark Collar usage.
Bark Collars come in (three) types, the shock or static correction, ultrasonic and spray. Basically these bark collars act as inhibitors to any pet dog’s nuisance barking. These electronic training collars have receivers with prongs strapped facing the dogs neck. The receiver has sensors that distinguish the decibel measurement of the dogs bark. A mini bark-o-meter of sorts, if a dog’s bark registers as loud and continuous, the collar automatically emit corrections. These collars have safety features such as an internal memory that records the number of corrections a pet dog had gone through a day, auto-shut off, sound sensors that filters loud sounds that are not your dog’s.
Choosing the right bark collar for your pet dog is vital. Have professional veterinary advice to find out what collar would fit your pet’s needs. A pet’s barking problems range from tame, mild, loud and excessive. Proper matching of your pet’s problem with the right bark collar must be remembered, a mismatch may be more trouble than what you started out with.
Tracking Collars
Hunting with one or several dogs was never easy with the use of the ‘bell’ method. In the wake of tracking collars the trouble of keeping track of hunting dogs was done away with. A tracking collar set consists of a radio/collar transmitter (worn by dog) and a receiver (held by handler). Tracking collars work differently from remote training collars, since the transmitter is the one worn by the dog while a hand-held receiver is what the hunter uses to track.
The dog wears the receiver that is strapped to a collar. The receiver is compact and in some models have 1 or 2 antennas. This device transmits a continuous signal which is picked up by the hunter’s receiver. Both the transmitter and receiver are set on the same frequency, connecting the dogs movement to that of the hunter.
The hand-held device the hunter holds indicates the dog’s direction, range and its demeanor. This device comes in a light-weight case yet contains a mix of indicator lights, sound/bar graph to plot the dog’s location and what direction to go to.
Some manufacturers even included a Behavior Circuit which tells the hunter what the dog is doing. Behavior circuits have motion sensors that either tells if a dog is running or at point (Bird Dog Collars); it can also indicate if a dog is silent or baying (Bark Indicator) and lastly indicate if the dog has ‘treed’ the prey (Tree Switch Collar).
Tracking Collars are available for feather, hounds men, pig hunters and coon hunters it’s just finding the right tracking collar your need requires.
Tracking collar inclusions depend on the brand: multi-dog tracking, map reader, altimeter/barometer reader, hunt/fish calendar and a partridge on a pear tree. Technology plays a big part in research, development and manufacture of tracking collars which are made to suit a multitude of hunting needs.
Beeper Collars
This dog training collar functions in two modes: run/point and point. Both modes can be used according to the hunters’ preference and need. Depending on the terrain, most would use these modes alternately often changing when their dog’s in sight or when one dog is missing. Mode shifting comes easy with the beeper collar when the terrain allows it and the winds are not running at 40-50kph.
The beeper collar works with the use of motion sensors that is dependent on the dogs movement, while the beep signals what the dog is doing. Hunters keep track of their dogs movements by listening to the “beeps” which can mean it’s quartering (5-10 sec.) or 1 sec. beeps signals that the dog is on point.
The beeper collar can run more than one dog and enables the hunter to keep track of all of them with a flick of a knob or a twist of a dial, and a press of a button in some brands. Today’s beeper collar units come with LCD screens, no-slip grip transceivers, water-proof receivers and transceivers. These added features are thrown in for additional function of the beeper collar. Some beeper collar brands can also work combined with dog tracking collars, specifically when beepers and bells just wont work.
Switching is a feature often ignored to the detriment of a hunter’s session. The best beeper collar brands allow you to switch modes on one dog and resume run/point with the others. This feature is convenient especially when a dog goes missing. You can just concern yourself with finding it while the other goes to the dog on point. Beeper collars are great for multi-tasking: as you listen to your dogs’ movements while you bag the nearest quarry and move onto the next in continuous activity.
Since beeper collars are numerous, choosing one of quality must be based on: function, features and brand. All the same, it is best to visit stores or e-stores to be guided on which dog training collar you and your dog needs.
Shock Collars
Ideally most pet dog owners think of just doing away with training, relying on “need to know” system. Giving a pet training only when the situation dictates it would seem to benefit the owner more than the pet. Training on a ‘need to know’ basis primes your pet to be a confused and aggressive pet, while you on the other hand would have to contend with having a fit all the time your pet doesn’t do as expected. Giving it a whack or wagging your finger at it or even shouting at your pet after what you consider as ‘misbehavior’ just adds to his confusion and its impression that you are “…definitely not a pack leader”.
Dog training is a responsibility we take upon ourselves as we open our homes to that furry mutt, breed or no breed. From the time your pet dog got born, it is conditioned to learn behavioral do’s and don’ts from its mother. With this established, we are just taking up where its ‘mom’ left off. Basic pet dog training would include potty, off-zones, come when called, on leash and tricks call for patience and treats or clickers. Skills training on the other hand have a more rigid system, often needing training aids to motivate the pet dog.
Dog training collars like the shock collars are used for conditioning or response generation. Special training and a skilled trainer are key ingredients to having a pet dog do an exact or an equivalent action, shock collars are used to help in instilling the lesson. Untrained hunting and sporting dogs get distracted or preoccupied with other things instead of being in ‘hunt and retrieve’ mode. Most pet dogs qualifying for rigid skills training have talent and are bred for special skills.
Misconceptions are common, this generation’s shock collars are often mistaken as its initially crude proto-type. Present day shock collars have several levels ans settings that its transceiver can adjust in a split second. Shock collars also have a safety default system that overrides correction that lasts more than 8-10 seconds. Dog training collar manufacturers spend a fortune on research and development of products similar to shock collars. Harm done with the use of this device is expected, pet owners tend to get too impatient or ‘pulse happy’ that they extend correction to their pet’s discomfort.
With all things that concern pet’s welfare, a responsible and level headed pet owner is also needed for your pet’s success in training.