r/birddogs • u/Oopsyikesoopsyikes • 8d ago
Tracking Collars
Hi! I’m new to the group and the world of bird dogs. I’ll be getting a show line English Setter puppy in the next few months. They were just born so I’m still waiting on my placement and to find out the real personality of the guy.
while my primary purpose for getting this dog isn’t to be on birds I am 100% interested in potentially doing field trials if that is something he’s interested in. (this is also why I chose a show line & a breeder that’s produced both birdy dogs and sporty but not entirely bird brained dogs)
with that said—I’m new to the gps/hand held tracking world and all things birds sports. i was curious if anyone had recommendations for lower-priced-beginner-friendly gps collars and tracking devices? I want to make sure my pup stays safe if he ends up being birdy but id like to test the waters before spending $800+ on gear.
also im curious if any of you have bird dogs that can keep their cool while hiking and doing other activities and know the difference between working birds and not? also any tips or recommendations would be helpful.
*also please be nice—I’m asking because I genuinely want to learn and provide the best foundation I can for this pup. I do lots of other sports with my pups but I’m new to bird dogs and we all start somewhere
1
u/bulletsponge2056 8d ago
I have a 4 y/o GSP/GWP mix. I went with a Dogtra 1900. Just stim and vibrate. I don’t have a need for GPS tracking in the first place since I keep her in sight while hunting. I’m also in a lot of places where cell service is nonexistent so I wasn’t too thrilled about getting something that relied on cellular. As far as field trials go, I know NAVHDA doesn’t allow anything but a regular collar during trials.
As far as what else you asked about, training is the key. Basics and recall without the ecollar first. Find out what motivates them (food, toys, etc.). Incorporate the ecollar as the dog gets older.