What are Sport Dog Remote Trainers?

Remote trainers for dogs utilize a remote-to-collar signaling system to deliver varying sounds, vibrations, or levels of electronic stimulation to aid in training your dog.   The collar is made up of a receiver box attached to an adjustable strap.  The receiver houses an internal antenna that picks up transmissions from the remote and delivers them to your dog via a contact point.  Most hunting dog training collar systems come with multiple contact points so that you can choose the appropriate contact point for your dog based on fur thickness or hair length and a careful consideration of the conditions in which you will be training.  Some systems like the Tri-Tronics dog training collars come with insulated contact points to minimize neck irritation on your dog and provide reliable performance in cold or wet environments.  Others boast receiver packs that are rechargeable, waterproof, or LED lit.  Systems like some SportDOG TEK E-Collars are even GPS tracking enabled.  

Stimulation Levels on Sport Trainers

The transmitter, or remote, part of the system is designed for maximum customization, allowing you to use the exact amount of stimulation necessary, or none at all, to train your dog in the most effective way.  Transmitters also come with a staggering variety of features so that you can find a system perfectly suited to your needs.  Some come with internal compasses or way-point storage systems.  Others are backlit, rechargeable, waterproof or even submersible.  Some Dogtra training collars come with modes designed specifically for hunting and can be switched from locate mode, to run and point mode, to point only mode.  Some Garmin training collars even come with bark limiting technology to make sure that your dog doesn’t scare away your mark.  

Range & Type of Training

Depending on your need, many hunting dog training collar systems are programmable to support training multiple dogs at one time.  When choosing a hunting dog training collar system for your pack, be sure to consider the range necessary for your anticipated use.  Some systems are great for small-range backyard training, and some are designed to be more versatile and well suited for a hunting environment and can provide an effective range of 7 miles or more.  Hunting dog training collar systems like these can be used in combination with many other types of training like click training, treat training, or positive and negative reinforcement training.

Introducing Your Dog To The Remote Trainer

When beginning any type of training regimen, it is important to allow your dog to become acclimated to any new equipment you will be using.  Once your dog is used to wearing his new training collar, practice some familiar commands using a lead or a heal stick.  Once your dog understands the basic command, you can begin using the hunting dog training collar.  When using any collar that includes electronic stimulation, be sure to use the lowest setting and work your way up as necessary.  Using too much stimulation can produce significant amounts of stress or pain in your dog and can actually cause training regression.  For the best recommendations on how to use your new hunting dog training collar, refer to the product manual or the manufacturer’s website.