Despite a misguided negative popular perception of e-collars in some circles, they are hand-down one of the best tools for bird dog training, and they’re also extremely helpful in live hunting scenarios, too. To put it simply, an e-collar is a way to communicate with your dog over long distances, apply near-instantaneous pressure during training situations, and, if you get one with GPS capabilities, track them in the field and receive alerts when they go on point. Here’s what you need to know about today’s e-collars.
Types of E-Collars
There are three types of e-collars, and deciding which product to get depends on your dog, the hunting scenarios you’re likely to face, and how you plan to use the e-collar. Here’s the breakdown of these types of collars, plus one product of each that I’ve personally field tested and recommend.
Standard E-Collars
A basic e-collar is one that applies different levels of “stimulation,” or a low-amp electrical pulse, that can get the attention of your dog and enforce commands. Additionally, most but not all standard e-collars have tone and/or vibration settings, which can either be used similarly to stimulation but also as distinct commands (for instance, “tone” can signal a retriever to return or range further away from their handler, depending on how you train the dog to understand it). Basic e-collars are important tools for basic obedience training, but they can also be well-suited for waterfowl dogs. However, standard e-collars don’t have GPS capabilities, and their ranges can be limited. You can use stim to try to prevent a dog from running away, but they’re not great options for wide-ranging upland dogs or dogs that are prone to running off. One of my favorite all-around standard e-collars is the SportDOG WetlandHunter 425X, which is easy to use, waterproof, and comes in a camo design.
GPS Collars
A GPS collar typically uses radio waves to transmit location data to a transceiver or, in rare cases, a smartphone. Most but not all GPS collars also have the same stimulation features of standard e-collars. GPS collars are great for keeping track of dogs in the field, especially pointing dogs, which can be really difficult to spot when they go on point—and GPS collars play an important role by alerting hunters when they do so, helping them get to pointed birds in a timely manner. GPS collars are not fail-proof; varied terrain can block radio signals and disrupt location services. Still, they are one of the best tools a hunter can carry for dogs that like to range out from their handlers. As for a good GPS collar, you can’t go wrong with the Garmin Alpha TT25, which can track a dog up to 9 miles (depending on the transceiver), offers 18 levels of stim, and is relatively lightweight and rugged.
Beepers
A beeper collar sort of straddles GPS collars and standard e-collars. Before e-collars existed, most upland hunters used bells to keep track of their dogs in the field. A beeper does the same thing by regularly emitting a loud beep, and the sound can extend much further than a regular old bell. Additionally, many beeper collars also offer the opportunity to use stim for training. DT Systems makes a great all-around beeper in its SPR5300 model, which uses an uber-loud baritone beeper and has an impressive range of 2 miles.
Key Considerations
Range
One of the key factors to consider when looking for an e-collar is range. All kinds of e-collars ultimately have a maximum range in which they work. There’s a lot of variation, from as short as 100 yards to as far as 9 miles. Choosing the right option depends on how far you expect your dog to work in either wetland or upland scenarios, as well as what’s in your budget.
Stim Levels
All e-collars have different stimulation levels; however, some offer more options than others, including lighter and heavier stimulation settings. For especially soft dogs, having additional low-level stim options can be useful, though most gun dogs are fine with the normal stimulation settings on most models.
Durability
An e-collar used on a hunting dog is going to face abuse and likely get wet a lot. While these things are electric and don’t last forever, look for one from a company that creates e-collars specifically for gun dogs, and ones that are rated to be submerged in water, which will last longer than ones from non-hunting brands.
Size
Most e-collars come in one standard size—and these work for most gun dogs, as size is one of the lesser considerations. However, if you run a small dog like a Brittany or a Boykin, consider looking for a smaller e-collar, which some brands specifically make.
A Brief Intro to Proper E-Collar Use
One of the reasons that e-collars have a bad rap is that historically, some trainers used them to “shock” dogs to try to discourage unwanted behavior. This isn’t a particularly effective or ethical use of e-collars (excepting very specific scenarios like snake and porcupine aversion training, which are best left to professionals). Instead, most gun dog trainers today use e-collars to “drive” dogs to complete commands.
When doing this, it’s important to introduce e-collars slowly and for dogs to associate them with positive things, like going for a walk or doing some fun training involving fetch and/or live birds. Additionally, it’s important for a dog to clearly understand what a command means before adding e-collar stimulation as a form of remote-controlled pressure. The first thing a dog should learn, then, is how to “turn off” the pressure by completing the task. Even for incorporating e-collars into something like force fetch training, you’ll want your dog to have already progressed enough in the process that they know what is being asked of them before adding in e-collar stim.
Once your dog is properly introduced to e-collars and understands the commands, e-collars can be a great way to remotely and nearly instantaneously apply pressure. However, keep in mind that you should only use the minimum level of stimulation needed to get your dog’s attention and cooperation. This will likely vary depending on the scenario, which is why knowing your dog and their behavior is a key part of using any e-collar properly.