Best Dog GPS Collar/Device

[Quee]

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I'm looking into getting a GPS collar/device for my Dobe Pippi. We go hiking a lot, and I always have her on leash due to her tendency to chase varmints and creatures for miles. Earlier this year we went up to the Gunflint area in Minnesota, and one time when I had her off leash she chased after the deer that were hanging around, all the way into Canada! Fortunately she came back once she got tired of running after them, but I was thinking it would have been a lot better if I had a GPS collar on her so that I could track her down if that had been necessary.

We also go to family houses where they have 20+ acres, and I'd like to be able to let her roam and still keep track of her. She always comes back, but she goes pretty far out before coming back, and I'd rather be able to find her if she gets into any mischief. Even in the dog parks we go to some are several acres, and just a month ago someone lost their Italian Greyhound in the dog park, only to find he had dug a hole and camped in it when he got scared.

Does anyone have recommendations for GPS devices to use? I've been looking at the Garmin line, but there are a lot of devices out there.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[iceman]

What you need is not a collar GPS...get yourself a good quality remote trainer collar and make sure you stop her on her tracks if she has the desire to bolt off.

 

[Quee]

What you need is not a collar GPS...get yourself a good quality remote trainer collar and make sure you stop her on her tracks if she has the desire to bolt off.

Doesn't work. We have an e-collar, and every time she gets zapped - no matter what the setting - she just goes faster until she's out of range, and basically it egged her on as far as running away is concerned. Even tried with a trainer - the trainer said in her 15 years of training she'd never seen a dog react so strongly like that, and with such a high pain threshold.

The range of e-collars is another problem - generally a mile or less before the collar doesn't respond to zaps.

Fortunately she always comes back, but she can get miles away before she tires of whatever caused her to run in the 1st place. GPS will allow me to find her on our (fenced) family farms and properties, which are 20+ acres. I'd rather not have to walk or ride (horses) the entire properties trying to find her!

 

[DreamValley]

It's much safer to keep her on the leash. If she is loose in wildness she may be killed before you find her GPS.

Agree with Iceman a remote collar training is much better idea. Maybe find another trainer?

 

[iceman]

Doesn't work. We have an e-collar, and every time she gets zapped - no matter what the setting - she just goes faster until she's out of range, and basically it egged her on as far as running away is concerned.

Has she had any training at all with an e-collar before you tried using it on her?

Most people usually make the mistake of zapping the dog with no prior training and then are surprised why the dog is running off!!

With the proper training i doubt very much she would carry on running if she was zapped with the collar i use..

 

[dh8]

I think a little more work on recall is in order. As always start without distractions and build progressively. You can't go from perfect recall in your yard to wild woods hiking perfect recall without building on it daily. Recall is always good to mix in as a pop quiz throughout the day in all situations but start when you know you have their attention and build.

We all know I'm not a shock collar fan. Under the best of circumstances it causes increased cortisol levels/stress which to me takes away from the purpose of a fun bonding hike.

I'd go Garmin for anything GPS while you work on improving your dog's recall. I use Garmin GPS for all our hikes. It's the one I trust when go into the bush which should say it all. There are cheaper competitors but if you need GPS, you need one you can 100% rely upon. Practice a lot wit it before you go deeper hiking.

I don't know how deep woods your hikes are but I like my dogs to have a fair amount of free reign when we go hiking in less than busy places...after their recall is really, really good. We also usually add bells to the dog's collars. The extra noise helps alert bears who will generally leave the area and stops scared hunters and hikers from shooting at a noise coming at them through the brush. Hunter reflective vests are a really good idea too.

They've located more than one lost person that we would never have known was there as they were too scared to call out and possibly attract bears. the honest people are all "THANK GOD your dog found me I got so turned around" and the phonies are "we were just exploring when your dog interrupted us..." while they follow you out to a known trail like glue.

 

[JanS]

I personally don't want the dogs getting that far out of my sight, so when we did the e-collar training the dogs stayed on a check line 30' or so and realized they need to stay within a certain distance of us or get a nick (not a zap) so they understand they need to pay attention to us and not other things "they're" interested in. The e-collars can definitely have a reverse effect if they're not used correctly.

As for the GPS systems, I believe Dan at Nutra-9 sells them (he's in our sponsor section) and I've I'm remembering correctly, they may even make some sort of implant now.

 

[Quee]

Has she had any training at all with an e-collar before you tried using it on her?

Most people usually make the mistake of zapping the dog with no prior training and then are surprised why the dog is running off!!

With the proper training i doubt very much she would carry on running if she was zapped with the collar i use..

Yes - I actually tried training 1st with a certified trainer who we worked with on other issues for a year before trying the e-collar. We suspect that she may have been on an e-collar before I got her (as a rescue @ 18 months old) and whoever had her before me may have messed her up on an e-collar or bark collar. I also tried on my own - I've trained all my previous dogs and several friends' dogs for obedience. I had the same problems that we had when we tried with a trainer.

Pippi was found running wild in Kentucky when she was rescued, so there's no way of knowing what she went through before she came to me.

 

[Quee]

I think a little more work on recall is in order. As always start without distractions and build progressively. You can't go from perfect recall in your yard to wild woods hiking perfect recall without building on it daily. Recall is always good to mix in as a pop quiz throughout the day in all situations but start when you know you have their attention and build.

I've been working with Pippi on recalls since I adopted her over 2 years ago, and if I had to guess will keep having to train her every day forever at the rate we're going. She's great at recalls when there are no distractions, but as soon as any distraction is introduced, she's gone! To make matters worse, I've tried training on a 30' lead line, but have gone through several - when she gets to the end of it she'll turn around and chew through it in seconds and she's off!

I do put bells on her when we go into the woods now but it only takes her a few minutes before she's out of earshot. At least any other critters in the woods can hear her coming. One of my cousins has a fully fenced ranch with over 20 acres where I let her run off leash. It's primarily grassland and some brush but no heavily wooded areas - just trees close to the house, so I have a pretty good view of her for a long distance.

 

[iceman]

Yes - I actually tried training 1st with a certified trainer who we worked with on other issues for a year before trying the e-collar. We suspect that she may have been on an e-collar before I got her (as a rescue @ 18 months old) and whoever had her before me may have messed her up on an e-collar or bark collar. I also tried on my own - I've trained all my previous dogs and several friends' dogs for obedience. I had the same problems that we had when we tried with a trainer.

Pippi was found running wild in Kentucky when she was rescued, so there's no way of knowing what she went through before she came to me.

that explains it then..it is very easy to "destroy" a dog on an e-collar!!

 

[dh8]

I've tried training on a 30' lead line, but have gone through several - when she gets to the end of it she'll turn around and chew through it in seconds and she's off!

Start with a shorter line. Skip her meal and use and jackpot treats as a reward/redirection in your hike training. get her attention at 6 feet with distractions before going to 8 feet and so on. Really work on getting her attention with distractions by going out where there are distractions daily. If you have to start at rewarding and praise for getting her attention when she is 6 inches from you in the face of a distraction, that's where you start. Cut the meals and use the food for training as much as you have to when getting this under control.

With the shorter amount of lead line out, you should have control enough that she won't try to chew through it. If she does, try going with one of those thin plastic coated wire cables people use to tie out small dogs. They're light enough and strong enough that you should be able to walk without her chewing through it.

I would keep her on lead until she has better recall but GPS is a great safety measure while you work on it.