Dog Tracking Collars

Dog Tracking Collars
Tracking collars and receivers are equipment used for locating tracking hounds and wide ranging hunting dogs (birds, rabbits, coons, and hogs) in the field. Tracking collars are also nice for owners that have dogs that tend to roam, or go with you on hikes or camping. Another way they are used is for Search and Rescue operations.

The tracking collar consists of two parts:

1. Radio collar/Transmitter that the dog wears.
2. Tracker/Receiver which the handler carries.

(This is opposite to remote training collars - because with remote dog training collars the dog wears the receiver and the handler has the transmitter.)

The radio collar/transmitter is what the dog wears, and is connected to a collar strap that has one or two antennas depending on model. The radio collar/transmitter sends out a radio telemetry signal on a set frequency and can be detected by the handler's receiver.

The hand-held radio receiver tells the dog handler the dog's direction, range, and sometimes behavior. Most receivers use a combination of lights, sound or a bar graph with an LCD screen or a needle indicator to tell you where your dog is located.
Some tracking systems also have a "Behavior Circuit" that can tell you what the dog is doing while he is wearing the collar.

Bird Dog collars have a motion sensor that will tell you if the dog is running or standing still. (on point)
Bark Indicator collars will tell you if the dog is quiet or if he is baying. (Hounds men / Pig Hunters)
Tree Switch collars will tell you if your hound has "treed" its prey. (Designed for coon hunters)

Most dog tracking collars operate on one of five different bands and on different frequencies which allow you to use multiple collars at the same time and keep the signals from overlapping. It is always good to know if other folks are running tracking collars in your area. You want to do everything you can to avoid duplicating the same band and frequency that other folks have in your general area.

Running two identical collars in a ten mile radius will not cause either collar not to work, but it can be confusing and should be avoided if possible. The number of dogs that you can track depends on the system that you purchase. Companies make tracking systems that will track one dog and systems that will track up to 100 dogs individually. When selecting the correct combination of collars (transmitters) and the receiver that is right for you, you need to have an idea of how many dogs you are planning to run at the same time.

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