That answers some questions

[isonychia]

Today while hunting with my dog he got on some deer scent (which seems to trigger a different behavior than bird scent, correct me if I'm wrong here cause I don't need to continue believing this if it isn't true, it seems when he is on "deer scent" he gets much bigger eyed and aggressively covers ground... a lot of ground. With birds he just picks up a scent and seems a little more cautious and doesn't. I think it has to do with the small amount of scent a bird puts off vs a deer, besides we didn't see a "bleep" grouse in the 2 days we hunted here and tons of deer sign) anyways I tried to call him in and at 80+ meters (when I could still see him) I started hitting him with the e-collar, first our vibrate command, then nik 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 progressively. When I finally got to 8 I realized he wasn't responding because the collar was out of range. I just hid behind I bush and let him do his thing, running off almost 200 meters and finally realized he wasn't finding anything and lost me. Anyways I tested the collar back at the car (after much delay) by putting it on vibrate and listening to it on the roof of my car, it started getting intermittent in response at only 90 paces, that's about 1/20th of a mile on a collar that is supposed to have a range of up to a mile. I tested it again at home where it wasn't near any big metal objects and got the same story. Fully charged batteries and everything. This explains why my dog wouldn't respond sometimes and then yelp at others (he didn't feel it, i turned it up to 3 or 4 and he got in range and it was too much, this was the first time I tried all the way up at 8 and did it on a progression) This also explains why I thought he was a hard dog, chasing fearlessly after deer getting nailed on continuous high! I should have tested this collar 4 months ago when I got it. I hope my dog will fit into having a more consistent collar and forgive me for my inconsistency (don't go technical on me with this one)... I just hope most of all that I won't run in to any road blocks with training because of this problem, we have spent a lot of time together (more than most people cause I could have him in the field at work hiking around and before that was unemployed with only 1 dog) and a lot of that time was with this collar. The collar is a sport dog 1825 and the warranty service was very friendly and 2nd day shipped me a new unit set and I don't have to send them my old ones until I get the new, doesn't get better than that. Lets just hope the new one works (will be testing it) for the sake of sport dog, I can't afford a new collar at the moment, but if this new one doesn't work I will be a new tri tronics fan (not that I'm not already leaning that way, SD's costumer service may have just saved them).

[Sharon]

"It started getting intermittent in response at only 90 paces, that's about 1/20th of a mile on a collar that is supposed to have a range of up to a mile." quote

When the advertising tells you the effective range, it mean on flat , no hills, not to0 many trees etc. Still your collar should have been effective for much longer a distance than 1/20th of a mile.

I have a dog that was fried with the e-collar for a year before I bought her. If I put a collar on her now , she won't leave my side. . She's afraid of what might happen out there if she makes a mistake. So, I don't run her with an e collar just a beeper - and she's gone.............far.

[kensfishing]

First you don't correct a dog on vibrate. Not chasing deer or any unwanted game. Period.

[quackaddict]

FWIW, I've been told that SD customer service is so good because it gets used so much(for reasons like you're explaining)

[isonychia]

First you don't correct a dog on vibrate. Not chasing deer or any unwanted game. Period.

Really? Ha vibrate is used for come. And my dog doesn't like it. Vibrate... come no vibrate. Its that simple. Just like a tug on cc. I obviously don't use it for avoidance. But the fact remains it is pressure and it means to come don't come and then you get a nik

[isonychia]

FWIW, I've been told that SD customer service is so good because it gets used so much(for reasons like you're explaining)

Also my theory... live and learn

[ezzy333]

First you don't correct a dog on vibrate. Not chasing deer or any unwanted game. Period.

Really? Ha vibrate is used for come. And my dog doesn't like it. Vibrate... come no vibrate. Its that simple. Just like a tug on cc. I obviously don't use it for avoidance. But the fact remains it is pressure and it means to come don't come and then you get a nik

If you were just trying to call your pup when it is running straight away on a track you know isn't going to end then you asked for the results you got. When that happened you should have been using a perfect setup for avoidence and that is the highest setting just as soon as you know it is on deer scent and fry him without saying a word. You already knew he wasn't going to come since he knew he was supposed to be with you but decided the deer was worth ignoring what he already knew.

Hope you new collar helps but you need to stop and think out ahead of going to the field how to handle the different situations that might come up before they actually do.

Ezzy

[kensfishing]

First you don't correct a dog on vibrate. Not chasing deer or any unwanted game. Period.

Really? Ha vibrate is used for come. And my dog doesn't like it. Vibrate... come no vibrate. Its that simple. Just like a tug on cc. I obviously don't use it for avoidance. But the fact remains it is pressure and it means to come don't come and then you get a nik

My dog Mike doen't like the beeper when I turn it on by accident, you'd think I just fried him with the collar, but for any correction on unwanted game for any reason it's time to fry them, so to speak. Just because a dog is conditioned to come to a vibrate doen't mean they pay attention to it. Learn to use a collar for what is meant to be used for. Training. Not playing paddy cake.

[isonychia]

Before we go any further I'd like to say I never saw the deer. Therefore I am not 100% sure that is what he was doing. Would you lite your dog up for avoidance without 100% certainty? I wouldn't. I've actually seen my dog chase after a deer once, I hit him on high and didn't say a word, thing is he ran through high on continuous. Why? because my collar malfunctioned, like it did today. Also, things can't always be so cut and dry, dogs aren't robots with a controller on and collars aren't perfect. You go out in the field with a plan of what to do when a split second decision needs to be made and then the unforeseen happens, like that time me and my dog got chased by 30 head of cattle because he pissed off the head heifer.


If everything were cut and dry, we wouldn't have professional trainers....

[ezzy333]

Before we go any further I'd like to say I never saw the deer. Therefore I am not 100% sure that is what he was doing. Would you lite your dog up for avoidance without 100% certainty? I wouldn't. I've actually seen my dog chase after a deer once, I hit him on high and didn't say a word, thing is he ran through high on continuous. Why? because my collar malfunctioned, like it did today. Also, things can't always be so cut and dry, dogs aren't robots with a controller on and collars aren't perfect. You go out in the field with a plan of what to do when a split second decision needs to be made and then the unforeseen happens, like that time me and my dog got chased by 30 head of cattle because he pissed off the head heifer.


If everything were cut and dry, we wouldn't have professional trainers....

I shouldn't laugh but getting chased by 30 head of cattle because the dog made the lead heifer mad is funny when I picture it in my mind. Guess it is because living on a farm for many years with cattle I can see it even though your explanation is wrong. Cattle don't get mad but they do like to follow and sometimes chase an animal when they get curious. Not unusual at all. But hope you know if you had stood still they would have stopped when they got close. I have seen deer and horses do the same thing.

Ezzy

[isonychia]

Before we go any further I'd like to say I never saw the deer. Therefore I am not 100% sure that is what he was doing. Would you lite your dog up for avoidance without 100% certainty? I wouldn't. I've actually seen my dog chase after a deer once, I hit him on high and didn't say a word, thing is he ran through high on continuous. Why? because my collar malfunctioned, like it did today. Also, things can't always be so cut and dry, dogs aren't robots with a controller on and collars aren't perfect. You go out in the field with a plan of what to do when a split second decision needs to be made and then the unforeseen happens, like that time me and my dog got chased by 30 head of cattle because he pissed off the head heifer.


If everything were cut and dry, we wouldn't have professional trainers....

I shouldn't laugh but getting chased by 30 head of cattle because the dog made the lead heifer mad is funny when I picture it in my mind. Guess it is because living on a farm for many years with cattle I can see it even though your explanation is wrong. Cattle don't get mad but they do like to follow and sometimes chase an animal when they get curious. Not unusual at all. But hope you know if you had stood still they would have stopped when they got close. I have seen deer and horses do the same thing.

Ezzy

Ha I wish you were there when it happened then, I was kinda spooked and am certain they were curious now that I think about it, wondering why most dogs chase them and nip their ankles while mine just stood there barking like mad at them. What about these free range CO cattle? I've heard they can be mean and tend to go feral after so long in the wild, that's mostly why I was worried. Your right though my explanation probably was wrong, I know nothing about cattle except someone told me that it was possible I pissed off the head cow, doesn't help that there were a few horned bulls in the crowd to pucker up your you know what.

P.S. You probably should laugh, its pretty dang funny actually "Young City Boy Meets High Ranch Cattle; Who Wants to Play Chicken?"