The pack was subsidised by levies paid by the farmers and moved around the district as required. Discipline played a
major role in the training of the dogs, as they had to be ‘game proof’ and not chase buck or any other animals.
Controlling a pack of hunting dogs in the field demands fitness and the need to keep your wits about you. Needless to say, electronic monitoring devices were welcomed with open arms. Dairy farmer and hunting dog enthusiast Trevor Filmer remembers importing his first Tri-tronics shock collar from the USA in 1978. Currently, he uses the Garmin TT10, regarded by many hunting enthusiasts as the Rolls-Royce of dog tracking systems.
Top of the range
The TT10 is a collar with a short, flexible VHF radio antennae constructed from braided steel and a battery. The latter is waterproof and has a 24-hour to 48-hour run time. The collar also has a remote-activated LED light and a device with various settings that delivers shocks. Each collar is monitored and controlled from a touchscreen hand-held device that can accommodate up to 20 dogs.
Check it out
A device such as the Garmin TT10 enables you to know when your dog is out of gun range, leaves your property or is approaching a road or busy highway – and what direction the dog is moving in. It also lets you know if your dog is pointing or has treed a quarry.
Read customer reviews from Gun Dog Supply at bit.ly/collarreviews, or visit the Garmin website at www.garmin.com.
Farmer’s Weekly is well aware that shock collars are controversial and banned in some countries; it is up to dog owners to decide whether or not to use this aspect of the product discussed.
