You don’t have to spend a fortune on dog training gear

I have a TriTronics electronic collar that’s worked very well for a long time, but I’m afraid it’s time to replace it. And I might not stick with the same trusted brand this time.

If you train dogs or have a hunting dog or two, you probably have more than a few electronic collars for your critters. And chances are good they’re made by TriTronics. That’s a venerable brand that’s been around since the beginning, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. I have one myself, and it’s been dependable and durable.

But all gear eventually wears out, and I think my collar is nearing the end of its road. I could do worse than to replace it with another TriTronics, but this time, I think I’m going to give another brand a try. I recently had a chance to check out a bunch of the SportDog lineup, and these guys are right in league with the makers of my current collar. They get great reviews, other owners I’ve talked to say they last just as long, and to top it all off, they’re less expensive, model-for-model, than the competition.

I’m looking at a Wetland Hunter 1825, which has a one-mile range, up to 16 levels of continuous stimulation, eight levels of nick, vibration and tone options, and the ability to expand it to six dogs. Not a bad set of options for around three hundred bucks.

SportDog offers a bunch of other models, too, and most of them are waterproof and submersible. They all have very compact, simple-to-use transmitters that actually fit in a hunting vest pocket, too. Not only that, but SportDog does a great job of talking to people out there using their products, and they’re constantly making improvements based on customer comments.

While I’m at it, I might get their in-ground fenceless system to keep my collie from wandering, and I’ll probably grab a few of their scents and other training aids to keep my bird dog in shape this summer. Check ‘em out at www.sportdog.com if you’re looking for dog gear.