Garmin took the most popular, most used features from their other tracking and training collars and boiled them down into the smallest, most battery efficient handheld in their lineup. When paired with the TT15 Mini collars, the Garmin Alpha 10 becomes a powerful tool for tracking dogs and keeping them safe afield. I’ve had the…
SportDOG’s 875 SportTrainer system features simple programming adjustments, expansion up to three dogs, and a solid range of ten training configurations. In either training or hunting situations, you want a system that has a substantial battery life. The SportDOG 875 uses lithium-ion batteries, which are specced to last between 50–70 hours per charge. We put the…
Every upland hunter dreads the day when their collar system fails. The remains of my upland transmitter, sprinkled across the freshly cut grass, brought that day home this past summer. The pinch of a new system on my hunting budget had me scrambling into the research weeds. My search ended with a clear front runner,…
My bird dogs rarely just plunk down on a bed. It’s a whole process where they turn circles, try digging a hole completely through it, turn a few more circles the opposite direction and then settle in once they have verified the legitimacy of a sleeping spot. Orvis constructs their ComfortFill-Eco Softshell Dog Bed with…
I’m one of those hunters who likes things neat and tidy, at home and in my truck. Unfortunately, hauling toddlers and dogs in the backseat makes that a constant struggle. Between spilled juice boxes, uncapped markers, and wet dogs with muddy paws, I was fighting a losing battle. My wife took pity on me and…
When we’re on a long a hunt, I like to custom blend dog foods to increase the fat and protein content of our normal food. The structure of the Feed & Retrieve prevents it from tipping or spilling while I mix foods to match the calorie burns of hard working dogs. As food is consumed…
One of the most prevalent upland social media threads running is, “Which e-collar and why?” I had the same question, did some research and made a choice. I went with the Dogtra Pathfinder Mini which is expandable up to 21 dogs, has a 4-mile range, includes an inundating number of stimulation and tracking adjustments, and…
The dogs deserve a little added style with Qalo’s dog tags. I was initially skeptical that words etched in silicone would hold up to the rigors of a working dog. But all my dogs have rocked these tags since before the start of the season and they show no wear or tear. Yes, the…
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with training collars that seem to be adding more and more features. But sometimes the classics are just hard to beat. The SportDOG FieldTrainer® 425 was the first collar I ever purchased for training my very first dog. It still works flawlessly. And though I’ve added new collars with added…
This isn’t a strange gift suggestion for an upland hunter if you remember I hunt behind a lab. In the summer time, I struggle to keep my pup in shape because of the heat. So where do I turn for exercise? Water. Which my lab has no problem with. When relaxing on the boat, I…