Dog Tracking Collars > How Dog Tracking Collars Work

How Dog Tracking Collars Work

Dog Tracking Collars consist of two parts: (1) a Radio Collar/Transmitter that the dog wears and (2) a Receiver which the handler carries. This can be confusing to folks that have remote training collars since with dog training collars, the dog wears the receiver and the handler has the transmitter.

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

Radio Receiver
The hand-held 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.

Behavior Circuit
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. (Houndsmen / Pig Hunters)
• Tree Switch collars will tell you if your hound has "treed" its prey. (Designed for coon hunters)

Radio Bands

• Most dog tracking collars operate on one of five different bands.
• These bands are numbered 216, 217, 218, 219, and 220.
• Each collar is then broken down into a three digit frequency AFTER THE BAND.
• EXAMPLE: A collar with 216.275 has a BAND of 216 and a FREQUENCY of 275.

Radio Frequency

• Different frequencies allow you to use multiple collars at the same time and keep the signals from overlapping.
• If you use a system that has a one band choice you can track any collar on that band (let's use 216 in this case) that is numbered from 216.000 to 216.999 giving you 1000 different choices.
• A system that can track two bands can track any collar on two bands (216.000 to 217.999) giving you 2000 different choices.
• A system that can track all five bands can track any collar on any of the five bands (216.000 to 220.999) giving you 5000 different choices

How to Select the Right Dog Tracking Receiver

How to Select the Right Dog Tracking Collar