| As
a competitor and breeder of world class English Setters for over 30
years I would like to express my support for the acceptance of the
Garmin DC30 - GPS Collar as an approved tracking collar for field
events. I use thes for training and find these units to be a great
asset and life saving tool.
I use thes for training and find these units to be a great asset and life saving tool.
In
the event that someone disagrees with the use of gps at field rials as
not being simplistic, ask them why we allow cell phones, or for that
matter, telemetry at fieldtrials.
It is wise to use the best technology available to avoid having a dog killed on the road or lost permanently
I certainly don't think that a dog will think a collar 1 ounce heavier than what we presently use is a training aid.
This collar can save dog's lives and it isn't remotely similar to an electronic training collar.
I've lost dogs at sanctioned competitions that took days to recover, as well as permanently losing my last dog while training.
I
started using the Garmin Astro with DC 30 this hunting season,
previously I used a Marshall. While the Marshall is a great tool the
Garmin is an order of magnitude better. At the very least I'm in favor
of a conditional/temporary approval to allow for feedback to the
AKC/AF.
It WILL save lives.
I have a little problem with the weight difference of 1 oz, when compared to $ 10,000.00 dog investment.
The
safety of the dogs and handlers should be the first consideration, I
watched a handler and scout walk waist high into a cold and dangerous
swamp because their old tracker indicated the dog was there. Yet in
reality it was not. The Astro would have prevented this from happening.
The world does not move backwards, we must embrace the advances and use them to improve lives of all, especially the dogs!
We
also appreciate the time and commitment by Vic Williams and many others
for working so hard to get this issue taken seriously. The
welfare of our dogs is first and foremost important.
I have a
Wildlife Materials tracker, I have a Tracker, and now I have a
Garmin. Please approve the Garmin, it is by far the easiest to
use and the best at finding your dog other than in huge deep canyons
which require the WM Yagi antenna.
With all of the hard work and
expense to train and run dogs, it would be a heartache to lose one.
This collar would be very valuable as a tool to prevent that from
happening.
This "Recovery Tool" is much more advanced in helping
to quickly recover dogs out of contention and should be considered for
this very reason. The unit allows quick, easy determination of where
the dog is and at what distance and allows us to recover the lost
animal much more quickly.
For some dogs this may mean life or death. Please reconsider the use of the Garmin DC30 for the dogs sake.
It
is a much better option for finding a lost dog quickly. We all know
that speed is key to safely finding and retrieving a lost dog.
"The acceptance is warranted for the following reasons:
1) The Garmin Asto improves the safety of our field dogs,
2) it is easier to use than the radio trackers ;
3) it shows an exact position not an approximate heading.
4)
the five oz. Rule needs to be revised. There are tracking
collars that are currently in use at field trials that weigh more than
five ounces . Moreover, the weight of e-collars has been reduced
in recent years. "
I am on the board of the National Vizsla
Association, am the former president of the Vizsla club of Utah and
currently serve as the field trial chair for The Wasatch Front Brittany
Club. I strongly urge the AKC and AFTCA to allow use of this new
technology.
At a later date if equal technology can lighten
the collar then it will be reconsidered. Minimally do a
conditional trial period to evaluate if fears do come to light and
there is significant negative impact to the competitions.
There
should be no hesitation on the behalf of any performance club in
approving a device that would greatly assist in locating a lost dog,
thereby possibly saving that dog's life. The safety and safe
return of our beloved dogs should be most important in these
discussions and approvals.
As a responsible dog owner, I believe
it is my duty to provide the best animal recovery system
available. I owe it to my dogs, as well as my community, and any
community that still permits the hosting of performance events.
I
would like to express my support for the acceptance of the Garmin DC30
- GPS Collar as an approved tracking collar for field events. I
would like it to happen ASAP. I lost my Gun Dog for the first
time ever at Thayer. I normally use the garmin and had to borrow
a Tracker for the trial. It took my over an hour to find him when
my wife knew exactly where I was because I had the garmin collar on my
saddle.
My wonderful 3 year old Auten's Ranger Rudy was hit and
killed while runing in competition at a field trial on Sept 14, 2008 in
Ionia MI. He might still be with us if we had seen him running toward
the road.
It is a much more effective way to locate dogs.It not
only tells you which way the dog is but how long it will take you to
find the dog. The telemetry systems that we are not using in field
events are archaic as compared to GPS technology.
Not to do this and lose just one more dog that could have been saved is shamefull..
The value of the system far exceeds the potential conflict of use.
I
don't buy into the idea that a dog associates an e-collar with a
tracking collar. If the dog is fooled, it won't be for long. As soon as
the dog disobeys the handler and gets away with it, the dog is going to
become collar-wise. As I see it, using weight as a reason to eliminate
the Garmin collar is a poor argument especially when we are talking
about good dogs that may be lost or killed. Now, that is a real waste.
Several
years ago a FC/AFC Brittany wearing a tracking collar was lost late in
the afternoon while competing in a California field trial. The dog was
never found and likely perished. With GPS technology, the search could
have been initiated immediately and would almost certainly have been
successful. As it was, the search was delayed until a competent
individual was available to use the Tracker. Anyone can use a GPS, it
WILL save the lives of many of our beloved dogs.
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