The issue that we run into is folks that have a 90 pound Labrador and a 15 terrier.  They want to be able to work both dogs at the same time from one hand held transmitter but they feel that they need a different size collar for their two dogs.

Some folks feel that a “standard” size ecollar is way too big for a dog under 20 pounds.  This really isn’t the case, but it is important that folks feel comfortable that the collar their dog is wearing is not too much weight for their dog.

The other concern that we run into is that folks feel that the size of the actual electronics relates to the “power” of the stimulation levels.  The bigger concern here is that a “bigger” collar would be two strong for a small dog.  The assumption is that the size of the dog has something to do with the required level of stimulation that a dog needs or can handle.

This really isn’t the case.  Some of the smallest dogs require much higher levels of stimulation and some of the largest dogs need very low levels to get the desired reaction.

It has nothing to do with the size of the dog.  That’s why we always recommend that you start low and work your way up with stimulation levels on your ecollar to find the right level for you dog.  You just can’t tell what’s needed based off the size or temperament of the dog.

While all this is easy to explain, folks still want an appropriate sized ecollar for their dog.  That’s where the Cross Compatible units come into play.

We first got this option from the folks at SportDOG way back in 2004.  The 1800 series systems, 800 systems and the 400 series systems are “cross compatible.”   This means you can buy an 1800 Sporthunter system and add the 400 / 800 extra collar if you have a smaller dog.

You can also add the 1800 Add a Dog collar to a 400 or 800 tranmitter if you want the smaller tranmitter but need a little more range.

Tri-Tronics joined the party last year with the introduction of the Sport Junior collar.   The Junior collar is the same size as the Tri-Tronics Bark Limter and will fit on dogs down to around 8 pounds.  The other features of the Junior are that it uses a replaceable 3 volt battery and has built in safty lights that you can operate remotely from some Tri-Tronics Transmitters.

The Sport Junior collar can be added to any of the current Tri-Tronics Sport or Field & Pro Units if you want a smaller addtional collar for your little dog.   The Junior collar and transmitter also work with any of the older G2 systems.

You can also pair the Junior collar with any of the replacement transmitters that we sell and make your own uniqe system.  We did this already with our Basic Junior.   

We now also have this option from DT Systems since they have introduced their line of expandible systems for 2010.  The Micro IDT Plus and the H2O Plus allow you to add additional collars at any time and they also allow you to mix and match collar sizes if you need a smaller collar or a bigger collar.  Both expandible collars now work with either transmitter.

Right now, Dogtra is the only major ecollar company that has big dog collars and small dog collars but does not have an expandible or cross compatible option.

Knowing which systems you can mix and match can be a bit confusing.  If you want to setup a system to fit the different sizes of your pack of hounds, let us know and we can help you get what you need.

Steve

Gun Dog Supply

Post from: Steve Snell's Gundog Blog

Cross Compatible Remote Dog training Collars