I have realized that many times in life things make more sense looking back on them than they did looking forward. Clarity reveals itself and over time we understand why something happened the way it did.
This was the case when I met the man that now I call my husband. Little did I know then that he would bring the llewellin setter into my life, which is now the dog that comprises the biggest part of my life. Before this point in time, I was with “not-the-one”, and I was being strategic about which wire to cut to avoid everything exploding in my face. It was a difficult time, actually hell to put it plainly. But no point in going into those details, because the past is best left drifting further and further away in the proverbial rear-view mirror of one’s mind.
So here we are, in the now, years later and living in the revelry of better decisions. With that, as mentioned, in walk the amazing llewellin setter. I’ve known dogs all my life, all special in their own way, all to be appreciated. But these dogs, these unique and amazingly smart dogs, years of my existence knowing nothing about, I feel my life was deprived until this time. These dogs are simply superior on every level to all the dogs I’ve ever known. I know, I know!!! All dogs are awesome! Of course this is just my opinion, so please don’t take offense. I know your dog is amazing too!
These dogs are a hunting breed. Birds being their prey of choice. Although, they do get much enjoyment out of pointing honeybees, butterflies, grasshoppers, and any other random flying life form. But birds, that’s what they are breed to hunt. Technically, we are the hunters; their job is to point and retrieve. I admittedly get as much enjoyment watching them work their trade as they do employing it.
With hunting comes training, which should be a part of any dog’s life. Training. It is a key element in the safety and well-being for any dog that breaths. For headstrong and driven dogs, training in the beginning stages can often feel like you’re always taking one step forward and two steps back. It can be frustrating, especially if you are not a patient person. (Another quality character trait dogs have taught me; patience.) Consistency and yes, patience, is something you will want to learn to possess. My recommendation is also to incorporate a training collar. This has been a topic of controversy for many. With that said, many people often times have a strong opinion about things they know very little about. I will tell you right now, we use them, they are not cruel, and if you are not going to have an open-mind, and willing to learn something, you will probably want to stop reading any further.
Training collars have been the tool that have kept my dogs from getting themselves into a potentially harmful or dangerous situation. When used correctly, they are an invaluable asset to your dog’s training program. Training collars allow your dog the freedom to venture, while at the same time give you the proverbial long arm of the law to reel them back in when necessary. We highly recommend educating yourself on the proper use of any training collar.
We use several different collars, depending on the application, but in this post, I will talk specifically about the SportDOG brand. For everyday training around the house and kennel I prefer the SportDOG Field Trainer SD-425X Remote Training Collar. This collar comes with a handheld remote control which has up to 21 levels of stimulation depending on how many collars are in use and includes a vibration/tone setting. The handheld is capable of controlling 1 to 3 collars. It is compact, easy to use, the collar as well as the remote control is rechargeable, and both are waterproof and easy to clean. The collar comes with short and long contact points, meaning if your dog has short hair, you can use the short points, long hair long points. The battery life depends on how often it is used. I normally put mine on charge overnight, but I have noticed it can last up to 4 days without being charged. Both have a rapid charge capability, so if you don’t put it on charge overnight, a full charge can be completed within 2 hours. The controller has only 3 buttons, and a toggle dial that allows you to switch between tone/vibrate and low to high intensity stimulation. When first getting a dog use to the training collar, I tend to use the tone/vibrate setting first and follow up with the stimulation setting at low stimulation levels to correct behavior. This stimulation does not hurt the dog, it simply gets their attention and ads in obedience. Most generally it only takes a day or so for my dogs to understand that (for example) a tone will be followed by stimulation if they do not respond, and within a couple days they are quickly responding to only the tone/vibrate feature and no stimulation is necessary. The range of this collar is 500 yards, so it is perfect for obedience training, and I have even used it for close-range hunting. This collar and control combo normally averages $150, but I have found them on sale numerous times. The Add-A-Dog collar (again one controller can operate up to 3 collars which are sold separately) averages $110 and can also be found on sale often. This training collar comes with very easy to follow directions and it is extremely simple to add collars to the handheld controller.
This training collar is my personal recommendation for obedience, and close-range hunting dogs. Again, training collars are not cruel. Not training your dog the importance of being obedient is cruel. Training collars are a safe and effective tool, in addition to other positive obedience training methods, to help ensure your dog’s safety. If my dog was in a situation where they were out of ear shot (due to high winds, distance, or maybe they are just getting hard of hearing) and I could tell they were heading into a dangerous situation, I know all I have to do is push a button that sends them a tone/vibrate signal to return to me. That is reassuring because I love my dogs, and their safety is of utmost importance to me. I hope this information helps you in the quest to find a collar that is right for you and your dog’s needs.
God bless, Lady Llewellin
References; 1) http://www.gundogsupply.com 2) http://www.sportdog.com
Lady Llewellin 
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