Garmin Pro Sport - Using Tone and Vibrate Mode

B

BirddogGSP

Active member
Just got a new collar with both Tone and Vibrate. Trying to understand how folks use both Tone and Vibrate. Would like to start using one of these modes instead of whistle.
 
Use the tone the same you would a whistle. If you do any separation between whistles blows to mean different commands then it translates very well to tones. Personally I do 1 tone for turning and then recall is 3 tones. Much much better than the whistle because no on else is hearing it go crazy and works from much farther away.

I don't use Vibrate, but it can work as a replacement for a low shock. Not all dogs notice it though.
 
I do the same as littlebighorn22, a little different on the number of beeps but same concept. My GSP is pretty sensitive on his neck so usually the vibrate gets his attention without ever having to go to the shock.
 
Use the tone the same as others. Nice not even needing a whistle especially early when the dogs are pretty high strung.
 
What I've done with my older dog and am working on getting my younger dog to understand is a single beep means "too far, turn or change direction but don't come all the way back to me" and then a continuous beep means "here".

You'll need to use the beeps in conjunction with your whistle at first to get them to learn what the beeps mean. Luckily for me I did the same with my whistle as the beeps, one blast meant too far and multiple blasts on the whistle meant here. So they can put the sounds together. I'd suggest just mimic your beep with whatever commands you've done with the whistle
 
Kinda of the same as the others. A single tone is sit. Hit it a second time it means down. One of my dogs has always done it naturally and that’s where I got the idea, still working on it with the other. Continuous means here.
I’ll use vibrate as an atttention getter. Say if they are rolling in something dead. I also it use some when they aren’t paying attention at heal and to speed up a here.
 
My first Draht lost some of her hearing in her later years and could not hear a whistle. Taking her on walks was a little hard, if I wanted her attention I had to nick her and I felt like a shit for doing it. I now train every dog to vibrate as well as the whistle. Like said in an earlier post train just like a whistle. I also think the vibrate is better for bird hunting, the quieter the better.
 
I believe the original idea behind the tone and vibrate was Vibrate gets the dogs attention and is a warning of a correction. A correction followed the vibrate and then a tone signalled compliance.
The problem is the original collars weren't adjustable enough for the correction levels. A dog that receives a vibrate would be often wary of the incoming correction that they didn't perform well. Remember random rewards get better results then constant rewards.
Now trainer's and field people using the early collars were using the tone and vibrate for other things and insisted the features remain.
 
Have two sets with tone…never use it unless can’t locate a dog..very rare.
Mine know vibrate means.. 1.can’t see you check in. 2.vibrate and ..vocal and vibrate means..right now..or!!
Normaly run with collars with out the tone features..
just my way of doing it…no slight to anyone
 
I hunt with a lab, so whistle sit has been ingrained in her on blind retrieve training.
With pheasant hunting, instead of whistle sit I use the vibrate, which was easy to teach.
I like that because it is silent and I try to hunt in complete silence with wild birds.
 
I hunt mostly by myself with one or two labs. I use the e-collar primarily for range and return. Once they understand what the collar is and how it works, using light stimulation I train for range first, then return. When they understand that, I add the tone (or vibration if you prefer) as the first signal followed by light stimulation. Honestly, it only takes a few repetitions and the dog learns to respond to the tone, avoiding any stimulation. The tone (or vibration) is quiet and between you and the dog. I personally dislike the rukkus of whistles (mechanical or voice), yelling and similar in the field. I've seen large fields emptied of wild birds when a "whistler" gets going. It also empties the field of me and my dogs.
 
Powderhorn Jim said:
I hunt mostly by myself with one or two labs. I use the e-collar primarily for range and return. Once they understand what the collar is and how it works, using light stimulation I train for range first, then return. When they understand that, I add the tone (or vibration if you prefer) as the first signal followed by light stimulation. Honestly, it only takes a few repetitions and the dog learns to respond to the tone, avoiding any stimulation. The tone (or vibration) is quiet and between you and the dog. I personally dislike the rukkus of whistles (mechanical or voice), yelling and similar in the field. I've seen large fields emptied of wild birds when a "whistler" gets going. It also empties the field of me and my dogs.
Click to expand...
I may be hunting bigger country (Montana) but I do not train for range or return. For my areas out of gun range is fine and for me there is no reason to return over an area already hunted.

I let the lab silently hunt as far as I can see (sometimes 200 yards in open hun country, 60 yards in thicker areas).
Out of gun range rarely results in flushes out of gun range if the lab is stopped as soon as he gets birdy.

The only thing I use the vibration for is to silently stop the lab once he starts getting birdy and then I move around into position.
 
AKSkeeter said:
I may be hunting bigger country (Montana) but I do not train for range or return. For my areas out of gun range is fine and for me there is no reason to return over an area already hunted.

I let the lab silently hunt as far as I can see (sometimes 200 yards in open hun country, 60 yards in thicker areas).
Out of gun range rarely results in flushes out of gun range if the lab is stopped as soon as he gets birdy.

The only thing I use the vibration for is to silently stop the lab once he starts getting birdy and then I move around into position.
Click to expand...
 
I use one small tap of stimulation to whoa anywhere in in the field, beep to release and hunt on. I personally do not have a come command on collar, if the whoa is concrete it does all I need.
 
I currently have two springer spaniels. At a point some years ago I was contemplating a pointer as I was having a bit of difficulty keeping up with my spaniels. I had just begun use of electronic collars and was fortunate when a friend who had lost his dog chose to give me a dogtra t&b. Did a bunch of reading, learning how to get the best out of my dog while using a collar for some control. Found that with minimal training I could hold the dog back by using the locator beeper - once he understood the alternative stimulation. today, I run a two dog unit and when my dogs get birdy I immediately beep them reminding that I’m in Control. My spaniels rarely flush a bird anymore and have been trained to locate and hold up on the flush, provided the bird isnt on a dead run down a road. A couple beeps and they slow, turn direction, or look up to me for hand signals. Multiple beeps and they look for direction or stop. Continuous beeps will return them to me. Have an 8 year old and 3 year old and together they’ve probably been shocked 3 dozen times over the years and about half that was due to unsafe conditions.
Love the loud tone on the train and beep dogtra as I can locate them quickly in heavy cover. It’s loud enough that I actually put rubber covers similar to wheel bearing covers over them. Still can hear from about 35-40 yards. Easier than training a pointer.
 
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