Need some help my best bud lost his hearing

[springertime]

My 11 yr old springer (Cade) and I (now 73) want to go on 1 last hunting trip to South Dakota something we enjoyed since he was a pup. In the last few months he's lost all or most of his hearing. Always used e-collar on him, used tone function to reel him in when he's out of range. Without the e-collar he's a hard charger mostly out of range. Took him out the other day for a run hoping I could use the vibration function in place the tone but there was no response. He cannot hear the tone sound anymore, and the vibration mode seems fairly weak on my unit. I have only used the shock function when he didn't respond to tone. My e-collar has only 1 setting for vibration. My questions are as follows: are there e-collars with various vibration settings, has anyone ever had experience hunting with a deaf dog, does anyone have any other suggestions. Thanks Mike

 

[birddude]

Unless you don't mind investing in a new unit, I would dial the intensity back on the shock collar and give him a nick. If he's a hard charger it probably won't hurt him much. Just watch him closely. If he comes back and walks with you after the nick, it's time for plan B.