I’M not old, but I’m old enough to remember the years before e-collars. In truth, there were hundreds of them, years in which spaniels were trained to a high level using nothing but birds, check cords, and probably some pretty unhealthy tactics on the part of trainers. E-collars are not a necessary training tool for the flushing spaniel trainer. Tens of thousands of dogs have been trained for hunting and trials without them, and trained very well. That said, e-collars do have their place, and when used correctly, and wisely, they can help streamline the training process.
These days, e-collars serve not only as training tools, but as exceptional tracking and locating tools, especially for pointing dogs in big country. It is still safe to say, however, that technology alone…
