I tend to be a suspenders and a belt kind of guy. I like to have a good Plan B or backup just in case something happens. No surprises for me.
If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Especially on the road.
I carry a few “back up” dog collars. It’s rare that I need them but a dog collar is an important part of my gear and I need an extra one in case a few things happen.
It’s rare that a collar fails. It can happen but it’s not common. It’s more likely that another dog is going to chew that collar off your dog. Good to have a back up.
The other situation I run into is finding a lost dog. I have come across dogs in the field that are lost and need a little assistance. Many times they don’t have a collar on and dealing with them is much easier if you have an extra collar.
Finding a Collarless Pointer
Many years ago, I was driving down a two track on a quail lease. It was a little hot and we were done hunting for the day. It was a new lease and I needed to spend some time looking around. As we came around a corner, I saw something white move into the cover. It was pretty obvious that it wasn’t wildlife.
As we approached, I could see a small, skinny, solid white English Pointer trying her best to hide in the brush. I stopped the truck and got out to see if she would come to me and if she had a collar. With a little coaxing, I got my hands on her, but she was not wearing a collar.
It was obvious from her condition that she had not been out too long. My assumption was that she had been on a chain gang or tie out stake and that she had slipped a loose collar. We were a long way from any where so best bet she belonged to another hunter on this lease.
I put an extra collar on her and found room for her in the dog truck. We got her some food and headed to a good spot to call the lease manager to see if he knew of anyone missing a bird dog.
No one had called him but he said he would ask around. We never located anyone looking for a dog over the next few days and she wasn’t chipped. I took her back to Mississippi and figured we might hear something later. We never did and I ended up with another dog.
She had several names but we ended up calling her “Bu.” She never was much of a wild bird dog but she had her moments. She loved people about as much as any dog I’ve ever owned and would crawl up in your lap if you let her. Her kennel manners made me wonder if she had been intentionally turned loose. She was what we not so fondly refer to as a “finger painter” in the kennel.
She did have the rare distinction of being one of a few dogs that Mr. Delmar Smith worked with for a bit at one of Ronnie Smith’s seminars that I attended in Oklahoma. That’s pretty special.
Having a back up or two in a few sizes that will fit your smallest and largest dogs with your name and number on the ID plate is a good addition to your gear.