looking to keep better tabs on my catahoula when she is tracking.
she does fine if the animal is already dead, but on the couple of tracks when its still alive, she has gotten away from me and i have had to find her.
the training collar didnt seem to phase her due to the adrenaline...at least not until she stopped running....

wondering if any of you have a trick you prefer... such as a dog bell on the collar, or a gps tracking unit.

was thinking about the sport dog tek LT collar or possibly a garmin unit.
i only use this dog as a pet and as a blood tracker, so not too worried about where she has been, i am more focused on finding her if she gets away from me....

and if these are dumb questions, please educate me...
i hesitate to put her on a leash for the tracking as it really seems to distract her and she doesnt find the wounded animal as well and i also am leery of shocking her with the training collar during the tracking as i dont want to distract her from the job at hand...

admittedly, i am a mere amateur at tracking, so open to advice..
the dog is way more talented than i am, so i want to maximize her skills but not lose her...

Would a beeper collar work for you? I can hear mine a long way.

no doubt about it, get you a garmin. It's money well spent. You can find good used ones through Double U Supply.

I found a handmade sheep bell from norway with a deep low tone that I can hear over a hundred yards away that I used for a short time and may use it again in some circumstances like in very thick woods where my dog is not ranging but still just out of sight much of the time, but a tracking collar is the way to go 99% of the time. My garmin alpha has been one of the best dog hunting investments I have ever made for the tracking feature. Some of the older tracking collar models should have come down in price some on the used market with so many upgrading to the new models like the alpha.

A tracking dog should always be on a line when tracking. You should use a 20 foot cord with a stif and smooth nature to keep it from hanging up going thru brush.

More importantly to keep your dog from trespassing

Garmin Astro or Alpha. I have used both. I stick with the Alpha now, but either one will work for you.