Each dog tracking system consists of a lightweight radio transmitter which is fitted on the dog’s collar and a hand held receiver which is carried by the dog’s handler, the hunter. The transmitter sends a radio frequency signal to the receiver every second. Based on the strength of the signal and direction in which it is strongest, the dog handler can find out the location of the dog. Many of the tracking collars incorporate a motion sensor, so the dog handler can find out if the dog is moving or is stationary. If the dog is stationary, it may be pointing to a bird or may be injured.
The receivers usually have an antenna to accurately determine the location of the signal. The position of the dog is displayed on the LCD display of the receiver, which may also have a audio speaker inbuilt. Some models of receivers have thousands of channels corresponding to different radio frequencies. They can track a number of pointing dogs simultaneously. Most collars and receivers are powered by standard commercially available batteries.
The tracking range for a dog tracking collar depends on the topography, vegetation and the weather. Under ideal conditions, on flat plains (line of sight) many tracking collars detect signals up to 12 miles away. When the signal is blocked by a peak or a high, the range could reduce to about a mile. However, this is much greater that the range of earlier tracking tools like bells and beepers.
Tracking collars can also help hunters find their way back when they are lost in the forest. A transmitter can be left in the vehicle, and by tracking its location, a hunter can find his way back