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Tracking Domestic Animals? 101

Posted by Cliff from the more-gadgets-for-the-collar dept.
Solo-Malee asks: "My sister has a blind hunting dog (yes really) and will soon be moving to the wilderness area of Sweden. She is really worried that her dog will run off after the first elk that it sees never to be seen again (since he's already run off numerous times already). Are Slashdot readers aware of any practical inexpensive tracking system that can be applied to domestic animals?"
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Tracking Domestic Animals? More

Tracking Domestic Animals?

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  • How exactly does he know he's running after an elk? And how does he know when he's run past it?

  • Third eye dog? (Score:4, Funny)

    by WFFS ( 694717 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @08:49AM (#12534985)
    How does he see the elk? Does he need a seeing-eye human?

    • Re:Third eye dog? (Score:3, Interesting)

      by bluGill ( 862 )

      Dogs use scent more than humans do. A blind dog can smell elk just fine (well assuming there are not two handicaps). He cannot chase it was well because he cannot see trees, but he can track it just fine. Until several miles latter he no longer can find home, and is lacking one of the easier ways to orient itself.

    • If the submitter was the opposing force in an Encyclopedia Brown story, then you just solved the mystery w/out having to turn to the back of the book...
    • Dogs "see" with their noses. My dog is developing cataracts, and when I asked the vet what could be done, he said there were a few horrendously expensive options, but that there was really no reason to treat it agressively. He said that as long as my dog could see well enough to not run into walls and traverse stairs, he would be fine. Any time a dog wants to know more about an object or an area, what does he do? He sniffs it.

  • Invisible Fence (Score:5, Informative)

    by Aix ( 218662 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @08:53AM (#12535002) Homepage
    Tracking, unfortunately, won't keep your dog from getting hit by a car. It also won't keep you legal if unleashed dogs are against the law (which is quite common in the US, anyway). I would consider an "invisible fence" which is basically an RF proximity sensor on a collar that shocks the dog if it gets too close. They seem to be quite effective and can give the dog a very large area in which to roam. In particular, it makes sense in situations where a backyard-type fence is impractical (such as on a farm), but a border is well-defined by a cattle fence or some such. Here's the cursory google search: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=dog+invisible +fence&btnG=Google+Search [google.com]

    • Re:Invisible Fence (Score:2, Informative)

      by O.W.M ( 884392 )
      Invisible fences are illegal in Sweden (they claim that they are cruel to the animals), but since the dog is blind you could just get a regular visible fence. The dog wouldn't be able to see the difference anyway...

  • Why track it ... (Score:2, Informative)

    by Rip!ey ( 599235 )
    ... when you could just stop it from running too far away in the first place.

    Have a battery operated unit fixed to the dogs collar that emits a sound wave (where the frequency is painful for the dog to listen too) if the dog gets too far away from a second unit carried by the dogs owner. The greater the distance, the greater the intensity of the sound emmitted.

    Dogs are fast learners.

  • How not to lose your dog (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Motherfucking Shit ( 636021 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @09:14AM (#12535065) Journal
    Are Slashdot readers aware of any practical inexpensive tracking system that can be applied to domestic animals?
    Combine the natural power of a tree with the functionality of a chain. Throw in a collar for good measure, and you've got synergy.

    If the dog can't run off, he can't run off and get lost. I'm not trying to be a dick about this, but unless chaining a dog is illegal in her area, your sister should consider the obvious option. Occam's razor, and all. So long as food and water bowls are within easy reach, and kept in the same place, the dog shouldn't have a problem.
    • The only problem, then, will be coaxing the game animals into range of the dog's chain.
    • It doesn't always work. I have seen that fail exactly Once.

      Take a 2 year old Husky -yellow lab mix,

      Add one Nylon choke collar

      One chain with a 500 lb breaking strength

      One metal stake 6' long pounded 2' into the ground.

      Make it hunting season, with an unknown # of deer on the move at dusk.

      The Dog barked like mad as the deer walked about a 100 feet away. Then went quiet. 10 minutes later as that feeling of dread passed over I checked on the dog, and found,

      The stake, the chain pointing the way the deer
      • Add one Nylon choke collar

        Chain, meet weakest link. Anyway, what kind of idiot uses a choke collar to tie a dog up? You use a choke collar for training/walking, so you can apply a correction when the dog behaves incorrectly - and not for any other purpose. Ever.

        Presumably, the original poster was suggesting to chain the dog up properly, rather than simply using whatever was laying around the house at the time.
    • Be careful, dog nuts will try to have you arrested for tethering a dog in the backyard.

    • Re:How not to lose your dog (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Grym ( 725290 ) on Monday May 16, 2005 @02:26AM (#12540698)

      Combine the natural power of a tree with the functionality of a chain. Throw in a collar for good measure, and you've got synergy.

      Be careful about this. DO NOT use this type of setup if it is possible for the dog to get hung over something. For instance, short fences or steep ledges can be the death of your best friend if he makes an excited jump. Don't count on the chain being too long for this to happen--dogs have a way of shortening the length by running around objects and the like.

      And even if this isn't an issue, always have a spring attached between his collar and the chain. This will lessen the strain placed upon his throat when he attempts to run too far. A dog's neck is his weakest part. A cheap spring used in such a fashion can prevent a dislodged trachea.

      Also, this should go without saying but, do not use choker (or "check") collars when attaching your dog to the chain. See the aforementioned neck comment.

      Most importantly, don't leave your dog out unattended for extended periods of time. No good can come of it. Besides, why even bother having a pet if you're too busy to pay attention to it?

      -Grym

    • Good suggestion, but my brother-in-law lost a dog in a thunderstorm when the tree he was chained to was struck by lightning.

      BTW, posthumously nicknaming the dog 'Smokey' was deemed "insensitive" by my wife. 'Sparky' didn't go over too well, either.

  • This is your best bet, sadly I suspect that the dog is blind because he's old. Sadly they really aren't kidding about the "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" saying, so this won't be easy
    • they really aren't kidding about the "Can't teach an old dog new tricks" saying

      Of course "they" are.

      When I was 15 I rescued a 7 year old dog from an abusive home. One of the things that the family used to do was throw things at her, and she was extremely scared of anything that was thrown (regardless of where it was being thrown.)

      We had another dog that we'd trained to catch things (most notably food, but he'd catch anything you threw at him.) Whenever we'd throw him some food, the rescue dog would ru

  • GPS GSM Collar (Score:3, Informative)

    by Yokaze ( 70883 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @09:19AM (#12535084)
    That may be the keywords for a more extensive google search.

    Here is one for 860EUR [environmental-studes.de], there may be cheeper ones. Just make sure your area is covered. [gsmworld.com]

    Don't know about the services available in Sweden, but it is also technical feasible to provide a localisation service with a GSM mobile alone.
  • ...a leash :)

    That, or go after those damned dog-seducing Elks. The elk menace must be stopped!

    Although to be honest, I'd be very curious to see what the dog's flirtation with large antlered fuzzy creatures of the woodlands leads to in terms of offspring...
  • You're kidding, right?
  • I recall reading about some controversy about Steve Wozniac's company's tracking product [woz.com] as it might potentially be applied to children, but it claims to be low cost.

    • Re:Wheels of Zeus... (Score:4, Informative)

      by david duncan scott ( 206421 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @02:39PM (#12537003)
      Might potentially?
      The wOz system provides peace of mind for parents, caregivers and others who need to:
      • watch over their children who are too young to carry wireless phones, ensuring they are near their homes, at school, at the playground, or any other place they should be
      • monitor elderly individuals, particularly those impaired by Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, and who may be prone to wandering into dangerous areas
      • ensure pets remain within a yard or other safe zone
      • ensure the security of valuables

      With the wOz solution, caregivers can determine the exact location of their charges and items, and receive immediate notification of a deviation from a specified zone. It also tracks Smart-Tags that have left the zone, giving consumers the information needed to find and recover people and valuables they care about.

      Sounds like that's their top application for it, along with blind hunting dogs.

      Personally, I want this for my car. Not LoJack and all that, just a thing that says, "the car is 25 meters north of here" when I come out of the house in the morning. If wOz can do this on a dog or a child, why don't German luxury cars have this standard? I'm not sure I want OnStar to know where I am at all times, but a short-range where-the-hell-did-I-park dingus would be great.

  • err (Score:1)

    by Evro ( 18923 ) *
    http://www.google.com/search?q=pet+gps [google.com]

    that was hard!

  • lol (Score:2)

    by jjshoe ( 410772 )
    My sister has a blind hunting dog (yes really) and will soon be moving to the wilderness area of Sweden. She is really worried that her dog will run off after the first elk that it sees never to be seen again (since he's already run off numerous times already).

    It's blind but it's going to run off when it sees an elk? Anyone see an issue here?

  • NetHack (Score:5, Funny)

    by Pentagram ( 40862 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @10:51AM (#12535573) Homepage
    I've had the same problem playing NetHack. The best option is to use a magic whistle (a blessed eucalyptus leaf will work in a pinch).

    If a magic whistle isn't available, then a leash can work well. Failing that, be sure to feed your pet regularly and always carry some tripe. The dog, attracted by the smell, will follow you more closely.

    HTH
    • Alternately, polymorph your blind hunting dog into some major demon, who can teleport to where you are, all the time. While this may cause problems with guests at the dinner table, it shouldn't affect your sex life, as long as your partner is either an incubus or succubus.

      --LWM

  • Your problem isn't that the dog gets lost (Score:3, Funny)

    by thenerdgod ( 122843 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @11:03AM (#12535636) Homepage
    It's that he's run away.

    Buy an Invisible Fence and collar.

  • Hunters have used radio tracking collars for years to keep "track" of expensive hounds, bird dogs, etc. "Inexpensive" is relative, but figure on approx. $500 U.S.

    See some of the brands available at http://www.gundogsupply.com/tracking-collars.html [gundogsupply.com]
  • This [sitstay.com] is effective within a 50 foot radius.

    For a slightly higher-tech solution, try this [purdue.edu] or even this [thepetprofessor.com].

  • Blind hunting? (Score:3, Funny)

    by secolactico ( 519805 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @12:22PM (#12536094) Journal
    My sister has a blind hunting dog (yes really)

    How do you exactly hunt blinds?

  • Wheels of Zeus (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Karl J. Smith ( 184 ) * on Sunday May 15, 2005 @12:32PM (#12536162) Homepage
    Woz's Wheels of Zeus [woz.com] is for tracking local objects and pets.

    It's still vapor, though - you can't buy any products.
  • There are organizations who track humans who suffer from dementia (alzheimers, paranoia, whatever). And you can call a vet and use google.
  • It may not be legal to let the dog loose - depends on where your sister will live. In some areas of Swedish Lapland, only the Saami are allowed to lets dogs loose or use motorised vehicles. It's possible that these are relatively small areas, perhaps just the national parks, but it's worth checking if she's up in the north.
  • This company has also a tracking product that might apply:

    http://benefon.com/products/pointer_dog_gps/ [benefon.com]

    Might cost a few hundred euros and requires GPS and especially GSM network coverage.

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Sunday May 15, 2005 @04:54PM (#12537784)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Ask Slashdot followup...lighter tracking device? (Score:4, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 15, 2005 @04:55PM (#12537789)
    Ok, now let's ask about a tracking device for my...um...Cat, yes...cat...I want to track my cat in case it runs off chasing Elk.
    Obviously, I will need a lighter tracking device than discussed for my dog. It needs to be light enough so my girlfriend..oops..I mean Cat, cannot tell that it is attached to their person...oops...I mean fur.
    Also, I want to purchase this device with cash. That's so the police...oops...I mean the Cat Cabal cannot track me down.
  • 1.pound stick into ground
    2.tie rope to stick
    3.tie rope to dog collar

    It doesn't run linux...but it works
  • The dog will not get lost. Dogs do not get lost. Ever. In all of recorded history, there is not a single uncontested documented instance of a dog getting lost. There are many urban legends about "lost" dogs, but almost all of these, if not just plain made up, are gross overstatements or misunderstandings. Most of them are just the dog's owner/companion freaking out and going into a panic because *they* don't know where the dog is.

    Sometimes a dog will stray away from where the dog's owner/companion thi
  • With a radio transmitter and gps module you could track your pooch via aprs. There are digipeater frequencies for vhf and hf, which might be of interest if wanderlust strikes.
  • There were no updates all day.

  • hunting the blind? (Score:3, Funny)

    by belmolis ( 702863 ) <billposerNO@SPAMalum.mit.edu> on Monday May 16, 2005 @01:01AM (#12540280) Homepage

    I'm pretty sure that Sweden is one of those highly advanced countries with tons of social benefits. I don't believe for a minute that they allow the hunting of the blind.

  • If yougoto any country shows you will find a stand with people who will happily put a microchipinto a dogs ear so it can be tracked and IDed. If it went missing they could track it by the tag and it's cheap and painless.
  • How the hell is it going to see an elk?
  • My old dog used to run off a lot. She got taken to the police station by helpful people.(I used to live in a smallish town)

    The police used to feed her, play with her etc.

    Obviously after a while this meant that, every time she 'escaped', she made a beeline for the police station often arriving there before we even knew she had left.

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