It Ain't the Shoes

With only one bit of modern gear in a terrierman's kit, you would think debates over the relative merits of branded technology might be given a bit of a rest.

But you would be wrong. In terrier work, as with every other sport, some folke are obsessed with gear.

But guess what? Terrier work is not about the locator collar any more than basketball is about the shoes.

The simple truth is that 99.99 percent of the time, it hardly matters what brand of of locator collar you use. The old Mark I collar was not that hard to tape up and keep dry (I have never felt a need to change), and the new Deben LRT and Bellman and Flint systems are far beyond what most folks will ever need to keep their dogs safe. Let's be honest: the number of folks digging to 12 feet is vanishingly small, and the number of folks digging to 40 feet is smaller than the total population of red-headed eskimos in the world.

Whatever locator you chose, for whatever reason, remember the most important thing about terrier work: "It ain't about the shoes."