I bought the Alpha with the intent to use it for training my Brittany but also for use when we go hunting out west and it has done nothing but impress me over and over again. I've used the Alpha 300 for a week straight without recharging (using it for a few hours of hunting each day) and it never died. It's always comforting being able to know exactly where my dog is and the 9 mile range is impressive. It's also built for the outdoors, I've had it in rain, snow and have fallen in a river with it and just simply rinsed it off and kept going. When you want something you can rely on for your dogs go with the Alpha. We spend a lot of money on our dogs and though the Alpha is not cheap it's a good insurance to ensure you are always able to find your dog and potentially save them if they end up in a bad situation while out hunting (encounter with a coyote, porcupine, snake, bear, traps, etc).

Not a single regret from buying my garmin alpha 300. This device is very trustworthy when it comes to knowing where my dogs are at all times when I’m out hunting. All the little accessories within the device help out with any situation whether you’re training or hunting and with a long last battery life, that just makes it even better.

We purchased some acreage that borders a state forest. I was having to chain my young Boykin while we were there since she kept wandering into the woods. With this I am able to let her roam and keep track of where she is and know if she is returning when I whistle. The first night we camped there, one of the horses decided to leave the temporary corral and go on a walkabout. Now they wear the collars at night. Also when the wife goes for a solo ride, I can keep track of her so I can find her if necessary.

I have lost dogs for many days (without usage of a gps collar) and am very aware and appreciative of the longer battery life of this new collar to allow for long search times if needed. This system has a mode called “sleep mode” that allows you to put the collar to “sleep” and consume far less battery power. It is meant to be used when you are not actively tracking your dog. When you want to begin tracking your dog again you enter the “awake mode”. The issue that I confirmed with GARMIN helpline is that you must be in RF antenna sight line to wake the collar up. It is not commanded to wake via GPS. If you hunt in hilly country as I do it is likely that the dog will be out of RF range and therefore the collar will be stuck in sleep mode and useless to track your dog. The GARMIN product manual does not make it clear whether this mode is commanded via RF or GPS antenna. If it were via GPS then there would be very little limitation putting the collar into awake mode. As it stands I will not be using “sleep/wake” mode. I want others to know this limitation as well.