I need some help on E-collars and a few other things. It has been years since I bought one so I would like to know if there is any new ones that people have or old favorits. Even though I won't be needing one for like another 7 months atleast. I still want to start looking at which one I want to get. This will be used for training and hunting so it must be atleast able to do atleast 1000 yards and be waterproof.  I would like to know what kind people use on here name of collar and brand and maybe around what the cost is, what you like about it and what you don't like about it. Also if there have been ones that you bought that you didn't like and why. This would help me out so much. Oh also what is a good lengh check cord for a puppy? If you want to add anything too that would be great to get for a puppy that would be fine too. I don't want to have to run out to the store b/c we forgot something important. We live somewhat aways from town. This isn't our first dog but our first GSP and well she is already our baby. She already has a trip planned for Petsmarts to pick out her toys and a few treats when we get her. We are picking out which girl we want this Sunday and go pick her up from the breeder Nov.11th. She will be in the house most the time and we already have her metal cage with puppy divider, we get her food next weekend(have to drive 30 min but thats ok don't want to change what the breeder is feeding her), Few blankets, soft training collar for puppy classes, Small water bucket, baby gates and few toys.

This is what I know we need: food bowl (can't deside what we want yet), to get puppy training pads or not to get (I will be home with her all the time), Dog pillow what kind if any, toys that work out good for GSP's "must haves" what type of leash for walks (street walking not field runs). If you guys can add anything that you think I am missing that would help too or if you got something and the puppy never really needed it or didn't use it much would be helpful too.. 

Thanks guys for all the help!Just to excited to even think b/c the time has finally come to pick her out this weekend. I have pictures of all the pups but i can't wait to post and say this one is ours!

I don't use the pads either. It will confuse the pup. Congrats on the pup! They are sure little chubbies at that age! I have a sportdog 400S. It works great in the yard and fields but NOT in cover. I was very disappointed with it. I am trying to save up to buy a Tri-tronics sport upland G2. I was told that this is a good one and it has a beeper on it as well. I use different length check cords. I have a couple 14 foot ones and one that is 3 times that for more training. Not sure what everyone else uses.

I use stainless steel food and water bowls. Easy to keep clean. Definately some chew toys as they are little vampires and that age! Oh yeah... bandaids.. for you! I bought some of that batting I think my wife calls it. It is used in comforters and stuff. She bought material at walmart and made the beds for our dogs. I have some blaze orange ones and camo ones.

If you get chew toys I wouldn't get ones with a squeeker, if you are going to hunt her. I think it makes them hard mouthed but the birds don't squeek so they can bite down harder. I was told that not sure if it is true. I just didn't take the chance. I hope this helped.

The most important things we had for week one was a soft polar fleece blanket, a soft toy for the crate (that he can't destroy -- we got him a squeaker mat - a small mat with 16 squeakers in it -- still hasn't got one out yet) stainless steel bowls (and a drip tray ), a puppy kong (for feeding) and a wubba.

We have fed Bo from day one using a combination of kibble stuffed into his kongs (sealed with peanut butter) and a busy buddy. Not only do these keep him busy with his food for more than two seconds, it also makes him VERY easy to hand feed which is great for getting little kids to feed him.

We trained Bo without puppy pads. The method we used worked really well, but you have to be willing to have pee puddles on the floor or carpet (his came out with a spot remover ... no prob). The way you do it this: every time he looks like he's about to pee take him outside and give him a good boy and a good treat (freeze-dried liver worked well). If he has an accident, don't scold him just taking him outside. He gets a good treat for every piddle and poop outside and nothing for the accidents. Pretty soon the figure out if they go outside they get a treat, if they go inside they get nothing. Their puppy brains figure this one out REAL easy. It took us about 2 weeks to get Bo trained and 4 weeks for no accidents at all. .

A couple more things.

We just bought Bo a new busy buddy today. His old one is shaped like a UFO with slots on the side for his kibble to fall out. The new one is a lexan water bottle with a tug rope up the middle. You screw off the bottom to fill the bottle. He can see it, hear it and every once a while a piece falls out. We just had him going for 40 minutes with this one. The new one is called a Tug-A-Jug. His old one is a Twist-n-Treat.

We also just got Bo's Boomerang Tags in the mail (can't remember who recommended these). They are great and it ook me so long to get them on I can tell they are never coming off. I got 2 for $20.10 (Cdn) including shipping. I think the cheap ones at Petsmart cost at least that much.

Does anyone have the electric fencing at all? We are looking at buying a house that has an acre on it and well I really don't want to fence in the whole thing The fence wouldn't do to well in a hurrican b/c of the size. The acre is in the woods so I need to know if the GSP drive would be to much for the electric fence and  if the dog would go right through it. I don't want  to spend all that money on something that doesn't work for my dog.

we have an electric fence.  It works like a charm, we love it. We had it installed professionally.  Not only did we have the boundaries of our yard wired, I also had my flower gardens wired.  I got tired of him pulling up my flowers!  We had it installed when Webster was a wee pup & realized quickly it wasn't going to work on such a young pup so we waited until he was about 6 months.  The big key to the electric fence is the training.  We took a painfully long time with the training to make sure he didn't run through it.  Once they know that the shock doesn't continue indefinitely, you're in trouble & they will continue to run through it.

I was always afraid that given enough motivation Webster would run through it but one day we had 5 deer in the yard & Webster chased them but stopped at his boundaries.  We have actually let him in the yard & forgot to put on his collar & he stayed in the yard.

We do not let him have the run of the yard when no one is home.

The only down side I can see with the electric fence is that it doesn't prevent other dogs from entering your yard, but this hasn't been a problem for us.

We live on a buzy road & we let Webster out in the yard to run on his own & feel very secure in knowing that he's safe.

Hope this helps.

We had electric mesh fencing from KenCove.com for years. It's now replaced by the UltraMax Dog Containment Facility, but it did the trick all those years for very, very little money.

*laughs* sorry I just realized I didn't get the check chord from Jeffer's I got it from Canvasback pet supplies

http://www.canvasbackpets.com/ShopSite/TRAINING.HTML this is the page with the check chord, the one I have is the "trainer check chord"