With my BS degree in Exercise Science, coaching, and elite athletic background I always kept a thorough and detailed training journal with as much data as I could collect i.e. time, elevation, distance, avg. spd, heart rate, weight, intensity, etc. As an athlete, it’s the only way you can gauge year to year training and performances in order to make the necessary changes for the next season.

I like to keep detailed entries for the dogs too and found a way to use Google Drive to input data on my phone and have it directly transferred to a training journal spreadsheet.

We do a lot of free running in the summer to keep the dogs happy and in great shape prior to harness season. The summer of 2014 we logged 500 miles but that was just MY mileage, not actual dog mileage. The new Garmin Alpha 100 will help us get more detailed actual dog mileage while keeping training fun for me 😉

Here’s a short video of unboxing the device and first impressions.

Garmin has an excellent warranty program, I cannot say how much they have helped me in terms of customer service! My first misplaced Edge 305 flew off the top of the Jeep after a bike race at 55mph. I forgot it up there and heard it slip off the roof looked in my mirror and there it was bouncing all over the highway. I turned around and retrieved it. I called Garmin and they sent me a brand new device for $100 upon return of the old one. My second Edge 305’s screen cracked after crashing on my MTB riding in the winter. Same deal, they sent me a new one. My THIRD Edge 305 filled up with water riding in a rain storm and they replaced that one for free!

After reading through the user manual and customizing the device I took out for a test walk this morning with Valor, Jaana, and Toivo with the collar on Valor on the way out and Jaana on the way home. It was very impressive I never lost signal of the dogs in the thick northern Minnesota undergrowth, Garmin states it has a 9 mile range with a clear line of sight. The dogs covered twice as much ground as I did on our short walk. Here is the data on Garmin Connect.

With some more tinkering and playing around we hope it helps us acquire valuable free running data on the dogs while keeping an eye on the dogs that tend to wander from the trail. It only comes with one training collar but you can add up to 20. The collar also has the prongs for correctional training and a tone to help us keep dogs close. You can also set a proximity so that dogs stay as close to you as you want.

To read more about the Garmin Alpha 100, check out their website HERE.