Only a few days after the recent announcement of the Sport PRO handheld for training dogs, Garmin has announced that it will be adding two additional dog collars to its popular Astro and Alpha GPS dog tracking and training systems. The new collars, dubbed T 5 Mini and TT 15 Mini are designed for smaller dogs but still have the same functionality as their larger counterparts.
“The new T 5 mini and TT 15 mini are the ideal solution for sporting dog owners who run smaller breed dogs – from dachshunds to beagles to brittanys,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales in a press release.
The two new collars are designed to fit dogs with a neck circumference of 9.5 inches and has been miniaturized to fit smaller dogs. The devices have also been reduced as far as weight goes weighing 7 and 7.5 ounces respectively to help decrease the load on the dog.
Of course, as you’d expect from a Garmin product, the reduction in weight and size hasn’t changed the functionality of either dog collar and both the T 5 Mini and TT 15 Mini are capable of a full day of tracking and training with a range of four miles, allowing you to track and work with your dog over distance. Both collars are compatible with both GPS and GLONASS signals, allowing for faster fixes and more stable connections. The collars also feature a “sleep mode” to save power and are waterpoof.
Much like the larger counterparts, the T 5 Mini is a tracking-only device while the TT 15 adds 18 levels of continuous or momentary stimulation, tone and vibration for training and sporting purposes. Both collars are compatible with the Alpha 100 and the Astro 320 handsets, although a software upgrade may be required to pair.
The collars can be purchased separately or as part of a bundle, although prices have not been advertised as both units are still awaiting FCC approval. The Astro bundle is expected to include the Astro 320 handset and the T 5 Mini while the Alpha bundle will have an Alpha 100 and the TT 15 Mini. The small-sized dog collars are listed as being available “summer 2015” but it probably depends on what is holding up the FCC certification, as that must be completed before sale. For more information, check out the Garmin press release.
