My son is a computer engineer, they design & build prototypes of everything from banking security to photo finish timing for the race tracks, they designed and built the pack-bot for the military. Much of this geek squad designing is packaged and then improved upon with real world testing. If they can get the buyer to do the real world testing for them and then make improvements from the feed back, that saves alot of money for the company and the new improvements are paid for by the customer rather than the bank loans. I doubt the designers of these collars have any real word experience with hounds or their mechanics and movements when hunting rabbits. I am grateful to those with deep pockets and money to invest in the improvement of these things, some day when the bugs are worked out and the damage done to the hounds is eliminated, I may have saved enough money and be able to justify purchasing one, but it will have to become pretty much dummy proof by then...lol ...I agree, this has gotten on track to be the "Apple" of the hound world. The new world is consumed with new gadgetry and the "need to know and communicate" constantly, once infected, they can't seem to do without it.
Was said, these things turn "trash to quality", which to me says, "turns trash to cash", imho. If we still hope to breed tractable, biddable hounds, force breaking should be kept to the minimum and natural selection of quality exhibited should rule as to what is kept and bred from.
I remember one time a fellow lost his hound with the tracking/shock-collar on it. He put up a $200. reward for the hound's return or info. After talking to him, it wasn't the hound he wanted back but the collars...
...where do you place the most value and investment?
