Gun dogs that retrieve are a blessing and
rank a genuine conservationist, making sportsmen out of shooters
by keeping them honest. Recovered game birds must be counted
in the bag limit. Lost birds not only are wasted but few hunters
include unrecovered game as part of their legal limit.
However there are dogs clever and proficient at salvaging shot
game who inflict damage on the birds they retrieve. In combination
with the shot charge, canine dentures can render game unfit for
the table. When a gun dog brings back a bird that's been mangled
so badly it's not worth cleaning and cooking that dog is charged
with being "hard mouthed".
This vise is shrugged off or ignored by some. But to others it
ranks right along with gun shyness as the worst fault a hunting
dog can have. In both cases, because of the difficulty effecting
a "cure" (and that uncertain chances of success using
any number of "medicines") the best advice that can
be given a hunter is to start over with another pup; or ship
old Mighty Molars off to a pro and hope his corrective method
clicked.
There are good hunting dogs worth a try at working out this problem
and there are hunters who have to, or would rather, do it themselves.
The "technique" I've used for years is elemental and
cheap. I guarantee it will not work with every dog. But, |
in my experience, even forced-training
to retrieve (the "guarantee" against hard mouth) isn't
100%. So what I'm suggesting probably will work as well as anything
for the hunter/trainer who wants to eat what is dog has fetched.
For the impatient in a "quick fix" would-be-trainers
I'll tip you off to the tool that will help you get the job done
right now. Then you can get started without being kept in suspense.
For those curious about the background some insights into a seat-of-you-pants,
old fashion way of preventing or curing a bad fault, some explanations
will follow.
Get a scrub brush
Well over half-a-century ago when I started doing this, you could
find a scrub-brush (and a washboard) in almost any household.
Today you may have to shop around to find a hardware store that
carries them. And a generation or two of hunters may not even
know what one is.
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A scrub brush is a hand tool once employed
by stooping laundresses and on their knees cleaning ladies. The
brush bristles stick out from a flat wooden or plastic grip.
Typically, there are four rows a bristles and the grip (handle)
measures about 8-inches long, to 2 1/2 inches wide and less than
3/4 inches thick. If you have a brush of slightly different dimensions
stowed away someplace use it. You won't have to shop and it's
already paid for. You might get the job done with a single brush.
But it's worth buying a "matched pair". Scrub-brushes
won't cost you anything near that of the match brace of double
guns you've yearned for; or the price of a field champion bred
Labrador Retriever pup and the training fees you'll be risk trying
to turn him into something approaching your expectations... it's
like you can get a brace of brushes for a couple bucks.
When you get home, fasten them together, back-to-back. You can
use thin plastic strap fasteners, screws or bolts. It's difficult
to nail two brushes together. I offer that bit of brilliance
only to substantiate that I don't recommend doing things I haven't
tried out. Believe me nailing's a losing proposition.
If you are really economy minded and you frequently use the scrub-brushes
for what they were intended.... or to scour out kennel club's
tubs and buckets, groom a dog or horse... you can bind two |
