brushes together with a cord (the bristles
rows secure it) and quickly separate the two by undoing the cord
after a training session.
The double scrub-brush has now become a training dummy. All you
have to do is go out and start throwing it for your dog, presumably
that Mighty Molars will fetch. Use of this bristly dummy early
on will do very good job of preventing an incipient hardmouth
and in respectable number cases can result in curing existing
hardmouth.
It is cheap, durable and can be used on land or water. The only
drawback I've discovered is that it often "floats low"
and is difficult for a swimming dog to see. But with a dog that
likes to retrieve, considering the distance you're able to fling
this dummy, it's not much of a problem.... and when you are using
a scrub-brush dummy it is for the purpose of preventing or curing
a "mouth problem" not to "stretch out" the
length of the retrieves you |
expect your dog to make. The scrub brush
can prevent or cure your dog from mishandling game.
If you do want to flinging the "dummy" as far as possible,
most brushes come with the hole bored on one end so they can
be hung on a nail. Match the holes and run in a short length
of slinging rope, knot each end and you'll gain distance.
The difficulty in spotting scrub-brush dummy as compared to high-riding
white boat bumpers may actually increase the dog's interest result
in his using his nose as well as his eyes when swimming.
If you utilize any commercial "training scents" to
artificially introduce your dog to game bird scent, it can also
be used on hidden and hard to see dummies to attract the dog
and associate that scent with was something to retrieve. This
will lead him to and investigate the scent of the real thing
encountered when hunting even though he's had no previous actual
bird confrontation. |
It is then likely that he will "put
it all together" when he's either flushes a live bird or
finds a dead one to pickup and retrieve.
Used on the flat-floating scrub brush dummies, scent will encourage
him to keep swimming towards the "game" even if unseen.
The brushes also have a distinct advantage over most conventional
training dummies. The bottled liquid scent is easy to apply and
the bristles retain it longer.
That's all there is to it. Have at it. Don't forget that like
anything else in dog training, repetition and consistency lead
to success. If you have a canine "hamburger helper"
one or two sessions with the brush dummy isn't going to overcome
and established fault. But a few sessions may prevent, quite
a few sessions correct a mild case, and lots of sessions with
some auxiliary techniques have a decent chance of cleaning up
some pretty bad acts.
With that behind us, let's recognize that there is some "inquiring
minds" who read something besides tabloids and informercial
articles long on hype and short on information. For those interested
in additional training tips, why this particular device works
and pertinent background read on so you'll better understand
how to teach your dog to treat with respect the game you shoot
that he retrieves.
It's been said that "necessity is the mother invention".
I stumbled onto scrub-brush training tools when I ran into "hard
mouth" and tried a recommend corrective methods, still being
touted, which didn't work for me. (Anyone who claims he has "invented"
or "started" anything innovative in dog training hasn't
been around much. So you may already have heard of using a brush
dummy or reasoned in out independently as I did.)
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