softmouthed

[Casso 1,261]

Does anyone know a surefire method of getting a softmouthed dog, i know there's a lot of theories out there about it, Has anyone got one that defo works after been put into practise, I used to think it was the look of the draw , some are and some are not , i've tried to keep pups softmouthed in the past , e g, starting them on rabbits , keeping them that way till they know the score on retrieving etc, it just hasn't worked out, i know taking an odd fox would'nt help matters,, Or has one had them on fox regular ;and still retrieved bunnys softmouthed ??any experiences most welcome , thanks,

Edited July 8, 2010 by Casso

[Top Lamper 2k10 169]

my lurcher is the same mate hes soft mouthed with rabbits but when hes takeing fox hes loads different he hammers the fox lyk

[Trigger 26]

i was once told that you could tell if a dog was soft mouthed or not buy the colour of his gums. when you check his/her teeth if you look at the gums and they are pink they are soft mouthed if the gums are more black then they are hard mouthed. personally i think its just an old wives tale and have never payed any attention to it.

[gary.l 61]

with lab retrievers you can use something like a wire brush or brush(something that they don't like biting down on)to stop this, when playing fetch, but i'm not sure how it would work with a running dog...

[scotty2306 37]

Does anyone know a surefire method of getting a softmouthed dog, i know there's a lot of theories out there about it, Has anyone got one that defo works after been put into practise, I used to think it was the look of the draw , some are and some are not , i've tried to keep pups softmouthed in the past , e g, starting them on rabbits , keeping them that way till they know the score on retrieving etc, it just hasn't worked out, i know taking an odd fox would'nt help matters,, Or has one had them on fox regular ;and still retrieved bunnys softmouthed ??any experiences most welcome , thanks,

i think they are either soft mouthed or hard mouthed just depend which you get most bull x munch the ones ive seen do anyway,although i took my saluki bull grey out the other night for the first time and he got 4 rabbits and crunched 1st one other 3 never had any marks and were alive

[Top Lamper 2k10 169]

if a dog is hard mouthed to start off with i dont think theres anything to do to make it soft mouthed lyk

[Casso 1,261]

[Thanks for the replys lads,,;but my question would be, what has made a dog hard mouthed to start off with ,, ;every pup is an open book ,to mould whichever you'd like, im sure not all bulls are hard mouthed either,

Edited July 8, 2010 by Casso

[poacherman 353]

all you do is use a light dummy, some of the dummys you get out gun shops are too heavy and forces the dog to take a right good grip of it to carry it back. i always used the very small dummys you get that are light and easy for the dog to get its mouth round it. when a moved on to putting a skin round the dummy i got a broom stick and cut two bits of about the size of a rabbit and celotaped them together then put my rabbit skin on and sewed it up. it was light and easy to lift. dog brings every rabbit back alive and in tack

 

atb poacherman

[Casso 1,261]

Thanks poacherman,,that sounds straight forward enough,and makes a lot of sense,,

[albert64 1,882]

iv'e found as a dog gets older they get more hard mouthed the young dog iv'e got at the moment carry's back live and when skinned you would'nt know a dogs had it, but he's hard on other thing's

[fordie 8]

I have seen my dad when I was a kid hide Barbed wire in rabbit skin dummys to stop hardmouthed and it worked on some of his dogs

 

THANKS FORDIE

[collie/grey 238]

My bitches first catches were roe deer (im talking pre ban here), admittedly at first abit of damage was done but once had a few no marks were had, my collie x used to munch some rabbits and bring back some live and unharmed, my 1/4 bull x on the other hand had no trouble with the sharp end but retrieves rabbits alive always, if a dog sees enough then they know when to be hard or soft mouthed, i don't think it can be taught only helped, the dog either is or isn't.

[poacherman 353]

My bitches first catches were roe deer (im talking pre ban here), admittedly at first abit of damage was done but once had a few no marks were had, my collie x used to munch some rabbits and bring back some live and unharmed, my 1/4 bull x on the other hand had no trouble with the sharp end but retrieves rabbits alive always, if a dog sees enough then they know when to be hard or soft mouthed, i don't think it can be taught only helped, the dog either is or isn't.

disagree with that, obv a dogs going to know when to get its teeth sunk in but when on rabbits it should be soft mouthed and bring the rabbits back alive and in tack. if you do a lot of dummy work with your dog with a light dummy the dog will be soft mouthed believe me

 

atb poacherman

Edited July 8, 2010 by poacherman

[jackson2kaii8 5]

Every dog is softmouthed once its brought up probably.if you feed the dog a rabbit its fecked.once you keep it away from chewing toys tat make noise and the more they bite down on it it will make more noise just like a rabbit so keep them away.and like the man said above if you train it right to retrieve it should be softmouthed and start the dog retrieving before you put it on a rabbit and make sure he is 100 % on retrieving with the skin if ya want the dog 100%

[collie/grey 238]

I never did any retrieving with my bull x let alone dummy retrieving so she just must be naturally soft mouthed on bunnies.