shootinforfood 18 Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 have bought a training dummy for when I eventually get to the retrieval stage of the dogs training. do you use scent on the dummy or just use it as it is? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
*The*Field*Marshall* 674 Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 For training, the dummy on its own will do the job, but the closer to the real thing the better I suppose. I started mine without the scent and introduced it after a while, the dog wasn’t deterred in the slightest. ATB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sirius 1,391 Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 Once they out grow a pair of rolled up socks or even a toy. I have started with a plain puppy weight dummy or tennis ball or even better a ball covered in rabbit fur ( you can get these from companies who supply gun dog kit). Then I progress to a heavier dummy with a real rabbit skin attached. The only problem you can get with real skins is the dog wanting to chew or eat them. This I have found happens if the dog has too much time with the dummy. Just what I found has worked for me. Good luck Sirius 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shootinforfood 18 Posted August 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 cheers guys. had thought of wrapping a rabbit skin around it. think I will just use the dummy to begin with. also bought a bottle of pheasant scent so might move onto that after a while then onto the rabbit skin. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jangles 24 Posted August 31, 2013 Report Share Posted August 31, 2013 After you do your basic training with the canvas dummy, using a gamebag or something similar leave your new dummy in it along side a rabbit or pheasant for a couple of days... roadkills without too much blood will do. This will give your dummy a more natural smell. Wrapping skins or adding wings is for getting the dog used to the texture of fur and feather in its mouth ... then you move on to using cold game... then freshly shot 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
beast 1,884 Posted September 4, 2013 Report Share Posted September 4, 2013 when i first start with a pup its important to find something the pup likes to hold, socks are indeed attractive to a lot of pups, or a small stuffed toy especially if it has been used by the kids so it gets a bit of scent on it. but as they progress its a good idea to get them carrying all sorts of things, a dog has other uses than just carrying game. over the years i have had 2 lost gloves and a lost set of keys found and retrieved by my dogs. nowadays i get them carrying wallets, spectacles, key fobs all kinds of stuff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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