TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 05/15/2009 7:21 AM |
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I want to get Tessa a decoy. If you could only by one, which one would you get? I am leaning toward the mallard as it is more in line what she will retrieve out of water. Or should I get more than one?
Of course, I welcome any advice in regards decoys in general...
www.gundogsonline.com/dog-training-bumpers/dokken-dead-fowl-trainer/ |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 05/15/2009 8:42 AM |
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I have a Dokken. I know others who say good things about the Armidillo(sp?)foam,you may want to check that out.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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RyanGSP
MH
Posts:430
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| 05/28/2009 8:26 PM |
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| I have a pheasant dokken and for the money I wish I would have bought half a dozen of the plastic bumpers. The pheasant is a fun toy but it would get destroyed pretty quick if I left it in the backyard with them and it doesnt do much in regards to training. Nothing that a plastic bumper wouldnt do. |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 05/29/2009 6:19 AM |
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I will agree with Ryan.
These specialty bumpers are fun to use because of what they look like but offer nothing a 3" bumper doesn't. I own 6 3" b/w and 6 3" orange bumpers and they go a much longer way in terms of taining purposes. The Dokken doesn't dry unless kept in direct sunlight for days and then smells pretty funky,esp if you inject it with scent. I don't leave any retrieving training object out where the dogs can get to them so I can't say how either would hold up to playing and chewing.
Francine |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 05/29/2009 8:51 AM |
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Aren't they supposed to offer more of a bird feel than a bumper (bopping head, size and shape etc)?
I think I will skip the scent and just tape a wing to it.
I am not too worried about it being destroyed as I would only use it for water retrieves, it's supposed to hold up for a few thousand of those, supposed to, we'll see. |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 05/29/2009 1:10 PM |
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Having one, I would not say this is true.
If you want a bird feel,use a bird. Dogs will behave differently with a real bird,dead or alive.They may shake it more,may drop it more,may mouth it more,may not want to pick it up,may want to possess it (more).
It's not like the dog thinks it's the real thing anyway. It's called good advertising, I think.Kinda like the dog food gimicks. Humanize something and a human is sure to buy it.Anywho, I spent the money and we do have fun with it. The bulk of our training is done with bumpers tho.
Hey, ya know, you'll get a good throwing arm by the time the winter rolls around. Next year this time you'll be throwing twice as far.
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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WildRose
Seymour Texas
MH
Posts:471
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| 05/30/2009 1:30 AM |
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Posted By TessaGA on 05/29/2009 8:51 AM
Aren't they supposed to offer more of a bird feel than a bumper (bopping head, size and shape etc)?
I think I will skip the scent and just tape a wing to it.
I am not too worried about it being destroyed as I would only use it for water retrieves, it's supposed to hold up for a few thousand of those, supposed to, we'll see.
I bought some of the Dokken's dead fowl trainers years ago. What I learned was that as cool as they look they are a waste of money.
All I use now are these:
http://www.gundogsupply.com/scotplasdumr.html
and
http://www.gundogsupply.com/scotplasdumj.html
If you want to get your dog used to birds, then just use birds. |
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There's a reason I like dogs better'n people... . |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7839
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 06/03/2009 2:55 PM |
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| I wasn't gonna get the Dokken bird dummy as a substitute for real birds, and I know she will know it's not real anyway. I just thought to mix things up...get one that's different from the bumpers. |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7839
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| 06/03/2009 2:56 PM |
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| I think the more variety of things we ask our dogs to retrieve the better. It also keeps things interesting for them. So, I agree that it is good for variety. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Wishmeluck
Payette, Idaho
Posts:9
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| 07/20/2009 11:23 AM |
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If you are trying to add variety like at the end of force fetch training I think the goose added the most. It was quite a bit heavier and harder to get a hold of. I remember the first look I got when I held it out and said, "fetch".
I didn't ever leave them around as a toy, same with bumpers, they were for training. One other nice thing about the Dokken is that if the dog mouths it you can see marks immediately and go back to force fetch to correct it before it becomes a bigger problem.
I have had them for about 8 years with good durability. I consider them a good investment to use during training. |
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My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 07/20/2009 2:44 PM |
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I ended up getting her an e-collar instead, but at the training day, someone brought the Dokken mallard, so now I think I will go ahead after all...if for no other reason than that it really is different in feel and weight from the other dummies.
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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