OT Throwing Dummies

Damn, I just got back from our afternoon training session and my arm
& shoulder are toast from throwing dummies for Kaylin. I feel like
I've gone 14 innings pitching nothing but 90 mph fastballs. This could
pose real problems when it comes time to go fishing (OBROFF :-).

How do you dog trainer guys (Harry, Larry etc) do it ? Do you use
a throwing device, a slingshot, do you have massive upper bodies
and arms like Bob Gibson ? I seriously don't know if I'm going to
be able throw dummies tomorrow my shoulder is so damn sore.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Feb 10, 4:32*pm, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
Damn, I just got back from our afternoon training session and my arm
& shoulder are toast from throwing dummies for Kaylin.

It's just a matter of not overdoing it with muscles you don't use
often. The day after we opened the Wii, my right arm was sore just
from playing that damned tennis game. Take it easy; you ain't as
young as you used to be. g

Joe F.

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Damn, I just got back from our afternoon training session and my arm
& shoulder are toast from throwing dummies for Kaylin. I feel like
I've gone 14 innings pitching nothing but 90 mph fastballs. This could
pose real problems when it comes time to go fishing (OBROFF :-).

How do you dog trainer guys (Harry, Larry etc) do it ? Do you use
a throwing device, a slingshot, do you have massive upper bodies
and arms like Bob Gibson ? I seriously don't know if I'm going to
be able throw dummies tomorrow my shoulder is so damn sore.

--
Ken Fortenberry

You might try throwing beancounter, he's like a dummy only less intelligent.

Op

I've seen these in action, both work well:
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store....-flypage-20476
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c...2&kwtid=206008

Some other options:
http://www.gundogsupply.com/rrt-ldl002.html

If tennis balls are acceptable, these work well.
http://animallovepets.com/Ball-Blaster-p68.html

There are some very expensive options available too...

JT



"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Damn, I just got back from our afternoon training session and my arm
& shoulder are toast from throwing dummies for Kaylin. I feel like
I've gone 14 innings pitching nothing but 90 mph fastballs. This could
pose real problems when it comes time to go fishing (OBROFF :-).

How do you dog trainer guys (Harry, Larry etc) do it ? Do you use
a throwing device, a slingshot, do you have massive upper bodies
and arms like Bob Gibson ? I seriously don't know if I'm going to
be able throw dummies tomorrow my shoulder is so damn sore.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

a throwing device, a slingshot, do you have massive upper bodies
and arms like Bob Gibson ? I seriously don't know if I'm going to
be able throw dummies tomorrow my shoulder is so damn sore.



The launchers that use 22cal long nail gun blanks ( JT links ) for power
work OK ... tossing maybe 100 yards with the streamlined dummies, (dry ..
they work poorly when already wet ) and heaviest loads, but may get you
landed in jail if you try to use one in the downtown park, it will attract
exactly the same people that shooting a gun would.



From a dog trainer POV ... why are you throwing dummies? If it's just to
exercise Ms Mutt than there are better ways, ways that will not harm her
owner, go for walks and let her be a dog, she'll cover lots of ground. If
it is to somehow teach her to mark, you can't do that to any standard worth
the effort with hand tossed dummies while she sits near you, you can't throw
far enough to be meaningful. Lots of hand tossed marks from your side will
actually make her a weaker marker over time, not a better one.

People training retrievers to mark to a high standard traditionally have
human helpers that toss the retrieving objects, so maybe you could create
jobs and hire a couple, I always hired college kids as I wanted the money to
help those trying to help themselves. G


Baring that, teach her how to do 'walking singles' ... i.e. leave her on a
sit/stay, walk out a ways, throw the dummy so that she can see it's arch,
send her to retrieve on her taught command, when she gets the dummy she
brings it to your new location, you leave her there on sit/stay and the
process starts over gradually increasing distance and terrain difficulties
..... it's simple with any obedient dog to get them doing single tough marks
out to a couple hundred yards this way .... and you get to walk off some
Budweiser G BUT, the dog must be steady and obedient, of course.

"Larry L" wrote

a
sit/stay, walk out a ways, throw the dummy so that she can see it's arch,


arc ...

in other words don't throw directly away from her, at least not very often
.... "marking" is using the EYES to run directly to where the object fell
..... most hunters get all hung up on NOSE but nose comes very easy, too damn
easy, ... does that learn to use their eyes are the retrievers aht
eventually earn bragging rights .. give her nice long arcs to watch and
'watching' will come easier


One other thing ... get the dummies that have a rope hole and add rope long
enough ( I'm too lazy to go measure one ) to just drag the ground when she
carries it with head nice and pretty. Use the end of the rope as your
grip and toss with a flick instead of muscle, much like technique vs muscle
with a fly rod and you'll be able to toss farther and more accurately ....

"Larry L" wrote

landed in jail if you try to use one in the downtown park, it will attract
exactly the same people that shooting a gun would.



and may BE a gun as defined by your local laws ... you COULD kill with one
.... I had one built to my own specs and it was hard to find a gunsmith
willing to do it

rb608 wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
Damn, I just got back from our afternoon training session and my arm
& shoulder are toast from throwing dummies for Kaylin.

It's just a matter of not overdoing it with muscles you don't use
often. The day after we opened the Wii, my right arm was sore just
from playing that damned tennis game. Take it easy; you ain't as
young as you used to be. g

Hmmmph. I plan to be 42 for at least four more years. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

JT wrote:
I've seen these in action, both work well:
http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store....-flypage-20476
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/c...2&kwtid=206008

Some other options:
http://www.gundogsupply.com/rrt-ldl002.html

If tennis balls are acceptable, these work well.
http://animallovepets.com/Ball-Blaster-p68.html

There are some very expensive options available too...

Thanks JT. I can't use anything that goes "boom". We train on University
property and on a hunting preserve. The University cops would arrest me
and the folks on the hunting preserve would think I was trying to poach
their holdover stockers. I think the slingshot is the way to go.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Larry L wrote:
...
From a dog trainer POV ... why are you throwing dummies? If it's just to
exercise Ms Mutt than there are better ways, ways that will not harm her
owner, go for walks and let her be a dog, she'll cover lots of ground. If
it is to somehow teach her to mark, you can't do that to any standard worth
the effort with hand tossed dummies while she sits near you, you can't throw
far enough to be meaningful. Lots of hand tossed marks from your side will
actually make her a weaker marker over time, not a better one.

People training retrievers to mark to a high standard traditionally have
human helpers that toss the retrieving objects, so maybe you could create
jobs and hire a couple, I always hired college kids as I wanted the money to
help those trying to help themselves. G


Baring that, teach her how to do 'walking singles' ... i.e. leave her on a
sit/stay, walk out a ways, throw the dummy so that she can see it's arch,
send her to retrieve on her taught command, when she gets the dummy she
brings it to your new location, you leave her there on sit/stay and the
process starts over gradually increasing distance and terrain difficulties
.... it's simple with any obedient dog to get them doing single tough marks
out to a couple hundred yards this way .... and you get to walk off some
Budweiser G BUT, the dog must be steady and obedient, of course.

Thanks Larry. What you describe as "walking singles" is what I'm doing
right now. We're up to about a hundred yards away from the sit/stay,
and that brings up another question I'll ask later. Anyway, from that
distance I have to throw the dummies high enough for her to see them
and that's what's causing me to hoist my bottle of Bud with my left
hand tonight.

So, the other question. Kaylin's extended sit/stay will almost always
result in a down. In other words, by the time I walk a hundred yards
away from her and turn around she has gone into a down instead of a sit.
I don't think that's something I need to worry about, do you ?

--
Ken Fortenberry