Hard Mouth Dogs??

[Caton1234 3]

Heard stuff about dogs being hard mouthed and Im training a pup and wanna get all this right from the start anyone have any advice or dos and donts for a beginner?

[TOMO 24,890]

You know ,,,I have had dogs that are soft mouthed all there lives,,,, and I've had dogs that are hard mouthed from the start,,, and I've got a dog that was soft mouthed that's got harder ,,,, and I wished I knew the answer,,,I sometimes just think it's the way the dog is,,,

[mushroom 12,393]

Don't snatch the game from it!!!

 

I personally think that when the dog catches get it to retrieve and when it comes to you, get down to it's level and spend a moment stroking and talking to the dog (good boy/girl, well done etc) Nice and calm while it is still holding the rabbit then after a few seconds giver the release command and take the rabbit. Any attempt at snatching from the dog should be met instantaneously with a firm no (I used to flick the staffy on the nose, funny buggers when their blood is up ).

 

Now this worked for me with a staffy and a wheatonx lurcher so give it a go but before going into the field my advice is practice with a dummy in an enclosed space never rush it and once the dog gets it right stop and move onto another exercise.

 

ALWAYS KEEP IT CALM over excited owner = over excited dog

Edited February 4, 2014 by mushroom

[Ideation 8,216]

Good posts.

 

But I agree with tomo that some dogs are just harder mouthed than others ...

[mushroom 12,393]

Good posts.

 

But I agree with tomo that some dogs are just harder mouthed than others ...

This is true what Tomo says, still I managed to get a hard mouthed staffy to become soft mouthed with the above technique just a lot of patience needed

 

She still had a bite when necessary of course

[Tiercel 6,986]

I don't think there is a definitive answer to you question, there are so many variations that can cause a dog to become hard mouth. I had a whippet greyhound essentially 21" that most of the time would kill the first rabbit, after that they would all be alive to hand. Yet if he caught a hare it was mangled there was not a rib left whole. I had a collie Greyhound 24" who never killed a hare or rabbit in her life, yet would pile into a fox like a dog possesed.

 

I think a lot to do with it is the size of the dog if they can pick up a live rabbit without it struggling too much then that helps. Also if the rabbit has given the dog a hard time on the course it can get the dogs dander up. I tended to enter later than most of my mates 1year+ and never really had a hard mouthed dog but that could just be coincedence.

 

For every example I could give someone could give the exact opposite and be totally valid.

 

TC

[mushroom 12,393]

PMSL this ain't your dog is it??? :laugh:

 

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[jeppi26 1,855]

Don't bring it ratting and what Tomo says.

Why not?

[darbo 4,774]

i had one hard mouthed from the first to the last caught his last one at 11 years of age.

[tjones3862 3,423]

hits pot luck,,, when hit comes down to this,,,,, I had a bitch what wud play tug of war with a stick,, etc,,,, but wud not mark a rabbit,,you cud let them go again iff you wanted to,,,,,

[Bosun11 537]

I've never brought up a hard mouthed dog (on rabbits anyway!), I adopt the same tactics as Mushroom and even my half crosses carried bunnys back like they were made of glass.

[trigger2 3,100]

i dont think you can always tell if a dogs going to be hard or soft mouthed with a rabbit until its actually caught one or two. ive herd some people say dogs with pink gums will be soft mouthed and the dogs with alot of black in there gums will be hard mouthed.

 

another tale i was tolled when i was a kid was if you rolled a none boiled egg across the lawn and the dog retrieved it without cracking the shell he/she was going to be soft mouthed. had a dog do this with a egg and it and he smashed a rabbit to feck.

[Tiercel 6,986]

During the 70's and 80's there were urban myths doing the rounds on how to stop a dog that was hard mouthed. From filling a balloon with vile tasting liquids and covering it with a rabbit skin. to skinning a hedgehog and wrapping it in a rabbit skin. :laugh: the good old days.

 

TC

[Hot Meat 3,109]

do what you want, say what you want, if a dogs hard mouthed its hard mouthed, i honestly believe once that mutts running, youve got no say over where itll be feret food or a non bruised bunny that comes back, iv seen real gentle dogs demolish a bunny or hare as tho dog was gutted it took so long go catch lol my older bitch is gentle with bunnys but kills hares, i think they too big to retreive easily lolbut i have seen her take a few bunnys with a strike that hard it looked like a pack a hounds caught it, it usually but not always happens if she has mis timed her strike, so she makes sure next strike does job lol

[TOMO 24,890]

During the 70's and 80's there were urban myths doing the rounds on how to stop a dog that was hard mouthed. From filling a balloon with vile tasting liquids and covering it with a rabbit skin. to skinning a hedgehog and wrapping it in a rabbit skin. :laugh: the good old days.

 

TC

Don't forget the old,,,barbed wire in a skin dummy,,,