A dog training dummy can play an integral part in helping your dog quickly learn repetitive drills such as retrievals.
Find out how to use a dog training dummy by learning what types and colours to choose as well as knowing the most suitable scents for them.
What Is a Prey Dummy?
Also known as a dog training dummy, a prey dummy is a tool commonly used to encourage canine retrieval instincts.
Apart from that, it also helps dog owners form a stronger bond with their dogs by building up obedience and cooperation.
The early dog training dummy prototype was believed to be made out of boat bumpers. It comes in the form of plastic, rubber, or canvas filled with chopped cork.
Pet owners most likely threw it in the water for their dogs to retrieve. Consequently, this may have led to the accidental discovery of its usefulness for gundog retrieval training.
2 Most Common Types of Dog Retrieving Dummy
Before learning how to use a dog training dummy, it is important to get acquainted with its different types.
Prey dummy for dogs often comes in 2 varieties: canvas or plastic. Let’s find out what makes them different from each other and how they fit in in dog retrieval training.
1. Canvas Dog Dummy
The canvas variation is soft and lightweight, making it easy for dogs to carry around. It is a good option for pet owners in search of a puppy training dummy.
Another advantage of using the canvas prey dummy is its ability to hold scents well. It helps cut down the frequency of reapplying scents. This type of training dog dummy is ideal for conditioning dogs to respond to a certain game or animal scents.
On the downside, switching scents can be difficult since the smell tends to seep through the fabric.
Take note that a canvas dog dummy is recommended for land use. Getting the cloth wet can cause mould growth, emitting a foul odour. This discourages pooches from picking up the training dummy.
2. Plastic Dog Dummy
The plastic dog dummy is versatile since it can be used on land and water. Due to its buoyancy, this type of prey dummy is also commonly called a dog water dummy.
Knobs or ridges usually adorn the plastic training dummy, which prevents accidental slippage and allows dogs to grip it gently in their mouth. This way, pooches do not make a habit of chewing the dummy.
Unlike its canvas counterpart, the plastic variation is easy to clean. If caked with dirt, it only needs a quick wipedown or a wash. Thus, pet owners do not have to worry when using the plastic prey dummy in a muddy area.
3 Popular Dog Training Dummy Colour Variations
The materials used to make prey dummies are not the only important factors pet owners should look into. Colours also play a crucial role in making them an effective tool for gundog training.
1. White Training Dummies
White prey dummies provide good contrast when used on a dark background. For instance, throwing them on a field of green grass makes them highly visible. They are great for training dogs that are tasked to find prey by sight.
2. Orange Training Dummies
Dogs’ eyesight can only distinguish a limited number of colours. They cannot pick out the colour orange. However, this does not mean orange training dummies cannot be used at all.
Pet owners commonly use it if they want their pets to rely on their sense of smell more than their eyesight. Thus, the orange prey dummy is ideal for controlled work or blind retrieval.
3. Black and White Training Dummies
Black and white-coloured prey dummies give pet owners the best of both worlds. Black is highly visible in light backgrounds, whilst white is very noticeable in dark backdrops. It can be easily seen by dogs no matter what environment it is thrown in.
Best Scents for Dog Training Dummies
Rubbing scents on gundog dummies helps canines familiarise themselves with the smell they need to find on the field. It would be best to stick with scents that are strong and unique but readily available in your area to prevent delays in training.
There are several commercially produced scents out there that are meant for dog dummy training. Some of the most common scents are pheasant, rabbit, duck, quail, dove, raccoon, and goose.
Essential oils are also great options to use for scenting a gun dog dummy. However, be careful in choosing as several of them are poisonous to dogs. Catnip and valerian are some essential oils that can be safely used around canines.
Wax scents are great for pet owners interested in carrying out water scent training. Much like the regular commercial dog dummy scents, they often come in dove, foul, or quail scents. However, wax scents are waterproof, making their smell more long-lasting.
How To Use a Training Dummy for Dogs
Now that we have finished discussing the basics of training dummies let us move on to knowing how to use a prey dummy during training sessions. Here is a step-by-step guide that you can follow:
Step 1
Make sure your canine friend is at the right age for dog dummy training. Avoid training young dogs under eight months as they are likely to forget what they have learned during training and will need to learn them again once they get older.
Step 2
Begin your dog’s dummy training in an enclosed space. It can be in a spacious bedroom or hallway. This helps in keeping him less distracted and more focused during training sessions. Moreover, it also limits the places where he can run off with the dummy.
Step 3
Keep your training dummy dog sessions short and sweet. Your furry pal must not lose his excitement and focus. This way he will keep looking forward to other training sessions you have in store for him. Set the time limit to around 5–10 minutes of dummy retrieving.
Step 4
Let the dog dummy toy catch your pet’s interest. Do so by inserting strong-smelling treats such as cheese or sausages inside the dummy’s pouch.
Allow him to go closer to inspect what is inside it and let him have a few treats. If the training dummy has no pouch, make one by wrapping it with a canvas.
Step 5
Encourage your dog to pick up the training dummy. Place it on the floor in front of your dog. Give him a treat whenever his nose or mouth touches it. Continue rewarding him until he progresses to lifting the training dummy with his mouth.
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Step 6
Time to throw the dog training dummy and let your dog fetch it. Since pooches have an instinct to chase moving objects, they will not have much trouble going after the dummy.
Do not forget to reward him every time he picks it up. Keep repeating until he is familiarised with this step.
Step 7
Encourage your dog to retrieve the dummy once he fetches it. This part of the training can be difficult since many dogs tend to flee with the dummy. However, it can still be successfully carried out by taking baby steps.
Throw the dummy only a few feet away so you can easily call back your dog. Shower him with happy praises to make him return to you. Reward your pooch with a treat once he hands back the dummy to you.
You can gradually increase the throwing distance after he consistently retrieves and delivers the dummy.
Step 8
Pour a few drops of the scent of your choice on the training dummy and hide it from your dog. Choose easy-to-find areas first so he has less difficulty in finding them.
If your pooch is having a hard time, help him understand the goal by putting him on a lead and gently guiding him to where the dummy was hidden. Once he can seek it out properly on his own, remove the lead.
Increase the fun factor when your dog gets the hang of searching and finding the concealed scented dummy. Start hiding it in challenging places to keep the activity exciting for your dog. Always reward him after he successfully discovers the training dummy.
Step 9
Now that your pet knows how to retrieve, turn over, and find the prey dummy, you can begin training him outside, preferably in a back garden or a spacious grassland.
It would be best to pick days with high humidity for dog dummy training as it helps retain the dummy’s strong scent.
Training dogs using a prey dummy can be challenging, but it will be worth it in the end. It hones his scenting and retrieving skills as well as aids in strengthening your bond with him.
So, do not rush, and always be patient. Make sure that each training session is engaging and ends on a positive note.