# to decoys and helpers



## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

lets say your left arm is OOC and it won't handle much at all regardless of any suit or sleeve you have available; plus you can't really move it much either.
- but you still want to do some work 
- do you just wait it out til the arm gets back to where it is close to full strength or are there some ways you can still do helper work
- any "gotchas" learned from experience ??

- of course you could maybe just work with leg dogs, but i'm more interested in any tips or tricks for "saving" the left arm and how it might affect (good or bad) the dogs you work with
.... or what kind of dogs you would NOT work with if you were nursing a bad left arm ? ;-)


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

rick smith said:


> lets say your left arm is OOC and it won't handle much at all regardless of any suit or sleeve you have available; plus you can't really move it much either.
> - but you still want to do some work
> - do you just wait it out til the arm gets back to where it is close to full strength or are there some ways you can still do helper work
> - any "gotchas" learned from experience ??
> ...


Let it heal. I had a dislocated left shoulder and catching dogs on a sleeve, it popped out and right back in a few times. Just use your right arm and legs.

Not nearly as cool as when Mel Gibson does it.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

If it is injuried, best to let it heal. If its just taking undue abuse, then wear a sleeve on the other arm. Or don't do bitework, but work without equipment and have the dog's reward be you going into avoidance. Or do muzzlework.

Or grab a younger, more resilient lad and teach him how to do decoy work.


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## Mario Fernandez (Jun 21, 2008)

What kind of injury are we talking about. Shoulder, rotator cuff, pulled muscle, elbow, forearm, ect....


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Not only let it heal but find exercises (physical therapy) to get it conditioned once it is healed.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> Not only let it heal but find exercises (physical therapy) to get it conditioned once it is healed.


Spoken like one who has used the same body for a while...I second this. You only have one body. Seems like common sense, but sometimes we ask a lot of the one body, when we should rest, recover and make it last a lifetime.

I have seen a lot of behaviors taught without a sleeve , using a sleeve cover on a leash, a tug, or a strap of leather. Think outside the box, or give some ideas of what you want to do, and see what we can come up with to help.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Dave Colborn said:


> Spoken like one who has used the same body for a while...I second this. You only have one body. Seems like common sense, but sometimes we ask a lot of the one body, when we should rest, recover and make it last a lifetime.
> 
> I have seen a lot of behaviors taught without a sleeve , using a sleeve cover on a leash, a tug, or a strap of leather. Think outside the box, or give some ideas of what you want to do, and see what we can come up with to help.



If someone told me 30 yrs ago how many places I was gonna hurt at 67, I'da called them a liar.:lol:


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

the reason i'm asking about decoy/helper situations is because that is what i really prefer doing, and i agree there are many other things i can do working with dogs that are outside that.
- but a few years back i started out in helper work as basically no more than cannon fodder, and have slowly improved and become much better at reading dogs, and call me a masochist, but the more i've done, the better i like it.
- it's one of the best ways i feel you can really complete the process of "reading" a dog...when you are facing it coming at you and not behind it
- that's why i'm asking for "outside the box" ideas ... while catching dogs
- fwiw, the dogs i get to work with are already trained or well along the way
- i've done muzzle work, but that is kinda back to the cannon fodder days, and not nearly as fun, but looks like that is what i may be limited to if the arm doesn't get back to full strength and range of motion 
- or maybe try and find a club and work with dogs just starting out in bitework and work with the less experienced dogs ?? ... only problem with that (for me), is greener dogs seem harder to read and they don't target as well 
...and the only club i know of never uses right arm sleeves :-(

of course the rehab is in progress and i should just get off the saddle til i can ride again 

tx for the suggestions !


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## Katie Finlay (Jan 31, 2010)

Bob Scott said:


> If someone told me 30 yrs ago how many places I was gonna hurt at 67, I'da called them a liar.:lol:


Considering how many places I already hurt, this has me terrified!

On a side note, always let something heal! And in the meantime let my dog work your right arm cause she doesn't see it often


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> If someone told me 30 yrs ago how many places I was gonna hurt at 67, I'da called them a liar.:lol:


Stop traveling. Then you only have to hurt in MO.:grin:


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## mike suttle (Feb 19, 2008)

My left elbow has something torn in it and it hurts like hell if I work a lot of dogs on the left arm, working them in a suit isn't nearly as bad because then I can put them on the bicep and ease the stress to my elbow, but even that hurts too, just not as bad. So now I try to put the dogs anywhere except my left elbow when I can. If the dogs you're working are already trained and experienced dogs then you should be able to work them on a suit and put them on your bicep, tricep, chest, back, thighs, calves, etc on the left and right side, this would ease the stress on your left arm, and this is what I do here to keep my left elbow from killing me.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Dave Colborn said:


> Stop traveling. Then you only have to hurt in MO.:grin:


+1 that's funny

And then there's the more senile you get the more you forget about the pain ;-)


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Thomas Barriano said:


> +1 that's funny
> 
> And then there's the more senile you get the more you forget about the pain ;-)


 
When I get senile the rest of the way, i am hoping the pain will remind me I am awake and alive still.


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## Rik Wolterbeek (Jul 19, 2009)

Bob Scott said:


> If someone told me 30 yrs ago how many places I was gonna hurt at 67, I'da called them a liar.:lol:


+1, although not 67 yet.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Dave Colborn said:


> When I get senile the rest of the way, i am hoping the pain will remind me I am awake and alive still.


Maybe you still feel the pain, but just forget how you got it? ;-)


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Dave Colborn said:


> Stop traveling. Then you only have to hurt in MO.:grin:



#-o DAMN! Now ya tell me! :lol:


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

It's injured for a reason and heals in its own time. Second, coach...be the guiding light for others who might be interested in doing it. This gives you time off and the chance to see things from a different view.:-\"


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## Zakia Days (Mar 13, 2009)

Darn!! Somebody said it already! Use your right arm. LOL. I wouldn't until I was good and healed. You still have to catch yourself w/ the left if U fall or trip. The reaction to extend your arms to break your fall is reflexive almost, I think, so you'll injure it further that way even if you aren't catching dogs on that side. You could try cutting the distance to no more than 10' in front of you or less and just catch from a super short distance. Less distance= less speed=less FUBAR. Good luck.


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