# Heeling Stick .. ???



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

I see heeling sticks all over the place usually being sold by Gundog supply places. http://www.lcsupply.com/Product/Training-Aids/Heeling-Sticks-Whips/Heeling-Stick.html 

I also see in Rule books that specifically state that sticks are not allowed to be carried in trials. 

So that being said they must work since they ban them from competition. I'm interested in how it could work with training a bite sport dog? 

Here is a bit of a overview ..
http://www.averysportingdog.com/TrainingCamp/2006December.php

Has anybody here used one?


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> I see heeling sticks all over the place usually being sold by Gundog supply places. http://www.lcsupply.com/Product/Training-Aids/Heeling-Sticks-Whips/Heeling-Stick.html
> 
> I also see in Rule books that specifically state that sticks are not allowed to be carried in trials.
> 
> ...


 
I have used one and seen them used by others for Bite Sport. Mostly for Forging


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## Meghan Rabon (Feb 10, 2009)

These sticks have become very popular here. I have seen several of the top trainers using them, mostly for obedience. For example - dog needs to learn to pivot, it gets tapped (sometimes gently and other times not) on the side to move its butt in. I've seen it used to teach many things - keeping the chin up while heeling, butt in, coming in straight on a recall or retrieve...
I've used a stick to teach the motion excercises. My dog did the sit and down in motion perfectly for her Schh1 but when I added the stand to the routine for her Schh2 (after she learned the stand well on its own) in she got very confused. So I used the stick until she learned what do to. Tap on the butt for sit, on the back/withers for platz and on the chest for stay. I think it helped make it clearer to her. It did add a little stress (for example a yawn on the sit in motion) but once she figured it out she was fine.
I have not seen it used as much for protection, but there have been a few times when it's been used (for example) to correct the dog when it forged in the escort or transport.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

After watching Lisa on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b27-VYuZ18 from this thread http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f11/schutzhund-left-about-turn-7656/ I started using the "chuckit" as demostrated and actually had great results.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Also Gary Patterson (schutzhund) sells one over on Sirius Dog website. Here are pictures of his OB Stick being demonstrated: http://www.siriustrainer.com/gear/ob stick/obstickphotos/obphoto.htm


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Professional OB stick = mo dollars
3/8 " dowel rod = 75 cents
Watching the dog bite you in the ass for hitting it with a stick = priceless! :-D :-D


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## Meghan Rabon (Feb 10, 2009)

I actually just bought a pack of 10 riding crops on ebay for about $10-15. They work just as well as the special sticks sold on dog training sites  And I tend to lose things...I've left 3 riding crops out in fields after training but it's no big deal, I have 7 more at home! If I forgot the $15 stick I'd be pretty upset.

I also got one of those PVC driveway markers - I don't even know what they're called but they're long PVC sticks that people use so the plows don't dig up their driveways. Anyway I cut one of those in half and it made 2 sticks. I think those things cost a dollar or two??


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

susan tuck said:


> After watching Lisa on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b27-VYuZ18 from this thread http://www.workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/f11/schutzhund-left-about-turn-7656/ I started using the "chuckit" as demostrated and actually had great results.



Yeah I did a search on YouTube and found the first video with Lisa working Villier. 

I do have the long Chuckit. 

The second link I put in my OP was giving a description of holding the stick in the vertical and using a twist of the wrist to touch the dog. My only concern is the chuckit has a wave to it as well as the ball holder sticks out kinda funny. So I'd be afraid of not being consistent using it. Lisa or Susan did you find that in practice? 

Riding drops would do the same thing as a 'heeling stick' and they are available for about 8 bucks at my local equestrian center. 

It seems like something to try, (either riding crop or the chuckit) maybe its a good thing to tighten up or polish OB exercises.


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## Kristina Senter (Apr 4, 2006)

I trained for a while under a big-time retriever trainer, just to learn a different method and they trained extensively with the heeling stick. I have used it several times throughout the years for different things and used correctly for the right situation, it's like any other tool....correctly applied, it worked.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Geoff wants to be Moses II! LOL. Come now Shepherd, the crook is the goose control tool around here. Yep, used the rod and if memory serves me well, dad used something like it on my a$$ as well. A nice tool to tap the sides and redirect energies.


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## Laura Bollschweiler (Apr 25, 2008)

I've used one for forging, using taps to the prong collar. Didn't really work out for anything else.

I think some dogs are more body sensitive than others. Generally speaking, it would probably work better on the type of dog, maybe like Malinois, that are generally more reactive to things touching them, or that have been taught to care about things touching them.

Some dogs just don't notice the little stuff. 

Laura


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## Kristina Senter (Apr 4, 2006)

Laura Bollschweiler said:


> Some dogs just don't notice the little stuff.


That is when the people I trained with made the stick correction not so "little".


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

My last dog was not at all body senstive and wouldn't wait for the command to go to the hide, so the trainer handed me his soft stock and I went up near to the hide and as he made to go again, I wallopped his hide. Didn't hurt him but he got the message 

For heeling, we used to use riding crops - quite useful but as with any other aid, it has to disappear at some stage. 

For swinging out while heeling, the "Lenden-Gurt" = Lumbar / loins belt?? is useful.


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