# Clatter Sticks



## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Who uses clatter sticks in training along with a padded stick? I have made some from 1" PVC pipe and you can get some interesting tones from them. They have also been used to condition puppies to the noise and bite work.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

We use bamboo Howard in our training. I picked up a 6 foot bamboo pole at Home Depot for under 5$ and was able to make 4 clatter sticks out of it. 

The only thing is you have to find the thinnest one possible. I cut it into 18" pieces with a saw and then put a handle on it with electrical tape. Then I split them 6 or more ways with a machete so they would flair and clack when you shake them. Just make sure you don't have any sharp edges they can be just cleaned up with sandpaper or a file. 

Here is an example of us using one during a face attack indoors so you can really hear the sound of the stick. I just took the video last month, the dog is my coach's 2nd dog 'Rio' he is a young dog. 

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb132/geoff-jazz/Dog%20Training/Club%20de%20Ring%20de%20La%20Montagne/?action=view&current=DSCN4709.flv


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## Will Kline (Jan 10, 2008)

Everyone in FR uses clatter sticks but I imagine you are talking about their use in SchH or PPD training. I occasionally train with a SchH group and they request that we use the clatter stick and jug with plastic caps inside to try and distract the dogs during obedience and during the face attack portions. Some are very keen to see how the dogs respond while others actually refuse to have their dogs in the facility while this is going on. Hmmpf. Don't ask me why.

On a side note, one of the dogs; a rather nervey guy, grabbed the jug with caps inside and killed it when he was released even though he was supposed to grab the tug! I guess that noise maker just needed to *DIE DIE DIE!!! :-x *


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Will now that's funny. We also use old plastic gas cans for the same thing. We put rocks in there and shake it. And yep, it has holes in it from the DEATH MAKERS!


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## Bryan Colletti (Feb 16, 2007)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Will now that's funny. We also use old plastic gas cans for the same thing. We put rocks in there and shake it. And yep, it has holes in it from the DEATH MAKERS!


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Howard would you make one, I would like to try it out.

Bryan


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Bryan...what do you want a clatter or gas can?!:-( 
It's Thursday and I'm a little slooooow.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Bryan send me your address and I'll hook you up! I use three different types in plastic. The smaller one is GREAT for puppy conditioning because the splines aren't real big or long and you can stroke the puppy with it. It's about 18". The mid level one is about 20".


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Howard Gaines III said:


> I have made some from 1" PVC pipe and you can get some interesting tones from them. They have also been used to condition puppies to the noise and bite work.


I'm really curious how these work. Is the PVC flexible enough that they stand up to fairly consistent use? Do you use the thinner walled pipe or the thicker wall? Can you actually strike a dog with these or are they just for the sound/gesture?

We are always trying to find good bamboo to make sticks out of, one time you'll get some great stuff from a store, the next time you go it's to dry and brittle, or the wrong thickness, etc. This would be a great alternative for training use if they are resilient.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Kadi,
As a Technology Education instructor, I am always "looking" at dog training stuff with a different eye. The idea of PVC pipe came to me after breaking bamboo. What I am using is about 1/8" wall thickness and is split 4 ways on a band saw. I use 3/4" and 1"+ pipe and you can get this stuff at any Lowe's or Home Depot store. It is NOT used to beat the dog, like a padded stick in Schutzhund. It is designed to check the nerve on dogs and to build young puppies to the sound and flash of the tool. 

We have used this with our dog training group and have had great success. The puppy is slowly stroked with it and lightly hit on the sides, nothing big. My training partner has used it at feeding time with his Rottweiler puppies and conditioned them to the noise, much success with the inprinting. Try it and let me know!


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Curious?

"It is NOT used to beat the dog, like a padded stick in Schutzhund."

In ring the stick is used pretty hard on the dog, do you think the PVC can be used like this?


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Nope we don't. I use a Schutzhund padded stick for stick hits only. No other tool is used for hits to the body; unless the handlers are flaming retards and need a good adjusting, then the thought crosses my mind often!


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

OK, sounds like it won't work for FR training then. Bummer, I thought I might have a more reliable material/source for training sticks in FR. 

I have clatter sticks for working with pups that can't be used with the big dogs (to thin, dry, fragile, etc) but work great for stroking a pup or making noise. I'm always looking for a new source for something that can be used like the FR clatter stick in training though.

Kyle, one thing that works for training and is fairly easy to find/make is a bundle of those thin bamboo pieces used for garden stakes. Many times they are painted green. It's just bamboo rods that are maybe as thick as a pencil, most are thinner. Take 5-10 depending on size, wrap one end as a handle, and they work pretty good for training. They don't have the clatter a good bamboo stick has, but they do make noise. Just a different type. And because it's individual pieces vs one piece split they are fairly robust, and you don't have the rough edge/sliver issues you can have with split stuff. This type of stick actually used to be legal even for trial work, but I believe it no longer is acceptable.


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

we had some of the bundle sticks at one time and they worked well, not sure where they went. I have seen some sticks that were painted and I think a couple coats of paint helped with durability.

I think I will try the PVC thing this weekend, it has me curious and we have been known to thump the dogs kinda heavy in training.


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