Articles for Obedience

[eastofeden]

Okay all you Obedience Cairns out there. Please tell me about the articles that you use for retrieving and for scent discrimination. Since I have to resort to ordering off the internet as the very few shops that carry them only have HUGE sizes. I am a bit lost as to which to get.

Do you prefer wooden or plastic dumb-bells and most importantly what size do you use? I have someone who is willing to turn a solid wood retrieveing dumb-bell for me, so dimensions of bit and sides would be super!

For scent discrimination do you use single, double or triple bars. I know someone who uses mason jar rings for their toy size dog....a bit small for my Cairns...but anyone else have any 'non-traditional' artilces that they use?

Gloves...I can get some cotton garden gloves in children's sizes at the local hardware store...so no worries there.

Thank you all for your input!

[PeppersMom]

I use white plastic dumbells from Leash Connection or JandJ. Those are for Open retrieves..retrieve on the flat and the retrieve over the high jump. My utility articles are 6 metals and 6 leather...those are what most people use in utility..I think that is what is required by the AKC. Mine were ordered from JandJ along with a mesh bag to keep them in.with air circulation. My measurements for the utility articles are 3 inch bar with 1 3/4 inch bells. My plastics are:2 inch bars with 1 3/4 inch bells. Pepp is a standard size Cairn so these should be good for most...The leathers need to be aired out for several weeks...most dogs don't like the metals..I am teaching scent with those first...

[PeppersMom]

I use single bar articles and my gloves I also bought from JandJ smallest size they have and then I shrunk them in the wash. I put a mini tennis ball inside to teach gloves...

[Karen]

I get one piece wooden dumbbells from Max200 for Mac. They have a choice of maple or poplar, his are poplar which is lighter. I tried plastic at first but the only plastic one I could find was heavier than the wood ones so he didn't like it or work with it well.

I also got is scent articles from Max200 since they custom size and make them. His are single bars. I figured since he likes his regular DB so much, I'd stay with the same style. I'll have to see what the actual measurements are. Max200 goes to a few big shows a year with their booth. They usually have the shows listed on their website so you could see if any are near you. I always bought DBs when they came to the local show so I could save the shipping. I was able to get the scent articles fitted at this show and they shipped them a month or so later to me. They alternate the regular brown leather with colored leather around the middle bar at no additional charge so Mac has green on his.

Mac was very quick to carry the metal ones around. I can tell they're not his favorite, but I didn't have to do the lengthy training I've seen so many others do to get the dog to put the metal ones in their mouths. He did get hold of a leather one and ran off with it. He thought he'd have a nice chew on it so was a little disappointed when I followed him and took it away.

[amity]

Are you interested in links from foreign countries, too?

I think we have light wooden things for training apport. I have ordered one wooden, it is 180 Gramm and plastic dum bells 80g + 100g.