# Equipment Ideas for Puppy Drive Building Kit



## Ceph (Mar 28, 2007)

Hey Folks









The guys at Signature K9 are looking to put together a kit with items for starting puppies and early bite development. We're looking to do more advanced kits later on for dogs that are more advanced as well....but are starting out initially with this puppy-kit idea.

We're looking for ideas of items that ya'll might use when starting your own puppies...puppy cuffs, sleevs, tugs, leashes, etc...and what ya'll would like to see in kits like that. We wont be able to make 60 different kits to suit everyone...but at the very least we can try and come up with one or two good kits that cover what most trainers use when developing a puppy for bitework. I'd love to hear from ya'll on the forum as far as what equipment you use...but you can also PM me or send me an email. If I have any questions about the specific equipment you use and why you use it, I'll go ahead and send you a PM.

Look forward to hearing ya'lls ideas!!

~Cate

[email protected]


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

I used leather leashes, flat collars, though a harness puppy size would be nice! I also use leather bite rags, tugs (long ones and short ones both) and a decent ball on rope. I use short tugs for ob rewards, and the long tugs are for the bite work if they've grown beyond the rags.

When they get older, we go to agitation collars and soft sleeves. We usually tie long lines on them.


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## Ceph (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

Thanks Angela! Great ideas







I was curious about the idea of a puppy sized harness...I know we make nylon harnesses...but do you think it would be worth it to make a small sized tracking harness that fits on puppies at 20-40 Ibs or thereabouts?

~Cate


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

I was thinking of one you could use for protection and tracking so they can still breathe. I would think 20-50 would be better?


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## Ceph (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

I think we might be able to do something like that...our M leather harness goes down to about 35 Ibs itself...but at that point the breastplate is rather enormous. I'm thinking of a range of age / weight were we could design / use a slightly smaller breastplate so it doesnt quite eat the dog.

~Cate


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

my pup isn't 35lbs yet, he's only about 30 at 14 wks







He's been started since he was 8 wks old with rag work and tracking, but it's been on reg. collar and I really don't like them pulling themselves so hard as it tends to make them not want to fully engage. But I'll def. check out your M harness though!

smaller would be better for younger dogs.


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## Ceph (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

haha, it's been over a year since my dogs where that small...how much do they usually weigh at 8 weeks when they start...LOL, that's probably the first good question to ask


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

On average about 12-17lbs


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

*Re: Items used when starting a puppy in bitework.*

When Nikon was a wee pup we had tug toys of various sizes and textures, I was told to use different textures so he didn't get to a French linen puppy sleeve and want to spit it, that sort of thing. So I have French linen, suede, jute, and firehose tugs and some rags (leather, suede shammy, burlap, and some old jeans, lol). Most puppies at our place just used a 1 inch collar for starters but I used a simple nylon harness. He didn't do much while teething. Then at 6 months he moved up to the "real" harness with the chest pad. When he was little the simple nylon harness was fine, he didn't pull hard enough to need a chest pad. A while ago I switched to balls on strings and we don't do much tugging or any bitework at home anymore. He knows what it is so now I leave it to the TDs. I didn't do much with those balls when he was a little pup because his ball drive wasn't really there yet and he wanted to chew on the string rather than get the ball.

I'm total noob, but that's what I have/had!


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