Decoys wearing cleats - Page 1

Hello everyone. I am a decoy, fairly new I might add. I am wondering what everyone's views are on decoys wearing cleats. Our field is dirt, no grass, and can be rather hard to get footing with normal tennis shoes on, and I have almost fallen quite a few times due to this. So I brought the idea up to the board about wearing cleats, and some of them are opposed to it, out of risk of injury to the dogs.

Any opinions are welcome. Just trying to get a feel for if its justified for me to wear cleats.


Thank you!

I think it's a good idea. If I were a decoy, I'd definitely be wearing them.  It's good for the dogs for you to have good footing and obviously good for you. You can wear rubber soled football cleats, instead of the metal studded cleats that might be what some of the board are worried about.

Thanks for the response shadylady...

And yes, I would only wear the molded cleats, I know its way too dangerous to wear the metal, and I have expressed this to the board. So Im sure thats not the reason why.

Are they giving you a reason why? They just said, "No"? Do they know about the rubber (molded) cleats?

All the decoys I have ever seen wear cleats!  I think it would be as much for your safety as the dogs as well...it is better to step on the dog with cleats than to fall bad on the dog!  I would rather have a dog with a broken toe than a dog with a broken leg if you fell on it!   It really doesn't matter....you are going to step on a dog eventually no matter what you wear and if you should get injured then you are off of work and not much use as a decoy till you are healed!

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

Cleats are a definite tool in the decoy's bag. Molded is the only way to go.  Also, the more spikes the better for the dog. Soccer cleats tend to have fewer cleats and are pretty hard.  Baseball and football cleats tend to have more cleats and are less pronounced and have a little more give to them.  The last thing you want to do is accidentally break a dogs toe by stepping on.  

Something like the Nike land sharks have a lot of softer cleats less likely to hurt a dogs foot.

http://www.zappos.com/nike-land-shark-low-black-white

Being that you are on dirt you may be able to get away with a turf style shoe.  It has a lot of very small cleats that should grab dirt fine.  Something like these might be ideal for your situation.

http://www.zappos.com/adidas-turf-hog-le-low-black-running-white-metallic-silver



Good luck

It's not just a question of stepping on a dog's foot.  It's also a question of having "too much traction".  By "too much traction" I mean there is no give in the helper's body to aid in absorption of contact.  Not only can the lack of absorption hurt the dog, it can also work against the helper's joints when the dog's momentum is carrying him/her in a direction opposite of their foot plant.

We actually wear them over here in Germany. I have heard pros and cons to this and upon my first experience I raised questions regarding the matter. It is slippery at times and gives obviously gives added protection. Sometime your traction can even help in the safety of a dogs hit and follow through.

Just my observation and opinion...

Don

Decoys are Ringsport,.... helpers are Schutzhund.

In Ringsport... I and Phil see dogs throwing decoys down
to the ground. So they have to be very fast and agile.
A helper works more on the straight line.

I wish I could find a decoy that was nice to my dogs
it would be so much easier...Just kidding Phil.
Phil has competed Nationally and done very well
in French Ring. His dogs are very tough....good NVBK
bloodlines....You won't see alot of fat Decoys in Ringsport,
a few big ones though. Hope that helps.
The other thing is the Decoy and the Judge are in collusion
to bring out any fault the dog may have, this is not true
in schutzhund. It is cut and dry. With very specific tasks
to be performed, and the judge decides if they have been
done properly.

Belgium Ringsport,..Bart Bellon's dog Zodt..