#ive been approached a couple of times at the dog park because ares is apparently 'really well trained'

[d0nutd0g]

Bait bags

So. I've recently gotten back into more Serious dog training* (how serious can dog training really be if we are all having fun**)... And I've been thinking about bait bags. More specifically, I've been thinking about what my ideal bait bag would look like.

Right off the bat it would be orange, because that's our colour in this house and Ares & I need to match!

My first bait bag... Was definitely too small. It would fit maybe a cup of food in it, or 30-40 high value rewards, and it was too difficult to get my hand into the bottom of the bag, especially in the winter. It did the job for an amateur dog trainer, but didn't cut it when I really got into what I was doing.

My next bait bag lasted about 2 years before it fell apart. (It actually started falling apart about 6 months in, but nowhere critical.) It was a good bag: wide enough to fit my hand, even in winter with gloves on; deep enough to hold all the regular value treats (aka kibble) I would need for a 1-2hr hike; AND it had a poo bag holder. The biggest issue I had with it (aside from the fact that it was slowly falling apart) was that it didn't have any practical closure, so when it rained or snowed, I ended up with soggy treats. Gross. It also only had one big pocket for treats so I ended up mixing my high value rewards with the kibble. It worked but.. eh.

A few months ago, I finally decided to uh... Retire my old bag. RIP. Got myself a fancy one with two internal pockets and an easy to use hinged open. I could finally keep my treats dry!! I didn't have to be careful when bending over to pick up Ares's poop on our walks! Yay!!

Downside of the bag: no poo bag pocket; the second pocket inside is small and velcro closure, so it gets caught on my gloves and doesn't hold nearly enough high value treats; and as with all mechanical parts, the hinges will eventually break down and stop working.

For now, though, it is a very good bag.

What I would love to see in a future bag:

Large treat pocket with a sturdy divider for high value rewards AND kibble. I wanna be able to pick up one or the other without digging or tipping the dog off to which reward he's gonna get.

Magnetic close. No velcro anywhere. That stuff sticks to winter gloves and makes things very difficult. Maybe even a magnetic flap-style close.

Front pocket for poo bags.

Extremely sturdy and well-formed connection where the belt attaches to the bag.

A clip or loop attachment on the bag for a slobber rag, cuz yuck! (Or your clicker, whatever.)

A clip or loop attachment on the other side of the belt for leash, slobber rags, boot claws, long line, etc.

I may... Idk, engineer this. Have it made. I'm sure there are some obedience and bmod trainers out there who would REALLY appreciate these upgrades to the classic bait bag.

I know the Doggone Good pro bag is quite good but... Velcro, Ugh.

In the meantime, here's Ares and I at the dog park. Yes, he has an eyebooger.

(EDIT: I forgot to add the footnotes!!!)

*Beyond the usual stuff with Ares, I’m helping my parents with their new puppy and looking into Professional training/obedience on the side. You know, use those certifications for something. (I’m not touching “advanced” b-mod till I’m more comfortable with it).

**B-mod/Obedience is serious stuff, but the dogs don’t learn if they’re not having a good time.