The leather obedience lead has been around for more than a hundred years, but its use for obedience training has had its limitations. Heavy, allowing too much slack and not as effective in the right hand as the left, trainers simply learned to live with its limitations. Then came nylon webbing and while the material was lighter, it still stretched, became water saturated and suffered the other mechanical problems of how to give a proper correction. The need was for a device that would give an immediate, but proper, correction in any direction with either hand.
THE OB STICK answers all of these problems and gives more flexibility than ever before.
Part of a total training mechanism, THE OB STICK, when used with a good training collar, allows no slack, stretch or limitations in the correction. You can give corrections upward, downward, forward, backward, right or left by moving the OB Stick only a few inches in that direction-AND-with either right or left hand. Here are only a few examples:
Does your dog crowd, forge or lag? Even the most powerful dogs get consistent and proper corrections by simply moving THE OB STICK end to the left, backwards or forwards while heeling. It gives a proper “pop” without delay caused by slack or flex in the lead.
Do you use food in obedience? The problem with using food is the lead must be held in the right hand, directing most corrections into or across the body. With THE OB STICK, the stick can be held in the right hand while feeding with the left. The corrections will be the same as if the stick were in the left, not right, hand.
Have a slow down? While heeling, running or stationary, the stick is turned to the vertical position and the tip popped quickly downward while the command is given. Try that with a lead.
Crooked Sits? The bane of all obedience trainers, it is fixed through THE OB STICK. While still attached to the training collar, THE OB STICK is simply swung in an arc over the dogs head and used to touch the left flank of the dog as the handler comes to a stop. Over time this has been one of the more valuable uses of THE OB STICK.
Speaking of that, THE OB STICK can also be used as a touch or guide stick, disconnected from the training collar. The trainer simply holds the end and cable in the left hand while guiding the dog though touches with the handle. It works great for polishing a dog's performance in turns, front sits and quicker moving sits.
If you have slow or crowded right or left turns, the handler only has to pop the end of the stick in the direction of the turn while turning. A big dog learns to get out of the way on the left turn, while a slow dog soon accelerates on the right turn.
THE OB STICK is not designed to replace the obedience lead, but to supplement it. In fact, it can be slipped vertically in a rear pocket if the trainer needs to switch to a lead for some other training. But as the dog develops in training, it will be found more important than the lead in many exercises, especially problem solving.
THE OB Stick is made of a 22 inch long military spec fiberglass rod with little flex. The solid brass snap bolt is connected to it with vinyl coated, steel aircraft cable, a material with no give. The opposite end has a cushioned, all weather non-slip grip. The result is a total system where the slightest movement of the hand produces an instant and proper correction—it is next to impossible to make a mistake. It is made of the very best materials available and assembled by hand to make sure it works for years.
To further guarantee the trainer gets the maximum benefit of THE OB STICK, a comprehensive illustrated book, Using The OB Stick, explains the use, position and variations with THE OB STICK. Written by Gary Patterson, the designer and developer of THE OB STICK, it is full of good ideas and, we are sure, will create a starting point for even further inventive techniques.
Is this just another training gimmick? In truth, a good trainer could take a piece of clothesline attached to a rusty $2 choke collar and get a wonderful result. If you think about it, all dog training equipment is just an improvement from this primitive arrangement. It is a matter of what piece of equipment is an improvement in time, effort and quality of work. Many dog trainers are resistant to change and will call new ideas, “gimmicks”. If these same people say they have tried The OB Stick, it isn't so, as it was only introduced in August, 2004. Gimmicks are what show up in infomercials or retail pet supply stores, not specialized web sites for serious dog trainers. In this case, we have field tested the OB Stick with scores of professional and amateur trainers and each said it surpassed all expectations, becoming another important part of the arsenal of good training equipment.
Is it the perfect training device. No! The trainer's skill and patience still fill that role. But when used with a good training collar, it will expand the ability of the trainer to work at the highest level with much less effort, no matter what size the dog.
