Break Sticks

[Teaspoon]

After scanning through a post on FB, one fellow kept bringing out the point that most people don’t know how to use a break stick and end up breaking the dog’s teeth. I did not see in the comments any instructions on how the break stick should be used, so I got to wondering if I use a break stick correctly. I use an old cutting board for a break stick (Not sure of the dimension). It seems at times my break stick is too flimsy, but for the most part it works. The last thing I want to do is break a tooth. So, here are some of my questions:
1.   To use, or not to use a break stick?
2.   What is a good length, width, and thickness of a break stick?
3.   Where in the dog’s mouth do you insert the break stick?
4.   Once inserted, do you twist the stick (using the width of the stick to pry open the mouth) or use it like a lever lifting up or pushing down (using the length of the stick to pry open the mouth)?
5.   Any other advice?

[Austesus]

I don’t use one, I don’t use a walk in and all my dogs catch. I mark the pig and walk off and they just learn to leave it and go when I do and keep hunting.

With that being said I have always thought you put a break stick in the back of the jaws and twist it in a rotation motion to make they’re jaws open


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[The Old Man]

I don't know what is proper but I made my breakstick out of a big piece of poly it is 3/4 inch thick and tapered to a pretty fine point, it is 1 1/4 inch wide all the way down the
 8 inches of straight blade with a  pistol grip, I wiggle it in over the jaw teeth with a lever motion and when I get it in good and deep "over both sides of the jaw" I use the leverage of the pistol grip to twist it. I use a lead in catchdog that I don't actually have to lead, and if you kill the hog he turns loose as soon as it dies. If you tie it down you need a breakstick for him, especially if it is a big hog that was hard to hold, you can drag him, the hog and the man holding the hog down trying to choke him off. I could teach him to break on command  but did not just to prevent him hearing something similar and turning loose at a bad time.

[NLAhunter]

I got poly one I don't know the measurements on it but I stick it in back of mouth and twist it don't know if that's right or wrong but I never broke any teeth and I like to use break stick because we catch cut and release and in my opinion it don't tear hogs ears up as bad if you break em off and don't try to pull on em and choke em off

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[Austesus]

Y’all may know this trick, but if I need to pull a dog off (if he has a normal collar and not a cut collar) I will grab the collar and twist it vs just pulling. It will choke him a lot faster and easier and make him let go quick. Learned that a few years ago for breaking up dog fights instead of just pulling the dogs and making them do more damage


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[Northstar]

Put the break stick as far back as you can.
Keep sliding it back further when they try to get a better hold.

[Goose87]

This won’t work on 100% of dogs nor will it work 100% of the time but enough time to at least try it, pick the CDs back legs straight up in the air, this takes away a good bit of their leverage they use a lot in their bodily control, most will come off quick in an attempt to readjust and try to get a firmer feeling bite, but be watching the dogs head with all eyes on deck because those teeth are likely looking for the it’s next appt, eventually some dogs become smart to what’s going on...

[The Old Man]

I have done that Goose with good success on lots of Bulldogs, or sort of choked them off a time or two and they would learn to release so I never carried a breakstick, but I had to after I started this old Dogo "he is 8 sometime this year started him before a year old", had heck getting him off his first woods hog "he'd never seen a hog before" which was a good boar, in fact I wallowed him around long enough trying to get him off that by the time I did get him off my buddy holding the hog got a cramp in his leg and couldn't hold the hog no more and he got away, had to catch him again haha. Due to I guess the way his neck is made he doesn't "choke" very good haha so after that I made a break stick. The young dog I am starting has only caught 3 hogs all woods hogs and he is caught real hard as well but when I get the break stick ran in a little he releases. 

[Reuben]

Old man...a friend of mine has a very nice looking Dogo...he would make a champion in the show ring in my opinion...that is the hardest catching dog I have seen...when he first started we just leashed him and dragged him and the 100 pound sow out with the leash on account we couldn’t get him to let go...