Bite Pants

In the case of well‑trained dogs, there is little danger that they will bite the helper anyplace other than the arm. (It is the agitator’s job to ensure that it is the sleeve arm!) The animals soon become attuned to the sleeve, and come to regard it as their prey, their goal. However, accidents do happen, especially in the blind, after the outs and when making the acquaintance of new dogs.

Accordingly, the agitator should make a habit of wearing bite pants, which are really a sort of overall. These pants will stop teeth, but they will not save one from the considerable pain of a bite and an appalling bruise. It is normally after his first bite in the legs that a brash young decoy learns respect for the dogs.

Even when the agitator estimates the chances of a leg bite at nil, he will still find the pants necessary because of the surprising amount of damage the dogs will do both to his clothes and his body with their claws.

Sacks or Rags

Burlap feed sacks work very well as a biting surface for puppies and novice dogs. They can be rolled and stitched to preserve their shape.

Tugs

A very good dog that is well prepared and bites the sack eagerly will also bite the sleeve without hesitation. However, for the majority of dogs of less than outstanding quality, it is often useful to have a puppy tug in order to prepare the animals to move to a harder, more unyielding and bulky biting surface.