Question on break sticks

Its all about having a handle and starting with a dog that has brains. The catch dogs we use walk beside the horses until the curs bay then go in for the catch. They don't necessarily wait for you to send them but can be called back if you want them to wait. Once the hog is flipped we say caught hog and one person can pull the dog off. We have never had a dog let go early because someone said caught hog on accident or he thought he heard the command and we have never had to use a break stick or cut a hogs ear off either. This is just what has worked for us. To each their own.