What gundog training equipment do I need?
Collette May 
The essential equipment you need to train your gundog to a good standard.
My bright green slip lead has become a bit of a running joke between me and my gundog friends.
While they regularly upgrade their gundog training gear, I am more than happy to stick with my trusted soft, flat, slip lead, which I got from Sporting Saint probably over a decade ago.
Whether you’re just starting out with your first gundog puppy or have been training labradors or spaniels for several years, there is undoubtedly an enormous amount of choice when it comes to gundog training supplies.
It seems that there is always a new gundog gadget on the market to tempt us. Or some marketing campaign promising that investing in some new and shiny kit will somehow make us a better handler or our dogs more talented and responsive.
But let’s face it: People have been successfully training gundogs for decades without the need for expensive equipment or specialist tools.
And I can absolutely promise you a new lead won’t tidy up your heelwork, a new whistle won’t make your stop any sharper, and a new dummy won’t fix your delivery to hand.
That said, there are a few essentials you can’t be without and a few bonus purchases that can make training your gundog easier, more efficient, and often more enjoyable.
In this blog, I’ll discuss the essential equipment you need to train your gundog to a good standard and will explore some of the fancy, specialist kit we use on the gundog training holidays here in Mid Wales.
What is the best lead for a gundog?
As it is my ‘ancient’ slip lead (which I somehow haven’t lost and refuse to replace just because there are ‘better’ materials and more ‘popular’ styles available) that has prompted this blog, I thought leads would be the best place to start.
Every dog needs a lead - pet or working, spaniel or retriever, novice or field trial champion.
If you’re new to the world of gundogs, you might wonder why slip leads are part of a gundog’s uniform.
This is because, as the name suggests, they are easy to slip on and off, which comes in handy when training and later working your dog.
You don’t have to fumble around with a metal clip, which is almost impossible when your hands are cold or wet in the winter months.
And there’s no need to worry about your dog potentially getting caught on its collar when working in woodland or thick cover, which can lead to nasty injuries.
It’s important to note here that our gundogs wear slip leads for convenience and safety. They should not be used as a training tool (e.g. to physically correct or punish the dog) and you will need to teach your puppy to walk at heel before introducing them to a slip lead.
I am very fortunate where I live that I can walk out of my front door and exercise my puppies off the lead while doing lots of heelwork training before they are gradually introduced to being on a slip lead.
If you do have to take your puppy out on a lead for daily exercise, you might want to consider a flat collar or harness in the early stages.
A puppy’s lack of impulse control combined with their eagerness to explore leaves them vulnerable to choking or damaging their necks if they suddenly pull or lunge forward on a slip lead. As long as you train heelwork properly, a harness will not ‘teach’ or encourage them to pull.
When it comes to finding the right slip lead, there are a few factors you’ll want to consider - the length, the material and the colour.
Most people opt for rope slip leads, about 8mm thick and 1.2 metres long. If you are over 6ft tall and have a small working cocker, you might want to consider something a bit longer.
In recent years BioThane® has also become a popular alternative to rope slip leads which can get muddy and dank and are hard to clean properly thanks to their metal components.
BioThane® is waterproof, which means you can simply wipe it clean when it gets muddy. Friends of mine have bought from an independent seller on Etsy who is also able to add in a limiter if you want to ensure that the slip lead never over-tightens on your dog.
Most slip leads come in a wide range of colours. Choosing a bright colour, such as red, will help reduce the likelihood of losing it in the grass if it drops out of your pocket or bag. But I also know lots of handlers who like to get dark coloured leads which almost blend in with their dog’s coat.
If you want a slip lead you can barely tell the dog is wearing from a distance, you might be interested in Sporting Saint's field trail pro slip leads.
These have somewhat become a fashionable/iconic choice among handlers, and are admittedly the most lightweight and roll into almost nothing, meaning they fit in any size pocket.
Being as ultra-thin as they are, as the ‘field trial’ name suggests, these really are designed for more advanced dogs who are not going to pull on the lead or suddenly lunge towards a dummy, bird, or other distraction.
It is best practice to keep a spare lead (along with an extra whistle) in your car. There are lots of things you can get away with forgetting if you are training or working your dog, but the lead and whistle are too important not to have one immediately to hand if you have lost or left yours at home.
What whistle should you use for your gundog?
The majority of our gundog cues require a whistle.
We use whistles because they’re more consistent than our voice, the sound is less likely to disturb game, and they are easier for our dog to hear when working at a distance.
While you can train your dog to respond to any whistle, choosing a well-known brand like Acme (which has been making whistles since 1870) means that if you lose your whistle during training, it can be easily replaced with an identical whistle with the same pitch, which will avoid confusing your dogs. You’ll also be able to keep a spare in your car with your extra lead too.
Acme’s whistles come in a range of bright colours, which makes them easier to find if you drop them. However, I highly recommend that you always keep your whistle on a lanyard around your neck and never have it just lose in a pocket.
You can also choose to buy multiple whistles to colour-coordinate with your outfits, or match your gundog’s lead, if you’re that way inclined.
When it comes to choosing your Acme whistle, you need to consider your dog's breed and the kind of work you expect to do with them.
Traditionally retrievers and picking up dogs will generally be working at a medium to long range distance. For this, you’ll need an Acme 211.5, which can be heard from up to 1.5km away, depending on the weather conditions and terrain.
Spaniels and those out beating are likely to expect their dog to stay relatively close. A shorter-range whistle, such as the Acme 210.5, is a more suitable option.
Finally, working HPRs will not only range further but will spend much of their time in cover, and so the Acme 212 Pro Trialler, designed to cut through thick groundcover, is going to be the best choice.
Acme now offers two types of whistles: the classic, which I’ve always owned, and the new Alpha, which launched in 2023.
Having spoken to many handlers who have both types, the jury is out on whether the new Alpha models really are more comfortable or easier to use. Some swear by them, while others have reverted back to the classic style.
As for their promised ‘enhanced performance’ and ‘more responsive commands, ’ this really depends on your dog.
If your dog was already sharp on the whistle, you might notice some improvement in poor weather conditions with the new Alpha. If your dog has never nailed a good stop whistle, it’s not going to suddenly spin on the spot.
Remember: no matter what marketing spiel you’ve read, whistles do not have special dog whispering powers, and they will not suddenly make your dog start responding to cues you have not taught properly.
What dummies do you need for your gundog?
One thing I have splurged on recently is gundog training dummies. I genuinely don’t think you can ever have too many.
While you could effectively train a gundog with just the standard 1 lb green dummies used in working tests, having a diverse selection of different dummies will make training easier and, in many ways, more enjoyable.
Buying new dummies will not fix your retrieving-related issues overnight, but they can help with your training in some circumstances.
For example, there are many reasons why gundogs don’t always place the dummy straight into their owner's hands - one of the biggest culprits is overexciting dummies.
When your dog gets overaroused (too excited) by the dummy they have just picked, it can cause them to play keep-away. They would far rather focus on interacting and playing with their new treasure than bring it back to you, when you will no doubt take it off them and end their fun.
It might seem counterintuitive, but the solution is to add lots of novelty items to your dummy collection in a bid to normalise the exciting.
That means when your dog does have to pick something with streamers, tassels, a floppy head, or fur and feathers attached, they will know exactly what to do with it and are more likely to deliver it to hand.
The realistic bird-shaped dummies with floppy heads can also teach dogs how to pick things up properly and prevent them from trying to carry normal dummies like cigars.
Those covered in fur and feathers can also help enthuse reluctant retrievers or transition those who have not picked game before.
Finally, choosing different coloured dummies can be invaluable when introducing young dogs to blind retrieves. They might eventually be able to locate a green dummy on green grass with their nose, but if you want nice, confident, straight lines, having clearly visible dummies can make a big difference.
The Laura Hill white and blue dummies from Sporting Saint are undoubtedly my favourite, particularly as they are a good size and weight and include nice long strings for throwing good distances.
Do you need a gundog training vest or game bag?
Of all the gundog training equipment, a training vest or game bag is not a priority, but it will certainly make your training easier and more efficient.
Whether you opt for a vest or a bag is a personal decision. However, to me, having a vest is the only real option.
I have never been a fan of carrying weight on just one shoulder. Plus, it is sometimes a little too easy to discover that you’ve left your game bag with all your dummies in on the wrong side of the field.
With a vest, you’re never going to accidentally swing it and hit your dog on the head, either! And, unlike the right vest, bags offer no extra warmth or protection from the weather in the cooler months.
I have a few different gundog training vests, all of which are comfortable and practical for training. In the summer I will use my Pinewood as it is lighter weight and cooler than my other options.
In the other months, I much prefer my Mystique Profi and Firedog Hunter vests, as they are much warmer and have better pockets for holding more dummies.
Advanced gundog training equipment...
I use some more advanced gundog training equipment on our gundog training holidays. All are incredibly effective, but they are not necessary investments for individual gundog owners.
Starter pistols help teach our dogs to associate the sound of shot with retrieving or stopping if you have spaniels.
You need to proof your gundog’s behaviour around shot, but it is also incredibly important that puppies and young dogs are introduced to the sound in the right way to prevent them from becoming gun shy.
I also have something called a ‘bang box’ which, as the name suggests, is a small box which can be placed out and will remotely fire a blank at the push of a button.
This is great for setting out blind retrieves and using the sound to draw the dog’s attention to a certain location without having a person obviously standing there with a starter pistol.
Remote and hand-held dummy launchers are also used to help replicate the sort of retrieves our dogs will encounter in the shooting field. For the more advanced groups of dogs too, these can be set off while the dog is on the way back from a retrieve to ensure that they wouldn’t drop and swap a runner if you had to send them while the drive was still ongoing.
It can be challenging for individual gundog owners to find suitable places to use such equipment, which all fire blanks but could scare unassuming members of the public.
If you do have access to suitably located private ground and you do decide to invest in a starter pistol or dummy launcher, you must ensure you adhere to the laws surrounding imitation firearms at all times.
Finally, on the advanced equipment front, I am very fortunate to have a custom-made bolting rabbit. This is most effective when it is set up in our woodland and can really help with steadiness training. To get the most out of this, less really is more, as once the dogs realise that the bunny is not real, it loses its potency.
If you are booked onto our 2024 gundog training holidays or working test workshops you’ll get an opportunity to see all of this equipment in action. I have also restocked our small ‘shop’ where you can purchase leads, whistles and a selection of gundog training dummies.
If you would like more information about our training holidays, or you would like to bring your own private group to make use of our ground and the equipment we have here, please email me on info@completelygundogs.co.uk