Recently, I think it was snow bunny, wrote that there was not much difference in dummies but I have found some much better than others and thought I would let you know my experiences. I have a dog who occasionally gets a little overexcited and hard mouthed and some dummies tolerate the rough treatment far better.
Most of the well known suppliers have dummies that are good, like Sporting Saints, Hilost or Gundog Gear. The choice can be quite overwhelming but these are a few that get my thumbs up.
The new airflow bumpers are great. Work well on water, seem to be fairly durable and certainly encourage a central hold. They have a depression in the middle which makes it easier for the dog to hold and better for swimming and breathing.
The rabbit dummies are great to encourage dogs that don’t like canvas but they are expensive, need a lot of tlc and quickly become slimey. I buy rabbit skins and wrap them around old dummies. It’s easier to take them off and dry them and cheaper. I asked a top gundog trainer how her rabbit dummies were so pristine and she told me that she never allows the dogs to have them, merely uses them as a distraction!
I have used DT systems soft mouth plastic dummies now for about 4 years with only one falling victim to a hard mouth chomp and that was still usable. They are in two diameter sizes, comes in white and orange, weight very
little and make excellent water dummies.
The top canvas dummies for me are the Mystique technical dummies. They have a granular filling, are washable and unsinkable. I buy the 250g ones and they slip easily into a pocket and so far have survived all Diesel can do. The photo
shows some that are 18 months old and still looking like new despite being used almost every day.
The dummies that I would never buy again are Bisley dummies. Not because they puncture easily, although if they do puncture they are filled with sand which is quite unpleasant, but because the metal eyelets come adrift easily and I have cut my hand badly several times when throwing.
I would not buy Working Dog Company dummies again which are shaped like rugby balls. They are expensive and I have not found that dogs like them particularly. It seems to make no difference to their ability to pick up game and having bought one it languishes at the bottom of my cupboard.
If you have a dog struggles when hunting or is not keen on running out a long way, then any white dummy is a huge improvement. You can, of course, put a white sock over any dummy to encourage better marking!
Most of the well known suppliers have dummies that are good, like Sporting Saints, Hilost or Gundog Gear. The choice can be quite overwhelming but these are a few that get my thumbs up.
The new airflow bumpers are great. Work well on water, seem to be fairly durable and certainly encourage a central hold. They have a depression in the middle which makes it easier for the dog to hold and better for swimming and breathing.
The rabbit dummies are great to encourage dogs that don’t like canvas but they are expensive, need a lot of tlc and quickly become slimey. I buy rabbit skins and wrap them around old dummies. It’s easier to take them off and dry them and cheaper. I asked a top gundog trainer how her rabbit dummies were so pristine and she told me that she never allows the dogs to have them, merely uses them as a distraction!
I have used DT systems soft mouth plastic dummies now for about 4 years with only one falling victim to a hard mouth chomp and that was still usable. They are in two diameter sizes, comes in white and orange, weight very
little and make excellent water dummies.
The top canvas dummies for me are the Mystique technical dummies. They have a granular filling, are washable and unsinkable. I buy the 250g ones and they slip easily into a pocket and so far have survived all Diesel can do. The photo
shows some that are 18 months old and still looking like new despite being used almost every day.
The dummies that I would never buy again are Bisley dummies. Not because they puncture easily, although if they do puncture they are filled with sand which is quite unpleasant, but because the metal eyelets come adrift easily and I have cut my hand badly several times when throwing.
I would not buy Working Dog Company dummies again which are shaped like rugby balls. They are expensive and I have not found that dogs like them particularly. It seems to make no difference to their ability to pick up game and having bought one it languishes at the bottom of my cupboard.
If you have a dog struggles when hunting or is not keen on running out a long way, then any white dummy is a huge improvement. You can, of course, put a white sock over any dummy to encourage better marking!
