DF 100g Pocket Training Dummy - Marker, Precision & Puppy | 8 Colours

This is the dummy we use more than any other at Kirkbourne.

Off-season, when the pressure's off and you can really focus on the fundamentals - marking, precision, building the habits that hold up in the field - this is what comes out of the bag. At just 100g it's light enough for a puppy to carry comfortably, small enough to live in your pocket permanently, and versatile enough to cover more training situations than anything else at twice the price.

But here's the bit most people don't know.

The colour you choose matters - and it depends entirely on what you're training for that day.

Blue, green, purple and white sit in the range dogs see best. Their colour vision isn't like ours - they pick up blues and yellows far more clearly than reds. So when you want your dog to mark, to fix on a dummy in the air and track it down, these are the colours that give them the clearest picture. Better marking means more confidence. More confidence means a dog that drives hard and handles cleanly.

Red, orange and yellow are a different tool entirely. To a dog, these colours are harder to pick out visually - which means they're working their nose, not their eyes. Use these when you want to build hunt drive, develop scenting ability, or shift your dog from a marker to a hunter. Same dummy. Completely different training session.

That's eight colours. That's a full training toolkit in your jacket pocket.

Both a short and long throwing toggle are included, so you can adjust the throw to suit the exercise, the dog or the space you're working in. Nothing faffy. Just two options, ready to go.

The details

• Weight: 100g
• Construction: Durable 100g duck cotton canvas outer, soft filling - floats
• Colours available: 8 - Blue, Green, Lime Green, Purple, White (marking/visibility), Red, Orange, Yellow (hunting/nose work)
• Toggle: Short and long both included as standard
• Size: Pocket-sized - small enough to carry, big enough to throw cleanly
• Use: Puppy first retrieves, marking work, precision training, nose and hunt work, off-season sessions, pocket carry for opportunistic training moments
• Suitable for: Puppies from first retrieves through to adult dogs in precision work
• Important: Not a chew toy. Do not leave unattended with your dog.
• Price: £6.99

The Kirkbourne verdict

This is the one.

If you're only going to have one dummy on you at every session - and you should always have one on you - make it this. Buy a handful in different colours and you've got a complete marking and hunting programme for the cost of a round of drinks.

Where it sits in the progression