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Everything to hand: the gundog handler’s summer kit bag
From dummies and slip-leads to the vest you will all but live in, here is our pick of the kit worth a handler's attention as the young dogs go back to work this summer.
There is a particular satisfaction in a well-ordered kit bag, and a particular shame in the alternative: the slip-lead knotted at the bottom beneath a flattened sandwich, the whistle gone walkabout, the first-aid kit that turns out to hold one plaster and a great deal of optimism. Summer is the season for putting that right.
The birds are months away, the young dogs need work, and the experienced ones could do with a fresh dummy or two before autumn arrives once more. Treat the exercise as an audit as much as a shopping list, since half the job is admitting what has quietly worn out since last season. What follows is a selection of kit worth a handler’s attention, from training aids and leads to the waistcoat you will all but live in from August onwards. None of it will make a bad dog good. All of it will make a good handler’s life a little easier.
Our pick of the handler’s kit
Sporting Saint retrieve dummy
The honest workhorse of any training bag. Available in partridge and pheasant patterns, these canvas dummies are the ones a young dog learns on and the ones handlers keep reaching for long afterwards. Robust, sensibly weighted and forgiving of the rough treatment a spaniel will inevitably hand out.
Sporting Saint bird dummy
When a dog is ready to graduate from plain canvas, this is the sensible next step. Made to look and feel close to the real thing, it bridges the gap between dummy and game without the mess, and suits intermediate to advanced work on medium to large birds. Available in hen and cock pheasant patterns.
Mystique 300g school dummy
A clever piece of kit for a specific problem. The long, slim profile is designed to be carried in the middle rather than the end, which discourages the dreaded habit of cigar-smoking a retrieve and teaches a balanced hold. The canvas is tough, the filling floats, and it takes scent if you want to add realism.
Sporting Saint gundog slip-lead
British-made and refreshingly free of frills. Made from durable 8mm braided polyester rope, with a looped handle and a neck stop that holds where you set it, which is the entire job specification of a slip-lead. It does that job well and will keep doing it for years.
Mystique Moxon field trial lead
Made from high-quality climbing rope with a deer-antler stop and a running bird’s-eye noose, this is a German-made lead built to outlast its owner. It comes in 4mm, 6mm and 8mm and in a range of bright colours, so it is easy to find if dropped in long grass.
Acme Alpha whistle
Acme spent four years developing the Alpha. Patented sound chambers make more efficient use of breath for a brighter, more carrying note, which translates to sharper response at distance. The range of tone also lets a handler vary commands.
Muntjac Chatsworth handler vest
This is the product of a long development with trainers and handlers, and it shows in the detail. It has a removable hood, a fleece-lined collar and hand-warmer pockets for raw mornings, and a mesh back for warmer days. A handler’s vest is worn more than almost anything else they own, and quality counts.
Pinewood Dog Sports vest 2.0
Developed with working trainers and available for men and women, the Pinewood is the practical, technical choice. The pocket layout is well judged, with front and inner pockets where the hand naturally falls, and a roomy, adjustable back pocket for everything else. Light, but robust enough to last years.
Dog & Field Heritage Forest tweed vest
For the handler who likes to look the part on a competition day without sacrificing usefulness. A generous game pocket across the back swallows shot birds or dummies, while the Teflon-coated tweed fends off water, dirt and stains without altering the weight or feel of the cloth.
Sporting Saint working dog first aid kit
Small enough for the vest, comprehensive enough to matter. Developed with Steve Smith of Wrencourt Gundogs alongside vets and experienced pickers-up, it carries the items most likely to be needed in the field, where a cut pad or a thorn can end a dog’s day.
The Dog First Aid Kit
A more substantial option for the kennel, the vehicle or a bigger day. Designed by veterinary professionals and presented in a compact, water-resistant bag with an attachment strap, it uses good-quality equipment rather than mere token contents.
Millroe protein treats
A reward worth having in your pocket. Each pack is a single protein source (strips, cubes, ears and feet) with no grains, fillers or artificial additives, which makes them a clean option for a picky eater and an easy choice for a food-driven dog.
Prices are as supplied by the retailers and correct at the time of publication; they may have changed since.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a gundog handler’s summer kit bag?
The essentials are training dummies for daily retrieves, a slip-lead you trust, a whistle, a dog first-aid kit and a comfortable handler’s vest to carry it all. A bird dummy for more advanced work and a pocketful of treats round things out.
Which training dummy suits a young dog just starting out?
A standard canvas dummy such as the Sporting Saint retrieve dummy is the place to begin: forgiving and sensibly weighted. Graduate to a bird dummy once the basics are solid, and use a school dummy to correct a dog that mouths or cigar-smokes its retrieve.
Do I need a first-aid kit for my dog in the field?
Yes. A cut pad, a thorn or a torn dewclaw can end a day quickly, and help is rarely to hand. A vest-sized kit covers most mishaps in the field, while a larger kennel or vehicle kit is worth keeping for bigger days.
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