Leads.

When your dog is walking to heal properly then a good slip lead is far and away the best choice. It will allow you good control of the head. Until you’ve trained your dog to walk nicely I’d use a flat collar with a slip lead sat loosely on so they get used to the feel

Flexi leads simply teach a dog that pulling gets them what they want. They’re not great and I don’t recommend their use.

For long leads I always use horse lunge leads. They invariably are a good length, strong and as an added bonus, have nicely padded handles

Whistles.

Acme 211.5 or 210.5 frequencies and with a lanyard so you can wear it comfortably round your neck. 210.5, being a slightly lower frequency , does carry further. However 211.5 works slightly better if you have a dog that prefers to work closer to you. Such differences are small though and consistency, picking one frequency and sticking with it is far more important.

Clickers

Clickers are great. A good quality one will last you a long time. Used consistently a clicker replaces a treat and can reward your dog instead. Remember to use them consistently.

Dummies.

There’s such a wide range of dummies on the market now its very difficult to decide what you’d like. Either 1/2 or 1lb long shot canvas covered dummies are a good place to start. A variety of dummies work well. To keep things interesting I like a mix of dummies, including rabbit and pheasant balls. For very young dogs either place them inside a sock or use a paint roller placed in a sock or the end of a pair of tights.

Placeboards.

Place boards are a fantastic training aid. It’s a simple concept, a wooden base covered with artificial grass. Dogs love having somewhere to retrieve to and from, and that works well for us and them.

Clothing.

It’s important that, when you’re handling your dog you’re warm and dry. If you’re worried about the weather then you won’t be concentrating on what your dog is doing. For this reason Id always wear a good quality, warm and waterproof jacket, good quality trousers and, as we’ll be outside, good quality boots.