Dog & Field Original Clone® Dead Bird Dummy | Partridge | Realistic Gundog Training

Name: Dog & Field Original Clone® Dead Bird Dummy | Partridge | Realistic Gundog Training
Brand: Dog & Field
Price: 19.50 GBP
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£19.50

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The Dog & Field Original Clone® Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge is a full-body realistic gundog training dummy designed to stimulate your dog’s three primary hunting senses — Sight, Smell and Touch. Complete with head, wings and tail, HD photographic feather-print canvas and scent-retaining fabric, it prepares your dog for the specific physical and sensory challenge of a partridge retrieve before they encounter the real thing in the field.

Partridge are a faster, more compact bird than pheasant — and their retrieves require precise, careful mouth placement. The Dead Bird Dummy trains exactly this in a low-pressure environment, building the skills your dog needs before opening day.

Full body shape — head, wings and tail for true-to-life partridge realism
HD photographic feather print — accurate partridge canvas for genuine visual recognition
Scent-retaining fabric — absorbs and holds game scent for nose work training
Real-feel construction — trains correct mouth placement, pick-up and delivery
Stimulates Sight, Smell and Touch simultaneously
Long throw toggle included
Designed and manufactured by Dog & Field

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The Dog & Field Original Clone® Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge is a full-body realistic gundog training dummy featuring head, wings and tail. HD photographic feather-print canvas and scent-retaining real-feel fabric stimulate Sight, Smell and Touch. Weight: 420g. Price: £19.50. Brand: Dog & Field. Long throw toggle included. Bridges the gap between canvas dummy training and real partridge retrieves for all gundog breeds.

Why We Recommend It

Partridge are arguably a more demanding retrieve than pheasant — they’re lighter, more compact and the wings behave differently in the carry. Dogs that have only retrieved canvas dummies or even pheasant-sized game can find a partridge retrieve surprisingly difficult to handle cleanly. The Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge gives you the opportunity to work through all of those challenges — the compact body, the head, the wing position, the tail — in a controlled training environment before the September partridge season opens. The scent-retaining fabric adds another layer of preparation that no canvas dummy can provide. At £19.50 for a tool that directly prepares your dog for one of the most demanding game bird retrieves in UK shooting, it’s outstanding value.

Key Benefits

Full body with head, wings and tail — true-to-life partridge shape and proportions
HD photographic feather print — accurate visual stimulus for partridge recognition
Scent-retaining fabric — absorbs game and field scent for realistic nose work
Real-feel construction — develops correct pick-up, carry and delivery on a compact game bird
Trains soft mouth on partridge-specific shape — wings and compact body require precise grip
Bridges the gap — prepares dogs for partridge retrieves before they encounter real birds
Long throw toggle included for accurate distance throws

Bailey Says 🐾

The partridge, my friends, is deceptively tricky. It is smaller and more compact than a pheasant, which sounds like it should make things easier. It does not. The wings sit differently, the head is in a different position, and the whole thing requires more careful thought about where exactly to put one’s mouth. Craig introduced me to this dummy before my first partridge season and I am very glad he did. By the time I met a real partridge in the field, it felt familiar rather than surprising. I handled it impeccably. Craig looked extremely pleased. That is the point of this dummy. 🐾

Perfect For

Pre-season partridge preparation — September 1st opening day is earlier than pheasant
Introducing partridge-specific shape, feel and scent before the season
Dogs that retrieve pheasant well but haven’t encountered partridge before
Soft mouth development on a compact, more demanding game bird shape
Working test and field trial preparation for mixed bag shoots
All gundog breeds — retrievers, spaniels and HPR dogs on walked-up or driven partridge

Specifications

Brand: Dog & Field
Design: Original Clone® — HD photographic feather print canvas
Shape: Full body with head, wings and tail
Game bird: Partridge
Weight: 420g
Fabric: Scent-retaining real-feel material
Accessories: Long throw toggle included
Price: £19.50

How To Use

Allow your dog to investigate and carry the Partridge Dead Bird Dummy without formal retrieve pressure first — the compact body and wing position may initially require them to work out the best mouth placement. Reward every clean pick-up generously. Attach the dummy to your game bag between sessions to build partridge scent familiarity. Progress from static ground retrieves to thrown retrieves, then incorporate into blind retrieve and marking exercises as the season approaches. Note the September 1st partridge season opener — begin this dummy in your training programme at least six to eight weeks before opening day for best results.

Care Guide

Brush off mud and debris after use
Wipe clean with a damp cloth — do not machine wash as this removes absorbed scent and may damage the print
Allow to dry naturally before storing
Store in or near your game bag between sessions to build scent retention
Check the throw toggle periodically for wear
Store away from direct sunlight to preserve the canvas print

Professional Insight

The partridge presents a specific training challenge that is often overlooked by handlers who have successfully prepared their dogs for pheasant work. The grey partridge and red-legged partridge are significantly smaller and lighter than a pheasant, with a compact, rounded body and proportionally larger wings relative to body size. This means the balance point for mouth placement is different, the wings behave differently during the carry, and the overall handling demands a more precise, careful grip than a pheasant retrieve. Dogs trained exclusively on pheasant-weight dummies or real pheasant will often find their first partridge retrieve physically awkward — not because they lack the will, but because the motor pattern they have developed for game handling does not transfer cleanly to a significantly smaller, differently shaped bird. The Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge allows handlers to build partridge-specific motor patterns and scent associations before September 1st in exactly the same way the pheasant dummy builds pheasant-specific preparation. For dogs working mixed bag shoots, both dummies together provide the most complete preparation programme available without using real birds.

Training Academy Tip 💡

Because the partridge season opens on September 1st — ahead of the pheasant season — your partridge preparation needs to begin earlier than your pheasant work. Plan to introduce the Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge in late June or early July, giving you eight to ten weeks of consistent training before opening day. In the first two weeks, focus on familiarisation and clean pick-up from the ground. In weeks three to six, introduce thrown retrieves and begin mixing with your standard canvas dummies. In the final four weeks, run one full session per week using only the Partridge Dead Bird Dummy with the dummy stored in your game bag between sessions for maximum scent build-up. By September 1st, your dog will have retrieved a partridge shape and scent combination dozens of times — opening day will feel like a familiar training session, not a first encounter.

Complete Your Setup

Complete your partridge preparation kit with the Original Clone® Partridge Bird Dummy for visual recognition training, a plain canvas dummy for foundation retrieve work, and a game bag to build scent retention between sessions. For mixed bag shoots, add the Dead Bird Dummy – Pheasant and Dead Bird Dummy – Wood Pigeon to prepare your dog for every species they’ll encounter. Browse the full Dog & Field Clone® range on The Gundog Catalogue.

FAQs

Why do I need a partridge-specific dummy if my dog retrieves pheasant well?

Partridge are significantly smaller and more compact than pheasant, with a different body shape, wing position and weight distribution. Dogs that retrieve pheasant confidently can still find partridge challenging on first encounter — the Dead Bird Dummy – Partridge prepares them for these specific differences in a low-pressure training environment.

When does the partridge season open?

The grey partridge and red-legged partridge season in the UK opens on September 1st — earlier than the pheasant season. Begin pre-season partridge preparation at least six to eight weeks before opening day.

How does the scent retention work?

The fabric is selected for its ability to absorb and hold scent. Attach the dummy to your game bag or training vest between sessions, or expose it to areas where partridge or other game have been present. Over time it will carry the scents your dog needs to recognise during retrieves.

Should I use this alongside the Clone® Partridge Dummy?

Yes — they complement each other. The Clone® Partridge Dummy introduces visual recognition in a familiar canvas format. The Dead Bird Dummy adds the physical challenge of head, wings and tail for complete pre-season preparation.