KONG Training Dummy – Dog Toy (Large)

KONG Training Dummy – X-Large

A high-visibility closed-cell foam dummy that floats, thrown for a retrieve on land or into water. The point of a foam dummy over a ball is the carry: it is soft enough that a dog learns to hold it gently, and long enough that the pick-up has to be square rather than snatched at one edge.

KONG's current listing covers the Large only — item FTD1, barcode 035585299006, 5.1 × 58.4cm and 136g, declared as 90% EVA and 10% polyester, for dogs of about 30–65lb. The barcode on this item is 035585299013, which is the X-Large, item FTDX. KONG publish no separate dimensions or weight for the X-Large, so none are stated below.

Performance & Benefits

• Closed-cell EVA foam that floats high, so a throw that overshoots is still a retrievable one.
• Soft enough to teach a soft-mouth carry, firm enough to keep its shape through repeated throws.
• Bright colouring that stands out against water, grass and undergrowth.
• Long, narrow profile is easy to throw a distance and easy for a dog to pick up square.
• Works on land and in water, so one dummy covers both halves of a retrieve programme.

Suitable For

• Gundog and general retrieve training, on land or in water.
• Dogs being taught to carry gently rather than crunch.
• Owners who want a training aid rather than a toy to leave down.
• Water work in lakes, rivers and the sea.
• Not a chew toy — foam comes apart under sustained chewing, and a KONG Extreme in X-Large, black, is what to leave with a hard chewer.

How to Use

• Throw and send; it floats, so it can be retrieved from open water.
• Take it back after each retrieve rather than letting the dog carry it off to chew.
• Rinse in fresh water after use in the sea or a muddy pond, and dry before storing.
• Keep it out of reach between sessions so it stays a working tool.

Specification

• KONG item FTDX, Training Dummy, X-Large. Barcode 035585299013.
• KONG declare the Training Dummy as 90% EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and 10% polyester. Made in China.
• The only figures KONG publish are for the Large, item FTD1, barcode 035585299006: 5.1 × 58.4cm, 136g, for dogs of about 30–65lb.
• No X-Large dimensions, weight or dog weight band are published by KONG, so none are given here.

Care & Caution

• A training aid, not a chew toy. Foam breaks into pieces a dog can swallow.
• Supervise every retrieve and take the dummy back afterwards.
• Replace it once the foam is dented through, split, or shedding pieces.
• Match the dummy to the dog — this X-Large is a lot of toy for a small spaniel, and the Large suits better.