Pigeon training problem

[sparkdog]

Hi, new to the forum and have some questions on training with pigeons. I have some homing pigeons from local fancier and I put my four month old english pointer out in the back yard with a pigeon that was tied with a string and small hose to its legs, he ran up on it and was moving very slowly around it, I believe he was not quite sure about it. The pigeon flapped its wings and he went running, all he wanted to do at that point was bark at it. Did I do something wrong? or should I go to the feild and plant the birds and let him find them that way?

[Don]

Don't know where your from but I'd take him out happy timing for a few months and let him grow up. He's a bit young. When you do get ready to work pigeons with him, you plant them like that and he'll just catch them all. If you have a loft, lock the birds you have up and never turn them loose. Use their babies! You turn them loose and they may just go home. You put birds out with stuff tied to their legs and your gonna get some hung up in trees and phone lines. Get a video or book on training and read/watch them a bunch of times. Then take your dog out for runs. happy timing. It'll start finding "bleep" birds and butter flys ect to point. This spring you should be ready to start and have an idea of what to do.

[poudre river gundogs]

There is a couple of things you can do. The first thing is get your dog bold towards birds. I would use one that cannot be a threat in any way. Usually that is one that is dead. Introduce your pup to it.Teach them what they smell like and feel like. Make it a game and tease them with the bird and toss it out in front of them. Let them check it out and even carry it around if they like . When they are comfortable with that I like to put several live birds in an open crate they can see the birds in. Take them over to the crate and put pup down. Usually in a manner of a few seconds they will be all over the crate. More boldness. From there I take them over to a pigeon pole where they can learn some more about what they look and smell like.

If there is hesitation get another pups that is bold and take both pups over to the bird. Many times this curiosity and confidence from the other pup will get pup fired up and bold on birds.

Think Like A Dog!

Gary

[Winchey]

My pup did the same thing his first time on birds, well not quite, he would find them then just completely ignore them and keep searching. I took a live quail, got him and my other dog and put it in their faces and teased them with it, they were both fighting me and each other to get to the bird. I did that maybe 3 or 4 times over about 2 days before I worked him on birds again and he was bold on them. Not really a pretty training drill but sometimes simple works.


Edit... If the pup shows any fright or doesen't like this right off the bat, I would cease immediately and try something else.

[4dabirds]

I use a lock wing bird first so the flutter wont startle the dog. Once the dog is confident with the lock wing then i introduce a clipped wing bird in an penned in area so the bird can not get away . Let the dog handle the bird so he is confident. The dog needs to make this association in a controlled environment. If you take the dog afield and it is afraid of a pigeon it may come across something it is also afraid of and make the association that the field is a bad place. Build confidence in the yard by giving the dog a lot of different stimuli, such as things to climb on. balls to chase etc. To lock the birds wings put one wing behind the birds back , fold the other wing over it then the first wing back on top. I use rubber bands to clip wing birds. Just wrap a and around the wing over what would appear to be its bicep , this will allow the bird to fly only a short distance. George Hickox new beginnings video is very good.