Carding vs. Bird Hobble

[LabGuy]

Is it easier to just buy a bird hobble from GDS rather than dealing with cardboard or 2 liter bottles? Not sure on how to do this or even if the bird can fly with a hobble on so any info would be appreciated. Looking to throw some pigeons out in a field eventually and then take my dog for a walk in the field.

If im going about it all wrong or anyone has better ideas, feel free to share. I feel like this training stuff is more of a learning process for me than the dog at this point.

[DonF]

I think your training a lab? Don't hobble the birds at all. Someone mentioned putting a rubber band around the body to hold the wings down, I would try that. Let your lab catch all he wants. If he can't catch them you may have him blinking. You want him to go fast at the bird and put it in the air. If he thinks he can catch them all, that's what he'll do, flush hard. if he's not so sure he can catch them, he'll start at some point to hesitate before the flush, blink. If he blinks game birds, they may just run out and not flush until out of range.

If the rubber band doesn't work for you, pull the flight feather's out of the wings, four or five long ones at the tip of the wing. If you pull them, keep and eye on them, they will grow back. Other wise cut them off and they won't come back until molting.

[LabGuy]

Sorry - should have been more specific Don. I am training a pointing lab, hence the reason I am looking at carding or the hobble.

NOTE: Save the PL jokes and arguments for some other thread because I am not interested in hearing them.

[jeffkrop]

Why dont you just buy and let the birds fly away, why card them at all? Shack them up and put them in a brush pile let the dog find them and learn. When they fly away its $4-6 gone crazy.

[mask]

I like the cardboard and use it for pups or young dogs that need it. I use homers if I want them to fly off. The good part is there are more ways than one to use a carded bird.