Pigeons in close quarters?

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Jta
Rank: Just A Pup
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Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Jta » Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:00 pm

Hey all
First time poster, and I just wanted to say how much I liked the website. I have a question though. What do you guys think about having a pigeon coop close to the dog. I have a medium sized backyard where my gsp spends a lot of his time during the day. I would like to get my own pigeons to continue doing hunting training with him. However, I don't know what having pigeons so close to him would do to his drive or training in the field. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

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Sprig
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Sprig » Sat Feb 07, 2009 5:19 pm

I have a pigeon coop 10 feet away from my dogs and the only down side is occasionly a dog will bark at the birds but that usually is short lived with only new dogs. once they get used to the birds the dog usually settles down.
it wont bother the birds at all.

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windswept
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by windswept » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:20 pm

I occasionally buy pigeons from a guy who has three GSPs living in the yard with his three coops. So I went ahead and set my coop up in the exercise yard I use for my dogs. It's only been a few months but so far my pigeon guy was right. No problem for the dogs.
The one problem I have is this. My coop is about 6 inches off the ground and has a mesh floor. ALOT of pigeon feed ends up on the ground and my dogs have been pulling food and droppings out from under the coop and eating it. So when I'm cleaning kennels I have been seeing quite abit of bird seed in the dog's waste. I took advantage of the warm weather we are having these last few days and put down a solid floor in the coop. That should solve my problem.

Jta
Rank: Just A Pup
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Jta » Sun Feb 08, 2009 1:59 am

What about if the dog could literally jump up and see the birds? Nose on the glass so to speak. I don't really have a better spot to put the coop, but I guess I could fence it off, but I don't really want to if I don't need to.

GsPJustin

Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by GsPJustin » Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:57 am

I was always told that it would make the dogs want the birds more... But heck, what do I know!

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Rick Hall
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Rick Hall » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:35 am

Jta wrote:What about if the dog could literally jump up and see the birds? Nose on the glass so to speak. I don't really have a better spot to put the coop, but I guess I could fence it off, but I don't really want to if I don't need to.
My dogs have, for decades now, been able to get eyeball to eyeball with our penned birds without need to jump, whether the homer loft in our yard, the quail pen I kept under an office window (to evesdrop on their small talk), or the pheasant, chukar and quail pens right next to their kennels at the lodge. No problems whatsoever. My only concern in your case would be a loft design that precludes break-ins if the dog is left with it unsupervised. Once Pup learns he can't get at your yard birds, he'll little doubt quit paying much attention to them there. Yet, he'll still be as driven as ever to work them in other context.
If you think I'm wrong, you might be right.

(And to see just how confused I really am, join us in my online blind at: Rick's 2009-2010 season log)

Jta
Rank: Just A Pup
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Jta » Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:09 am

I am positive that my dog can not get into the pigeon coop. It was made strong enough to keep a dog out. All the openings are up high except for the door which is secure. You can walk inside the cage.

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Nebraska
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Re: Pigeons in close quarters?

Post by Nebraska » Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:39 am

My coop is in my yard and not fenced off. As you can see from the pics, the dogs will do laps around the coop which has made a mud doughnut around the coop now.... :roll: They don't bother the birds and, IMO, it's kind of like HDTV for dogs...... :lol:

Image

If the birds are making a lot of commotion inside the coop, both dogs will tend to pay attention to the coop....

Image

My youngest will check out the coop and go about her business (notice the ball in her mouth) if the birds aren't doing much. On the other hand, my oldest GSP will head to the coop as soon as she goes out and pretty much stay right there until we get her to come in. At times, it's almost impossible to pull her away from the coop (even when it's raining for bitterly cold) because she's so focused on the birds.

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