will this method work?

[mister2]

If you remember from my previous posts, I pulled flight feathers off my pigeons so they can't fly. I wanted to see how well they would do from a launcher, they just go up and come right back down. So I've resorted to having my wife help me. I would hide the pigeon in cover, bring the dog in on checkcord until he smells it, stop him, then have my wife go in from the side and pickup the bird and throw it. Usually by throwing the bird can go about 40yds. I thought the purpose was to imitate a wild bird flushing on it's own but this just doesn't seem natural having someone go up and throw the bird. Will this work in getting my dog to stop and point? So far he hasn't yet.

We've used this method for 3 weeks now, once per week. 3 birds per session.

Thanks.

[cjhills]

How old is the puppy and what breed? Does he just not show any bird interrest? Or what? Best if you could take him where there are wild birds and let him chase. Maybe he is too young, but you shouldn't have to train a pup to point. It should come when he is ready. Good scenting conditions are important to start with. If you are in a area where you can do it you will have to waste a few pigeons and let him chase to build up his bird interrest. Maybe he just don't have it but that is very unlikely. Sometimes with the dog on a check cord, so he can't catch the bird, you can have somebody swing a bird around him on a tether until he figures it out and points basically a live wing on a string. Kind of a last resort but it will get his attention. Good flying live birds with room to run are the best bet. Dogs pick up on phony things real quick . Good luck!!!! CJ

[ultracarry]

Don't take this the wrong way but for a new owner a professional trainer and one on one lessons would be a great asset. Don't worry about the drive or money and it will pay off. Remember your time is worth money too.

[Cajun Casey]

No, it won't work. If anything, it is going to make the dog rely on you to tell him what to do all of the time. If he is not showing any indication of making game, perhaps you are not allowing him to work the wind correctly.

[cmc274]

I think I would tend to agree with the other posters that it may not work. Can't say that it won't, but now what I've learned. Dogs should learn to point birds without any help from their owner. Thought this article may be of interest. http://steadywithstyle.com/developing-p ... /#more-253

[mister2]

There is no question he can smell them and he is birdy. He can smell them from over 20 yds away. His body stiffens right up but he'll try to pull and creep and I'm sure he would rush in if given the chance. I stop him right then, but how would I go about releasing a bird at that instant without a remote launcher? I have a manual launcher but that would require a 60ft pull rope which he would definitely smell if he came across it. How did the old timers train before remote launchers were invented? There must be a way.

[ibbowhunting]

http://youtu.be/7Z73wq6E8u0 this is a good video i think this what there talking about by letting a few birds fly away

[JIM K]

If you remember from my previous posts, I pulled flight feathers off my pigeons so they can't fly. I wanted to see how well they would do from a launcher, they just go up and come right back down. So I've resorted to having my wife help me. I would hide the pigeon in cover, bring the dog in on checkcord until he smells it, stop him, then have my wife go in from the side and pickup the bird and throw it. Usually by throwing the bird can go about 40yds. I thought the purpose was to imitate a wild bird flushing on it's own but this just doesn't seem natural having someone go up and throw the bird. Will this work in getting my dog to stop and point? So far he hasn't yet.

We've used this method for 3 weeks now, once per week. 3 birds per session.

Thanks.

that is how i trained toby my lab on pigeons.
but i did not clip wings and let pigeon go.
i used velcro to hold wings back and tied toby to a tree limb in brush,then walked in and released the pigeon.
you can also use metal cage with long rope.
walk toby to the bird THEN pull rope and out it flys.


that is best way and you dont need launcher.i plant birds before we go in and always with wind in tobys face.
i sprayed end of rope about 1 ft with flourescent spray so i can see rope hanging from brush as we work close.
it works very good and cheap, no launcher.

[ultracarry]

Buy good flying birds and met them fly. Trying to save a few bucks is costing you soo much time. It's not cost effective and going to cause you a lot more problems. Again, your trying to make something work that has not and most likely won't.

[Trekmoor]

I'm an old timer and I use old fashioned methods. I very recently bought two bird launchers but I have found no need to use them yet.
I believe it is the birds that fly away from a too close or incautious approach by a dog that "teach" the dogs to point. I just keep on taking my dogs/pups to where there is game birds and let things develop naturally . This may take very few wild flushes to accomplish or it may take more than 50 but eventually I end up with dogs that have taught themselves to point game.

I only bought the bird launchers because advancing years means I cannot do all the walking I used to do to give my pups the wild birds they needed to learn on in sufficient numbers. I intend to use the bird launchers to as closely as possible copy what a wild bird will do which is to fly away if a dog moves in too close.
I.M.O. nothing else comes close to what wild birds will teach a dog.

Bill T.

[Francois P vd Walt]

I'm an old timer and I use old fashioned methods. I very recently bought two bird launchers but I have found no need to use them yet.
I believe it is the birds that fly away from a too close or incautious approach by a dog that "teach" the dogs to point. I just keep on taking my dogs/pups to where there is game birds and let things develop naturally . This may take very few wild flushes to accomplish or it may take more than 50 but eventually I end up with dogs that have taught themselves to point game.

I only bought the bird launchers because advancing years means I cannot do all the walking I used to do to give my pups the wild birds they needed to learn on in sufficient numbers. I intend to use the bird launchers to as closely as possible copy what a wild bird will do which is to fly away if a dog moves in too close.
I.M.O. nothing else comes close to what wild birds will teach a dog.

Bill T.

+1 nothing beats wild birds ! Don't force your dog they will develop at their time

[High Voltage]

As others have said you need good flying birds.
Don't know where you are located but if I were you I would check out NAVHDA http://navhda.com/
They help train you to train your dog. Our chapter meets 2X a month and has birds available plus remote launchers.
A lot of members meet up at other times to train together.

[Sharon]

I'm an old timer and I use old fashioned methods. I very recently bought two bird launchers but I have found no need to use them yet.
I believe it is the birds that fly away from a too close or incautious approach by a dog that "teach" the dogs to point. I just keep on taking my dogs/pups to where there is game birds and let things develop naturally . This may take very few wild flushes to accomplish or it may take more than 50 but eventually I end up with dogs that have taught themselves to point game.

I only bought the bird launchers because advancing years means I cannot do all the walking I used to do to give my pups the wild birds they needed to learn on in sufficient numbers. I intend to use the bird launchers to as closely as possible copy what a wild bird will do which is to fly away if a dog moves in too close.
I.M.O. nothing else comes close to what wild birds will teach a dog.

Bill T.

That is so true and well said.

[BHC]

This is a method I kinda made up, dunno if anyone else would suggest it. But tie fishing line to a steak then have a swivel on the other end and attach it to the birds foot. Make sure the birds foot can't come out and the line is heavy enough cut it however long you want the bird to be able to go.

[BHC]

Stake lol sorry your dog better be pretty well trained before you use a steak lol

[Sharon]

Buy good flying birds and met them fly. Trying to save a few bucks is costing you soo much time. It's not cost effective and going to cause you a lot more problems. Again, your trying to make something work that has not and most likely won't.

Exactly . I have to ask mister2: When you pulled the flight feathers and put them in the launcher, "I wanted to see how well they would do from a launche rbut they just go up and come right back down." quote What did you think they would do.?

[mister2]

I did not know how many could be pulled before it greatly affected their flight. Guess sometimes you just have to learn things the hard way. Either way now their flight feathers are about 80-90% full grown so won't be long before they can fly again. This time I will let them go for good. Should I be worried that they won't be able to fly far?

[Sharon]

Regrown flight feathers won't affect their flying.

All pigeons need to have been able to fly in the pen- flight conditioned birds.

I can't keep homers here so I get 3 0r 4 pigeons a week and use them that week . That way I know they fly well.

No wild birds here to work a dog on.

[mehjr]

I too believe that wild birds are the best tools to teach the bird dog to point but a lot of us do not have them in sufficient quantity to do enough training with the dog.
I use pigeons in a variety of ways to simulate wild birds. If I am working dogs that are steady to flush in an open area without trees, I will pull a maximum of 3-6 feathers from the tips of one wing. This allows the bird to fly in approximately a 100 yd circle and yet not fly off if I do not repeatedly work the same bird. I have found that the fewest number of feathers pulled from the end of one wing that keeps the bird from flying off works well. I only use this on dogs that point and hold which is a conditioned state of mind on the dog's part. I do use launchers to hold the bird until I am ready for the bird to fly and I use them to simulate the flush of a wild bird until the dog learns to point on it's own accord. Hope this helps.