Training with pigeons

Legacy357 · 08-09-2006, 05:34 PM

Hey guys,
My lab is now 9 months old and i have been training her on quail. I just recently purchased a pigeon trap and bird launcher from cabelas. My question is: Is it safe to train with pigeons? Do they really spread diease and are dirty flying rats? Has anyone else trained with pigeons?

I live closer to dc and there is very little open ground around here. I plan on trying to catch some pigeons with the trap and then using for the dog to find and flush out. I don't plan on shooting them now but if I do catch any, I might head out into the country and do the flush and kill. Is it ok for the dog to bring back a dead pigeon? the blood?

Let me know any experience with pigeons and traps. Thanks!

Doc E · 08-09-2006, 06:49 PM

Not a problem -- many thousands of dogs train with pigeons.

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tailcrackin · 08-09-2006, 08:07 PM

I wouldnt worry about the traps with retrievers, they are flushers and are supposed to root up, if it points thats different. Do association before you work him up close....meaning some flush work, so it gets used to the noise, might even wanna change the springs, so the pigeons not half naked by the time it flies. Makes more natural looking flush. Thanks Jonesy

Legacy357 · 08-10-2006, 06:41 AM

Yea the trap is pretty tight right now....Problem is that I am buying quail for training and they are getting up before I can get the dog back out there to train. It ended up being a waste of money. It also game with a game restrain thing with velcro and a string. I will see how that works. Thank you for the help and I will let you know how training goes on sat!

tailcrackin · 08-10-2006, 09:14 AM

Legacy, this is gonna be a pick and choose battle, meaning that when you do the quail, if they are getting up to fast, dizzy them more, and possibly tuck the head under the wing, this will put them really to sleep, and when you set them down, putem down easy.....if dog gets, so be it....next bird dizzy more just like the last, and get the dog.......if you do it close to the right way you should have about 10 min. to get the dog, now also with the heat, do not put out in sun, with short grass, the get gone, but maybe set to where they got some shade, and they should sit pretty well, your hardware store should have the springs, if they are innotech, should be like a 39 u or something like that, the spring will be noticably different size. Cya Jonesy