training with live birds

Dave M

Dave M

Well-known member
Guys ,


I have the lead on some live birds , quail, pigeons and other game birds . I was wondering how would i go about restraining them for training purposes ? Has anyone ever trained with live birds ? Any help would be great. Andrew please take note i think they would be good for the new pup and my girlfriend ( Sunny that is Andrew's dog ) . Thanks alot for any help


Dave M
 
As long as you are using the birds you mentioned I would just put a rubberband on the flight feathers of ONE wing. That way the bird can run or even fly for a very short distance to entice the pup. If you use larger birds (pheasants or ducks) make sure you also put a band around their bill or beak to avoid a bad introduction to the dog. Be very careful about throwing a restrained bird in the air or you won't be training with a live bird for long. Stay with smaller birds til your pup is excited and confident.
Good Luck, John
 
i removed the longest feathers on the wings of the pigeons i used just too let ya know puppy teeth make short work of a pigeon and will not last long the pup loved this new game and was very exited
 
Check with your state. Some states require you to get a dog training license when using live birds. don't ask how I know this, but it got ugly.
Clip a wing and put a rubber band or electrical tape around the legs on retrieved birds. For pointers u can use a calling cage for quail, if you have enough property. To plant a bird to point or flush with. Take the birds head and tuck it under the wing then swing it anround like fast pitch sofball pitchers do, about 6 times. This will make the bird stay where you plant it. when the dog goes down you can just ease up and kick the bird with your foot the bird will fly u shoot the bird the dog retrieves the bird.
JR
 
Thanks for the input guys ! Great info , i plan to use the birds on the property at the gun club i belong to . I will check on the rules in our state to see if anything applies to private land or not . I was not sure how to get them from flying off but all the infomation helped me out . thanks again


Dave
 
Dave, good idea.

I thought the new pup was a freak of nature as he retrieved to hand, healed, kenneled, sit, stay... but now he's taking the bird and coming half way, sitting an chewing. I stopped the training session and have to figure out how to correct him.

Love this pup, he's like a lab in a spaniel outfit.

Talk to you soon, sorry I've been so out of it.

Best, A.
 
Dave and Andrew,
My club is just over the line in CT. We had to get a special permit and license from the DEP to use our property for live bird training out of the regular allowed season for released pheasant. The area of training had to be specifically dedicated and rules posted.
No better way to get a dog fired up. Bill Terrant used a 20" length of garden hose tied on a short string to the birds leg to keep them from getting far. A fishing pole also works.
As for the stop and chew I think your dog is a good candidate for a force "Fetch" or "Hold" program Andrew. It teaches two things. First and most important is that you are the boss, and second is that ANY thing you tell the dog to put in its mouth stays there unharmed till you tell the dog to give it to you. Went thru it late (4 yrs) with my dog and she has used it for lots of stuff other than birds.
Travis could give you a lot more info on both topics and I hope he reads this and gives you some ideas.
 
Use a quail recall pen to get your birds back. You leave some of the birds in one section of the pen and they will recall the one that you let out. They will enter the pen through a wire mesh cone.

Gary
 
Bob, thank you, I'll research that item this week.

My problem is that I'm gone 5 days a week and the boys "train" the pup.

Gotta catch em while they are young. Can't keep him out of the water now... what a joy to watch a pup grow.

Thanks again,

Andrew
 
I understand Andrew. We can't buy time. It can be done and I am sure you will enjoy the moments you have to the fullest. Again, I think there are people here who know more and I hope they will give up a little of their knowledge. I think you could get quite a lot out of a few basic force lessons on the two days you are home. They are by nature short and sweet. A few set up materials I am sure you have on hand in the "Boat shed" and you are off. This is a good article on the subject to get started. I think you can spend a few hours away from home reading up on what is involved, and talk to folks who have gone thru it to get a feel. I don't think a collar is needed. But a dog who will work on a table will be on his way to being a star in the field.
 
Bob,

Thanks for the input , you said you belong to a club in Conn. Would it happen to be Groton Sportsman club ? I have a few friends who belong there and i had the opportunity to hunt phesant , great spot . The guy who has the birds is right off off rt 6 in RI . i will be meeting with hime in the next few weeks for he is on a trip . thanks again .


Dave M
 
Bob,

I never did force fetch the lab and I wish I had.

I agree, very important. This pup deserves a good foundation.

Thanks for the article.

Andrew
 
Thats it Dave. Give me a shout on the PM and let me know who you hunt with. I know the training season is getting started up there. I have not used it for dog training since we filled out the state paperwork, but I trout fish up there a lot. If you can't find a spot let me know and we can try to arrange a time to use the training area.
 
Hi Dave ,

Congrats on the new pup. Here are my thoughts. I always introduced my pups to birds starting right at 7-8 weeks old by using pigeons. They are small enough and non-threatening enough for pups. I pull the flight feathers on ONE wing. This allows them to fly a very short distance and then they have to set down. DO not do both wings. If you do , they may be able to get enough lift to get into a tree.

If you have a pup who is a bit intimidated by flapping wings ( most pups find this exciting) then I tape the wings down by wrapping electrical tape around the bird, sticky side UP so I can take it off the bird later with no damage.

ALWAYS run pups with a check cord on when working with birds. Even if the pup always returns bumpers to hand, odds are with a bird they will run away with it and try and keep it for themselves. This allows my to GENTLY reel the pup in and gently get the bird back from him. I could usually get months out of a few pigeons. Any that die can be frozen and used over and over again . I only work with birds a few throws a week with young pups so they don't get spoiled and lose interest in bumpers.

I missed how old the dog is. If its under 6 months of age, I would not force fetch. Dog should have all its adult teeth in before FF. I also teach hold first before FF .

If you want some articles I've written in regards to pup training, let me know and I'll email them to you.

take care and good luck with the pup.

Dave B/ AKA baumy
 
Dave,
if you don't mind I would like to read what you have written. I always enjoy looking at training from different directions. Thanks.
Bob Butler.
 
email with training posts sent as attachments Bob. Let me know if they make sense to you.

DAve B /baumy
 
Dave,
Did not get them. Thanks for the first try. My email is correct as listed- lsullivan03@riconnect.com
 
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