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Birds and Bird Plantingby Kenneth RoebuckFrom Gun-Dog Training Spaniels and Retrievers, By Kenneth C. Roebuck Reprinted by permission of Stackpole Books It is usually necessary to resort to artificial means to give a young dog experience on bird work. Property licensed as a "Shooting Preserve" affords the trainer the opportunity (in many states) to shoot game birds over dogs for seven months of the year (September through March), which is of course a considerable advantage. The amateur trainer however probably has no access to such facilities other than as a paying customer, and the professional finds that the time of year when game birds may not be shot is the very time when his training schedule is at its busiest.  Bird planting: the correct way to hold a pigeon. Photo by: Author In training with live birds, birds have to be used which are not affected by the game laws, and the answer-especially for the flushing breeds-is pigeons. They are a relatively easy bird to obtain and sources include breeders who are reducing their stock or dealers who buy and sell in large quantities. Pigeons can also be trapped in farm silos and barns, where the nuisance they cause usually makes the owner more than willing to let you trap. I prefer not to use quail from a call-back pen as they often tend not to fly far enough, and they are inclined to flush in groups of two or three-hardly suitable during initial steadiness training for the breeds we are concerned with. I do of course use quail for the pointing breeds, for which they are ideal. Chukar partridge, which like pigeons tend to fly hard, can be good for the flushing dogs but are difficult to obtain during spring and summer.  Dizzying the bird by swinging it. Only a few seconds of swinging are required. Photo by: Author The use of pigeons as an aid in training your dog is essential, especially in the early stages of teaching steadiness-to-flush (after steadiness-to-thrown-dummies has been accomplished). Two or three pre-dizzied birds will be planted well apart from each other. (I’ll explain "pre-dizzied" in a moment.) The dog can then be hunted towards them and on getting their scent be allowed to run in and flush. This artificial method simulates what will happen when you are hunting your dog later on real game. Pigeons therefore are the trainer’s answer, not only during initial training but also in the off season, when a little bird work by way of a refresher will help keep your dog fit and up to standard. A small stock of pigeons, say ten or fifteen, can be quite easily kept. All that is required is a small roosting box secured to the end of a building with room for a corn tray and water pan. Birds kept in a roosting box for a couple of weeks will invariably fly right back to it when released or flushed, enabling you to use them repeatedly. (Not all birds by any means need be shot.) If a light metal swinging gate is incorporated, the birds will quickly learn to land on a wooden platform in front of it and push their way back in. | ||
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