German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

optprime · Member Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Nebraska

I have just recently relocated to Omaha NE from Utah and I need someplace to continue trainging my pup on pigeons. If anybody has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. I went out to Rake's Creek wma today which is state designated dog training area but there is a tree blocking the road.

dualgwp · Posted: 06/11/08, 6:29 pm Post subject:

not from Nebraska.... but is Branched Oaks that far away?
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optprime · Member Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Nebraska

Branched Oak Lake SRA/WMA is not far from me at all but it is not listed as a "authorized dog training area" by the state. I want to plant, hunt and release these pigeons and if I understood the proclamation correctly this can only be done in authorized areas or on private property. Sounds like I may have to knock a few doors to get permission from a property owner. Or maybe see what Iowa has to offer near council bluffs. Thanks for the help

cmmilach · Posted: 06/12/08, 12:10 pm Post subject: Pigeon Training

Hi,

You may try to contact Laura Reeves || 206.979.3758 or (402) 464-3641

She is married to Tom Lococo and they live in Lincoln. They maybe able to help you. Tom does quite a bit of training with his field dogs.

optprime · Member Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Nebraska

Great i'll try her and see if she has any ideas about where I could go.

Repoman · Guest

My advice would be don't use pigeons......

dualgwp · Posted: 06/12/08, 7:34 pm Post subject:

Why not use pigeons?
Give us your reasons.
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Repoman · Guest

1)Many dogs won't even point them.
2)They are not ground dwelling game birds.
3)They are stink birds the equivalent of encouraging your dog to point meadow larks.

Positives
1)On the positive side they are cheap....but if you have one of the dogs that are not interested in pigeons, then being a cheap bird doesn't mean a thing.
2)They can be used for steadiness training after the original bird that was pointed flys off.
3) They work well for letting your dog retrieve after the original pointed bird is allowed to fly off with gunfire being shot. The dog remains steady, then throw out a fresh killed dead pigeon for the dog to retrieve.

But I would advise using game birds if possible. Chukars are my first choice. Cool

optprime · Member Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Nebraska

I've been using pigeons for a while now and have been seeing great results with my dog. Not only have they been a great intoduction to live birds for him if he does bump them they fly around the area in circles for a while before flying off teaching my dog that birds in the air are only to be marked for a retrieve not for a fun game of chase. Plus if a medow lark will hold long enough for my dog to point it great I always enjoy seeing my dog point birds. The way I see it the more points my dog has under his collar the better I am always looking for training opportunities whether its a impromtu lark or a gamebird or pigeon. These dogs are smart and learn that thier handlers have no interest in nongame birds as soon as hunting season rolls around. but until then we'll take what we can get.

dualgwp · Posted: 06/17/08, 4:38 pm Post subject:

We use pigeons all the time to steady the dogs to wing and shot. Once a couple of them are used as kill birds and dogs allowed to retrieve, they seem to point them nicely.

The good thing is they home so well, and fly so well that they are rarely caught. Chuckar and quail can be tough to get to fly, especially in the summer.

But some don't care for pigeons, and if you have the funds to keep gamebirds, good for you. Also since pigeons aren't game birds one doesn't have to worry about shooting them out of season.
Dual
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Jon · Senior Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 117

Repoman · Guest

GWPnovice · Member Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

I agree that too much training with pigeons could result in a dog becoming wise to them, and not handling them the same as game birds.

But I also believe that if a dog will not retrieve a woodcook, then there are issues with the dog or the way he has been taught to retrieve. He should retrieve fur or feather, especially when the gun is involved. I could see a dog not retrieving the first woodcock it handled, but that should be a one time event.

dilshan456 · Member Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Posts: 6

How do you train a pigeon? wow... where do i start. lol. There are many things you need to know about your pigeon before you can train it. What kind of pigeon is it? A homer? a roller? a satinette? a frillback? a modena? a tumbler? a parlor roller? a lahore? only to name a few. But being experienced only in homer pigeons, i can only help you here.
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