How to Train Bird Dogs With Frozen Birds

Training dogs to retrieve birds is a long process that requires patience and skill. Many trainers utilize frozen birds during training to prevent "hard mouth" or the chewing or damaging of the bird while retrieving. Frozen birds encourage dogs to bring back birds without damaging them in any way. Trainers often start with frozen pigeons or other small birds that are easy for puppies to carry. Once dogs are accustomed to small birds, frozen ducks can be used to complete their training.

Things You'll Need

  • Dummy bird
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start training your puppy from three months. Initial obedience training will greatly expedite the process. Train the puppy using short retrievals using a dummy. Get the dog to bring the dummy to you immediately after you have thrown it. Don't allow the dog to play with the dummy or to chew it. Don't pull the bird out of the dog's mouth or it may feel the need to resist.

    • 2

      Graduate to using small frozen birds once you and your dog have mastered the dummy. Start with short retrievals until the dog is accustomed to the new birds. Wrap the birds in newspaper before freezing. You can refreeze dead birds.

    • 3

      Use frozen ducks once your dog is adept at retrieving the smaller birds. Use remote launchers to throw frozen ducks or dummies for dogs to retrieve. Recruit friends to throw dummies or frozen ducks if you do not have a remote launcher. This process teaches your dog to learn how to sniff out fallen birds.

    • 4

      Train your dog on thawed ducks as a final step. The dog must retrieve the bird without damaging it in any way.