Bird launchers

[mike]

Has anyone got any practical experience of training with bird launchers? What are the pitfalls to avoid, what are the best makes, are the remote launchers worth the extra money?

Thanks in advance

[Jaeger]

Think you have to ask the American members of the board. They will probably know how these this things work. I have only see them on pictures at www.dresslersdog.com/hunt06.html

[chiendog]

I have used bird launchers for over ten years now and would hate to have to work without them.

I use Inotek brand launchers and have had no problems. There are other brands on the market. They all seem well made.

The best way to use them is described very well in the excellent book by James Spencer "Point! Training the all seasons bird dog". Mr. Spencer goes into great detail about how to use the launchers...and how not to use them.

I use pigeons for the most part. The birds are placed in the launchers, the launchers (I use three or four at a time) are them placed in the field and then I work the dog.

I use the devices mainly to imitate the behaviour of wild birds. I find it a good way to teach dogs not to get too close to the bird, in fact to stop immediately upon smelling the slightest scent of the bird....or else "Bye bye birdy!" I launch the bird and it flies away back to the coop to be used again another day ( a friend of mine claims to have used the same pigeon for over a decade! It got really smart and would make dive-bomb harassing passes over the dogs on its way back to the barn!).

This spring I will be using the launchers quite a bit I think. I have a young dog that somehow has decided that pointing is not really necessary. She loves to hunt and find birds, but she also loves to chase them so she "bumps" them into flight and then goes for a jolly run.

The launchers and a long rope should help. I will also work on her backing or honouring using the launchers as well. To do this I put a bird in the launcher, send out my older bitch to point it (she will point it for hours without moving...she is a very honest dog) and then bring the younger one in. When she sees the older one pointing, I immediately launch the bird. That way the younger one associates a dog on point with birds. It realizes that when there is a dog on point, there MUST be a bird there somewhere even if she cannot see or smell it. I did one or two sessions like this last year and she seemed to be getting the idea but was too young and crazy. I am hoping she grew up over the winter.

Anyway, if you want to use launchers, get the James Spencer book. It is one of the best dog training books I own. Also be prepared for a bit of a shock when you look at the price tags of the launchers. They are not cheap.

[mike]

Chiendog ;D

Thank you for your reply, book will be ordered ASAP. They are expensive but not half as expensive as half a dozen wasted trips to tests and trials!