What in your view, is the best way to train a bird to fly back to you.. I've been having problems with her flying back.. she doesn't.. lol.. and I don't want her to end up breaking her neck or her wings..

Thanks.

Justin David
http://www.JustinDavidMagic.com

Hi Justin,

If you get your dove used to eating out of your hand at night, (that's when I generally feed mine) then she'll get used to your hands. Keep doing this every night, and slowly toss her out, and she'll fly back to eat. Start out close, and move it further and further out. Just keep doing this until you can throw her really far, then get rid of the food. It will become a matter of repetition for the dove before she gets it. Good luck!

Dave


http://www.MagicalBirds.com
http://www.DaveWomach.com

If you have the room, set up a curtain (a sheet will do) and toss the bird in the direction of the sheet. She will turn around because she has nothing to land on. Another tip is to set up a bright light facing you as if you were on stage and toss the bird towards it. Again, it will turn and come back to something it can land on. That would be you.

If you plan to make the dove fly back to you when you toss it, it is not advisable to perform this stunt during daytime or outdoors. This is best performed with spotlights facing you. Tony Clark and Shimada tapes show how it's done.

If she's not getting it, try a different dove. I always stress not to spend too much time if the dove isn't getting it. Just move on to the next dove, because if she's not getting it she probably won't. Its a good idea to start when they're very young as well. don't just work with her when you're trying to get her to fly back to you, work with her as much as you can by letting her fly around to build up her wing muscles so she'll make a good flyer. If you do decide to use the reward system with the food, don't over work her until she's had plenty of food to provide energy. Too many times people forget that the bird has not had any food and she can become weaker and they'll over work the dove and this can be bad. Just make sure she's had plenty of food to provide the energy and tempt her to come back for more. Doves are stupid and they'll keep eating and eating really as long as there's food there. Good luck...

Sperris

Sperris you mentioned: Doves are stupid and they'll keep eating and eating really as long as there's food there. Should I not have food available to them all day? or should I feed them X number of times a day?

Yeah you don't want to let the food sit around all the time. I keep my birds on a regular feeding schedule and give them their seed at the same time every day, let it stay out for a few hours, and then take it away at the same time every day. The water you should keep in the cage all the time, just be sure to replenish it with fresh water every single day. I usually do this when I'm giving the birds their seed. This keeps them on a schedule and helps prevent them from getting fat. Good Luck!

Sperris

http://www.dansperry.com
http://www.extremedovemagic.com

I'm going to start putting her on a timed eating schedule.. today is an exact week from when I got her and I just wanted her to be happy and get used to her surroundings. I just ordered her a new cage, its about two times the size of the cages shes in now.

As for the flying thing.. shes getting it quicker than I thought she would. Starting yesterday I starting tossing her out with my left hand and shes actually turning around and coming back to my right hand. That's after about ten minutes of practice, once she gets used to my hand again.. I had her at about five feet last night but then she just stopped coming back so I stopped for the night lol.. shes back on track today.

I do have one question though.. how long should I practice with her.. and how many sessions a day?..

Thanks guys..
Justin David

Doves get tired quickly. You should notice that after a few tosses, they seem to sink a little when they return. I toss from hand to hand for about 10 minutes, nice and gently at a slow pace, then toss out for a return a couple of times. I do this about 3 times a day. You can practice more often with things like walking up your fingers or just holding them while you stroke the feathers from head to tail. If your dove starts to breathe heavily with it's beak open, you should stop for awhile.
I feed mine just as Dan mentioned. Once each night. I change their water in the morning and at night.

Dave & Dan... Thanks for the info. I have been working with my doves on the finger walking and they have been doing just fine. I just didn't know where to start and far as the fly back. Over the last three to four months I have been raising my own doves... how young is too young to start the fly back?

Boltt.. a begginer in dove magic too?..Welcome to the club lol... Although I'm not too much of a begginer because I work with my friends doves.. with his harnesses and what not, I still have much to learn..

Justin

Too help keep the birds strong and healthy, feed them oyster shells also.

Bolt: training a bird to return goes hand in hand with normal training. Start working with them as soon as they are weened from the parents and on their own. Once the training begins, just continue on to the return routine.

Justin,
Kind of a beginner. I use my doves mainly in a pan and other apparatus. I have not done any body loads as of yet. That is what I am working towards. My partner does the body loads in his segment of our shows.

Really.. same situation here.. weird lol... my ex partner did the loads too.. I use a box and an appearing bird cage..

Justin

Oh man.. maybe I'm being too pesemistic (sp?) about this, but she is just really horrible at routine. She was flying back to me like she has been doing it for years yesterday.. all of a sudden she has forgot everything shes learned.. I'm taking her food out tonight before I go to sleep..so I can start the feeding schedule tommorrow..

Justin David

Justin, remember you are dealing with animals and they all have their own whims and personalities. You never know for sure what is going to happen. I've seen some of the best dove workers have problems with their birds. Just be patient. Your bird hasn't forgotten anything, it's just taking a vacation. Start with the small toss again for a minute or two and she'll remember what is expected.

Dave,
Since two of my doves were weened last week, Yesterday I started working with them by tossing from hand to hand and both responded very well. My 3 month old "Elvis" is doing very good on his fly back since I just started him yesterday as well.

LOL thanks for the encouragement Dave.. I forget she's not attached to a hummingbird reel..

Shes doing better today..

Justin

Oooh yeah, the humming bird reel. That reminds me. I've seen dove workers, a few somewhat known ones produce birds by throwing them out and having them come back. But the birds were on invisible harnesses with long catgut wire attached to it. Then once the bird went out a few feet him/her the magician yanked the bird back in with a quick jerk. IT LOOKED TERRIBLE! I felt so bad for the bird and I just wanted to go backstage and ream on the magician. -just wanted to mention that that is NOT A WAY TO TRAIN A BIRD and that is NOT WHAT INVISIBLE HARNESSES ARE FOR!!! ...carry on

Sperris

man that sounds terrible. makes me sick