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close_up_act Special user Idaho Falls 773 Posts |
I have two doves. One I named Bloody for having bright red feet/legs and the other named Gutty because that's what my 1yr old daughter kept saying when she first saw him....I found Gutty sitting stiff on the bottom of his cage which is unlike him.
I have a toy mirror with a bell that he would play with everytime I come in from work...Not to be picky but he was the better bird of the two...easy to train, loved to be handled and would just rest on my shoulder all day... He would even let my daughter pet him and rest on her shoulder without flying away...he was a true companion, friend and family member...I will miss him dearly. It will be hard to look into that empty cage and not hear that bell anymore...There will never be another "Gutty"...i guess I'm just venting here folks. Thank you for your time. Junior
J Rodriguez
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tdowell2007 Loyal user Springfield, IL 267 Posts |
So sorry to hear of your loss. Each is so special. My thoughts are with you.
Tony |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Junior, it's never easy to loose a loved one. We've all had it happen at least once and it never gets easier. You're right, there will never be another Gutty but time heals all wounds and it won't be long before you're looking for another dove to take it's place.
Where the magic begins
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Hansel Inner circle Puerto Rico 2492 Posts |
So sorry for you Junior! Im with you in the feelings!
Hansel!
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
I'm sorry Junior. I've never owned doves (yet) but I've lost several Netherland Dwarf Bunnies. About a year ago I lost one that had been with me for a long time. He had been semi-retired from performing for a while, but I still loved the little guy. I lost another recently (1st of August) and as Dave mentioned, it is never easy. I only have own now, and he is getting up in years. I feel about him like you did about your dove....I will never find another that can replace him. I'm already worrying about losing him, and I really dread when that day comes. Her is far and away the best show bunny I've ever owned. I have used him more and gotten closer to him that any of my other bunnies.
Again, I am sorry for your loss. Regan
Mister Mystery
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DoveDaddy New user 63 Posts |
The loss of a trained dove (or any livestock) goes beyond the emotional attachment. Equally critical is the extensive loss of time and effort invested in training the bird to be performance ready. All of this time and training must now be duplicated with a new dove at great delay and yet with no guarantee that the new dove will even attain the same performance abilities. This is why it is critical to always have a completely trained back-up set of doves for your act. My rule of thumb is that you should have at least twice as many TRAINED doves as you use in your act.
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close_up_act Special user Idaho Falls 773 Posts |
I wanna thank you guys for your simpathy...My wife is actually trying to talk me into getting another dove...i think I'm going to wait...not sure if I want another one yet..
DoveDaddy: you have a point about having trained doves as your back-up....My situation is different though, I only do one dove production in my act...and I use it as my ending...I'm more of a slieght of hand kind of guy so I can keep busy with manipulaitons on stage. the reason I use a dove as a closer is because of its beauty...i can make dozens and dozens of cards appear but the audience will only remember the dove appearance. I believe the time spent training Gutty is what made me so emotionally attached. Its wierd how you can get so close to someone/thing/pet etc. that doesn't talk back. thanks again fellas, Junior
J Rodriguez
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Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
I agree with DoveDaddy about having backups but I'm not sure if it's necessary to have a complete set. Look at what we do. Basically we do body loads and prop magic. Once a dove is trained to be confident with you and will fly back all the time, the bulk of the training is done. The dove needs to be comfortable in a harness and confortable in a dark, enclosed area. I train my birds to do both. I currently use 9 birds in my act and have 3 backups. I don't think there is a real calculation for the number of birds/backups you should have but you should definetly be prepared just in case.
Sorry to derail this topic Junior. It's about your loss, not dove theory. Just wanted to jump in with a comment.
Where the magic begins
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
I always like to keep at least one back-up bunny for my shows. I usually retire my bunnies from my show as they get a little older, and I replace them with a new, younger one. I keep the older one as a back-up, but I only use him now and them if the primary bunny is sick. I've only had to use a back-up one or two times during my entire magic career.
I generally keep 2 white as my primary show bunnies. (or mostly white; my current main bunny is a Himilayan, so he has charcoal-colored points) I almost always have a specialty bunny of another color that can also be used as a primary bunny in an emergency situation. For example: I kept a solid black Netherland for many years, but he was mainly used in my "Hare Dyeing" routine. I recently lost a Smoke-Pearl Marten Netherland that was a near-perfect color match for the gray, wooden rabbit in my "Run Rabbit, Run" routine. He made changing the wooden rabbit into a real rabbit very smooth! I'm down to one rabbit right now, for the first time in a long time. I have contacted my breeder, but he does not have any like I want right now. He is expecting some in November, but of course he doesn't know for sure if he will have the grade, color, and/or sex that I want. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Mister Mystery
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DoveDaddy New user 63 Posts |
Quote:
On 2008-10-11 07:31, Dave Scribner wrote: Dave, I concur that the number of back-ups all depends on the needs of your act and the proximity of your performance venues. My rule of thumb was referring to a full body & prop loaded dove act that is performed all around the country and so requires air travel for both the magician and the doves. When I ship doves they are all shipped together in air cargo and so they are ALL at the mercy of the airline. Thus a catastrophic loss would wipe out the entire act. Thus my reasoning for a complete back-up set. Also, I wasn't intending to minimize Junior's emotional loss, but rather I was trying to emphasize that it can also involve a significant practical loss if you don't have replacement doves ready to perform with at your next venue. |
Dave Scribner Assistant Manager Lake Hopatcong, NJ 4849 Posts |
Dovedaddy, in a situation like that, I can see why you want a complete set of back ups. My comments were aimed basically at the regular everyday performer. Not meaning you are not regular The chances of a complete wipe out are slim unless there is a disease or predator attack. For most perfomers, I think a few backups trained in harnesses and props are all that are necessary.
Where the magic begins
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revmike Special user Annville, PA 646 Posts |
I have 7 doves and in just a short time have become very attached to them as well as the other pets and other animals I use in my show.
The magic is not in our sleights and illusions, but instead in our ability to bring love and joy.
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Bob Johnston Inner circle Philadelphia, PA 1251 Posts |
I still miss the loss of my rabbit "Wellington" from over two years ago.
My heart is with you. Bob |
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