Hey all.
I've been researching dove magic for a couple months and feel like I'm ready to make my first step and get some doves and a DVD.
Before I do though I have a couple of questions:
Should I get the DVD first or the birds?
Which is the ideal 1st DVD to get? (I'm leaning towards Doves 101)

As I live in Sydney, Australia, does anyone know where I can purchase young healthy doves?

I've read on the forums that doves are prone to dehydration in summer and freezing in winter. I doubt the cold in Sydney will be problematic, but our summers can get pretty warm. Are there any Australian dove keepers here that can offer any advice?

I'm a big animal lover so I would also appreciate any advise as far as tricks/props to stay away from and general dove care.

Finally, a user on another thread mentioned that his doves set off his son's asthma. My fiancée suffers from asthma and I won't be getting the birds if it affects her. Can doves be kept outside?
I'm sure there will be more questions to come. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Doves can be kept outside, just watch for cats and other creatures. Always have plenty of fresh water available, as well as good quality food, and it will be easy to care for them. DOves are very low maintenance.

Get a couple, as well - they will make each other company and won't demand much of attention. If you get just one, get a female. Once a male bonds to a person it is VERY difficult to introduce a new bird into the cage.

If you absolutely don't want babies and don't want to keep watching for eggs to be removed, get two females as they will be able to live together with no problems - Dove forums (Look @ the "Dove Resources", thread - it has tons of useful information) should get you rid of any doubts related to this.

Get the DVDs first. And try to get some books, too(Amazon has plenty). DVDs I recommend are James Dimmare's "The Dove Whisperer" and Tony Clark's "Behind the Seems" - as you already have Doves 101, those will be very welcomed as complements.

Thanks Fabio that's a great help. Can you tell me if "encyclopedia of dove magic" is a good book? What books do you recommend? I will definitely try to grab a copy of Dimmare's dove whisperer. Unfortunately my local doesn't stock Tony clarks.
Thanks you've been a big help.

I too would recommend doves 101 first...if you do get that, I would not recommend you purchase the encyclopedia of dove magic. What Tony Clark's video gives you that you don't get so much on doves 101 is some advice on pockets, etc. However, with doves 101, don't expect much in the way of more productions from Behind the Seams (except his handling of dove from streamer). Best of luck!

Great thanks Nak. Looks like I'll get doves 101 and get a supplemental DVD when I'm ready for tricks. Can anyone recommend a good book for me or will the dvd cover it all?
And can anyone tell me where to get doves in Australia?

Sorry I can't help with getting doves or books unfortunately...but you will find that doves 101 has the bare basics of a large number of dove effects (no prop magic though). Definitely research what you can, but your dvd will put you in a good position for taking the productions taught on a creative route of your own...it might even be beneficial to avoid learning too many "tricks" from several sources all at once in order to allow yourself to be creative. Of course the same does not go for researching care, handling and training of doves.

Ok cool. Thanks to you both. I'm on my way to pick up doves 101 right now! Very excited. Watch this space.

Shade, I'm a bit confused here. You said you had been researching Dove magic for several months but then you ask what books or DVD's to get and whether to get them first or the doves first. Sounds like you haven't done much research at all. I don't mean to be harsh, just stating some confusion.

All of you questions have been asked and answered many time in this forum. You should never buy the doves until you have gathered as much information as you can in the way of books and DVD's.

Tony Clarks series of DVD's, behind the seams and behind the mask are good. So is Andy Amys's doves 101. The encyclopedia of dove magic is great. At the top of this forum is a sticky topic listing almost all of the resources available on dove magic.

Doves can withstand extreme cold as long as they are not in a draft. They need sunlight but if you keep them outside, you need to be sure they have somewhere in their aviary for shade.

As Fabio said, they need fresh water everyday. Vitamins are also essential as is grit. As so Asthma, Doves give off a powder called dander. This is a fine powder that is harmful to humans if inhaled over time. If your fiance has asthma, you do not want to keep your birds indoors. I used to have 31 doves in my basement aviary and it became life threatening to my wife. I personally do not suffer from Asthma but breathing was difficult for me as well. The dander is very hard to clean up so you are better off keeping the birds outside or in a garage or shed.

Baically my advice to you would be to get several DVD's and or books. Read and watch them thoroughly before getting your doves. It's a lot easier not to get them if you decide not to do dove magic than it is to get rid of them afterwards.

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Hi Dave,
Sorry I could see how that would be confusing. What I meant is I have been checking out all the dove magicians I can find, seeing what styles I like. Also checking out dove care, breeds, breeding, cage size, travel requirements etc. I've picked up some info from a pet store and downloaded info off the net, but I found some of it conflicting (or written in the US) and wanted to check with some experienced pros (you guys).
I saw the sticky topic, I was after a good resource for a first purchase. In fact I had pretty much made up my mind about getting doves 101 (which I got yesterday btw...and I LOVE it). I floated the question in case I got an answer like:
"doves 101 is for experienced pros, you should get doves for dummies" or something similar.
Also I'm sure nearly all my questions have been asked in the forum. Trust me I've skimmed through the pages and found out a lot of info, like how doves set off asthma, how some magicians do tricks that scare the sh't out of their birds, 'yankers', pidgeons instead of doves etc. However, I have not found any Australian dove magicians on this board, so I felt my questions were warranted. I don't know if you've been to Australia, but the weather here can be pretty erratic. Furthermore, I was hoping to make contact with someone in Australia with doves as they are difficult to find.
Can you link me to where Australian dove magicians have discussed this topic?
And thanks for the Asthma question. That one had been bugging me.

Don't misunderstand. I didn't mean to sound harsh. I just see too many magicians jumping into dove magic before they have all the facts. They buy the doves first and then the research material. I'm not sure if this is the topic you looked at but all of the resources listed are excellent for both beginner and novice. Greg Frewins course is a bit expensive but very good.

Besides learning about dove magic, you need to make sure you have at least an hour a day per bird to work with and train them. Be sure you can put up with the cooing noise. The more birds you have, of course the louder the noise. Don't forget vet bills and annual checkups.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......um=13&18

Here's link to a breeders site in Australia. They may not have doves but should be able to steer you in the right direction. Above all else however, do not buy your doves from a pet shop.

http://www.breedersmarket.com.au/

"all of the resources listed are excellent for both beginner and novice"
Thank you! That was what I wanted to know
I'm confident I have the time and motivation to take good care of the birds. And I live near the airport anyway so I doubt the noise will be too bad.
Thanks for the breeders link. That is one of the sites I visited already and have had no luck so far. I'm holding out though. Let you know how I go.

I also suggest doing research first before getting any kind of pet! good luck to you.

Igr8mgkman, doves in magic should not be considered pets. Neither should they be considered props but your intent is correct. Research is most important.

Hey FlameShadewater, I suggest you get Greg Frewins DVD on dove magic, it's they way to go all from the jacket construction up to different styles and ways of producing doves, it would be a lot better to have knowledge on dove magic first before on buying the doves. Goodluck!

Being that Greg's video course is about 5 times more expensive than the others on the list, I would recommend Tony Clark, Andy Amyx, first. They will give you a good basis for deciding if you really want to get into dove magic.