What is the best bird to start your lab pup on ? Are chukars a good choice?

I always used pigeons. They were cheap and easy to come by. It does appear as if some states have some regulations that make them game birds these days.

Thank you oznog this is my first bird dog and any info I can get will be a big help to me as well as my dog..

+1 Oznog

My Vizsla did not like chukar as well as hen pheasant. I think it was that the feathers on the chukar seemed to come out easier, getting in her mouth.

i use pigeons. then move into quail, chukar

I believe you'll find pigeon's are game birds everywhere. What we train with are called rock dove's or barn pigeon's. I don't know of anywhere they are a game bird! I keep quite a few around, have for 30 yrs or so.

+ 1 on the pigeons.

Cheap, size is easy to work with, and hearty in the pen and to reuse.

Same here for my GSP. Only bird he will not retrieve. But he will show ME where they are.

When mine was 8 weeks old I didn't want to spend money on pheasants, so I bought some quail. They were super cheap in the east back then.

That's what you get when a dog isn't force broke to retrieve, many will only retrieve what they want when they want to.

My dogs were force broke and all retrieve any type of bird, glass bottles, soda cans, key chains, wood, clothing etc. You name it, they'll retrieve it.

Pigeons live, smaller duck species dead, no question about it

A small puppy bumper with pigeon wings attached followed by real pigeons. Be sure the pup returns to you with or with out the bird. If he returns with the bird do not take the bird from him but happy up the pup for coming to you.

Doc

For retriever training suggest the site below. Search function works well. Match the bird to the dog. Young pups pigeons are the way to go. As they grow you can go to larger birds. Best advice I can give you is find a good training group with folks who know more than you do.

http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?24-RTF-Retriever-Training-Forum

Thanks for all the info I pick my pup up in a week and a half and the kennel im getting her from will help me train her..And I also have to other guys who have bird dogs that are willing to help me out...Any ideas from anyone would still be great...You can never have enough info...thanks....

Thanks for the link. Nice to see Mike Lardy still in the game, I trained with him in the late 90's in Wisconsin. No one has Won more National Open Championships than Mike.

Doc