Just bought Tom Dokken's Retriever Training book from Wholesale Sports.
I had one question to those of you who use pigeons for training. Is the "clipwing" pigeon method considered a humane thing to do to a pigeon? Where might I find literature to prove that this is ok to do?
And, for those of you who don't know what a "clipwing" pigeon is, the book gives directions and they are as quoted: "To create a clipwing simply remove the last six primary feathers. Starting at the tip of the wing, grasp each feather firmly and tug. They will come out cleanly. You only have to do this to one wing. The pigeon will be able to flutter around but can't fly away with only one fully feathered wing."
It just doesn't seem right, but I can see it being a very valuable training tool. I am half way through this book and it's great. I recommend this book to everyone!