Question about Working

[Cockertime Blues]

A lad my OH knows has a young working cocker.  Apparently he is teaching the dog to work, but not to go on a shoot or anything.  The dog will do his own hunting and be trained to bring the birds back.  He is starting him off on wood pigeons.  He says this is how cockers used to work.  Is this true and if so, does anyone on COL do this?

Am just interested.  Have to say Alfie would probably have been good at this  , not that he's going to start.  On the couple of occasions he's caught a wood pigeon in the garden he's brought them back to me dead and unmarked.  Have to admit I've passed them on  to my neighbour as her husband goes rough shooting and she wacks everything into a pie. 

[riotous_uk]

must admit, most trainers I know would use phessies first not pigeons as pigeon feathers come out eaisly, leaving the poor dog with  amouthful of feather.
didn't think cockers were originally used for pigeons, though they were used for other game birds including woodcock

[Wendy G]

I agree with the above, pigeon feathers in the mouth can put a lot of young dogs off retrieving.
And how is a dog supposed to hunt wood pigeons? or is that just to teach a retrieve?

This sounds more like rough shooting where the dogs work the hedge or cover and put the birds/rabbits out to be shot at.I have been rough shooting with Cockers and Jack Russells

I always imagined that Cockers were used on large shoots originally

[Millomite]

Cockers were originally used for woodcock shooting. 'Cocking dogs I think is where the name originates from

[spanielcrazy]

Most of us Yanks start our dogs on pigeon, they are smaller and less intimidating than pheasant and less likely to put the dog off (not to mention very readily available, so the dog can be worked frequently on live birds) Then when they show birdiness, a good retrieve and return, they are "grauduated" to pheasant.

Nothing like a still live, fighting pheasant to scare a dog off permanently 

[Dan]

Pheasants are usually the first bird to train your cocker on grouse is also another good bird to teach your dog to bring back etc but you have to be lucky enough to get a grouse day!!!