Dog Training With Live and Dead Birds

August 19, 2010

Question: I am currently training

Answer: Using live pigeons and most other domestically raised avian species for dog training is all right, as long as no wild birds are captured, injured or killed. Only domestic birds can be used to train dogs to retrieve, point or flush, or to prepare for or participate in field trails or similar events related to these activities, at any time of year from sunrise to sunset.

Generally, there are only minimal restrictions if no wild birds are killed, but a few restrictions apply if any birds are killed, and these include pigeons, bobwhite, domestic pheasants, etc. Use of dead birds (wing or other part) is acceptable as long as the birds were legally taken (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 677 (a) and (b)).