I found numerous blogs about hunters who use pigeons during the off-season to help train their dogs. It sounds pretty harsh, but they do what they have to do in order to keep their dogs well trained.

This particular blog explains the use of working with pigeons in bird dog training drills. The owner releases the birds and they usually fly back home, and they are apparently very cheap to buy.  It doesn’t seem like most owners value working with these birds that much, which is sad. This blogger even said he shoots one or two pigeons every so often if he knows they are going to die soon anyway. This way the dogs can retrieve them and get rewards in return.  That made me cringe a little to be honest.

Anyway, two weeks ago I conducted my FINAL interview for this project!! I interviewed a Baltimore County Policeman, Christopher Strevig. He let me see, first-hand, a training procedure he does with his German Sheppard, Jett. I was pretty scared the whole time.

I was in the fenced area with the dog, Strevig and another policeman, Corporal Michael Stricker, who was in the bite suit. They allowed me to stand behind them the whole time, literally face-to-face with the dog. It was a amazing and scary experience. I am so glad the Baltimore County Police Department allowed me to do this!  It was awesome!!!!