# Getting a pet dove!



## Veggieburger (Feb 11, 2014)

I'm sooo excited! I finally found a dove... I was searching for a rescue but with no luck in my area or surrounding areas...so I'm getting one from a breeder. I paid for her today and should be getting her home by Wednesday ( she's shipping on Monday. She's a pink pied but from the pic she looks white and is sooo beautiful. I can't wait to hold her. This breeder is great she raises them in her home and handles them from the time they're hatched. This is her! isn't she lovely?!


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## coo_lets (Mar 7, 2014)

Awww she's beautiful <3


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

Doves are great pets and you will enjoy it. Just remember your dove will like some "free time" to walk around and explore on it's own so don't expect it to sit on your arm all the time. Doves benefit from having 30 to 60 minutes of time in a bird-safe room, just to wander around - you can be there doing something quiet like reading, watching TV, or working on the computer - but avoid chasing it around all the time to force her to be with you every second. They need their space too and will be better pets if they are with you by choice. A good time for "free flight time" is late afternoon, so your dove will want to return to her cage by evening, before it gets dark.

I hope when you mean "holding" your dove, you meant having her perch on your finger or arm, because most birds (including doves) do not like to be physically held - it scares them. Most doves also don't like being petted or stroked. "Petting" is a mammal thing - birds don't "pet" each other - so your dove will be a lot more comfortable just perching on your hand or arm. In fact, grabbing it in any way may scare it and could hurt with your taming process. Eventually, your dove may allow you to pet her gently - but as with anything involving birds, if the bird doesn't like it, stop doing it.

I recommend against ever wing-clipping a dove. Unlike parrots, which can climb with their beaks (and also protect themselves with their beaks), wing-clipped doves are completely helpless and are at risk from other pets, small children, and being stepped on. You should be able to tame your dove without wing-clipping - especially the one your are getting sounds pretty tame already.


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## Unicoronet (Mar 3, 2014)

I picked up my dove from this breeder last week! She's wonderful. Her birds are incredibly tame, and the little guy I got is adjusting well. I was actually considering one of the hens for a while. x) She's very pretty!


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## MLT00 (4 mo ago)

Unicoronet said:


> I picked up my dove from this breeder last week! She's wonderful. Her birds are incredibly tame, and the little guy I got is adjusting well. I was actually considering one of the hens for a while. x) She's very pretty!


In the off chance that you see this, could you please share what breeder you use?


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