If you will be training your bird outside of the cage, be sure to get it used to being taken outside or in a basket for at least 5 to 10 minutes every day. This will lessen the stress and panic it will feel about being transited outside of its comfort zone. Be consistent with your commands. Don't let it get confused because of your inconsistency. How To Train Racing Pigeons Pigeons have an uncanny homing instinct. In fact, they were used as mail carriers as far back as 5000 years ago. In the early 1800's, a sport has been developed using these magnificent creatures as racing animals. The pigeon's disposition to fly home even after long flights has made the sport a favorite hobby among pigeon lovers. Any racing pigeon fancier must be ready to invest a huge amount of attention to the pigeons as well as understand that time and money are involved. And certainly a great deal of passion will tremendously affect your success in raising and turning your special pigeons to real winners. There are basically three types of breeding methods that you can adopt to make sure that you get the best possible pedigree for a racing pigeon: cross-breeding, line-breeding, and in-breeding. Psychology (attitude and competitiveness). The best fanciers also realize that the race basket is the best determinant of a pigeon's racing qualities. It's more recommended to have pigeons with soft feathers. The pigeons should not be too big as well. You see, big ones are not good on balance. One reliable way to detect a good racing pigeon is when it leans forward while being handled. Buy pigeons from a friend or a reputable source It is always easier to trust someone whom you already know. If you have a friend who's also a racing pigeon fancier, then that's good for you. He can walk you through the ropes of finding and buying pigeons of the highest quality, but are not that expensive. It's a good start to keep the loft in a slightly elevated position. Placing the loft on a pair of stacked cinder blocks can definitely do the job. As for the height of elevation, 18"-25" off the ground should be good enough. This set-up allows air to circulate under the loft to keep it dry.