[Scorch]

It's pretty hard to get them de-sensitized to guns and gunshots. I had a rescue Weimaraner that someone had shot with a shotgun, you could feel the pellets under her skin on the right side of her ribs. She was scared of anything you pointed at her, including guns, cameras, fingers, etc, and any loud noises would have her hiding in the basement (4th of July was no fun, believe me). But she was birdy as heck, so we would get her out to chase cripples and find lost birds after hunters had gone through a field, and she would find and retrieve birds just fine as long as she didn't hear any shooting. I took some birds one time and laid them on my vest with my shotgun to take a picture, and she came over and laid down right next to the birds and stayed there. She kept giving the shotgun a funny look, but she was just too birdy to leave the birds. I worked her in the field without shooting over her, and she did great. Started walking with a 20 ga and letting her work, then eventually transitioned into shooting a bird when she was on point and letting her get it, then walking back to the car. As long as she was in the birds, the shot didn't seem to bother her. By the time she was 12, she was deaf as a doornail, so she would hunt just fine. So, in summation, yes, it can be done, but it takes time. Lots of time. And trust.