Gun Shy Dogs-NOT

jdscholer · November 12, 2008, 10:48 PM

Hey dovehunter, now that ya got a name for your little buddy, you can start worrying about getting him adapted to gun fire. I thought we oughta start a new thread.
Ya can't be too careful, because gun-shy often lasts.....forever.
IMO you don't want to wait to long, but don't start with gunfire. Start with making loud noises from a good distance and hopefully he will show interest, not fear. If that is the case, escalate the noise, and make it coincide with something tasty or fun.
Don't rush into using actual gunshots, but when you do, make it a good distance from him and with a small gun. If at anytime during this process he seems hinky about noise, back up and get more expert advice than me. jd

wpcexpert · November 12, 2008, 11:03 PM

I was told by an old timer that his remedy for a gun shy dog was to tie it to a tree and grab a case of low brass 8's and start blasting away. He'll either get used to it or go deaf. It's no good for a hunting dog either if he's deaf or gunshy. He's either a pet or...

Never tried it. My pup used to be shy, but she must have grown out of it. She must have figured that the bangs weren't going to hurt her. I also was doing a lot of shooting inside my fenced in 1.5 acres. She could only get so far away.

But once she realized the squirrels would jump out of the trees after I shot, she love it then.

gunn308 · November 12, 2008, 11:19 PM

My last pointer and my meat dog coon hound mix were always brought to my work sites where Paslode nail guns rule and neither dog was gun shy although retrieving game is different than a hunk of wood LOL

hogdogs · November 12, 2008, 11:29 PM

My method is to park a long distance from the skeet/trap or gun range and slowly but confidently "go for a walk" with the puppy. Stopping ever so often to pet and "rest" the puppy. Before he knows it he is there. A half mile would be good if you suspect the pup may need special help.
Brent

dovehunter · November 13, 2008, 02:56 PM

Thanks jd for starting this thread!!! Jake is already retrieving balls!! He is only eight weeks old. That is a good start, I think. I need all the help I can get. I need him to waking me up three times a night to go pee and poop. Ha Ha. Thanks for your help. I guess I won't use my glock to get him started, I have a BB gun for cats I can use. Thanks

Doyle · November 13, 2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

My method is to park a long distance from the skeet/trap or gun range and slowly but confidently "go for a walk" with the puppy. Stopping ever so often to pet and "rest" the puppy. Before he knows it he is there. A half mile would be good if you suspect the pup may need special help.

+1. I've done this with two labs. Both loved to ride, so I would just idle up to the range parking lot and sit there playing with them. When they got curious and wanted to look out the window, I started rolling it down. I did this two or three times before I ever got out of the car with him. Even then, I let him walk around on the leash well away from the firing line. After he seemed totally comfortable with that, I let HIM lead me towards the firing line.

November 12, 2008, 10:48 PM	#1
jdscholer Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 1,197	Gun Shy Dogs-NOT Hey dovehunter, now that ya got a name for your little buddy, you can start worrying about getting him adapted to gun fire. I thought we oughta start a new thread. Ya can't be too careful, because gun-shy often lasts.....forever. IMO you don't want to wait to long, but don't start with gunfire. Start with making loud noises from a good distance and hopefully he will show interest, not fear. If that is the case, escalate the noise, and make it coincide with something tasty or fun. Don't rush into using actual gunshots, but when you do, make it a good distance from him and with a small gun. If at anytime during this process he seems hinky about noise, back up and get more expert advice than me. jd __________________ "We're all dummies, just in different ways." Old Okie Philosopher

November 12, 2008, 11:03 PM	#2
wpcexpert Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 791	I was told by an old timer that his remedy for a gun shy dog was to tie it to a tree and grab a case of low brass 8's and start blasting away. He'll either get used to it or go deaf. It's no good for a hunting dog either if he's deaf or gunshy. He's either a pet or... Never tried it. My pup used to be shy, but she must have grown out of it. She must have figured that the bangs weren't going to hurt her. I also was doing a lot of shooting inside my fenced in 1.5 acres. She could only get so far away. But once she realized the squirrels would jump out of the trees after I shot, she love it then. __________________ When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil. - Thomas Jefferson

November 12, 2008, 11:19 PM	#3
gunn308 Member Join Date: October 4, 2006 Location: Maine Posts: 73	My last pointer and my meat dog coon hound mix were always brought to my work sites where Paslode nail guns rule and neither dog was gun shy although retrieving game is different than a hunk of wood LOL __________________ Oats that have already gone through the horse are always cheaper than oats that haven't !

November 12, 2008, 11:29 PM	#4
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	My method is to park a long distance from the skeet/trap or gun range and slowly but confidently "go for a walk" with the puppy. Stopping ever so often to pet and "rest" the puppy. Before he knows it he is there. A half mile would be good if you suspect the pup may need special help. Brent