Gun Shy.....

[duckshot]

I need some help. I took my lab out on a dove shoot Saturday and that was the first time that he had been around shooting since he was 4 months old. He is currently 11 months. He did not like the shooting at all. I have been working with him a lot on marking and retrieving, but I have failed to have him around the guns. I thought of buying a dummy launcher and trying to loosen him up a little with that. Any other suggestions?

[Candor]

Take him out to a field and have a buddy shooting at the other end…a long way off (several hundred yards). Do something distracting and fun for your dog…like throwing a bumper. Keep it fun and relaxed. Periodically play with him but work your way gradually closer to your buddy’s shooting. If he starts to get nervous or up tight stop and walk back away…and try again another day. Slow and easy. You already have reason to believe you are going to have a problem. Do not rush this. Far better to take a month getting through this than complicate things further.

If he doesn’t show any anxiety whatsoever work your way all the way up to your buddy.

If you do have to re-boot and try again another day…try it the second time with your buddy shooting a .22 or something a bit quieter than a scattergun.


Here is another reasonable method:

http://www.coonriverkennels.com/Tips...%20Details.htm

[curlybackdogs]

[img]graemlins/iagree.gif[/img]

[gundogguru]

I have found that a 410 works better than a .22. The 410 blast is not as sharp of a crack as the .22. Just my 2 cents. As Candor said go very very slow and you can get thru this. good luck.I start all my puppys around gun fire as young as I can.

[deadriver]

Candor has the genereal approach tha I would take. Braking gun shy dogs is the only trainign I have ever done for money, and I have never seen a dog that could not be broke of it, though many are not worth the effort it takes. Here is my take:

You need to understand a little psychology about "associations" to help you solve the problem. TRY to build a positive assocition in a passive war about the gun and the whole thing may work itself out.

Get a blank pistol with light .22 rounds, order a cheap one if you need to, you can use it on every dog that you raise. Have a helper fire and throw dummies at about 50 yards for your dog. Have the helper fire on about every third throw. This will probably work because of the distance and the assumption that your dos loves to retireve. As he shows no negative respnse to a throw with a shot, then slowly move closer to the gun each session. Stay at whaterver distance you start at with that session, to avoid him figuring out you are moving him towards the gun. Hopefully after about two weeks, you are next to the thrower and the gun. Then, get the dummy launcher, which is loud, and start the process again till you are running the launcher. By then, the dogs intensity should be visibly heightened by the noise, since the dog now associates a retrieve with the gun. Then train with you lancher and have a good time.

If the process does not work because he is so screwed up that even distancing the gun does not help. You will have to build a "forced association" through more direct methods. I will not start the argument of that here. If this is the case, PM me. I have broken a gun shy dog that a hall of fame bird dog trainer had given up on. It was not worth the time, but it can always be done if you really want it.

Assuming the easy way works, get in the habit of firing a blank every time you feed the dog. My dad always had us do that since I was a boy, and I have never raised a gun shy dog. Pointers tend to be gun shy dependin on the breeding, but if you raise a pup always hearing the dinner bell go bang, they will never be gun shy when grown. Just food for thought and the future, won't help you now. Good luck

[Fish]

Originally posted by duckshot:
He did not like the shooting at all.

You don't say! [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] This is typical with todays labs. They want everything handed to them. And training...it takes so much time...its absurd! If I were you I would give the breeder a call and tell him a thing or two!

Originally posted by duckshot:
...but I have failed to have him around the guns.

Training Shmaining! The way I see it, dogs should be self taught by 11 months.

Originally posted by duckshot:
Any other suggestions?

Take him to the pound and drop him off. He'll be better off and you won't have to spend another minute worrying or not worrying in this case about training your dog. You're killin me over here! [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

Sorry all...I couldn't resist this one.

[deadriver]

[img]graemlins/lol.gif[/img]

[WoodieSC]

You've gotten some excellent advice above. Follow it.

One other thing... don't do such a dumbass thing like that again until/unless your dog is hell bent on retrieving and is used to multiple guns going off or all he'll be good for is a couch cushion. Use some smarts, OK?

[duckshot]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[kneedeep]

don't worry my lab is 11 months old and I shot from a distance around him,, when he was younger and he didn't flinch. But i took him out this weekend, had him with me in a "mock" blind and threw the dummy. i cracked off my 20ga, and he freaked, he marked until the shot was fired and once i calmed him, he had no clue. I really need him to connect the shot and the retrieve. He is young, but in the swamp with 3 or4 guns, it will not be pretty. I need advice on this or he gets to sit most of this year out.

better yet if yall know someone that could help me with it that would be great to, this is my first "working" dog in a long time and he was partially trained by a fellow in campobello. we picked him up in may and i have not worked him like I should have.

[Fish]

This is pathetic guys. Let me make this point one more time and this time I won't disquise it with humor.

YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOUR DOG.

Have you ever watched football? Usually (with the possible exception of the Gamecocks) the coach has some degree of confidence that his players know the plays before he sends them on the field. It takes time and repitition to get the players to learn the plays...even at the college level. It would only make sense then that time and repitition is required for your dog to understand what is expected of him. In your mind there should be no difference between the football field and the blind.

Contrary to popular opinion, dogs don't train themselves. If you don't train him it won't happen unless you send him to a professional, and YOU probably should. Dogs need 15 minutes of your time everyday. If you can't swing that you should revisit your decision to have the dog. You are responsible for this shortcoming... NOT THE DOG!

[Sasha and Abby]

Yall are being sucked in... these two are posers... no one is this stupid.

[Fish]

Sushi, on second thought, you've got to be right.

[Fatfish]

FW, I do believe CJ has your ass brainwashed [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Fish]

That and I can't seem to shut my friggin mouth...

[daytripper]

Ditto to all of the above. Would you take a toddler out and shoot your shotgun right beside him. No!
You can't do that with a young dog either. Committ to working with your dog or make it a pet. It's not fair to the dog to be put in this situation. Find a trainer or decide to live up to your end of the deal.

DT

[mirroman]

The 15 min a day is HUGE!!!!!
I just agreed with FW.... [img]graemlins/help.gif[/img]
He must be growing up some. hehe
Spend time, spend time, spend time!!!! If you don't have the time then you will have a good lookin yard dog...

[duckandbuckhunter]

i have always started with associating the gun w/ good times. carry a gun when you go to feed. take the gun along when you take you friend on a truck ride. i usually just have the gun leaning against the truck, tree, or where ever. start working the action as the dog begins to eat. stop the minute he gets uncomfortable. it is easier to take it slow than create a problem. when he doesn't seem to pay the noise of the action much attention, wander off a bit an shoot away in a safe direction. start throwing "fun" bumpers with a shot fired by you or a buddy at the end of a training session. just get him to notice the gun means fun! if it doesn't work out, i have had some great Loveadors that didn't hunt much. good luck and good hunting.