Very gun shy dog.....any ideas?

[fj40z]

Originally Posted by BG_TX

The best method I know of is park quite a distance from a gun range and take the dog for walks there frequently. Slowly progress closer and closer to the gun range over several days/weeks until you are able to be at the range with no problems.

Good idea, theres a clay target course about 15 minutes from here that would be perfect for doing that.

[Atticus]

Originally Posted by fj40z

Good idea, theres a clay target course about 15 minutes from here that would be perfect for doing that.

You need to start very, very far from there. Don't drive up to the range unless you want to completely undo all the progress you've made.

[BG_TX]

Originally Posted by Atticus

You need to start very, very far from there. Don't drive up to the range unless you want to completely undo all the progress you've made.

Very true... I don't know how far along your dog is. The good thing about this method is initially the dog will hear the noises in the background but you will be available to keep the dog at peace/protect giving the dog the needed confidence that there is no immediate danger. As you are able to work your way closer to the range, the dog will see it is other people causing the noise and they are not in danger, nor the dog nor the owner. Once you are able to calmy walk the range while others are firing, you should be able to fire your gun and the dog will understand there is no immediate danger. Then you can get out the training dummies and start having real fun...

[spressomon]

Originally Posted by fj40z

Thats awesome, how long did it take you to get to that point?

It took me about 6-weeks to get him so he wouldn't cower at feeding time. Mind you he still didn't like the retort...but at least he'd eat and sort of ignore the bang. Then it was probably 3-4 hunting trips with shooting and he was over it completely.

Now if "we're" not into birds and my buddies who might be 1/4+ away get shooting he wants to head their direction! So the retorts now mean something +++ to him!

[fj40z]

So gun shy dog has really been after this groundhog that has been terrorizing our garden this year, so much to the pont that all I have to say is "go check" and she will run up to the garden and and check to see if it is out there. Well today I sent her up there and she treed the groundhog in a peach tree. She was really going after it in the tree, so I figure this may be the perfect time to let her see something good come from a gun so I decided I would shoot it out for her. I didnt want to shoot with anything loud so I broke out the old trusty pellet gun, when she saw the gun she immediately coward away, wanting to be at the tree but also not wanting to be close to the pellet gun. I hate to say it but it took 2 shots to get the groundhog down, she was really scared until she saw the groundhog come down a bit after the first shot, then she got pumped about it, so much that she went back treeing so hard that she didnt pay the gun any attention for the second shot. I actually think she caught it before it hit the ground. Hopefully now she may associate gun with fun, we will see.

['74 UA FJ]

Good deal. I had a German Shepherd that would immediately go searching for squirrels when I brought a rifle out of the house.