Gun shy dog

[Taterman]

We took our beagle/black lab mix to an airgun range recently. Being part beagle, her nose is always to the ground searching for game and loves to run around. At the range, she clammed up with her tail between her legs and flinched at every shot. There were only 4 of us there shooting very quiet air rifles.
Anyone have a tip to get her used to the noise? I hope to one day be able to have her around shotgun blasts.
She's almost 3 years old.

https://i.imgur.com/2WlIz3V.jpg

 

[powder smoke]

Never tried this but my neighbor told me gun shy dogs need to get accustomed to
noise! He said use a couple of heavy steel pots, and while the pooch is chowing down
rap them together LOUD several times. Supposedly this helps! He had beagles and did
a lot of rabbit hunting. Good luck.
My dog Buster Chocolate lab is the opposite even fireworks get him going he thinks
it's time to get some birds. I started him hunting young he is a great upland dog
surprisingly does not care for water much! A lab! go figure, their all different. ps

 

[Gator89]

TM, I feel your pain. My 5.5 year old lab is gun shy. Runs out of the room when I snap open a new garbage bag, does not like the noise the lawnmower makes.

My lab's sire was an excellent hunter, her mother is not. My lab has most of her father's traits except that noise problem.

I boarded my dog with a "trainer" when she was a year or so old, I think that did more harm than good.

Oh well, she is a great pet.

 

[rimmer1]

Your dog is a Liberal!

 

[MADDOG 521]

Start with low and muffled sounds when they are pups. Bang things when they are eating and playing. Work up to slapping two pieces of 2x4's together and other loud noises. Eventually no loud noise will affect them at all. Usually loud noises will mean training, hunting and retrieving.

 

[Mobuck]

Both of my barn dogs are "gun shy" . Most likely this originated from some mistreatment or just lack of consideration by the original owner. Nothing I've tried has really worked on the little female(when I show up with a gun, she goes to the back of the barn) but the male has improved a little(he doesn't run completely out of sight).
I had a gun shy bird dog 50 years ago that I thought I had worked the problem out with her. I hunted quail for days taking only one shot per flush and the dog stayed on the hunt. Another guy went out with me and although I cautioned him to just shoot once, on the first covey rise, he unloaded his 12ga auto. The dog went to the house and stayed-no amount of coaxing would get her to hunt as long as I had a gun. I finally got tired of the frustration and shot her.

 

[Fox Mike]

Many many years ago I was given two beagles. I took them out into the woods a few times just to get them used to running with me then I took my 20 ga and fired a shot so they could get used to the sound. One took off running. I called and look for the rest of the day. I have never seen that dog again.

 

[Simon Short]

There is one remedy. When you make a shot, you need to give the dog a treat. Then the dog will react to the noise normally and it will have pleasant associations. But this takes time.

 

[Fox Mike]

There is one remedy. When you make a shot, you need to give the dog a treat. Then the dog will react to the noise normally and it will have pleasant associations. But this takes time.

That one dog didn't stay around long enough to pat on the head much less give a treat. :roll:

 

[vito]

The key is to start young, and with not very loud noises. Maybe using a 22 rifle with puppies nearby, followed by praise and treats. But I think some dogs are just not amenable to being around guns. Years ago I had a Golden Retriever that I tried to gently get used to guns, with absolutely no success, no matter what I did. Later I found out that the dog that sired this pup was exactly the same. Maybe its genetic. Maybe that's also why some in my family are terrified of, and hate guns.

 

[BearBio]

While in SoCal, I was chairman of the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited (The major L.A. Chapter). All summer long, we would hold meetings at Pachmayr's Gun Club in Rosemead. These would be a skeet/trap/quail walk with a BBQ held every other month. Many of us would take our pups.

First: Start in the parking lot and give the pup a treat. Just walk her around on a leash. Stay pretty far away from the shooting. Let her see a friend or a relative (in my case, my wife) and get excited. FIRST AND FOREMOST, DO NOT REACT TO HER OR THE SHOOTING! If you do, it becomes a big deal! Totally ignore the noise! Whatever you do, DO NOT PET HER AND TELL HER IT"S "OK". When you get up to the BBQ, get her a burger or hot dog to eat. A couple more won't hurt ;-). My pup Maggie (long gone now!) would get excited at thunderstorms and run down-range when we went target shooting at a friend's ranch!

BTW: We would give each kid who bought a Banquet ticket a free Hunter Safety Course, a box of shells and a free round of skeet (and provide a loaner gun, if needed)

 

[Taterman]

Thanks guys. I'll keep trying with her. We had her at a friends house yesterday who is remodeling his basement. He was using a pneumatic nail gun and she finally got used to that at least. He had some music playing somewhat loud and I thought that maybe the extra background noise made to nail gun less noticeable compared to a gun shot at a nearly empty quiet range.

 

[pete44ru]

Anyone have a tip to get her used to the noise ?

She's almost 3 years old.

IME, you're too late to be successful..........

The best results come about when they're started hearing gun shots at a very young age.

I started every dog I had over the years when they were 6-mos old puppies, escalating from an airgun, through .22RF's, to low-report CF rifles, before moving on to full-power shotguns & rifles.

However, if the noise tolerance training isn't continued regularly after the dog tolerates full-power rifles & shotguns, they will most likely lose their tolerance - becoming "gun shy". (BT, DT - NTS)


.

 

[Taterman]

Anyone have a tip to get her used to the noise ?

She's almost 3 years old.

IME, you're too late to be successful..........

The best results come about when they're started hearing gun shots at a very young age.

I started every dog I had over the years when they were 6-mos old puppies, escalating from an airgun, through .22RF's, to low-report CF rifles, before moving on to full-power shotguns & rifles.

However, if the noise tolerance training isn't continued regularly after the dog tolerates full-power rifles & shotguns, they will most likely lose their tolerance - becoming "gun shy". (BT, DT - NTS)
.

Shoot, we got her from a shelter when she was 2 and a half so no chance to start her early. I'll keep trying though.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I agree with the person that said it's probably too late. I didn't start mine when I should have and he doesn't like loud noises either. I don't really do any hunting over him so it doesn't matter, but I'd try the treats and take a gun with you but don't use the gun. Try the 2, 2X4's and start with a softer noise and work up to a louder noise over time with treats. With the 2X4 you can control the noise but you can't with the gun. Maybe try some of the quiet 22's after a while and work up.

 

[wunbe]

Bearbio knows his apples.

wunbe

 

[BearBio]

Bearbio knows his apples.

wunbe

Thank you!

 

[BearBio]

My brother trained several GSPs and he used a starter pistol and blanks while feeding the puppy.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,,

A number of years ago when I was running the trap and skeet range, we had two or three guys, trainers, who would bring a "new" dog (puppy most of the time) to the range. Our parking was arranged so one could park anywhere from about 30-40 feet behind the firing line, to 75 yards or so. They'd start by parking way back, staying in the car with the dog. At that range, with firing directed away from the animal, the "pops" weren't too bad. When the dog lost interest in them, the fellows would get the dog out of the car, still at that range. I'm sure plenty of treats were part of the deal.

Once that was ok, they'd move forward. Depending on the dog, it could take a week to two weeks most of the time to get where it would sit at the closest parking spot. A few tries later, they'd usually be able to be taken on a walk, leashed, of course, right behind the firing line. Then they were ready for more intense noise training, with some retrieving of dummies added in.

It seemed like a tedious job, but the dogs generally came out quite tolerant of gunfire, even over them.

Rick C

 

[Taterman]

Thanks Rick, great info.

 

[blume357]

Got the same problem... my working dog that rides with me everyday will start shivering if I drive up to the gate at my gun club and there is one shot.... anything with in a half a mile and he freaks.... same with fireworks... shooting and fireworks are two of my favorite things.... and so now to get to the gun club I have to leave him at home... used to could just run by between jobs and fire off a few rounds. Two years ago I took him to the East Coast Ruger gathering... he was not happy in my truck and spent the day hunkered down and shaking.....

this dog should not be the way in that he is a Catahoula which is a Louisiana swamp dog.

Good luck with that Bagle dog. Speaking of dogs, here is a blood hound puppy I met last week
(picture is not in S.C.)

 

[mishtub]

My dad got a previously gun shy dog over it by having one of us kids shoot a cap pistol way off in a different part of the house while feeding the dog. Over time we would get closer. With lots of patience and repetition it can be done.