Is your hunting dog gun shy? There are a series of steps to take in training your dog to overcome gun shyness, and successful hunting dog breeders have actually bred gun shyness out of gun dogs, according to professionals who claim that selective breeding and culling has helped in providing dogs who do not flinch at the sound of gunfire.
While some dogs just aren’t meant to be hunting dogs — those that are born afraid of their own shadows and tremble at loud noises and cannot be trained out of their fear — others that have a rough start still have great potential as hunting dogs.
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Here are 17 tips you can use in training gun-shy gun dogs:
1. Always gradually introduce your dog to loud noises, and have treats nearby to reward him after he reacts to loud noises in a positive way,
says SportDOG Brand.
2. Never fire your weapon around the dog just to see if they are gun shy, that includes taking them to a shooting range.
3. Don’t take the dog hunting until it has been introduced to gunfire. Take him with an older dog for on-the-job training prior to being introduced to gunfire.
4. Don’t expose your dog to fireworks.
5. Don’t fire your gun next to him while he is eating.
6. Do keep him inside during thunderstorms.
7. Start training by introducing your pup to noise from the moment they get into the house.
8. Expose your pup to the laundry room where they hear machines going, doors slamming, etc.
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9. Play a radio. This surrounds your pup with sound.
10. Make noise around the pup, such as clapping your hands, banging food bowls, slamming doors.
11. Have guns around when you feed; let the dog see them. The gun needs to become a normal part of the dog’s world,
according to Willow Creek Kennels.
12. One the pup is a bit older, introduce birds by seeding a field with game birds (quail, pigeons) and let the dog find them – carry a gun when you do this so the dog can see you with your gun.
13. When your puppy has discovered flushing the birds is fun, add gunfire. This helps him associate chasing birds with gunfire.
14. You can start with a .22 pistol with blanks, which have a low volume. Plant your birds, and when the dog finds his first bird and it’s in the air, fire a shot.
15. How did he react to the noise? If he keeps running after the bird, great. If he stops and looks at you, flush the next bird without gunfire.
16. If he has no reaction to the gunfire, keep going flushing birds with gunfire. With success, move on to louder firearms, approaching each lesson the same way, moving closer to the dog in each lesson so he gets used to the sound close by.
17. Most importantly, take your time,
says Gun Dog Supply.
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