Guns and Dogs

[ozarkgunner]

I have a beagel/blue healer mix, that is about a year old. I target practice with one of my 22's in the back yard. she is usually out there while my son and I are practicing. nShe doesn't seem bothered by the shots. she really doesn't even seem fazed by it. She make no reaction to any of my guns. I want to take her hunting as I think she would be agood bird dog. she catches birds all the time in the yard.

 

[D Boone]

WRS840, Thats a noble stance on your dog vs. the neighbors chickens. I'm really impressed by your respect for you neighbors property. I have chickens and dogs, have had dogs kill my chickens, and really hope your dog doesn't go back over there. Most people would have taken a much different stance.

Anyway, I have a Maltese that would sit in the stand with me, do anything with me and the guns/noise doesn't phase him. My friend has a pit bull that whines and shakes if he sees any type of gun.

 

[moooose102]

just expose your new pup to guns, both handleing and fireing as soon as possible. the best way is when they are playing. have a freind play ball with the dog while you have the gun. make sure the pup notices the gun, sniffs it, etc. the first few times you shoot, the pup should be in the middle of chasing the ball, so when the gun goes off, it is just a noise. nothing to be scared of. the dog will get used to it being a part of its enviroment, and not care one way or another about them. way better to do it right the first time, than try to unlearn later! actually, expose you pup to as many things as humanly possible, as soon as you can. purposly take him/her places to experience as many people/places/things as possible. correct him/her immediatly if the behavior is not appropriate. a well rounded dog is a joy to be around, one that goes off (nuts) at different things are a real PITA! and you DO NOT want a dog that size going nuts over anything!

 

[preachnhunt]

I train dozens of dogs for people a year and have dealt with this problem a lot. Here's what works for me.
Have a friend go with you to a place where you have room to shoot. You hold your dog on a leash at a considerable distance (30-50yds) and have the friend shoot a .22.

Watch the dog's reaction. If it ignores the shot praise it. If it freaks out, back further away from the friend. Keep Shooting and getting closer to one another to gradually de-sensitize the dog.
DO NOT pet or praise the dog if it is acting scared. You will not comfort it ,but rather will be reinforcing the undesired behavior. You need to be solid and relaxed.
After the dog and you get up close to the shooting and the dog is calm back up again and go to a shotgun. If you are patient you can completely cure virtually any dog of gun shyness.

 

[Ryder]

Never had a dog afraid of guns. I've owned several dogs and the only time one ever ran in fear from the sight of a gun was the one I had to put down. I'd left her in the care of others while in the military and they neglected heartworm medicine. I wasn't pointing the pistol at her when I called her to me, but she knew

 

[thebigc]

one dog i havent shot around but i think she honsestly might be partialy deaf or to stupid to know whats going on and i know she wouldent run off because the things never more than 20ft from someone it knows even off leash.

the collie i took when she was a pup and she used to try to attack the ground where it kicked up with birdshot when we did a test to see what she would do last time she ran away for a sec when i started shooting but when she figured out i wasent shooting at her she got enthused with hunting them down if you point an airsoft or something at her she runs though dosent care as long as the gun isint at her.

 

[DeepSouth]

Start small...22 shorts or CB's. Fire a shot, give em a bite and some petting (repeat)

Associate the guns and/or the BANG! with something they enjoy....food, petting, play...whatever.

That is what I have been told. When the dog is still a puppy start shooting a 22 at a distance while he is eating, getting closer over the course of several days. Then move to a louder gun, again, starting far away and slowly getting closer.

 

[ArmedBear]

I shot blanks over our latest dog from the time when he was a little puppy -- while playing with him, mainly, but any time there was a positive association.

He associates guns with good times. This was essential, since he's a versatile hunting dog, but it ought to work with just about any dog.

OTOH some dogs are freaked out by certain things, through no fault of yours. One reason a dog might not like the AK is the sound it makes when you close the bolt. Remember: they hear a lot more than we do, and a lot better than we do.

 

[nitetrane98]

I have a 2 yo german shepherd dog that I've had around gunfire since he was a pup. His big deal is to try and catch the cases as they fly out. A buddy mentioned that he had heard prick eared dogs' hearing could be hurt. I didn't think so but after a particularly long session with all the heavy stuff he was indeed temporarily deaf. Fortunately it was temporary but I don't think his hearing was as good as it once was. Anything more than .22 rifle and he's tethered back away from the shooting area now.

When I'm cleaning or just fiddling with my guns he's interested but really keys on the action/slide closing. When he hears that, he thinks a casing is about to fly.

 

[rogertc1]

There is hearing protection for Dogs you know..they are much like us.

http://www.safeandsoundpets.com/index.html

 

[jsg]

"I train dozens of dogs for people a year and have dealt with this problem a lot. Here's what works for me.
Have a friend go with you to a place where you have room to shoot. You hold your dog on a leash at a considerable distance (30-50yds) and have the friend shoot a .22.

Watch the dog's reaction. If it ignores the shot praise it. If it freaks out, back further away from the friend. Keep Shooting and getting closer to one another to gradually de-sensitize the dog.
DO NOT pet or praise the dog if it is acting scared. You will not comfort it ,but rather will be reinforcing the undesired behavior. You need to be solid and relaxed.
After the dog and you get up close to the shooting and the dog is calm back up again and go to a shotgun. If you are patient you can completely cure virtually any dog of gun shyness. "

I have trained bird dogs for a long time. This guy is dead on. I will take my dogs to the field behind the rifle range parking lot(up to 100 yards back) and play ball with them as I work them closer to the firing line. Once they get used to this, I am usually ready for some bird work anyway and introduce the cap gun with the birds. Once they are into the birds, they associate the noise with a great thing -> birds. At this point all is good unless someone does something really stupid.

 

[wrs840]

Most people would have taken a much different stance.

My dog was in the wrong, on someone else's property, killing someone else's property. Luckily for the dog, he got a second chance and learned a lasting lesson. I will admit that the neighbor seemed surprised by my take on the situation.

Les

 

[average_shooter]

I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately, actually.

My last dog was a boxer/lab mix and wasn't exposed to guns and gunfire until pretty late and thus didn't really care for them at all. Generally, hearing gunfire, even if he was in the house, would make him start shaking and he'd be nervous. Other than that he was an awesome family dog and we had 14 great years. Sadly, he's passed on now, but his predecessor is doing as awesome job of filling his shoes.

The new one is a purebred yellow lab. I got her at about 13 weeks old and I think the previous owner (I got her from a local shelter) had worked with her before he had to give her up for unknown reasons. But it's funny because when we're at the cabin, any time she sees a shotgun come out, she runs to the treeline waiting for someone to drop a squirrel or bird for her. At home, any time she sees me put a pistol under my shirt and grab my keys she's ready to go for a ride, because she knows that means I'm going somewhere.

On the other hand, she totally freaked out the first time she heard me play my guitar and fiddle. She didn't know what to make of something making noise like that. Now she's learned it's nothing harmful and tolerates my practicing, but it was funny watching her trying to figure out how those instruments worked.

 

[Toml]

Get 'em steadied up while you're training. Drop a metal trash can lid on concrete floor. Repeat until ignored. Go on your way.

 

[BULLSI]

If gunshots does damage to your ears wont it do damage to a dogs that are more sensitive.

 

[spartywrx]

I found out the hard way that my golden retriever likes to eat fireworks as they are going off. I think it's a game to her "try to bite the hot sparking exposive."

I took her out when I was shooting my .22 once. Not making that mistake again. She went crazy and tried to eat the clay targets I was shooting.

I think my dog is either fearless or retarded.

 

[cfendley]

Get a lab and you wont likely have any problem, this guy is only 8 months old and has already been dove and goose hunting. He cant retrieve a Canada yet but ran this cripple down and tackled it until I could get there to assist.



Lab's arent likely to be gun shy but it never hurts to start any pup that will hunt or be around guns early. Since about 8 weeks old I snap a cap pistol before I give them a treat, then started with blank pistol even when playing fetch as a little pup. Now when he hears a gun shot or even sees a gun he gets all excited ready to go have some fun.

 

[Hold My Own]

Thanks for all the information, guys. I've been looking into it, and I'm gonna get my dog as a puppy so I can get her used to being around a weapon.

 

[FROGO207]

Have a border collie and he's good around guns. Smart enough to compete in a bulseye match but still not car savvy at 7 years old.:banghead:

 

[cfendley]

Thanks for all the information, guys. I've been looking into it, and I'm gonna get my dog as a puppy so I can get her used to being around a weapon.

Start her with a toy cap pistol and then a little treat. They will soon associate the bang with something good. My dogs hear a gun shot and come a runnin.

 

[X-Rap]

I think my dog is either fearless or retarded.
__________________

I know mine is the later.

 

[Fremmer]

At least you guys don't have to worry about crazy boxer dogs. I'm most worried that they will eat my guns.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Hey, you want a German shorthair pointer....

dumbest thing on 4 legs! lol get a rifle or shotgun out and he is ready, buddy...starts yappin' and running around...little stub just a wiggling!

worse yet, start a 4-wheeler(ATV) and now your really in for a show!

He's ready to hunt 24/7, not afraid on ANY gun shot...but you just let it thunder and he will kill himself trying to get into the house and hide...scared to death of thunder, but not gun shots, fire works, torch poppin'....hell, it aint even got to thunder, just get cloudy or start raining and he'll go ballistic! And not good ballistic either!

 

[rogertc1]

Lots of dogs hate thunder...I'll take him.

 

[Taniwha]

I had a Lab/Weimraner and boy, if you even pulled out a TOY gun, or held the BROOM funny, she went off-her-head NUTS!! Jumping and yipping, Pointing and Barking, Tail going a dozen to one. She was m-a-d MAD. If she thought there was even a chance of going hunting she was all over rearing to go. She Loved it almost as much as us boys did.