need help w/ gun shy dogs

[MOhillbilly]

i know theres some gundog hunters on the BB. i have a 15 month Walker hound whos scared to death of guns, get in the doghouse and not come out for nothin scared. hes a good dog and a nice prospect but he isnt gonna do me any good if he runs everytime he sees a rifle. any suggestions or tricks on how to curb his phobia?

[beach tribe]

Old Yeller. J/K

[seclark]

15 months is kind of old to get him over this, isn't it?
sec

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

ANTI-FREEZE

[MOhillbilly]

15 months is kind of old to get him over this, isn't it?
sec
i figure a dog aint nothing but a dog and can be conditioned accordingly. dont wanna ruin him in the process though. and i dont like to start dogs till there head is right.

[MOhillbilly]

Old Yeller. J/K

when i first got this dog he got spider bit, he layed around and all the fluid drained from him couldnt keep nothin down. took me four days to get him whered hed stand on his feet and another 3 where hed eat on his own. hes a dumb bastard but my pitbull enjoys him so i keep him around.

[catfish307]

Give him a reason to be scared. Shoot him in the Ass.

[Chest Rockwell]

i figure a dog aint nothing but a dog and can be conditioned accordingly. dont wanna ruin him in the process though. and i dont like to start dogs till there head is right.

I've got mixed ideas about this one. I personally think you're right, it can be trained out, but my Grandad bred coon dogs, and dad bred bird dogs and both of them didn't believe you could fix a gunshy dog.

My two cents would be try taking him out with a tie-out some treats (and a clicker if you believe in clicker-training) and just work with him. Give him plenty of space at first, fire one off, then call him over and give him a treat. Maybe gradually shorten up the tie-out length and work it so you're giving him a treat before a shot and after if he comes over by himself, then eventually only rewarding if he stays put. I'd say it may take some time, but that's the only way I can think of that might work.

Course, now that I think about that, that may just train him to come to you every time you shoot, which would be about as bad...

[Mr. Laz]

sounds like a smart dog

[blueballs]

ear plugs

[MOhillbilly]

sounds like a smart dog

he is smart. smarter than i give him credit most times.

[Demonpenz]

So did you get the sattlite dish installed?

[MOhillbilly]

So did you get the sattlite dish installed?
no, i dont really like tv.

[Fire Me Boy!]

So did you get the sattlite dish installed?

ROFL ROFL ROFL

[Chiefnj2]

Follow this link: http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/Gun-Shy-Dogs-Page1.htm



Or, when you feed him his dinner walk off to a distance where if you shoot a few rounds off the dog will look up, but not become frightened and still finish his meal. Decrease the distance a bit every day until the dog is used to it.

[MOhillbilly]

ROFL ROFL ROFL


three emotocons seems a strech.

[Simply Red]

Take the belt off MO. That'll teach him.

Look, it taught me.

[jidar]

Well at least yours is still alive. Mine keep dying when I shoot them.

[StcChief]

Follow this link: http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/Gun-Shy-Dogs-Page1.htm



Or, when you feed him his dinner walk off to a distance where if you shoot a few rounds off the dog will look up, but not become frightened and still finish his meal. Decrease the distance a bit every day until the dog is used to it.Good advise, seems like it would work.

[Duck Dog]

One method I have seen and used is to:

We used a swing set. We tethered two good dogs on each side of it and tethered the gun shy dog between them. Then we used a starter pistol (so it's not too loud) and threw live pigeons. We started about 30 yards from the dogs and continued to get closer to them. The two good dogs are to help the gun shy dog gain his confidence. Eventually we were able to to stand next to him and fire blanks through a shotgun.

When my dogs are pups I always make loud noises while they are eating. Banging pots and pans, etc. After about day two or three they don't even look at me while they are eating.

[HypnotizedMonkey]

I had a boss that said his father took him hunting when he was a kid and one of their dogs was afraid of the gunfire and hid under the car, so the old man shot it. It explains why my boss was such an a-hole. lol As for advice I can't offer any! good luck! :)

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

You could take a picture of your rifle and tape to the inside of his dog house or to his food bowl so he would get used to seeing it.

[MOhillbilly]

One method I have seen and used is to:

We used a swing set. We tethered two good dogs on each side of it and tethered the gun shy dog between them. Then we used a starter pistol (so it's not too loud) and threw live pigeons. We started about 30 yards from the dogs and continued to get closer to them. The two good dogs are to help the gun shy dog gain his confidence. Eventually we were able to to stand next to him and fire blanks through a shotgun.

When my dogs are pups I always make loud noises while they are eating. Banging pots and pans, etc. After about day two or three they don't even look at me while they are eating.

its abit diffrent for hounds but your swing set gitup gave me an idea,

i can use a caged coon blacked out and hook the hound and the bulldog up to my flying jenny and just let the rifle make an apperance and build from there.

[MOhillbilly]

You could take a picture of your rifle and tape to the inside of his dog house or to his food bowl so he would get used to seeing it.

dogs cant see in 2D.DUH!:spock: take a piece of paper and hold it infornt of a dogs face and it will **** its brain. ive read about dog handlers who swear by this method to stop an attacking dog.

[biggunns]

I have been around coonhounds and rabbit hounds my whole life, once gun shy a dog will always be gunshy. In the future when you have a pup start banging their pans togther to get them used to loud noises.:bang:

[BigOlChiefsfan]

Get a cap gun/starter pistol and a lawn chair & carry them with when you feed him. When he's eating, shoot in the air. He'll run off, but he'll come back and eat, sooner or later. You just sit and wait him out, pet him when he eats, pet him and praise him if he doesn't run. Do this until he quits even jumping when you shoot. You can cut out the pistol and carry a .22 rifle that can shoot .22 short, shoot one of those into a box filled with old phone books. When that won't bother him, he'll hunt. I know a bird hunter who starts all his puppies eating with a cap gun. Seems to work well for him.

[MOhillbilly]

I have been around coonhounds and rabbit hounds my whole life, once gun shy a dog will always be gunshy. In the future when you have a pup start banging their pans togther to get them used to loud noises.:bang:


aint my first day in the canine world bro. this just came about suddenly.