# Help teaching springer to hunt right



## springdal (Jul 8, 2008)

I went through the other posts and couldn't find anything that fits my situation so am hoping someone can help. I have a 3 year old Springer Spaniel that has been out with our older Springer while hunting and just has never caught on to what to do. She thinks it is all fun and games. She is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks, and last time she was out she was a bit nervous at the gunshot, but didn't run or over react. However, she isn't afraid of anything else. Where do I start with getting her used to gunshot as well as actually looking for birds? I have a wing and am trying to get her to be excited over it before adding any noises. My husband doesn't believe she will ever hunt because our older dog (too old to get out anymore) was a natural and she isn't. Help!  Please!  She is a good dog and I want her to win her dad over and prove him wrong...it's just her mom doesn't know where to actually start.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

look at the stickies above, "preventing and curing gunshyness"


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## Gordon Guy (Jul 23, 2007)

You need to get the dog on birds. It sounds like he doesn't know what to do so you need to provide birds for him. Pigeons will be best this time of year. Pull the primaries from *one *wing, hold the dog (put dog on check cord) and let the pigeon go. No other dog around. Make sure you are far from any busy street or in an enclosed area. After a few seconds release the dog and let the dog get the pigeon. Don't be pulling on the cord, let him have a good time chasing the bird around, be quiet! If he catches the bird and starts carring it, get a hold of the check cord and gently pull dog to you. Don't take the bird from him right away. Pet him, call him a good dog and after 10 or 15 seconds gently take the bird from him. Do this just once a training session. Dogs get bored and start exhibiting bad habits. Especially with retreiving. Always stop on a positive note. If the dog does it right one time *stop*. If he has the desire he'll go after the bird. After a couple times (Training sessions) of that, put some pinioned pigeons in a small field and take dog for a walk on a checkcord or leash. Lead him into the birds, let him find a pigeon and shoot off a toy cap pistol 50 or more yards away while he's chasing it. Have a helper do it while you can encourage the dog. You should not be talking at all, let dog play. Limit commands to those that can be enforced. Don't shoot at any other time. do this 2 or 3 times/sessions. (one session every 2 or 3 days) Soon he'll be expecting to find birds in the field everytime out and you will see a big difference on your dog. You will not need to lead him into the birds anymore he'll know what he's there for and will search all by himself. But keep a short cord 10' or so on him. If you notice your dog looking around at the sound of the pistol if may still be okay, at the shot if he stops what he's doing and acts scared then you may have a bigger problen and do what Bobm suggested. I've seen pups react to gun noise by looking around at the shot. It doesn't mean that they are gun shy, and it doesn't mean that they aren't either. If the dog runs scared then stop and do not shoot around them anymore. And for Gods sake never take your dog to a skeet/trap/shooting range or just shoot to see if it's gun shy. It may not exhibit shyness this time but the next time it will run scared. The gun should ALWAYS mean birds. Always introduce the gun while dog/pup is after a bird.

Now when dog expects to find some birds and he's not afraid of the shot you should start graduating up to shotguns and shooting closer every time out. Once you can shoot a gun close to him while he's chasing a bird, dizzy a pigeon that hasn't had it's feathers pulled and let the dog flush it, if he catches it that's okay too but if he doesn't and it takes off, shoot the bird for him. Now you'll have yourself a hunting dog. You can fine tune the retreiving and range later but the basics are now there.

Remember if the dog exiihibits more than a passing glance at the shot stop this process. I've never had a gun shy dog so I cannot help out with that process.

Thee are many ways to train a dog but this is how I would do it.


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

springdal said:


> I went through the other posts and couldn't find anything that fits my situation so am hoping someone can help. I have a 3 year old Springer Spaniel that has been out with our older Springer while hunting and just has never caught on to what to do. She thinks it is all fun and games. She is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks, and last time she was out she was a bit nervous at the gunshot, but didn't run or over react. However, she isn't afraid of anything else. Where do I start with getting her used to gunshot as well as actually looking for birds? I have a wing and am trying to get her to be excited over it before adding any noises. My husband doesn't believe she will ever hunt because our older dog (too old to get out anymore) was a natural and she isn't. Help!  Please!  She is a good dog and I want her to win her dad over and prove him wrong...it's just her mom doesn't know where to actually start.


What bloodlines is your dog from? As you probably know there are field-bred Springers and Show-bred Springers.......Huge difference between the two. I'm not sue what you mean when you say she thinks it is all fun and games.... I've yet to see a Springer from 100% field lines that wasn't bird crazy and a hunting machine.....

The sensitivity to loud noises is a separate issue from showing no interest in hunting. It's not uncommon for dogs to be sensitive to thunderstorms but to show no reaction to gunfire.... I have an old dog who hates thunderstorms, but is rearing to go when I put my shotgun in the truck. To us, the two noises seem similar, but evidently to a dog they are quite different.


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