# Is it to late is she scared for life?



## The goose charmer (Aug 25, 2007)

My ten month female black lab has been the most remarkable dog that I have ever seen. I trained only one dog in the past and she was no prise but did a very nice job. But now my new lab after learning to do everything I have attempted to teach her and even jumped severall pheasants while on our walks out in the fields. I shot my 22 and 20 ga arounder her all summer and she never cared a bit. But on the first dove hunt she was watching a single dove fly by and a friend of mine took three shots missed and she has hated guns ever since even though we were about 15 yards away from him.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

You have to look at things from a dog's perspective. There she is sitting there quietly, concentrating on a hot incoming bird. You never move or raise your gun and suddenly three loud shots ring out alongside of her and no bird falls. Probably scared the tar out of her. Think how you'd feel if you were staring at a bird, had no idea someone was going to shoot, and all of a sudden three deafening shots ring out alongside of you with no rhyme or reason. I know I'd jump about three feet straight up.

OK, now you kind of have to start all over and make sure the shot is associated with a reward ( a bird, always). Are you saying she's gunshy now or just doesn't like the sight of a gun? The cure is different for each. Thing is to start at a distance (75 yards) with a blank pistol held behind a helpers back. Have him yell HEY HEY, throw a clippie, and fire the blank FROM BEHIND HIS BACK. Immediately send pup for the bird. If no problem, next time fire with the gun in front of him. If no problem there, fire three shots with the bird in the air.

If everything goes well, shorten the distance progressively until you are the one shooting and throwing the bird. If at any time the dog begins to flinch, or the ears go back, back up one step. When she is good with a pistol, switch to a shotgun and do the whole sequence over again.

Now if it's the sight of a gun she doesn't like, the program is a little different and a little easier. All you have to dog is associate the sight of a gun with all pleasant experiences. Let us know which it is.


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## The goose charmer (Aug 25, 2007)

Im pretty sure it is just the sight of the gun. She actually watches hunting shows with me and the shooting does not bother her because she cant see the gun. SHe is addicted to fetch and I have brought the gun out and when it is tied to my back she doesnt notice it but if i hold it she just waits by the door and wont do anything.

The first part of her life she never went past touching distance in water untill she saw my other lab swim. now she gets about fifteen feet of air off of the end of the city dock. only now im about 330 miles from my other dog while im away at school.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

Then your problem is easier. Never give her a retireve without holding the gun. Excite her with it. Say "Hey, Hey, Hey," waving the gun around excitedly and throw a clip wing for her. Want to take her for a walk? Excitedly show her the gun then leash her and take her for a walk. you get the picture. All positive and fun experiences. It won't take long and it's not serious.


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Great advice by GH...good luck!

Mike


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## The goose charmer (Aug 25, 2007)

Thanks for the advice guys hopefully we can break her of this. If no oh well I made a best friend out of the deal!!! Plus she has some really cool tricks that I have never seen a dog do.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

The goose charmer said:


> Im pretty sure it is just the sight of the gun. *She actually watches hunting shows with me and the shooting does not bother her because she cant see the gun.* SHe is addicted to fetch and I have brought the gun out and when it is tied to my back she doesnt notice it but if i hold it she just waits by the door and wont do anything.
> 
> The first part of her life she never went past touching distance in water untill she saw my other lab swim. now she gets about fifteen feet of air off of the end of the city dock. only now im about 330 miles from my other dog while im away at school.


If by that you mean on film thats meaningless to this discussion.

You need to back up your training and do not take the dog hunting with anyone else you hunt this year by yourself, the fact that she is addicted to retrieveing is going to help a lot, thats what you need to use.

but before we get to the cure I would suggest you do as I do.

*I never shoot around any of my dogs, even the 11 year old hunted a million times ones, unless there are birds in the equation.

loud noise without an assocaition to game will scare many dogs. Consider how much better their hearing is than ours and the fact they dont wear ear plugs. *

the solution...

Bring her out WITHOUT A GUN and get her enthusiatic about retrieveing dummies once again, when she is happy again usaully after 4-5 short training sessions

Then, 
start to intro the gun a 22 rifle not hand gun with mild blanks.

in this process you will want her to break so encourage her
to break and chase for now( thats easy to fix later you have a bigger problem)

Now you will want to start by throwing the dummy in a high arc so she will be right on top of it when it hits the ground

time the shot right before it hits the ground when shes really focused on the dummy.

If shes not right on top of it dont shoot. What you are doing here is useing her reved up prey drive chasing the dummy to get her to ignore the light .22 blank report.

do this for a few sessions and gradually bring the timeing of the shot closer to the release of your toss, do it slowly over a week at least, move slowly at this part of the process so the dog is really focused on the dummy. You do this by shooting when the dummy is 3/4s of the way for three days then if that goes well 1/2 way thru the arc then eventually you will be able to fire the gun at the release.

if she shows any fear bring the timeing of the shot back to right before the dummy hits the ground.

You would be a fool to hunt this dog with anyone but you shooting until she understands the relationship between the shot and a bird fall.

Do not bring her with a bunch of your friends opening day, or any other time this year. You will have many years to hunt with your buddies after you fix this.

*If she was mine I would be the ONLY person hunting over her this fall. *

This is important Make your first shot count( practice your shooting skills without the dog around) when you do take her hunting.

ANY shortcuts and you risk a permanently gun shy dog, I have a lot of experience fooling with gun shy dogs.

the bottom line is never ever shoot around this dog unless its prey drive is way up and its about to scoop up a retrieve or a bird has just flushed.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Heres another method that you can use if you have access to birds

Forget the pot banging, shooting while they are eating, bringing them to trap ranges ect. All those methods will work with some dogs and ruin some others and the trouble is no one can ever predict the results.

Never ever ever shoot a gun around any dog especially a pup unless the pup is intent on a bird after having a lot of exposure to birds. You ever stop to think how loud a gunshot is in a gravel pit??

SO on with the bird method
Now you need to start over

1) put the gun away, then work the dog for a while on birds, get her birdy really talk her up after the flush with no gun shots, just work her on birds until she really shows she knows whats a bird is and is really birdy with great excitement. If she chases flushed birds thats good let her, in fact encourage it, let her know that finding and chasing birds is really a good thing. 

2)then do the same thing for a week or two ( a lot of bird contacts and points )with the gun and no shells, let her get used to the sight of the gun until she ignores it and focuses completely on the birds.

3) then with a 22 rifle and the weakest blanks available, start shooting after the flush when shes chasing and really keyed up, shoot just once use a single shot bolt action 22 rifle,not a pistol, point the muzzle away from her and shoot only when shes really focused and chasing the flushed bird. 
4) Shoot only once every two or three birds for the first week, until she pays no attention to it at all.

5) If she shows any fear or uncertainty go back to just bird work until she is focused on the birds again.

6)after she shows no sign of hearing the 22 with the light blanks shoot a pheasant* use only one shot use a light load and make that shot count this part is important because she has to see the bird fall at the instant the shot occcurs*, if you have her drive up that will overcome any residual fear she may have.

7) this fall only hunt her by yourself and try to never shoot more than once, do not hunt with multiple people 
After a season she should be OK but I would be cautious even second season

You owe it to her, shes just confused and you made her that way, so please try to fix her.

Good luck take it slow birdiness is everything, if you have some more questions just let me know I've specalized in this training for over 30 years.

AGAIN
I don't allow gunshots around my dogs without birds present, even my older well broke dogs, not ever.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

OK Todd put these into a sticky I dont know how 
thanks


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## The goose charmer (Aug 25, 2007)

I had already decided she was to only hunt with me this year once she started acting like this. I dont have an actual dummie because I forgot it in my home town and i am 50 min from souix falls and cant get there for a week or two will a tennis ball work till then? She retrieves both equally but i think she likes the ball more.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Yes the ball will work just fine, just follow the process no shortcuts and you will be back in good shape

good luck


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

Wow. Mine won't even let me out of the house alone once she sees I'm carying a gun. Guess I'm lucky.


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