# Gun shy need help please!!!



## CumminsCarley (Dec 25, 2009)

My french britt is gun shy, I have tried everything, started out with the cap gun, then to .22 the 28 gauge but once got to 12 gauge she didn't like the gun anymore, she is bird bizurk but she is to gosh darn smart, she knows that when you have the gun what is coming once you flush the bird, if there is no gun she'll go after the bird no problem. I have tried and tried to work with her on the gun, started out with purchasing the Gun Dog Shyness System CD went through the whole cd with everything they said to do in the pamphlet that it came with, didn't work, so I tried every time i let her out of the kennel i would fire off a .22 blank, that doesn't seem to bother her but it does when you grab the gun and cock it when she is out of the kennel. I am trying to do this the humane way, but the next step is to do the don't let her eat for 3 days and keep her kenneled, let her out and fire the gun when she's eating, if she shies put her back in the kennel for two days and try again then one day, i'm told this is fool proof and supposed to work, I've heard/read that before, I have also been told to take her to a dog whisperer....not to sure about that one either, need help please! Any advice is greatly appreciated.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

all the shooting without birds you've done is working against you stop that

read the "sticky" above about it

short version
never ever ever use anything but birds around this dog to shoot

you going to have to back up to no gun with the dog.... then carry the gun for a month unloaded without any shells until she gets over her fear of the sight of it...... then when shes chasing a bird she pointed and you flushed (or she flushed) and she can clearly see it while chasing it you need to kill it with one shot NO BANG BANG. The bird falling in front of her and her prey drive to catch it will overcome her fear

if you miss let it fly off... so use a cylinder choked gun and practice somwwhere the dog cannot here before you go to that step the bird HAS TO FALL RIGHT AS THE GUN IS FIRED, if you miss dont shoot again for a few birds let her confidence build back up before you try to shoot again

Your idea with starving her is a very bad one I've been rehabbing gunshy dogs since the late 60's and know what I am talking about...... never ever ever shoot around the dog again if no bird is present

the fact that she is birdy means you have an excellent chance of success if you follow my suggestions

good luck with her


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## fetchingfloyd (May 12, 2009)

i agree with Bobm, shooting without birds will only make the problem worse. As a pro trainer, i see this problem from time to time and i have found one way that has worked better than any other. you need some pigeons and a flight pen about 10 feet by 10 feet to house the birds in for a while. a portable 10 x 10 dog run would do. each day put the dog in their and let it chase the birds for about 5 minutes. after a week, when the dog is so flippin crazy to get in there, then start shooting your .22 blank gun. once the first day and if the dog shows no signs of shyness, shoot a couple of times the next day and keep adding a shot each day IF and only IF the dog doesnt start to get nervous. if he does just back off the shooting a bit and slow the pace down but keep putting him in there each day for 5 minutes. over time you can use a bigger gun and then eventually have him chase a wing clipped pigeon in the yard with the shot but all of this will probably take at least a month to get to that point and the whole idea is get him so bird crazy by being in the pen that he just doesnt care abut the shot. Hope that helps. i have used it alot and it works great but you have to b patient and not go too fast with the shots. it takes time to build up the dogs confidence but it will happen. idealy, you need about 12 wild pigeons or more to create a bird frenzy for the dog while in the pen with all the birds flying arund razzing up the dog. it works. :thumb:


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