# Dog Shy Dog



## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

A couple years ago I bought my black lab and she wasn't gun shy. I took her out pheasant hunting at 8 months old and she never had an issue with guns. We had to lock her up during the 4th of July just for the simple fact that she wanted to play with the fireworks. Everything was going good, then one day the fire alarm at my apartment went off for 2.5 hours when I wasn't there and ever since then, she hates loud noises. She went to the bathroom all over the apartment, and somehow weaseled her way under the bed. I tried working with her last summer, and she was doing fine with a 20 gauge shot gun. This fall, I took her out pheasant hunting, and she is right back to 0 on her gun shyness. Does anyone have any advice? She will be 3 in February. In and the fire alarm scare happened last April.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

You just have to find something (tennis ball/bumper etc) that she LOVES.... take her out and PLAY... ALWAYS quit while she is wanting more - even after ONE toss. after a week, get a friend to shoot a .22 in the opposite direction (from a ways back) when you throw... throw a couple more to get her confidence up and QUIT while she is wanting more. GRADUALLY increase the amount of gunfire to the point that she is EXCITED about it....

Get a PRO involved if you think it is going the wrong way. You CAN get her over it, but it will take a little time. Keep me informed


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## 6162rk (Dec 5, 2004)

i have always made a lot of loud noise while feeding my dog. again the association of noise with a good thing.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Sasha and Abby said:


> You just have to find something (tennis ball/bumper etc) that she LOVES.... take her out and PLAY... ALWAYS quit while she is wanting more - even after ONE toss. after a week, get a friend to shoot a .22 in the opposite direction (from a ways back) when you throw... throw a couple more to get her confidence up and QUIT while she is wanting more. GRADUALLY increase the amount of gunfire to the point that she is EXCITED about it....
> 
> Get a PRO involved if you think it is going the wrong way. You CAN get her over it, but it will take a little time. Keep me informed


That's what I did last summer and it seemed to work great, I thought I got my dog over this gun shy business, but I guess not. I will continue to work on it.

I am trying to find other people with hunting dogs to help me out. I was hoping that if my dog sees other dogs not scared of gun fire and her drive to always to get her bumper would kick in.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

that will help.... get dogs her age or younger that LOVE balls/bumper and gunfire... let yours get very comfortable with them before they "play" together with the toys


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