# Anyone No How To Break A Puppy From Being Gun Shy



## briar270wsm (Jul 25, 2008)

I just got an awsome lab puupy That is about 8 weeks old. I took over to some property and shot some around her. She was to scared but she didnt like it to much. IF anyone can give me some advice on the best way to break her I would appreciate it. Im just learning how to train a dog and need all the advice i can get any other trainning tips are greatly appreciated. I want her to be a duck and dove hunting dog. Thanks


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## Brushcreek (Jul 25, 2008)

always heard to shoot around a gun shy rabbit dog while he was eating. should work the same for a bird dog i guess


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## Ths dog hunts!! (Jul 25, 2008)

I raise Boykins, Have never hadta but!! They told me not ta feed em for a day or 2, then put a full bowl down, & start poppin a .22, next day move up a caliber or go to a .20 guage, then move up again!! They'll get use to it!!


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## jkoch (Jul 25, 2008)

Start out with a cap gun or sub-sonic 22. Get the kids,your wife, are someone playing with him several yards away and totally distracted from what you are doing. This is the time to fire one shot. IF you do not respond to the shot he won't either. You can can progress to louder guns as necessary. He will let you know when. Then you can take him out running and fire that shotgun when he is out there away from you and busy having fun.


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## NGaHunter (Jul 25, 2008)

8 week old puppy is way to young to be shooting over.  At that age I would let it be  a puppy and bound with it.  Do the OB, but don't expect perfection.  If you keep shooting over that pup you will have a very gun shy dog in my opinion.


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## briar270wsm (Jul 25, 2008)

thanks for the replies. How old do you think they should be before i start.


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## NGaHunter (Jul 25, 2008)

I would be doing fun puppy retrieves with him now.  If you have a hall way in the house throw rolled up socks and let him go get them and then call him back where he has to come back to you.  If you want to get a good video..Look for Sound Beginnings.  It is great.  Real formal training usually starts when they get their adult teeth...around 6 months of age.  Another good video is Fowl Dawgs.


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## Esylivin (Jul 25, 2008)

NGaHunter said:


> I would be doing fun puppy retrieves with him now.  If you have a hall way in the house throw rolled up socks and let him go get them and then call him back where he has to come back to you.  If you want to get a good video..Look for Sound Beginnings.  It is great.  Real formal training usually starts when they get their adult teeth...around 6 months of age.  Another good video is Fowl Dawgs.


:  

I agree  also try Evan Grahams "Smartworks"


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## jimbo4116 (Jul 25, 2008)

To young for shooting.  Gun shyness is not the first thing to worry about.

Work on retrieving.  You need to find out first if the puppy loves to retrieve.  Not all lab puppies will love to retrieve.

At 5 or 6 months if the puppy is retrieving good, start with 22 blanks and only shoot after you send the dog out and only every 5 or 6 retrieves and only 2 or three times for a few days then increase the frequency and number of times you fire.

If the dog is retrieving and does not react to the 22 firing, then try firing before you throw the bumper if you get no reaction to the gunfire.  Go through the same process as above firing before you throw the bumper.

Then repeat the process from the beginning with a 20 ga.

I have had two labs that were a little gunshy and this method worked,  had one it didn't but he didn't really love the retrieving.


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## Luke0927 (Jul 26, 2008)

You need to just introduce birds to the dog first...once the dog loves birds and has the desire you can start introducing the gun...use a 209 or 22 blank and have it a 100 yards away...throw a wing locked bird for the dog have your helper fire the blank (100 yards away) the dog shoudn't even look in the helpers direction he should be focused on the bird...if he does look quit let the dog have the bird and then the next session send the helper futher away....

You should do this and bring the helper closer and closer untill your are shooting a few yards over the dog.....if done right and slow he will not pay it any mind...Then you start over with a small gauge 410 or 28...same thing work closer...then eventually to a larger caliber....the dog will then be properly introduced to the gun...just be sure and watch the dog and go off his signs.


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## BRANCHWYNN (Jul 26, 2008)

No More Shootin Around That Puppy Right Now...too Young....but Dont Bother Being Quiet Around Her From Here On Out....pots And Pans,door Closin, Normal Things Etc. But Dont Respond, If She Cowers ..ignore Her And Follow The Advice Of Jkoch On Down...pup Needs Fun And Simple Short Retrieves...not 30 Retrieves Down The Hallway....4-5 Times And End On A Good Note...then Again Maybe A Few Hours Later. WORK ON BASIC COMMANDS AND OBEDIENCE....READ UP AND KEEP IT SIMPLE...SHORT COMMANDS WITH AVERAGE TONE....NO REPEAT AND NO HOLLERIN


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## Drake1807 (Jul 26, 2008)

When feeding the puppy beat pots and pans on the way to the bowl so that it will associate loud sounds with something good. As it gets older move up to a cap gun and etc. That is what I did and it worked. Good luck!


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## thomas williams (Jul 26, 2008)

What has worked for me is whenever I feed mine, i'll take a couple of firecrackers and throw them a little ways from the kennel. had a pup about 6 months old and it only took about 2 weeks. now she is fine.


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## Doyle (Jul 26, 2008)

Never shoot over their head.  It is a sure way to ruin a potentially good dog.   Does he like to ride in the car and do you have a shooting range nearby?  If so, take him for a ride and stop by the range - but don't get out yet.  Just sit there playing with him.   As soon as he gets curious enough to look out the window, slowly roll it down so the the shooting is a little louder.   Then go home.   In a day or so, do it again.   After a time or two of this, get out with the leash and start walking around - but not near the shooters yet.   Let him show you he is ready to go investigate nearer the firing line.   

I've trained two labs this way.  Both turned out great.


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## briar270wsm (Jul 29, 2008)

Thanks for the replies guys. I will try al of these. She likes retrieving but is still verry curious about things and gets side tracked easiley. i have a duck you can throw and it quacks when she bites it she loves it.


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## Glenn2399 (Jul 31, 2008)

Park about a block away from a Trap/Skeet Range.  At her pace, keep getting closer.  After one hour my pup was asleep on the range.  Old timer told me this never fails.  Worked for me.


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## bobman (Aug 1, 2008)

you screwed up, now you have to fix her first let her grow up to at least 6 months then

Bring her out WITHOUT A GUN and spend the next 4 months getting her enthusiastic about retrieveing dummies. 

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 don't 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 falling. 

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 or any dog IMO unless its prey drive is way up and its about to scoop up a retrieve or a bird has just flushed.

Gunshyness is man made

good luck


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## fulldraw74 (Aug 1, 2008)

Drake1807 said:


> When feeding the puppy beat pots and pans on the way to the bowl so that it will associate loud sounds with something good. As it gets older move up to a cap gun and etc. That is what I did and it worked. Good luck!



Did the same here......worked awsome.


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## Dirt-Broke (Aug 3, 2008)

How do you think that it would have felt when you where 2 years old and someone let a gernade go in your crib? The pups only 8 wks. old, for goodness sakes use some common sense! It's not like you are going to be able to hunt the dog this year anyway, why the rush to shoot over it? If it doesn't have brain damage you might still be able to make it a hunting dog, but your chances are you might have to get another dog. 
At 8 wks. old the only thing that you need to  worry about it soializing the pup to everything that you can. Retreiving a time or two for fun and that's about it. .
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) 

This post may sound over the top, but you need to use your head on training a dog or there will be one more at the pound that should have been someones great hunting dog/friend.


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## tim1225agr (Aug 3, 2008)

*this worked for my dog...*

I started very early age. Like 12 weeks.  I would feed him and I started with a big pot and a spoon.  While he was eating I would bang on the pot.  Start really lightly.  Progress as the days go by.  In like 3 weeks I could bang that pot as loud as i wanted to he would pay no attention.  My dog now only really wants to work behind a gun.  Not really into dummies.  This worked for me.  

My other advice is to read so of the mentioned material by these other members about how to introduce your dog to new things.  Good luck


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## MsCedarSwamp (Aug 14, 2008)

When I raise a litter of puppies, they are born inside. My last litter was in the living room. They heard all tv noises (surround sound makes a  lot of noise), kids, you name it. They would watch the tv at times, including duck hunting. At feeding time, I always rattled the pans, so they associated that with good stuff. Only drawback is that they learn what the alarm clock is--don't get to hit the snooze after they start eating good. After about a week, their internal clock starts working and they will let you know it's time even on the weekends. Before they leave for their new homes, they have been on the trailer for training sessions. The wingers we use set off blanks, so they hear it from a distance. I do not shoot right over them.  They also have their littermates with them to keep them company. They are very confident about everything, mainly because of all of the work I put into them before they go home.


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