Any ideas to cure a gun shy dog?

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Super Black Eagle
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Postby Super Black Eagle » Tue Dec 20, 2005 3:32 pm

Only thing I can think to do now is to carry that dog everywhere you go, keep her on a lead at your side all the time. Take her places that will involve loud noises and moving things.

When she wants to bolt, comfort her. Keep this up, it may take years.

She should run "to" you when things spook her. You have to buiild her confidence back up, take her and make her do everything.
"If you were supposed to watch your mouth all the time, I doubt your eyes would be above it." - DBT
"I am good at what I do, and I take great pride. But I don't make much money, so I sell eggs and chickens on the side." - WSP
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LostBoy
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Postby LostBoy » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:18 am

Dad had a couple of gun shy quail dogs in his lifetime. I remember we took out a dog on it's first hunt, dog pointed, we shot, dog was gone! Found it 3 hous later it had made it's way back and was hiding under the truck.

Dad took the dog home and leashed it to a post. He feed the dog a small amount and instructed me to hold/pet/talk to the dog while he stood about 20 yds away and shot once. Dog quit eating and went crazy. He came over and let the dog smell the gun while would pet her, Then he would feed her a little more stood at about 10 yds and shot again and repeated letting the dog smell the gun while reasuring the dog. Finaly he fired three quick shots at five yds and laid the gun right by the dogs bowl so she coul smell the powder and he fed the rest of her feed. Left the gun with the dog for two or three hour while she rested. Took her on the afternon hunt problem solved.
duckkiller
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Postby duckkiller » Wed Dec 28, 2005 8:28 pm

Since you live in town why dont you start out shooting some poppers around him/her and then find you a place where you can go and shoot live rounds around him/her
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DownEast
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Postby DownEast » Fri Jan 06, 2006 9:49 am

Some of these suggestions are going to hurt you more than help you. The dog is still young so there is hope. Find something she loves to retrieve and use a cap pistol while you are playing with her. Shoot at random the while you are playing...no formal training going on. Make it fun. If she loves birds then shoot the cap gun around her when you are using birds to work with her. BUT, make sure she has gotten comfortable with the gun shot before you introduce the bird. You almost have to start over in a way. Next time you get a dog. A tip...the first time I ever shoot around a puppy the dog is about 4 moths old and absolutely nutty when it comes to birds. I clip the wings of a pigeon, throw it, shoot. At that point I then have a dog that not loves the bird but loves the gunshot too. Good luck. Take it slow and maybe she'll overcome her fears.
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Shoot
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Postby Shoot » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:15 pm

Black Lab, have you introduced her to birds yet.Live birds I mean.Mine was much like your describing until the live birds came out.Got her crazy for the birds in the cage,then killed one over her and problem solved.From that time on she would always look in the direction I was pointing.Key is to assoiate the gun with something positive.FEATHERS>
Did you shoot?

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