Labrador gun shy

shrek1

Well-Known Member
Help needed
I have a 15 month old golden Labrador bitch Which has not been spayed she is very good at retrieving and very loyal a real one man dog. She weighs 28kg.
But she is gun shy and I have never had a dog that is gun shy so I am lost at what to do ?
Advice needed please.
 
How bad is she? Is she okay if she can hear gunfire, but it's not in the immediate area?

If so, maybe you could try playing with her a couple of hundred metres from a clay ground, and going gradually closer over the course of a couple of weeks?
 
Extremely difficult not all lost but a difficult mend start with the dropped bowl ,slammed door working up to louder noises with this coinciding with positive experiences the dog likes
good luck take yr time
norma
 
Fifteen years ago I bought a Labrador dog of 18 months. From very good working stock, loved retrieving swimming etc. but soon as the gun was produced, would slink away and hide. I tried all the usual advice but it got so bad that one evening on the Ouse Washes, he left me and went half a mile back to the truck.

Things were not looking good and I thought that I would have to give him away as a pet. I was talking with my wife who applied her long knowledge of looking after a succession of Labradors. We were in the kitchen and the dog way lying by my chair.

My wife told me to get the shotgun and lay it on the floor, which I did. She then got a chocolate covered biscuit, broke it into small pieces and placed it on the shotgun, even amongst the double triggers.
After a few minutes the dog came out from his hiding place and started to eat the pieces. His desire for the treat had overcome his fear of the shotgun.

My wife did this for several days and it ended up with the dog salivating as soon as the shotgun was produced. No more fear of the gun itself.

Further gentle reintroduction to the sound of firing, together with pieces of broken biscuit in my coat pocket, eventually produced an excellent shooting dog, which I kept until the end of his life at 12 yrs of age. And yes, I know chocky biccies are bad for dogs.
 
I am not convinced there is such a thing as a born gun shy dog (and here I am referring to gun dog working breeds) but what I am convinced of is that many owners push ahead with training far too soon without having done the ground work and can create a gun shy or gun nervous dog. Dogs cannot be trained to accept gun noise. They should be conditioned from an early age that there is nothing to be afraid of and in fact that noise is good. Starting with metal food dishes, noisy opening of kennel doors which allows freedom and generally teaching him that noise is associated with fun. I always walk with a stick so from day one the pup sees this long article in my hand. When that stick becomes a shotgun he sees nothing different. When the time comes to introduce noise associated with shooting I start by clapping my hands just after he has been sent for the retrieve. It very slowly progresses to a blank firing pistol and such things like playing with him in earshot of a clay ground. Dogs learn from their owner. If you show no apprehension he is far less likely to do so. I presently have a 10 month old cocker. He has just started with a blank pistol a good distance away when being sent for a retrieve. No hurry. He will be nowhere near a shoot till next season so we have all next year. I really think you should forget trying to use this young dog at present. Go back to the beginning with her as regards noise and the presence of a gun. Next season at 2 yrs old she will be a different dog.
 
How do u know it is gunshy? How have introduced gunshot?

It can be tricky depending if it is gun shy or gun nervous, many say a genuine gun shy og will never be cured but most dogs are gun nervous and can be with the right training.
The advice abive is pretty good, i've never seen the point in the clay ground route as i think u want the dog to associate it with something fun not just sitting/walking close to a random banging noise.
Howy dunno about too young at 15month, below 8-9month they reckon there ears aren't fully grown/formed so u can damage them introing to shot to young, but many dogs are trialling by 15month so will have been shot over a fair few times

I tend to just let the pup run with the other dogs and then fire the starter pistol when its playing with them a distance away, pup usually doesnae notice the noise its the older dogs looking for the shot.
U basically want to associate a loud noise with either food/reward or fun but it might depend on wot u have done previously and how u found ur dog is gun nervous. Possibly at the start get a friend to fire pistol at a big distance and throw a retrieve as a reward if a keen retriever

My mate had his 8 month lab out the other day for our boundry day and first shot it heard was fairly close to it with a 12g, couldnae think of a worse thing to do, but pup didnae seem to bother. Folk have done it that way for years and u may get away with it but every so often u will create a big problem
 
If you're nervous that the dog is likely to be nervous about anything, it is a self fulfilling cycle! The dog will sense your fear/tension , become nervous & the problem is thereby made worse.
Chill out, follow the training as described above - make it all fun (as with all dog training) whilst letting the dog know who is the alpha of your pack (you). - do it regularly & the bad stimulus will be overcome.
Remember intimidation will do more harm than good so keep it light & relaxed.

Ian
 
Countryboy, Let me explain the clay ground "route" and its usefulness. Taking a young dog to a field near a ground gives you an opportunity to play with him and give him some retrieves whilst in the background there is random gunfire. It is replicating to some extent the environment in which he will work. Some dogs will take notice of the noise. Some don't. But as you give him a few retrieves he sees that the noise is of no harm to him or you.

Your mate is typical of some. 8 month old lab out on a shoot and for the first time in its life is subjected to gunfire. Now if that dog had bolted some would be saying its gunshy/gun nervous. Is it???


Never compare a trialling dog with the capabilities of a trialling trainer/handler behind it to your dog. Take your time. That dog is going to be with you for years.
 
Cheers gazza, i just dinae see the need for the whole clay ground thing, got far more control when ur using the pistol urself/or better still ur mate. And while wot ur talking about is quite positive/fun most folk just talk about walking a dog past or near a ground or worse make there young dogs sit at heel while they/someone else shoots, very little fun of positives for the dog. All the times i've seen/heard folk mention clay grounds ur about the first to mention anything that makes sense

Aye i've got a pup out the same litter (sired by my old lab) and i'm in no hurry to intro it to shooting yet or even proper gunfire at this age, has heard pistol from a bit away but not a lot. My pup won't be ut this season no matter how good he is in training

Was amazed/shocked that he brought it out, walked miles throu some right rough cover, i would never ask my 1 to do that at his age, but wot can u do?
 
How bad is she? Is she okay if she can hear gunfire, but it's not in the immediate area?

If so, maybe you could try playing with her a couple of hundred metres from a clay ground, and going gradually closer over the course of a couple of weeks?
The farm opposite me has just had the first shoot and she would come in the house and go in to a room as soon as she heard the noise I do have an older male chocolate lab who she is with who takes no notice of any noise we have in the past even been to a bonfire party with him but he was only ever bought as a pet.
 
Thanks to all that have replied, she does have a plastic bowl so will no replace it with a metal bowl. The farm nearly opposite me in the summer had some bangers out quite some distance away from her but as soon as they went off she would go in the house. I have a chocolate one who was bought as a pet but is so laid back we even once took him to a friends bonfire party and he never even flinched at a sound he just loves to meet people. So I am trying to show her that he's fine with noise slowly and hoping it will help her. I have all ways been strict with my other dogs one lab and one beagle but my wife thinks I may be too soft with her ?
 
this is a long shot but it may be another easy method for you expose your lab to gunfire regularly without having to head off over fields with starter pistols etc. I noticed my pointer trying to mark a shot one day he was in the living room and our son was playing call of duty on the xbox. the sound of the gunfire made him look for something to retrieve. if you have a game console you could bring her in while it is being played the gun sounds are quite realistic and you can turn the tv volume way down to start off with.

just a thought

keith
 
This is sounding like noise phobia/anxiety. what you have to be aware of is that if she is frightened of a noise, then the next time she hears the noise, she'll remember that last time she was anxious/frightened and therefore this time she'll be frightened. It then becomes as vicious circle. Reassurance can be counterproductive. If she goes inside to get away form the nasty noise and you go to her, then (in dog brian thinks) you are also frightened which means the noise is really scary. Gradually getting her accustomed to noise is a sensible move, it takes time. I'd recommend the adaptil collar and find out from your vet who the decent behavioural folk are. Having a rock steady dog is a bonus. It will take time, patience, but they can come right. Good luck
 
I think u do get cd's aimed for pups that have various different noises/loud bangs that u play quietly then turning the volume up, as ksb said might work?

They say pups are born with very few fears when young so if u can accostomise them to loud noises (althou not very loud souds like gun shot) as well a loads of other things
should not have the problem in later life

Basically associating noises with fun or food will be the esaist ways but as buchan says dogs can pick up vibes/feelings of us, so if u automatically clap/praise him after he has heard a noise and is scared that will be seen as a reward for being scared (worded that badly) but it wll become self rewarding for the dog to be scared.

Possibly a bad time of year to get involved in group training but possibly the excitemnt of group training environment and jealosy of other dogs gettin retrieves may overcome the fear. Or even book a lesson with a decent gundog trainer or behaviourist

I wouldn't try to rush it for this season and try to get into a training club for next spring, and don't worry u will not spoil a dog by keeping it back a year but u do often spoil a dog by working it to early.
Good luck
 
I am not convinced there is such a thing as a born gun shy dog (and here I am referring to gun dog working breeds) but what I am convinced of is that many owners push ahead with training far too soon without having done the ground work and can create a gun shy or gun nervous dog. Dogs cannot be trained to accept gun noise. They should be conditioned from an early age that there is nothing to be afraid of and in fact that noise is good. Starting with metal food dishes, noisy opening of kennel doors which allows freedom and generally teaching him that noise is associated with fun. I always walk with a stick so from day one the pup sees this long article in my hand. When that stick becomes a shotgun he sees nothing different. When the time comes to introduce noise associated with shooting I start by clapping my hands just after he has been sent for the retrieve. It very slowly progresses to a blank firing pistol and such things like playing with him in earshot of a clay ground. Dogs learn from their owner. If you show no apprehension he is far less likely to do so. I presently have a 10 month old cocker. He has just started with a blank pistol a good distance away when being sent for a retrieve. No hurry. He will be nowhere near a shoot till next season so we have all next year. I really think you should forget trying to use this young dog at present. Go back to the beginning with her as regards noise and the presence of a gun. Next season at 2 yrs old she will be a different dog.

Top answer.
 
Thanks for all your answers to my question. As some have said I do think it is more a noise problem and as countryboy has said I do fuss her up when she is frightened of the noise so it seems it my be both of us that have a problem.
 
Just a thought but the gunfire is the very last thing I would let my in training "pup" succumb too I've a 16 month pup that has been dogging in and learning the ropes of what game is all about she may get a lookin at the end of this season but I would see if you can get the dog focused on hunting and enjoying working before any form of gunfire is introduced again once it is focused on the working and enjoying it then a starting pistol or maybe a rim fire get along to yr local keeper and dog in the boundrys
Norma
 
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