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getting dogs used to shooting


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my mate has a labrador thats about 1year old and its fairly well trained but we want to take it shooting with the shotguns, what the best way to get it used to the shooting and not be scared every time a cartridge is let off?

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A dog trainier told me to drop the dogs metal food bowl on the floor before you feed them, they jump the 1st few times but they get rewarded with their dinner so they're happy. It does work (well it did with my beagles). its a start.

 

cheers bud will give it a go, and any tips on persuading a mother who is scared of dogs that getting one is a good idea?

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A dog trainier told me to drop the dogs metal food bowl on the floor before you feed them, they jump the 1st few times but they get rewarded with their dinner so they're happy. It does work (well it did with my beagles). its a start.

 

cheers bud will give it a go, and any tips on persuading a mother who is scared of dogs that getting one is a good idea?

get your own house

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It helps If they're bought up In a loud House, full of young kids and that I find as they're used to the noise then..

Just take them along, maybe follow the shoot from a way back to 'break It In slowly'?

 

Butch

Maybe that's why my lurcher & JRT didn't so much as flinch the first time they heard a 12g, it's noisy as f**k here in my place :laugh: They soon get to know though, my dogs heard fireworks the other day, and were whining at the door, the same way they do when they see me reach fo rthe air rifle! :D

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I started with a toy cap rifle. I fired it in the house with the dogs and everytime I tossed a piece of meat here and there in the room; under tables, behind sofa, behind doors etc.

Soon they expected a reward everytime it fired. I then attached meat to a dead bird and hid the bird. I would fire the toy and the dogs would search for the meat/bird. I did this everyday until the dogs showed no fear. I then went out with a blank firing pistol and did the same. It is just a big game now with the dogs. Everytime I fire the shotgun now, my dog searches for birds, he loves it.

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Best idea is take her to the clay pigeon's.

make sure the place is well booked.

Then take her out the car and walk her far off to start and gradually get closer untill you are standing behind the gun's.

Remember if you are moving forward and she show's sign's that she is becoming nervous, move back a few feet.

 

Cheer's

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Best idea is take her to the clay pigeon's.

make sure the place is well booked.

Then take her out the car and walk her far off to start and gradually get closer untill you are standing behind the gun's.

Remember if you are moving forward and she show's sign's that she is becoming nervous, move back a few feet.

 

Cheer's

 

That will be too much exposure. I have heard of dogs going deaf from people doing this.

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Most important thing to do is to make sure that the dog is busy and doing something when you are getting them used to the noise.

 

If they have the working drive then have them hunting when a shot is about to go off. Even if you have a friend firing the shot from a distance away.

 

Like a twonk i basically ruined my first retriever because (as a young kid) i thought it looked cool having her with me clay shooting. Because there was nothing to do she quickly decided she didnt like the bangs and it took a lot of time and work to get her over it (sher was never the same).

 

As they are walking with you clap loudly every so often, then move on slowly

 

BUT MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING AND NOT JUST SITTING THERE

 

If its a retriever, fire the shot and then send them for a retrieve (can even make it a blind etc). Let the dog run in a bit, steadiness can be brought back easy enough.

 

Spaniels, have them hunting good smelly cover. Fire the shot and drop them, then send the on again very quickly so that they dont think the bang is a big deal.

 

Its should be fine but be prepared to go back a few steps, better to wait a season rather than wreck the dog

 

Dan

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Best idea is take her to the clay pigeon's.

make sure the place is well booked.

Then take her out the car and walk her far off to start and gradually get closer untill you are standing behind the gun's.

Remember if you are moving forward and she show's sign's that she is becoming nervous, move back a few feet.

 

Cheer's

 

I don't work gundogs myself, though I do have a terrier X springer that i plan on getting used to the gun this summer. I also help out at a clay shoot and wouldb't recommend taking any dog close to one, let alone one not used to shot. i don't know much about driven shooting either but I would assume that the guns are spaced out a bit. At a clay shoot you have 5 guns ( dtl) and for each line upto 30 shots fired ( 50 for a 25 bird line) in very quick time. Don't know if thats comparable to a driven shoot or not.

If you have 2 or 3 lines running then that is a lot of shots fired quickly, surely to much for a new dog, young or old. If you know a club is running then walking within earshot is a start, I can hear shoots hear from a few miles away. and I have read that a dog can hear a sound 6 times further than us. At a clay shoot you wear ear protectors, and you need them. A dog would surely suffer with that thinking.

Starting pistols, 4 10s and starting from a distance are the ways I have heard to be best, for mine I will get some one fire a shot from the other end of the field, and try to keep the dog steady then a retrieve. As I say my dog isn't a gundog but a bushing ferreting dog and doesn't have any great level of formal training, but gun steadiness will increase her working options.

 

Hope I haven't spoken out of place, as I know I have very little experience, just wouldn't want some one unaware of a clay shoot to jump in uninformed.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Best idea is take her to the clay pigeon's.

make sure the place is well booked.

Then take her out the car and walk her far off to start and gradually get closer untill you are standing behind the gun's.

Remember if you are moving forward and she show's sign's that she is becoming nervous, move back a few feet.

 

Cheer's/quote]

I second Lewismac1 - You don't have to stand next to the guns - start a long way away and see how things progress-there is no need to over do it. You should quickly see how the dog reacts and adjust accordingly without harming the dog.

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