Is There Any Way To Help A Gun Shy Dog?

[jamesc94 2]

There's been a lot of shooting round my area recently mainly between 6-8pm when i usually walk the dogs but it goes on during the day as well so changing walk times doesnt overly help. One of my terriers is terrified of any shots (also fireworks, and the clothes horse for some reason) and will try to run home from wherever we are when he hears them. On lead he doesnt usually pull but as soon as theres a shot he pulls. If i tell him to heel he goes down so low hes almost crawling then heels for about 3 seconds then back to pulling. The shots can be heard from my house and on the housing estate so changing routes isnt a solution. He also goes mental if someone opens or closes a window and bites doors and shreds the post when it comes through but then leaves it. Banging pans doesnt bother him. Can anyone offer any advice for any of these problems? thanks

[mushroom 12,387]

Get a starter pistol and some long blanks and fire it when he's eating and absolutely pay no attention to his reactions do not even look at him just carry on a conversation or whatever

[jamesc94 2]

And that wont make him worse? how much is a starter pistol? are they legal to use out and about?

[mushroom 12,387]

All the knowledge of man is at you finger tips pal use google

[Chid 6,376]

Once a dog is truly gun shy you'll find it hard to break ...

 

Don't go the starter pistol route as the spic wannabe advised you'll just make your mutt worse ...

Start with a cap gun at home at feeding times and just randomly when the dog is doing it's own things , then you could try with a starter pistol from a distance away gradually moving closer , then if all going to plan try the same with shotgun ,

[hily 379]

are the dogs ears OK, if so then you could try and build noise tolerance up and start with you clattering about or lawn mower noise radio etc and as said before do not react to the dog if it plays up only treats or praise when its calm.O.M.O.good luck

[leegreen 2,099]

Are the parents gun shy?

[skycat 6,172]

If you can get the dog to associate the sound of gun shot with something that totally fulfils the dog in every way he should be able to at least come to terms with his fear of the noise. Is the dog a working dog? Firing a cap gun, or something fairly quiet, then showing the dog its quarry to rag/retrieve, can often work. Funnily enough, my Airedale doesn't particularly like gun fire or thunder, ( she wasn't introduced to it at an early age) but she learned to associate the sound of the shot with something to retrieve, which is her biggest joy in life: well, one of them.

 

However, it sounds as though your dog has other issues as well, which may be best addressed by a good behaviourist. From what you've written, it does sound as though the dog has some frustrations in its life: door biting and post shredding. If its not a working dog then maybe it actually needs to go and hunt to fulfil its needs/instincts?

[jamesc94 2]

Thanks all for the advise. I would love to be able to work the dog but as of yet have no permission and have no friends who do however i do let him hunt for and chase rabbits in the local woods a couple of hours each day and he catches the odd one. My brother also walks him for half an hr to an hour but its mostly road walking. And he gets played with regularly tug o war and throwing balls etc. I don't know whether his parents were gun shy. He hates the lawnmower and the hoover so we keep him away from them when they're in use. His ears are totally fine. Radio, tv (other than dogs), pans, most other stuff he's fine with just doesnt like hoover lawnmower clothes horse doors guns fireworks thunder