GUNSHY

Homepage -> Topics -> Pointers -> GUNSHY

JIMMY JONES Member since: 09/04/2010 Location: GA	GUNSHY by JIMMY JONES on 04:30:52 PM 04/02/2012 - [ Send Private Message ] IS THERE ANYWAY TO CORRECT GUNSHYNESS IN A POINTER GUDOG? WHEN YOU FIRE THE GUN HE COME BACK TO ME AND AFTER AWHILE HE WILL START HUNTING AGAIN ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHAT CAN BE DONE JJ

MICHAEL SLOTA Member since: 05/05/2012 Location: IA	RE: GUNSHY by MICHAEL SLOTA on 02:59:04 PM 05/05/2012 - [ Send Private Message ] Jimmy, how old your pointer? First thing I would do is build up his prey drive. This can be done my teasing him with pigeons. Put you dog on a stake out post and put a pigeon in front of him, and tease him with the bird. After a week of doing this tie a string onto the bird attach the string to a short piece of garden hose. The object here is to let the bird fly just a little way off. Continue to keep the dog on the stake out post. Eventually you will let the dog loose and let him chase the bird and catch it but this comes later on in the training. Your goal is to make the dog super nutting around birds. Once you have reach this step put the dog back on the stake out post, put your pigeon on the string and step back 100 feet, get the dog excite using the bird than fire a small calber gun. If he reacts step farther back. You want him to associate the gun firing to something he loves the pigeons. Slowing work your way closing till he doesnt react to the noise of the gun. Eventually you will move up to a larger calber. Question how did this dog became gunshy???

JOE CAMMISA Member since: 05/12/2014 Location: PA	RE: GUNSHY by JOE CAMMISA on 09:42:03 AM 12/15/2015 - [ Send Private Message ] Ive seen that done with a cotton wagon and quail locked up inside the wagon with the dog. After a few days fire a blank pistol to start...

JOE CAMMISA Member since: 05/12/2014 Location: PA	RE: GUNSHY by JOE CAMMISA on 09:42:09 AM 12/15/2015 - [ Send Private Message ] Ive seen that done with a cotton wagon and quail locked up inside the wagon with the dog. After a few days fire a blank pistol to start...

BOB D Member since: 11/04/2014 Location: TN	RE: GUNSHY by BOB D on 04:45:27 AM 11/23/2016 - [ Send Private Message ] I know this is a dead post, but I just revived it! I cant say this is 100% or even 10%,but I think my logic is dead on. (and) Not to abandon the above as that is the way to introduce a dog to shooting (or one of the many ways)...but its great advice. If I can put it in a different prospective, the way the dog understands whats going on.... IMO, they have to learn to expect a shot when they find point and the bird flys whether you miss or not. Their hearing is acute so no telling how a gun sounds or hurts, I know a few shots leaves my ears ringing sometimes. So, A little reassurance that everything is OK is needed. In my eyes I see a positive out of the cower event, the dog came to you after the shot, a mock retrieve bird or not and that says that it trust you as the alpha leader and is looking for protection and reassurance that everything is OK. So dont be pissed, kick and scream, that is the worst things you can do and will send the wrong message, be happy its essential.Pet excitedly for about 10 seconds until it realizes that everything is cool (but no more) rather than being mad. If the dog points a bird and hears a shot and comes to you and you are Pissed when it comes cowering, it will associate the Point, bird, shooting and master pissed, not point, bird, shot, master happy. The shooting will be associated with your anger. The dog does not know or reason if you were mad after or before the shot, it just relates what it knows at the time. You are the master to the dog, the alpha leader and he is working for you as to please you. If you are not happy he will pickup on it.Dogs sense your moods and body language as well. Think like a dog would think and talk like Tarzan or a caveman in such logic of thought... find bird, Me point, bird fly, gun shoot, dead bird, get bird, take to master, master happy! a little reassurance and all is normal attitude is needed. And the dog needs to know you are not angry and made a loud noise because of it.

EDWIN COOLEY Member since: 12/24/2007 Location: AL	RE: GUNSHY by EDWIN COOLEY on 01:23:07 PM 08/17/2017 - [ Send Private Message ] Best solution = prevent gun shyness to begin with. Second best solution = dispose of the dog. Third best solution = try some of the suggestions listed that involve game, chase, happiness, and distance.

JEFF MUELLER Member since: 04/02/2019 Location: NC	RE: GUNSHY by JEFF MUELLER on 02:46:04 PM 04/04/2019 - [ Send Private Message ] I had a setter that was gun shy. I broke her with the help of a friend. We started out with her a check cord and starter pistol. I let her point her bird with my friend near her and me about 75 yards away. I would shoot and he would immediately rub her up. After a while I began to get closer with the shot, repeating the steps till I was beside her. This took several sessions. Then we started over with a shotgun in th same manner. It took a couple of months, but by the end she was steady to shot. It helps if you start them young. The older the dog the longer it takes to break bad habits and overcome bad experiences.

JEFF MUELLER Member since: 04/02/2019 Location: NC	RE: GUNSHY by JEFF MUELLER on 02:46:18 PM 04/04/2019 - [ Send Private Message ] I had a setter that was gun shy. I broke her with the help of a friend. We started out with her a check cord and starter pistol. I let her point her bird with my friend near her and me about 75 yards away. I would shoot and he would immediately rub her up. After a while I began to get closer with the shot, repeating the steps till I was beside her. This took several sessions. Then we started over with a shotgun in th same manner. It took a couple of months, but by the end she was steady to shot. It helps if you start them young. The older the dog the longer it takes to break bad habits and overcome bad experiences.

JEFF MUELLER Member since: 04/02/2019 Location: NC	RE: GUNSHY by JEFF MUELLER on 02:46:31 PM 04/04/2019 - [ Send Private Message ] I had a setter that was gun shy. I broke her with the help of a friend. We started out with her a check cord and starter pistol. I let her point her bird with my friend near her and me about 75 yards away. I would shoot and he would immediately rub her up. After a while I began to get closer with the shot, repeating the steps till I was beside her. This took several sessions. Then we started over with a shotgun in th same manner. It took a couple of months, but by the end she was steady to shot. It helps if you start them young. The older the dog the longer it takes to break bad habits and overcome bad experiences.

JEFF MUELLER Member since: 04/02/2019 Location: NC	RE: GUNSHY by JEFF MUELLER on 02:46:43 PM 04/04/2019 - [ Send Private Message ] I had a setter that was gun shy. I broke her with the help of a friend. We started out with her a check cord and starter pistol. I let her point her bird with my friend near her and me about 75 yards away. I would shoot and he would immediately rub her up. After a while I began to get closer with the shot, repeating the steps till I was beside her. This took several sessions. Then we started over with a shotgun in th same manner. It took a couple of months, but by the end she was steady to shot. It helps if you start them young. The older the dog the longer it takes to break bad habits and overcome bad experiences.