How do I acclimate my lab puppy to gunfire?

[uwdawgs]

This Friday we'll be bringing home a 10 week old male yellow lab pup. We've only had him on the last 2 weekends while the young bride finishes her school year. I'm wanting to get him used to gunfire, so I bought a kids cap gun for the short term, and would like some input on advancing to the real thing without ruining him for life. I saw some 12 gauge blanks @ Sportsmans today, but not sure if I'd want to try that for quite a while. He probably won't ever be a hunting dog unless my son gets back into it. Just curious what the gang here has tried. Thanks, & I'll get some pics up eventually !

[SIG556]

I was going to do the same with my new pups. The neighbors have been shooting next door and they don't even flinch (or wake up if they're napping on the lawn). I want to step it up with cap guns, fire crackers, 22's, then shotguns.
Pistols and my 223 worry me. They both have a sharper noise and I don't want to fuck up their hearing already.

[uwdawgs]

He had no reaction to my tablesaw or chopsaw. Our old lab wouldn't get near my powertools. How about .22 blanks? Available? Affordable?

[STED9R]

Some may disagree, don't use ANY fireworks ever for training and don't have multiple shots going off from different weapons or different people at first.
Use a starter pistol, cap gun etc. You can get training pistols or load up the six shooter with nothing but a mag primer. Biggest point is to make it a reward game, go slow and stop if the dog starts getting anxious and wants to run, "can" ruin training if the dog sees the training as punishment so be the protector and not punisher.

[rayjax82]

Start small with single shots. Avoid fireworks. Use treats to reward behavior. Do not punish. Have someone fire while you're with the dog offer praise, comfort, and treats.

[twolane]

I've never tried it, but an RO I was speaking with at a GSSF match (he had his little dog there) once told me he used action movies and his surround sound system. Play with the dog and have a great time. Gradually increase the volume of whatever you choose to play (maybe a training video?) and just do that a few times. He swore it was all he did to his little guy.

[Hyde]

Always allow the puppy to associate loud noises with fun or something good. Example, when it's time to eat, make a loud noise with a pot or pan. When it's time to play fetch, do the same each time you throw the ball or whatever. Work your way up to the shotgun. They make those launchers that fire a dummy with a .22 blank. Racking the slide on a shotgun also gets them fired up.

[glockgirl]

This guy has some awesome tips: http://www.gundogsupply.com/sws-gun-shy.html

[Captain90s]

Both of our dogs were started out with the .22. Bear hasn't made many range trips with us, but he's reacted well the times he has come. Lola (the small dog) doesn't give two fucks about gun noise, but she's well aware of what happens down range, she won't go past where we've set up the firing line.

[olydemon]

Just go take the pup for a walk around Renton... By the end of the walk it will be used to gun fire....

[ANZAC]

Have someone feeding them treats while you fire.

[cootduster]

When I wanted to "train" my Lab to gun noise, I started by taking him with me to the Range. I left him in the truck. He'd just go to sleep on the seat. The farther away gun noise never bothered him. Later I used a progression up from 22,38 to a shotgun while we were training. My dog had two collars, one he wore around the house, with his dog tags. BUT, once the collar he wore when we trained was put on, all of a sudden he knew it was serious time. after training was over, I'd swap collars again and he went back to being a goofus Lab.
Worked for me.

cootduster

[Ops]

teach it to carry

[MadPick]

^ That's effing awesome. I hope there's a badge on the other side!

[mxsjw]

two short 2x4s...clack em' together, your can ramp up or ramp down as needed and still do it almost anytime, almost anywhere.