Dogs and Guns

[snozzberries]

Does your dog like gunfire? Hate it? How do you get your dog to not freak out if it's camping with you and you shoot guns for a couple hours?

[L_O_G]

My Daughters Chihuahua is a former shelter rescue that was abused and hates anything loud, fireworks, motorcycles, guns, etc.

I have no idea if my recent puppy addition tolerates them or not. Being that he is German Short Haired pointer and Lab Im hoping he tolerates it a bit better

[os2firefox]

Dogs have more sensitive hearing than humans. I remember cutting my range trip short when I took my German Shepherd with me and heard her whining and cowering behind me. She also exhibited short term deafness, but recovered after a couple of days. Retarded mistake... Poochina now wears hearing protection like the rest of us.



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[sigman226]

My lab didn't have the luxury of not liking gunfire. She was going to be hunting. My son and I took her out, I squatted down and let her smell my shotgun while my son pet her assuring her it was ok. Then while I was shooting the shotgun, again he was petting and assuring her it was ok. And while shooting her gave her treats too. The when done shooting, again I squatted down with the shotgun, this time with a treat on the stock, 1 on the side of the barrel and 2 by the ejection port. No problems, and as a byproduct of the training she don't freak out at New Years or 4th of July either!

[Jonathan Brown]

With my black labs, I always broke them in to gunfire when they were pups in training. I would toss the fake pheasant dummy as far as I could throw it, after popping off a round of something, or lighting a firecracker. Before long, they would associate BOOM with "LETS GO HUNTING, FUN! FUN! FUN!" Pretty basic.

But once a dog becomes afraid of gunfire, its an iffy proposition if they will ever be comfortable with it. But you must associate the boom with something fun, to have any chance.

[Selador]

With my black labs, I always broke them in to gunfire when they were pups in training. I would toss the fake pheasant dummy as far as I could throw it, after popping off a round of something, or lighting a firecracker. Before long, they would associate BOOM with "LETS GO HUNTING, FUN! FUN! FUN!" Pretty basic.

But once a dog becomes afraid of gunfire, its an iffy proposition if they will ever be comfortable with it. But you must associate the boom with something fun, to have any chance.

This is exactly what I have always done with my dogs.

Fireworks, thunder, gunfire... Any of that stuff, and I would make a game of it. Hop around, have fun, laugh extra when the thunder happens, etc...

The dog will watch you for a bit, then eventually figure out that the loud noises are nothing to be afraid of, and join you in the fun.

Never has failed to cure a dog of that fear.

[Beer Hounds]

I have two dogs and two totally different results. I took my dobie shooting once, once. He curled up on the floorboard of my 4runner under the pedals and was scared shitless. My husky/healer mix coul care less, and I actually have to keep her tied up so she doesn't go down range.

[OhShoot!]

My rat terrier sits in the truck while I shoot at the pit with no trouble. I started her young. She's a good girl.