Gun Dog Forum

Last weekend, I spent working my 6mo old Vizsla alone without a firearm. I focused on trying to get her on scent and letting her do her thing. On Sunday morning I left her in the vehicle while my brothers and I walked a quick spot. We shot a few roosters and I went back to get her out of the truck to search for the downed bird. While she was searching my brother kicked up another hiding rooster and dusted it, while being about 20 ft from my dog. I was PO'D at first but thankfully she didn't seem phased at all and actually seemed excited. She actually ran straight towards the knocked down bird. She sniffed it out and kicked it up again where we grabbed it and let her see it. My question is now how do I proceed concerning hunting over her this year? I was planning on very slowly bringing her along and probably not shooting with her this season, but I can't deny that was a very promising sign to see from her. Thoughts? Concerns?

Properly introduce her to the gun, then if she handles a bird and points until you flush it shoot one for her.

Every once in a while there comes along a WonderPup that can take all kinds of mistakes, dumb training ideas, and lots of pressure; the bad thing is, there's no way to tell if you have a WonderPup until you find out you don't.

I think you totally lucked out. Take a deep breath and let go any ideas of pushing her further with that kind of experience for now. Bring her along properly.

By "proper way" what do you mean? I was planning on bringing a .22 w/blanks out in the field and when birds flush or she points a bird that I kick up to shoot.

If the dog was gun shy you'd know it now. You were planning on a whole season without shooting???

I was planning on introducing to gunfire (.22, cap gun, etc.) but not hunting over her with shotguns. Unless she reacted really well to the .22 and progressed. I cared more about getting her on birds and letting her having fun.

You could start with the .22 blanks while the pup is chasing, in order to acclimate her to gunfire. Then you'll need to move on to where gunshot= dead bird = yippee! There are different ways of doing it, we do chase and blank, then chase and shotgun, then shoot to kill. If you try a search you can find other ways, choose one that suits you and your pup. Good luck with your pup

Waterfowler21 wrote:I was planning on introducing to gunfire (.22, cap gun, etc.) but not hunting over her with shotguns. Unless she reacted really well to the .22 and progressed. I cared more about getting her on birds and letting her having fun.

At this point I would quit worrying about the gun but just take it easy he first few trips and go by yourself and only shoot if she is on the bird. There are more times than not that we are shooting over a pup within the week and sometimes on the first day that they have heard a gun. But I start them with the shotgun as a rifle or pistol is a different sound and more piercing than a shotgun. Go hunt her and have fun but take it slow the first couple of trips.

Ezzy

Waterfowler21 wrote: While she was searching my brother kicked up another hiding rooster and dusted it, while being about 20 ft from my dog. I was PO'D at first but thankfully she didn't seem phased at all and actually seemed excited. She actually ran straight towards the knocked down bird. She sniffed it out and kicked it up again where we grabbed it and let her see it. My question is now how do I proceed concerning hunting over her this year? I was planning on very slowly bringing her along and probably not shooting with her this season, but I can't deny that was a very promising sign to see from her. Thoughts? Concerns?

It confuses me intensely that in your land that is full of programs and processes that this should be of concern?....
If the Young dog has already been conditioned to hunt and search and retrieve something that fell from the sky like in training such as a bumper and bring it back to you ,then the only thing that has been overlaid in the process is the shot ,which most probably interrupted the hunt/search and instigated the chase catch sense ? which to me is a process that is used in 'Training' a young dog ?..If you wan't to learn how to swim at some point you will have to get in the water,knowing when is when you are in too deep that you can't get back to the shore is most folks fear.

Waterfowler21 wrote:By "proper way" what do you mean? I was planning on bringing a .22 w/blanks out in the field and when birds flush or she points a bird that I kick up to shoot.

When pup chases a bird and is far out, shoot the shotgun. If she shows no reaction, shoot again when she's chasing the next bird, but a little closer. Work your way in until you're close to her. Don't shoot the birds unless she handles them properly. If she shows any reaction, move back. Although this one time she didn't react I still think you should do this to make the positive association and not have to worry about it. Good luck

Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

DougB wrote:Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

+1

DougB wrote:Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

Really? I disagree... it wasn't a test, it was an accident. I think the dog should still be put through proper intro. Why take the chance?

ruffbritt4 wrote:

DougB wrote:Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

Really? I disagree... it wasn't a test, it was an accident. I think the dog should still be put through proper intro. Why take the chance?

X2

ruffbritt4 wrote:

DougB wrote:Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

Really? I disagree... it wasn't a test, it was an accident. I think the dog should still be put through proper intro. Why take the chance?

Gun breaking is not a process. We use a process to introduce the gun but once you have shot over a dog and there was no reaction the process is complete. Accident or not is sounds the same. In my post the only thing I was cautioning about is multiple hunter which means multiple shots and often at a bird the pup doesn't know is there. But all in all the pup has been tested and passed.

Ezzy

ezzy333 wrote:

ruffbritt4 wrote:

DougB wrote:Your dog just passed the test. Smile hand go hunting.

Really? I disagree... it wasn't a test, it was an accident. I think the dog should still be put through proper intro. Why take the chance?

Gun breaking is not a process. We use a process to introduce the gun but once you have shot over a dog and there was no reaction the process is complete. Accident or not is sounds the same. In my post the only thing I was cautioning about is multiple hunter which means multiple shots and often at a bird the pup doesn't know is there. But all in all the pup has been tested and passed.

Ezzy

See I don't agree with that. Dogs learn through association. More often than not I would think it takes more than 1 time to build the positive association between gunfire and a bird. Gun introduction sure is a process, you don't just jump to a shotgun at 20 feet.

ruffbritt4 wrote:

DougB wrote: See I don't agree with that. Dogs learn through association. More often than not I would think it takes more than 1 time to build the positive association between gunfire and a bird. Gun introduction sure is a process, you don't just jump to a shotgun at 20 feet.

You are right, I always try to start at about 50 yards with the shotgun but have on occasion ended at 20 feet within an hour or so. My objection to your comment was the fact that you seemed to think there was a difference between accidental and on purpose. I don't see that at all. Maybe the difference is I break gun conditioning down to a two part process. I do not start with a bird involved. If a pup is going to have trouble with the shot I do not want it associated with a bird in any way. So they get started when they are out in a field running, playing, or chasing some little bird. If they are comfortable with the shot, which over the years they all have been except for a couple. I bring them in closer. and possibly by the 3rd or 4th shot I am killing a pigeon for them. I just have never had one that was gun shy if you watch the pup and do what the pup is comfortable with. And I have never seen any type of an issue in tying a shot to bird for a pup. It usually take a bird or two to have the pup know what we are doing. The only concern I have with gun conditioning is the first couple of shots and after that it is just giving the pup some experience. I am not sure that most pups wouldn't be ready to go in one day if you do it right.

Ezzy

Alex, you lucked out that nothing bad happened. Continue to do as I told you. Keep working the dog on birds. You need a BIRD CRAZY DOG FIRST. Once you have the bird crazy dog you can then shoot your blank, /20ga. at distance and then get closer as she progresses, and then kill. I would be very cautious of her getting spurred by a wounded Rooster also. I would concentrate on contacts not kills. As long as she is excited and having fun everything is in order. Her drive and love of the hunt and birds will overwhelm any negativity associated with a shot or loud noise.

Thanks for the responses all! I had her out this morning and flushed about a half dozen birds in front of her. And I didn't bring the gung-ho brother with this time so no shooting! It's been a pain trying to have birds hold for her to point but other than that she had a great time.

Waterfowler21 wrote:Thanks for the responses all! I had her out this morning and flushed about a half dozen birds in front of her. And I didn't bring the gung-ho brother with this time so no shooting! It's been a pain trying to have birds hold for her to point but other than that she had a great time.

It will come with experience, she's only 6 months old. Stay positive because every wild bird encounter is teaching her.