HELP-Suddenly gunshy

boesman · Post by **boesman** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 6:25 pm

Four months ago Gamba,myGWP(now 14 months)was injured and had surgery.After that he spent 2 months at the vets and 2 more with me at home.Took him out training for the 1st time today and after the 1st shot he skulked away and only came back after alot of pleeding,tried 2 more shots and he does the same thing.

Any ideas,or is it a case of starting over?

fc

Post by **grant** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 9:52 pm

eeek! That stinks!

I would think starting over might work...

Let'em get crazy over birds again, and slowly introduce to blank pistol... etc...

snips · Post by **snips** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:29 am

Your right Grant....Pup souds like he`s already been thu alot, probably needs plenty of time to bold up. In my experience with Wires they tend to be slow maturing anyway. The first thing people want to do after seeing pup show shyness to gun is, for some reason, shoot more. Now is the time to NOT shoot and give him time to get bird crazy. When you decide the time is right, I would use a 22 crimp blank and shoot it when he`s in a dead chase out away from you, even as he catches a bird. Then only do it (shoot) every other time your out with birds. Read your dog, watch closely his reaction to the noise, if there is no cringe, next time shoot a little closer to him in pursuit. The main thing is be patient and DO NOT rush it. Dogs that show noise sensitivity overload on noise and then you may never get him over it. Take it a little at a time.

boesman · Post by **boesman** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:23 am

Thanks guys

I appreciate your advice and will be sure to take it very slow,he's such a lovely dog i'm sure we will fix this together.

fc

tfbirddog2 · Post by **tfbirddog2** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 9:59 pm

Boesman, did he get hurt while around gunfire, If he did he is putting his two happenings together. I would just start over like snips said, if that would work you can always checkcord him to you while hunting an just kinda force break him on it. Good luck I hope he is ok an all is well for season for you.

jkoehler · Post by **jkoehler** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:06 am

I would say get him around some birds and hunting again. I wouldn't just shoot my gun around him and expect him not to hear it. Put the dog in an enviroment he love, which is hunting, when the bird comes up shoot, he will never know and he is back to new.

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:49 pm

I don't want to sound pestimistic but correcting gunshyness is about the hardest thing to correct and many times is never finished satisfactorily. Do the things like you have been advised here out in the field when he is happily doing something far from you. This should be slow and careful. If it doesn't work the only way I have ever seen a force method succeed is to give him his food and fire a gun when he comes to eat. If he cowers or runs or in anyway quits eating pick the food up and dont offer it again till the next day. Keep doing this till his hunger overcomes his fear. This may take up to five days or so. Then just keep it up till in time he will forget the fear he had completely.

Ezzy

boesman · Post by **boesman** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:21 pm

Thanks again for all the advice and interest.

He was hit by a car when my (used to be) garden services let hi out of his kennel :shock:.I'm sure it will come right though-he's a lovely dog.

fc

ourhunters · Post by **ourhunters** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:56 am

How is your dog doing boesman? Is she responding better to the gunshots?

We are having a similar problem. And, am wondering from everyone about the perfection kennel method. We have had much advice on shooting while dog is way out chasing birds. Fine. Well, once you're getting your shots off closer would you suggest starting the perfection kennel method? I am having some problems with this, as it seems the dog is relating the shot to the bird. He still wants that bird, but veers off from it when he hears that shot.

One other thing I think may work better, any comments please, is working him on this before he's been running and is tired. That way more desire for that bird???

Let me know what you think. This is a self made problem due to noise overload and we will do anything to make better what we've done to our 9 mo old GSP.

Thank you for any replies in advance. I feel awful about the whole thing and just really want to make it better.

Caren

snips · Post by **snips** » Thu Oct 07, 2004 9:58 am

Caren, does the dog love to retrieve a bird, or get the bird in his mouth? I don`t know the Perfection method, but I would not shoot every time out on this dog. (mainly so the dog stops thinking bird means shot). Then time your shot very carefully, if you see the dog after a bird she is going to catch, shoot just as she grabs it or right before. Then wait a bit, then maybe next session do the same. We have even had one person stand and hold dog, other person stand maybe 20-25 ft away. When the person on the other end has dogs attention, throw (whatever dog loves to retrieve) hi, letting it fall. Holder release dog to fetch. (I shout "hey-hey-hey) to get dogs attn each time. Then when dog is excited about it, do the hey, hey, hey, then throw, shoot a blank and release dog to retrieve. Maybe do 3 and quit. Next day do the same.

Doc Holiday · Post by **Doc Holiday** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 8:14 am

Our Boo was very skiddish even on birds flushing. This all happened after a neighbor had a big 4th of July party. Boo was about 8 months old and when we fired a gun around him he would not turn and run to the house, just go about 15 or 20 yards behind us. After 5 minutes or so he was back hunting. He never lost interest in the hunting. I talked to a breeder in Texas, he said to take Boo into the field and with a blank pistol fire a round, never stop walking, pay no mind to the dog. Keep this going until he shows no sign of the shyness. It took me about 8 or 10 times of working him in the field. We are very pleased with the results we achived. Boo is 2 years old now and a very good hunter. This worked for us. I'm not an expert on gun dogs and this was the first time we incounterd a (noise sensitive) dog. I am really glad I talked to this breeder. This may be something to try.

Country-Side Breeders · Post by **Country-Side Breeders** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:51 am

Hi stranger!!!

Glad to see you made it here!

Doc Holiday · Post by **Doc Holiday** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:41 pm

Iwould like to change my screen name. I put my real name in before I realized it would be posted this way. Can you help me with that?

Country-Side Breeders · Post by **Country-Side Breeders** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 7:48 pm

Don, I sent you a PM.

catfishsteve · Post by **catfishsteve** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:44 pm

There is a "cure" for gunshyness.

Gunshy dogs are made, not born and so they can be unmade.

It's a hassle and a time-consuming drag, but this works.

Steve Rafe's Gunshyness cure

Cabela's or Dunn's or Lion Country will have it.

Just call them up and tell the you want the "gunshyness cure tapes" (it's also on CD now)

It's a recording you must play for the dog over sevreal week's time.

Hey, don't laugh!! I've used it!! It works. I get this question all the time on my website and I tell everyone who asks the same thing I'm telling you all here!!

No one has ever come back to me in almost 10 years and told me that these tapes did not cure their dog of gunshyness.

Of courese, the thing to do is to properly introduce the dog to gunfire in the first place, but, thing happen and sometimes you have to fix this problem. The Steve Rafe tapes are the only thing I've ever found to be just about fool-proof for this.

Otherwise, there's just about no other fix that I know of for gunshyness.

Gun Dog Forum

HELP-Suddenly gunshy

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Thanks Patti

Gun Shy Cure - Steve Rafe tapes