Gun-shy Lab

[Double Shot Banks]

Hello,
We have discovered that my pup banks is nervous around guns, i dont believe it can't be fixed but i was wondering if you had any ideas. I tried using a .22 pistol when he would retrieve, and he didn't like it, and wouldn't want to retrieve after it. i stopped and then recently tried to shoot a couple off when he is out in the yard just running around. he gets nervous and stays close, his tail is tucked up a little and he isnt himself. We started letting him play with balloons in the shop..he isnt fond of it and soon learned how to grab the balloons by the tied end and carry them around
If you have any ideas on how to fix this i would love to hear them, he isn't a skittish dog, he has lots of drive and is all over the place normally
Thanks,
Isaac and Banks

[WillieELk78GSP]

I am not the most experience with this but I would say go an talk to a local trainer about your issues, sometimes they will surprise you with a trick or two.

[Doc E]

99% of the time, gunshyness is man-made............. Something went wrong somewhere in gun introduction.



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[birddogger]

Unfortunately it sounds like you have caused this problem. He has not been introduced to the gun in a proper manner and letting him play with balloons is another huge mistake. It doesn't sound like he is full blown gun shy yet but you are on your way to ruining him if you continue what you are doing. He needs to associate the gun with fun/birds and the gun needs to be introduced at a distance to begin with. I am not going to go into details right now but there is plenty of information and good advice on this problem by researching it on this forum. "gonehuntin'" on here has an excellent and detailed article on the subject. But it is time consuming and requires an enormous amount of patience once a dog has the fear and you may be better off sending him to a pro which can be pretty pricey.

Charlie

[Sharon]

x2 Excellent post.

[Wildweeds]

Yep agree 100%, the intro has been all wrong with this dog,For starters put the pistol up and leave it where it should be,in the safe or the sock drawer,.22 pistols KRAAAACK,the pitch is completely different than the BOOM of a shotgun,also if your useing live rounds in that .22 it creates a subsonic whirr that only the dog can hear,similar to a silent whistle.What your dog needs are clip wing pigeons,you throw the pigeon and it flutters to the ground,the action jump starts the "GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!" reaction,do this and introduce the gun with a helper after a few maul the bird sessions,the trick is timing,you want your helper to fire a small bore shotgun,with the muzzle 180 degrees from the travel of the dog from about 50 yards away at the instant the dog hits the bird and the feathers fly.You work up to the point of firing right over the dog. He's got to be fired up over birds first and THEN intro the gun.The desire for the birds will help distract him from the gun.When you start killing birds for him he will become infatuated with the gun,the sound it makes and the birds at the end of a shot stream.If at 50 yards away you get a stop and look in the direction of the gun and run to the truck.You got a major problem on your hands that only a pro and chickens can cure.

99% of the time, gunshyness is man-made............. Something went wrong somewhere in gun introduction.



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[Doc E]

I forgot to ask --- What training program are you following ?



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[Francois P vd Walt]

99% of the time, gunshyness is man-made............. Something went wrong somewhere in gun introduction.



.

+1 Now that you are nervous it makes him more unsure, get out with other dogs that get excited by gun shots and let a friend hold Banks. Start with blanks and work up. Soon he will see this doesn't hurt!

And away we go!

Good luck & stay possitive & calm.

[Waterdogs1]

Gun Shyness is man made. Are you throwing him marks or just hand throwing yourself. If he has good desire to retrieve you can get him over it just put the pistol away for now. Throw marks without the gun for awhile and when you intro to gun do it at a good distance and you won't have a problem. It might do you some good to get with a retriever pro in your area.

[whoadog]

Gun Shyness is man made.

Maybe, but, there are more factors involved than just a poor gun intro. It bothers me that so often gun-shy is just dumped into "poor gun intro" without any other considerations. Double Shot Banks, is that a pic of the pup in question as your avatar? If it is, look at the expresson on that pup's face. He is obviously concerned about something. If his face has that look cemented on it, I would not even bother with a cure. Curing gun shy requires a dog that, in all other ways is a healthy, happy worker. As well, where are you located?

[RoostersMom]

Try Jon Hann at Perfection Kennels, though labs aren't his bread and butter dogs, he has a soft spot for them and he can work wonders with a gun-shy dog. I bet you can work him through this, but you'd better find help ASAP because you'll just make it worse if you try to do something yourself (speaking from experience here - not trying to be negative). You need someone who has dealt with this problem before with multiple dogs. There might be other trainers in your area. It will be worth the sacrifice (money) to have it done right, then you and Banks can spend a lot of quality time together in the field - you've probably got more than 10 years left of hunting at least with him. Spend the money now on a proven trainer to help you - you (and Banks) will be glad you did.

[Wingman]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

[crackerd]

Gun Shyness is man made.

Maybe, but...

No "maybe" and no "but." If the dog - the gundog - the Lab were introduced to gunfire as retriever trainers universally do, with a thrown bumper or bird concurrent with shot and both at distance, nobody would ever hear again of gunshyness afield.

MG

[Saddle]

Take him to a professional before you cause more harm. The next progression in this is for him to associate that gunshot with birds. Once he does that then he'll start blinking. If he starts blinking then you might as well give him a way because he's pretty much ruined.

[deseeker]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

You lucked out--the shooting range is one of the WORST places to interduce a pup to the gun. The 4th of July is also a terrible way to get a pup used to load noises. IMO :roll:

[DogNewbie]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

You lucked out--the shooting range is one of the WORST places to interduce a pup to the gun. The 4th of July is also a terrible way to get a pup used to load noises. IMO :roll:

+1...I think it's safe to say most, if not every, professional trainer will say not to do it this way. I did things like clap loudly or slam the kitchen cupboards while he was eating, just to get it started in his head that loud noises are associated with good things like food. I didn't over do it however. You gotta work up to loud noises slowly and always watch the pups reaction and never go louder if you see a reaction. Once I started gun intro I did it like people have suggested above. It's not an issue of the pup just needing to get over its fear of loud noises, you have to condition the pup to associate loud noises with a positive out come. Where is the positive association when the pup is just sitting in a crate? There isn't one.

[Double Shot Banks]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

[jwnissen]

[quote="Wildweeds"]Yep agree 100%, the intro has been all wrong with this dog,For starters put the pistol up and leave it where it should be,in the safe or the sock drawer,.22 pistols KRAAAACK,the pitch is completely different than the BOOM of a shotgun,also if your useing live rounds in that .22 it creates a subsonic whirr that only the dog can hear,similar to a silent whistle.What your dog needs are clip wing pigeons,you throw the pigeon and it flutters to the ground,the action jump starts the "GOTTA HAVE IT!!!!" reaction,do this and introduce the gun with a helper after a few maul the bird sessions,the trick is timing,you want your helper to fire a small bore shotgun,with the muzzle 180 degrees from the travel of the dog from about 50 yards away at the instant the dog hits the bird and the feathers fly.You work up to the point of firing right over the dog. He's got to be fired up over birds first and THEN intro the gun.The desire for the birds will help distract him from the gun.When you start killing birds for him he will become infatuated with the gun,the sound it makes and the birds at the end of a shot stream.If at 50 yards away you get a stop and look in the direction of the gun and run to the truck.You got a major problem on your hands that only a pro and chickens can cure.

[quote="Doc E"]99% of the time, gunshyness is man-made............. Something went wrong somewhere in gun introduction.



+1 Mine is extremely gunshy and being fixed this way right now. It takes time and you need to find someone who has the time to take with your dog. Mine is pretty bad and we are already seeing improvement in just the first week. Good luck, this problem sucks. An by the way, a really good trainer can gun break any dog, all it takes is time and patience.

[birddog1968]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

Forget the gun for now, get him crazy about birds, If he's bird crazy (and I wouldn't even be afraid to feed him some bird parts after he's had fun with a bird) then you can start into shooting a blank gun/starters pistol when the dog is in full chase of a bird.....Gun intro is simple , unfortunately so is doing it wrong. Good luck !

[will-kelly]

Issac stop what you are doing immediately. Do not take the dog to a range in his kennel.

He is already showing signs of gun shyness and taking him to within 50 yards of a shotgun is just stupid at this point.

I just took a look at your posts and it looks like your dog is only 5 months old!

Here is a link to the North American Hunting Retriever Association retriever clubs in the central US region. There are 4 clubs in Iowa so one of them has to have members close enough to help you out.

http://www.nahra.org/index.php/find-a-club/central

Here is a link to find the AKC clubs in Iowa as well. Just choose your breed and your state. You will find a ton of resources.

http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.c ... display=on

You are young and ambitious and that is a good thing. Every dog is different and the one that you own is showing signs that even the best trainers with decades of experience struggle with.

Best of luck and no matter what you read on this site you need the help of an experienced trainer to have a better chance at correcting this huge problem. He's just a pup. Make it fun for him or you will regret it for the next 10 years.

[Sharon]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

You may have been lucky and found this plan worked for you, but I sure wouldn't recommend it. Many a dog has been ruined at a shooting range. Forget any gunfire for now and concentrate on fun with birds. The thing about dogs is that they REMEMBER. I had an oven door that would bang down on its own . It only happened twice but all house dogs will not go near that oven door now.
I hope your dog forgets his fear. Some start with a cap gun in order to be extra careful. You can't be too careful when conditioning a dog to the gun.

[sdsujacks]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

I am the furthest thing from an expert. But what I have learned from personal experience, this forum, books and dvds is to put away a gun for several months, hunting season is pretty much over til next fall so don't bring a gun out around him til June or July. Between now and then get him used to loud startling noises around the house, slamming cupboards, dropping silverware, clapping, loud music, but don't overdue it like somebody stated. Make sure that he NEVER ever hears the sound of a gun or firework between now and then. Keep him inside in a crate next July 4. In the meantime continue working on obedience, marking, etc. and progress training. Get him really interested, too interested in birds, for a couple months. When he loves birds then start with a blank pistol, you can buy one on gundogsupply.com for $30ish bucks, it works fine for being cheap in price. LIke others have stated, have a helper stand in your case probably 150 yards away and slowly move in, 10 yards at a time. I would normally say to have them stand 50 yards away but I feel like this is an extreme case and its better to be safe than sorry.

[Sfd714]

I tried to keep my pup away the first time i was shooting clays in the back yard and he started going crazy so we let him out and he sat by my side or walked around within 15 yards of me while i was shooting. He was less than 4 months at the time. Just my experience. I can't even pick up a gun and he goes crazy with excitement.

[birddogger]

I tried to keep my pup away the first time i was shooting clays in the back yard and he started going crazy so we let him out and he sat by my side or walked around within 15 yards of me while i was shooting. He was less than 4 months at the time. Just my experience. I can't even pick up a gun and he goes crazy with excitement.

Some dogs are never bothered by it but you sure are taking a big chance for no reason. What you describe could have ended up with a ruined dog for life. I am glad you are one of the lucky ones, but there is just no reason to take a chance like that. If you are going to shoot clays, the pup should be no where around.

Charlie

[birddog1968]

agreed Charlie, I've got a couple with 1000's of birds shot over them that will shake and shiver and look scared if they have to sit around and listen to 100 gunshots for no reason.

[AmericanBrittGuy]

I tend to agree with Birddogger, his whole line of comments. I have a 4 year old rescue Brittany that I adopted 6 months ago. At the onset (as she isn't my only dog) I made the conscious decision to bring her along slow. Like a puppy slow. First a couple of months in the training field and yardwork with no guns of any kind. Introduced birds, with no guns of any kind. Then, as he said, once she was lazer beam focused on the birds I had helper (at a distance) fire a cap gun (really, a cap gun) at the flush. She was not shy, but would look toward the helper at the cap gun shot. We continued to train with and without birds. Eventually she paid no attention to the cap gun and focused on the bird flying off. Slowly I added my blank pistol when birds flushed. And finally, for the last month, she is hunting with the 'finished dog' and being shot over just fine.

This is basically the routine 'my' trainer uses with gun shy dogs.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1358304251.084453.jpg

[Doc E]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

I think it would be best if you got on a Modern, Proven, Sequential training program.
Quit screwing around.

You never answered me when i asked "What Training Program are you on"............ :roll:



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[Double Shot Banks]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

I think it would be best if you got on a Modern, Proven, Sequential training program.
Quit screwing around.

You never answered me when i asked "What Training Program are you on"............ :roll:



.

I am not following any program, just going off of what i know and what my dad knows since he has trained them for years.
Isaac and Banks

[birddogger]

Thanks for all the responses
So you think it would be best to get a bird our with him and shoot from a distance? should i use a shotgun?
Thanks.
Isaac and Banks

I think it would be best if you got on a Modern, Proven, Sequential training program.
Quit screwing around.

You never answered me when i asked "What Training Program are you on"............ :roll:



.

I get a little chuckle when you ask this question, noticing that you ask it everytime. I guess what amuses me is the fact that I think you already know the answer. And that is that most of the people asking for advise are just trying different things without following any kind of proven program, which you are actually suggesting [and rightly so] by asking the question.

Charlie

[Doc E]

I get a little chuckle when you ask this question, noticing that you ask it everytime. I guess what amuses me is the fact that I think you already know the answer.

Charlie

You saw right through me
I can usually tell from their question what their answer will be.



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[Double Shot Banks]

I think i can find some pigeons. Would you guys recomend me waiting till spring after the force fetch or now?
Thanks
Isaac and Banks

[whoadog]

maybe" and no "but." If the dog - the gundog - the Lab were introduced to gunfire as retriever trainers universally do, with a thrown bumper or bird concurrent with shot and both at distance, nobody would ever hear again of gunshyness afield.

I politely disagree. I have seen a dog that was introduced to gunfire with a proven method go gunshy. I train semi-professionally and it was a personal gundog that I eventually cured. I intro gun with a cap gun at about 35 yards while the dog is involved in a activity they thoroughly enjoy. The first "shot" she turned her head and dropped her tail. I moved my "shooter" out about twice as far, got her going again, and fired another cap. She went and hid under the porch. Now, I picked this pup up at 6 weeks of age and carefully protected her from any accidental exposure to loud sound. Why? Because I was fairly certain the bitch, who is obviously skittish, was also gun shy. Was my only case of gun shy (that I introduced gun fire to) in over 25 years of dog training man-made? Undoubtably, yes. But, the real issue was not with the method but with breeding a bitch that never should have been bred. I am certain while my pup was still with the bitch, she learned gun shy from her. As an aside, I know for a fact at least one other of the pups had a problem with guns. Coincidence? I don't think so. Not to say that a good method is not important, I just don't think it is the only factor. Once again, look at the dog's face. He is just not a relaxed pup. A good many other things are liable to come hard for him.

[Doc E]

I think i can find some pigeons. Would you guys recomend me waiting till spring after the force fetch or now?
Thanks
Isaac and Banks

I would suggest (once again) that you get on a modern SEQUENTIAL training program and FF when appropriate (ala the Flow Chart). I certainly wouldn't FF during hunting season.

There is a lot of training needed prior to FF


.

[sdsujacks]

I know everybody has their own opinions on programs to follow and most of them are good if you use them correctly. I'm getting the sense that you don't want to spend money on a training program as some of them can be very expensive. I would recommend buying Dokkens book for $20, I'm sure you can find it cheaper for used on amazon. It is a very easy, quick read and does a good job of setting up a plan for you. Not the best no, but definitely the best for a budget. If money isn't an issue go with Evan Grahams DVDs. They are very good. I have Dokkens book and for things that I am not 100% sure on then I buy Grahams DVDs to help me through that training issue more in depth. In time I am now starting to collect all of them ha.

[Double Shot Banks]

I know everybody has their own opinions on programs to follow and most of them are good if you use them correctly. I'm getting the sense that you don't want to spend money on a training program as some of them can be very expensive. I would recommend buying Dokkens book for $20, I'm sure you can find it cheaper for used on amazon. It is a very easy, quick read and does a good job of setting up a plan for you. Not the best no, but definitely the best for a budget. If money isn't an issue go with Evan Grahams DVDs. They are very good. I have Dokkens book and for things that I am not 100% sure on then I buy Grahams DVDs to help me through that training issue more in depth. In time I am now starting to collect all of them ha.

I found the book, and i think i am going to get it if i can
how hard would it be to switch to a training program like this? what if i have covered something it says i should do (in a different order) should i just do what i havnt yet in the order and skip what i have done? as far a retriever training i havnt done much other than learning him the concept of bringing it back,
Thanks a lot
Isaac and Banks

and Doc E
My dad and i were going to force fetch him this spring when hes old enough, not anywhere close to hunting season

[sdsujacks]

I found the book, and i think i am going to get it if i can
how hard would it be to switch to a training program like this? what if i have covered something it says i should do (in a different order) should i just do what i havnt yet in the order and skip what i have done? as far a retriever training i havnt done much other than learning him the concept of bringing it back,
Thanks a lot
Isaac and Banks

and Doc E
My dad and i were going to force fetch him this spring when hes old enough, not anywhere close to hunting season

I would start it from the very beginning and go in order. If you come across something that you have already done, then just reinforce it and spend a couple days making sure that your pup knows exactly what you expect with that step before moving on. Through personal experience, do it in order. I did skip a couple things that I thought I wouldn't need but now as I am nearing the end of that program its obvious to me I shouldn't have skipped anything. Luckily my dog is very smart and its not too big of an issue.

[CacaoandNilla]

George Hickox has a great section for intro to gun in his flushing videos, simple enough that a monkey could do it

[Doc E]

I know everybody has their own opinions on programs to follow and most of them are good if you use them correctly. I'm getting the sense that you don't want to spend money on a training program as some of them can be very expensive. I would recommend buying Dokkens book for $20, I'm sure you can find it cheaper for used on amazon. It is a very easy, quick read and does a good job of setting up a plan for you. Not the best no, but definitely the best for a budget. If money isn't an issue go with Evan Grahams DVDs. They are very good. I have Dokkens book and for things that I am not 100% sure on then I buy Grahams DVDs to help me through that training issue more in depth. In time I am now starting to collect all of them ha.

I found the book, and i think i am going to get it if i can
how hard would it be to switch to a training program like this? what if i have covered something it says i should do (in a different order) should i just do what i havnt yet in the order and skip what i have done? as far a retriever training i havnt done much other than learning him the concept of bringing it back,
Thanks a lot
Isaac and Banks

Smartwork vs Dokken ========== You're going to get what you pay for



.

[Duckdon]

"I picked this pup up at 6 weeks of age and carefully protected her from any accidental exposure to loud sound. "

I have never done this and not sure if it has any merit. I feel that the more life events you can subject a pup to the better. Called "Socialization". We work construction and hunt allot. Noise is part of life so in my opinion the more exposure you can give a pup at a young age, the better. Now understand that you need to move into new situtations with the pup in mind but avoidance of a situtation for me is not an option. ( On that note, I do not take my new gun dogs to the shooting range, throw them in a kennel on the line, and see how it goes.) I am not an authority on gun dogs but been around them over 50 years. Can't remember ever having a dog that was to shy or to soft to handle the gun. It's all about real world exposure. I do not believe pups are born gun shy, shy by nature, yes, not gun shy. Just my opinion. Don

[duckn66]

Get you a good training program and follow. Research it. There are a bunch out there, some are better than others but at least find one.

Put the gun away for now.

Do NOT take him to a gun range of ANY kind. NO pup should be taken to a gun range EVER before having been WELL broke to the gun. And even then I leave my dogs at home when I shoot clays. I know you didn't but if you take that advice then your taking a HUGE gamble. Why do they need to be there?

I break ALL my retirevers to the gun at 100 yrds or more and a blank .22 pistol fired AWAY from the dog while the bird is in the air and the dog gone off the line and in full stride not far from me yet. Need a helper for this to throw your marks for you. Dog needs to be sailing out to a hundred yards at least before a gun is introduced and needs to be crazy about birds and retrieving. To many people get in too big of a hurry and end up taking short cuts and paying for it in the end. But at 100 yrds the dog is by no means broke to the gun. You still have a lot of work ahead before a gun is brought into the equasion.

I'm not going to post anymore other than that.

For now go pick up a training program, put the gun away, continue to throw marks for the dog and train daily, and find some pigeons. He is not a lost cause in my opinion. I wouldn't be scared to take on this dog.

If you don't think you want to or can, just drop him off to me and I'll add him to my kennel.

[Neil]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

Many have already said it, but the only thing I can add to the thread is to over-emphasis how stupid the above really is. It is bad enough to do it yourself, but to advise others is nuts.

[ezzy333]

What I like to do is take my dog in his crate when I go shoot clays. It is his comfort zone. So the first time you take him shoot with him in his crate like 50 yards away. the next time move him to 30 yards. eventually have the crate right next to you while you shoot! after give it a try outside the crate!

Many have already said it, but the only thing I can add to the thread is to over-emphasis how stupid the above really is. It is bad enough to do it yourself, but to advise others is nuts.

+1 through +100

Ezzy

[Neil]

It retrospect, I don't want to be mean to the guy. We don't know, he might do a thousand things right with his dogs and I really don't want to make him feel unwelcome.

[sdsujacks]

I know everybody has their own opinions on programs to follow and most of them are good if you use them correctly. I'm getting the sense that you don't want to spend money on a training program as some of them can be very expensive. I would recommend buying Dokkens book for $20, I'm sure you can find it cheaper for used on amazon. It is a very easy, quick read and does a good job of setting up a plan for you. Not the best no, but definitely the best for a budget. If money isn't an issue go with Evan Grahams DVDs. They are very good. I have Dokkens book and for things that I am not 100% sure on then I buy Grahams DVDs to help me through that training issue more in depth. In time I am now starting to collect all of them ha.

I found the book, and i think i am going to get it if i can
how hard would it be to switch to a training program like this? what if i have covered something it says i should do (in a different order) should i just do what i havnt yet in the order and skip what i have done? as far a retriever training i havnt done much other than learning him the concept of bringing it back,
Thanks a lot
Isaac and Banks

Smartwork vs Dokken ========== You're going to get what you pay for



.

Correct, you will get what you pay for, however for $20 I think Dokken has a pretty darn good book. If you have no budget I would definitely go for Smarworks.

[Double Shot Banks]

Thank you all for the help, I will be buying Dokkens book tonight or tomorrow, a $200+ program im sure is awesome, but i know my dad knows half what he's talking about having trained lots of labs and hunting dogs, many with gun shy issues.
I will not be taking him to a shooting range, this spring i will buy plenty of pigeons to train him will, and intro guns to him, i will definitely be careful
I guess you have to understand on a teenagers budget, buying much more than food is something i have to work at and save up for. although i have got enough to get the dokkens book!
Thanks so much!
Isaac and Banks

[TheRiley]

You HAVE to start at a distance and work your way in. By distance I don't mean 15 yards...more like 100. I have someone else do the shooting/noise making at a distance while I stay near the dog. At that distance the dog will not be quite as startled and after a few shots the dog will realize there is nothing bad happening...only once the dog stops paying attention to the sound can you move a few steps closer and so on. This method is good for pups or dogs that are already "gun-shy". Yes different types of guns have different sounds but essentially what you are doing is training the dog to not be startled or scared of any loud noise.

[deke]

I have always just started out making very loud noises next to my pup. When i got my lab home i dropped a metal food dish infront of him, he jumped, i put food in it. He has never flinched again. I drop pans, bang on the wall, anything i can do to startle the pup at a young age. They have to learn that noise is a part of life, what better way to teach it then making life much louder than it usually is.

[birddogger]

I do not believe pups are born gun shy, shy by nature, yes, not gun shy. Just my opinion. Don

+1

Charlie