Gun conditioning

[bmumph]

I need to gun condition my 11 month old GSP. I have shot a 22 crimp around her while she has been running in the field and chasing tweety birds. She was not particularly scared, but she did notice the shot and ran back to me. I'm worried about making her gun shy, so I'm just looking for some suggestions. I've read that I should intro the gun while she is chasing birds, but I don't have unlimited birds to get her through this process. Should I continue shooting the crimp while she is running off at a distance or maybe shoot while throwing the bumper for her. What would be the best approach for this?

Thanks,

[Sharon]

Needs to be involved with real birds when introducing the gun. How close were you with the starter pistol? They have quite a crack to them.

[bmumph]

She was about 75 yards and I had the gun in my jacket pocket.

[bmumph]

So would it be better if I just planted a bird; let her point, flush it, and then shoot the crimp as she is chasing?

[Dixie39]

I used a frozen quail, that way you don't need a lot of birds and you can use it multiple sessions. I had mine retrieving the quail first to get him excited and totally focused on the bird. I started out with one of the little toy cap guns and would throw the quail out on walks and pop it off when he was away from me and running to get the bird. After that I used blanks, I would throw the quail out for him and my wife shot the blanks from 100 yards away. Did a couple of shots at 100 yards to gauge his demeanor and then repeated the process moving up in 25 yard increments until we got up next to my wife. I always waited to fire until the bird was thrown and he saw it and started after it. Next day I repeated the procedure with a 20 gauge and then finished up with a 12 gauge. After all that I shot a live bird for him. My dog seemed pretty easy and the noise never bothered him, but if they show any hesitation at all I would quit for the day and just let them retrieve the bird and get excited again and then try another day from a farther distance. Don't rush it. I used the Perfect Start/Perfect Finish method.

[DonF]

What happened when you shot and your dog came back? You didn't comfort it did you? Big mistake! You do that and suddenly you let it know it's scary. I think most people get their dog chasing a bird and let the dog get off a good way before shooting. In the Perfect Start video I didn't see that. The one I saw, he got well off from the dog and his wife and the wife was throwing a dead bird for the dog to retrieve. I don't intro the gun around training birds. I let them get off exploring and get real comfortable then take a 22 rifle and holding the muzzle just a few inch's off the ground, fire a shot. Normally the pup will look up and keep going. That's what you want. If the pup shows any kind of fear at all, I don't shoot again that trip out and if the pup come's back, I ignore it like nothing happened and go on. If i were tossing a pigeon for the pup to chase, I'd do the same thing. Negative reaction from the pup end's it that day and I go on like nothing happened.

I hold the rifle close to the ground because it really soften's the sound. When I first shoot a blank gun, I let the pup get going and then fire the blank gun behind me. By yourself, don't plant a bird for her, just toss one and let her get to chasing it good. I though someone said something about firing the blank gun in the pocket, I assume to muffle the sound. Guy at a trial years ago flushed a bird for his dog and fired the blank gun in the pocket of his coat! Caught his coat on fire. Really funny to watch but you really don't want to do that!

[Higgins]

I like to introduce the gun as an association to bird success.

Here is a video of a young pup being introduced to the gun. It's all timing. When his excitement level is at it's highest, at the end of the chase, (the moment the bird is in his mouth), bang.

http://vimeo.com/56924329

Hope you find it useful.

Brad Higgins
http://www.HigginsGundogs.com

Higgins Gundogs hunting etiquette

Dogs: Stay in touch and handle well. Always honor another dog's point, be steady when necessary and manage the birds for the gun.
Handlers: Be silent in the hunt. Allow the dog the freedom to do his work. Nurture the natural retrieve.

[Sharon]

So would it be better if I just planted a bird; let her point, flush it, and then shoot the crimp as she is chasing?

Yes

said better: "I like to introduce the gun as an association to bird success." quote Higgins

[ezzy333]

I only use a shotgun as they are less piercing than a rifle or handgun. I have found that if you carry the gun on yur field trips with the pup you will find a time and place when the pup is running, chasing, or busy doing something while it is a ways away from you. And when I shoot I always aim the gun in the opposite direct from the pup. Seldom does a pup even respond to it and have never had a pup show any fear what so ever. We do remedial training of gunshy dogs and do it the same way with them. Just haven't had a problem, and if you are paying attention to your pup you won't either. I like to keep the gun conditioning separate from birds for two reasons. First if there would be a problem I do not want the pup to associate in any way with birds. And second is I have seen dogs that are find with gun shots when they are on a bird but are not comfortable when there is shooting at birds they aren't working. In several of those cases the dog had only been conditioned to a gun when it was actively involved with the bird. that works when you are hunting alone but not so well when hunting with a group.

Ezzy

[Rik]

I have used the method I learned for George Hickox for eight dogs and all have been extremely successful:

Introduction birds and guns:

In a field, not where you have been doing yard training, Put up a retreiving corridor, tensar fence about 20 yards long and 5 yards wide in a 'V' shape.

Using lock wing pigeons, toss the pigeon into the corridor and turn the pup loose, let pup chase and catch the bird, do this until he is enthusiatically chassing and catching the bird. This might take only one try or many depending on the dog's innate prey drive.

Introduction to guns:
After pup enthusiatically chasing the lock wing, place a helper with a 22 crimp black about 50 yards away and repeat the the bird toss and chase drill. When pup is fully engaged with the pigeon , fire the .22. If the does not notice the .22 firing, move the gun 10 yards closer and repeat the drill. Continue until the gun is in the same place as the bird toss.
At any time the pup notices the gunfire. back up and try again.

Use .22 blank, repeat with a .410 popper, a 20 gauge popper in the same drill until the dog associates gunfire with birds and birds with gunfire In a positive way. Dog should not notice gunfire when game is presentif he does, start over. They will notice gunfire and other loud noises when not hunting or birds are not present.

Later when training pup to point, use the 22 crimp when flushing his first birds and graduate to bigger calibers in stages.
Don't take your dog to a gun range, don't take him on his first hunts with multiple dogs, hunters and guns.
Go slow, err on the side of caution, don't ever scare the pup around birds or guns.
Contrary to what you might have heard, you really cannot "fix" a gunshy dog......



,

[oldbeek]

I use a primer in a shotgun instead of a pistol. Of coarse that requires a reloader. In the past, I have walked my pups up to the shooters at the local trap range, stopping along the way to play with them. Never had a problem with that.