My GSP is afraid of gunfire

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OHclint66
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My GSP is afraid of gunfire

Post by OHclint66 » Sat Dec 03, 2016 5:17 pm

I have an 11 month old GSP female. She loves to find birds. We have been training on Bobwhites at a game farm, and i figured it was time to introduce the blank pistol after several great training sessions. The blank gun made her want to stand beside me and she stopped hunting for several minutes. Since then I have just been making a lot of noise around her,clapping my hands, banging food bowls, etc. She is not scared of a nail gun, because I was using one in the barn and she hung out right next to me while I worked. When the air compressor in the barn kicks on she doesn't flinch. Heck even when there is a lot of shotgun fire in an ajacent training field she won't bat an eye. But a cap pistol from 30 yards away scared her. I'm at a loss here, and worried I ruined my pup. Thanks for helping.

cjhills
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Re: My GSP is afraid of gunfire

Post by cjhills » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:20 pm

More birds solve every thing. She needs to get very excited about birds and make the connection that gun equals bird. Let her find and chase birds even if she catches a few. Have a partner fire from a distance, when the dog is really into the chase. Some dogs have a Issue with blank guns I think because of the sharp sound. Keep moving closer as long as she shows no concern. We have started with a .410 lately. When you can shot a .410 or whatever you start with nearby and she shows no concern go to a larger gauge. Expect her to be fine...........................Cj

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Cicada
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Re: My GSP is afraid of gunfire

Post by Cicada » Sat Dec 03, 2016 9:13 pm

Maybe take a step back and use a kids cap gun and then a a shotgun with just the primer.

Grant

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tekoa
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Re: My GSP is afraid of gunfire

Post by tekoa » Sun Dec 04, 2016 1:17 am

I was going to describe how I have introduced my my last five dogs to birds and guns when my wife reminded me that the process I use I borrowed from George Hickox about 12 years ago and maybe I should let him tell how to do it since he does it better than I can. So here's an excerpt from Hickox's "Introduction to birds and guns" :


Properly introducing a dog to guns and birds is of paramount importance. A dog that blinks birds, turns off at the flush or heads for the truck at the first shot is not worth a tinker's "bleep" in the field. Purposeful avoidance of birds, flush problems and gun-shyness are environmental or trainer-induced problems. Dogs are not born gun-shy; they are made that way.

Because a gun or bird problem is often extremely difficult to fix - if it even can be fixed - I handle the introductions of such elements with extreme care. I go into it assuming the dog will have a problem with the raucous flush of a rooster and the sharp report of a gun. By approaching the task with caution, I try not react negatively to either the sound of a gun or the sound, smell and sight of a flushing gamebird.

Granted, there are many stories of owners simply taking young dogs that have never been exposed to birds or guns on hunting trips and having positive experiences. A bird flies, the dog chases, the bird is shot, no problem. The dog is jazzed up by all the excitement and takes off hunting for another bird. Great! Keep in mind, however, that there are many more examples of this approach resulting in a dog that will never quest for game or that flees at the mere sight of a gun. Some dogs simply are predisposed to gun-shyness and flush problems by virtue of their temperament and/or lack of field experience in their bloodline. By the same token, just because a pedigree reads like a Who's Who of bird dogs, there's no guarantee that a pup won't develop a problem with guns and/or birds if it is improperly introduced to them. (Of course, I'm a firm believer in the importance of genetics, and a dog with sound genetics will train more easily in every way.)

The birdier the dog-the stronger its desire to hunt and chase-the less likely it will be to blink birds or become gun- shy. Therefore, I introduce the dog to birds prior to and separately from the gun. It is very important that this initial experience be a positive one, as dogs learn by association, and a negative encounter is readily imprinted.

It is for this reason that the first step in introducing a dog to birds does not involve a flush at all. In my building-block approach to training, the process has been broken down to a series of subparts: first a bird that does not flap, then a bird that does, then a less-innocuous flush (guaranteeing the dog won't be caught unaware) and finally the flush of a pheasant.

In this approach, the dog's first bird is a locked-wing or harnessed pigeon. To lock the wings of a pigeon, spread the wings out, with the bird facing you, by holding the right wing in your left hand and the left wing in your right. Fold the left wing behind the right wing. Lock the elbow joint of the left wing over the elbow joint of the right wing. Now the bird cannot fly or flap. This does not harm the bird, and you can simply unlock the wings and have a flyer.

Begin by teasing the dog in an upbeat manner and toss the lockwing about 10 feet from the dog in an area where the dog can see the bird the entire time. A mowed lawn is preferable to an overgrown weed patch. Start the introductory session in an area free of other distractions. You want the dog to be focused on the bird. I certainly wouldn't take the chance of a truck backfiring or a mother shouting, "No!" to a child while this is going on. Remember, dogs learn by association.

Hopefully, when you toss the bird the dog will tear after it. Perhaps the dog will immediately grab the bird. Or maybe it will cautiously approach the pigeon, getting up the nerve to tentatively smell it and make sure it's not a threat. In the latter case, be patient. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your pup won't be trained in a day either. Let the pup advance at its own pace. Put a piece of duct tape over your mouth and resist saying, "Find the bird! Find the bird! Where's the birdie? Good dog! That a way!" Remember, the fewer distractions, the better.


If you are introducing a pup between six and 16 weeks old, keep in mind that boldness comes in numbers. Two or more pups on the ground at the same time will give each other confidence. They'll act like a street gang and be a lot less timid.

It is important to remember that you are not training to retrieve; you are introducing the dog to birds. If the dog grabs the bird and runs for the woods or starts gnawing it, don't shout, "No!" or "Here!" in an angry tone. Your objective is to develop the dog's confidence. Don't have a check cord on the dog now either, as this will be one less distraction for the dog, and you won't have to resist the temptation to pull the dog to you when it has the bird in its mouth.

You can solve the problem of the dog running away with the bird by using some sort of corridor. I use snow fencing to create an alley, which I later use for retrieving work. If the dog picks up the bird and brings it to you, by all means take advantage of your good fortune and praise the dog. If the dog is mouthing the bird, smelling it or tugging at the tail feathers, simply walk up and give the dog an encouraging pet and toss the bird out again.

Once you ascertain that the dog is not intimidated by the pigeon and enthusiastically pounds after it, you are ready to move to the next step. In the case of pointing dog training, I next use a harnessed quail. I use a bamboo pole with a piece of clothesline attached to it that is in turn attached to the quail harness. A five or six-foot length of line works great. The quail can fly around but not away. I take one or more pups out in an area with good visibility and toss the bird. I can twitch the quail to excite the pups. When the pups rush for the bird, I fly it by lifting it off the ground with the pole. I don't want pointing pups catching the bird, as the more they catch, the less likely they'll be to point. It is hoped that the
In the case of flushing and retrieving breeds, the sessions will remain in the snow-fence corridor. I'll tape the wings on a pigeon or use rubber bands to bend the flight feathers together so the pigeon can flap but not fly away. I'll toss the flapping bird down the corridor with the flusher/retriever in full pursuit. Once the dog is bold and confident with the flapping bird, I'll progress to fly-away birds.

With both flushing and pointing breeds, I then let quail out of a Johnny House recall pen. I hold the dog by the dog collar and let it see the birds walk out. I then release the dog, which should act like it was shot out of a cannon. I let the dog chase and become a bird junkie. This is not the time to command "Here" and try to instill obedience. Let the pup have fun. The dog should now be enthusiastic and confident around birds. I plant some flyers (pigeons, quail, chukar or hen pheasants) in the training field and let the pup loose. I like to have enough birds planted that I can assume the dog will find some to chase. Once the dog is aggressively chasing birds, I am ready to introduce the gun.

I need an assistant to introduce the dog to gunfire. I have this person stand 75 to 100 yards away with a .22 crimp pistol as opposed to a .22 starter pistol, a pistol that fires 209 primers or a shotgun. A .22 crimp makes a low, piercing sound. I tease the dog with a rubber-banded pigeon, then toss the bird. The pigeon will flutter out 20 to 30 yards with the dog in hot pursuit. Just as the bird is about to touch down, with the dog thinking, Gotcha!, I wave my hand to instruct my assistant to fire the pistol.

The dog should not acknowledge the sound. I then toss a few more pigeons, with my helper firing just as the dog is closing in on each bird. This way, in the dog's mind, every bird is shot and my assistant never misses. I have the assistant move closer over a period of days until I can fire the crimp from my side with the dog showing only focus on the bird. I then repeat the entire procedure with 209 primers, then a .410, then a 28, a 20 and finally a 12-gauge shotgun.

The only thing left to do is to introduce the dog to a rooster pheasant. Taping the wings of a cockbird, I toss him out in plain view of the dog. Once I see that the dog is confident enough to charge after a rooster, I'm ready to plant gamebirds in my training field and shoot them. Hit or miss, the dog won't have a problem. Now we are well on our way to developing a gundog and can progress in our training program with confidence.

OHclint66
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Re: My GSP is afraid of gunfire

Post by OHclint66 » Sun Dec 04, 2016 8:17 am

Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement everyone.

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