[RailRoadRetrievers]

I decided to take the wonder pup out with me this past Saturday, previous times, hunting was too much for her (first time going), the calling, the shooting, ducks, decoys, and so on, too many things going on. So I exposed her to several things from that time to this time.

1. Fresh killed wild dead ducks.
2. More gun fire (trying to associate with retrieving). I used a starter pistol, but I decided a shot gun near by then getting closer would be better, since I don't hunt ducks with a starter pistol.
3. Decoys
4. Duck calls.


After doing all of the above a few times (once or twice a week) I decided to take her out again.

Here's what happened.

She is ultra-excited about new people, so the other hunters when they came by got a visit from her, not bad, no jumping up on anyone, just going in for a little head rub. She just ignores me in the process.

Shooting time comes, she is by my side, take one shot. She's out of there like a scalded ape. She heads straight for the kennel in the back of the truck. I call her back to me and we both walk up to the truck and I load her up. After the hunt, I take a freshly killed duck and do a few retrieves. Load her up and away we go.

I get home, get some bird load and some bumpers, go out back and throw a bumper shoot in the air (she's about 30 yards from me) the only movement she makes when the gun goes off is forward towards the bumper. By the end of the session she's being shot over head and retrieving with no problems.

How do I fix this? Is she gun shy or hunting shy?

 

[JeffLusk]

i hate problems like this... did you hunt with quite a few people? multiple guns going off? i would try to go hunting with just one other guy. you sit there with her and let him shoot. tell her its ok, mark, a bunch of good words, then see how she reacts. it sucks having to take baby steps, but it will turn out for the best

 

[RailRoadRetrievers]

Actually, for the majority of the morning we were the first and only ones shooting. It just drives me nuts. Every lab has a different personality, what my previous dog did horrible on, she is wonderful, but in the same respect, you could have shot a canon while resting it on his shoulder and he wouldn't of budged.

 

[JeffLusk]

ah man.. hopefully someone else has some good advice for you.. its like she's not gunshy, but is.. i know the real deal is way different than training, but to be perfect in training then go hunting and bolt on you, is weird..

 

[Mark Littlejohn]

...take one shot. She's out of there like a scalded ape. She heads straight for the kennel in the back of the truck.

How do I fix this? Is she gun shy or hunting shy?

I'd take her hunting next time, but leave her in the truck. When you're done, fetch the dog, get your blank pistol, go back to the blind, and re-enact a hunt. Hold the pup, and have a buddy throw a mark and him shoot the pistol. If that's okay, do it again, but you shoot the pistol next time. If all's okay, quit for the day. Introduce a shotgun during training...from a great distance.

You've exposed the pup too quickly to live fire (as you probably know). Don't make it any worse by maintaining the pace you've been at.

 

[RailRoadRetrievers]

But what makes the dog fine with gun fire at home vs. gun fire in the field, its not any louder and that seems to be what she is responding to in the field. I can shoot over her head at home. I just don't get it.

 

[yellow machine]

Had this problem is the past and it took some effort to fix. All I did was take the pup down to our favorit hunting spot and got her used to the surroundings and played some games with her in and around the marsh. It wasn't that she was gun shy but rather needed to get comfortable with the surroundings. Your dog likes playing the games with gun fire and now needs transition the games to the hunt. I was very slow in the trasnsition and it worked out for the dog.

 

[gracie]

I had a similar problem with my pup this year. I ended up keeping her staked, but I moved about 25 yards away. When I had birds down, I would wait (helping with the steadying) and then eventually move back to her and release her for the retrieve. After a couple of hunts like this, moving gradually closer, she is fine. I purposely hunted alone, but still think the live fire, all the duck calling, birds in the air etc. must have been too much. She was 8 and a half months old at the time. I am glad that I retreated and slowed things down, as she went on to retrieve close to 80 ducks for me this season.