GunDogs

R

Rohann

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Location
Van Island, B.C
Not sure if this has been talked about, but as soon as I move out, I'm going to buy a dog. I'd like it to be a hunting/"gun" dog, but I've heard some concerns about that: when you break a dog's "gun-shy"ness, does it go deaf? Are there any major downsides besides that to having a dog be gun-friendly?

-Rohann
 
My GSP is certainly not deaf. I've taken him to my outoor ranges and fired a .9mm, .357, .45ACP and a 12 gauge. He just curled up and went to sleep since there was no "birds" to point out.

Even as a pup he was never gun shy.
 
If you start a dog early and expose him to gunfire, there is no "gun shyness" to break him/her from! I start all my hunting dogs at a couple of months of age on the back lawn. I used to use a starter pistol, but have since opted for one of those cheap cap pistols that use the "full moon" clip of caps (not the paper roll ones). While the puppies play I usually move 50-75 feet away and fire off several clips of caps. Once the pups are comfortable with that noise, I work progressively closer, allowing the pups time to become accustomed to the sound and to not be afraid. This process is really helped if you have another person to help with the dogs and to keep them occupied as you shoot off the caps.

Repeat this process on a regular basis for a week or two until they are totally accustomed to the sound of the caps going off nearby. Once they've demonstrated that they aren't afraid of the noise, I work them up to the sound of a .22LR using the same process, then the .410 and finally the .12ga.

It also helps if the pups learn to equate the appearence of firearms with a positive experience, i.e., they have fun, get to play, etc...

None of my 6 dogs (two Labs & four Beagles) are gun shy. They love hunting and you can unload a 12 ga as fast as you can shoot while hunting from a duck blind without phasing them.

I've successfully used the above method to rehabilitate a number of "gun shy" dogs that were darn near ruined by inexperienced dog owners/hunters, along with a couple of real nimrods as well.

You don't, ever fire off a gun in close proximity to a dog that has never heard the sound of gun fire before. That is one way to guarantee a gun shy dog!
 
I have a Vizsla great dog and never had any issues with guns...points swims great with kids and cats....


Jamie
 
Thanks for the replies! Thanks for the advice too, I'll be sure to work my way up.
Could you guys maybe post some pics of your dogs? I'm not sure what to try and get; I used to have a Golden Retriever, and that was one hell of a dog, but man did it shed and slobber a lot.

-Rohann
 
You don't, ever fire off a gun in close proximity to a dog that has never heard the sound of gun fire before. That is one way to guarantee a gun shy dog!

Now that there is very good advice!!

I started with a .22, then went to a 25-35.
I think it's also important when your starting, to get the dogs attention, so it's looking at you, then fire away from it for the first while.
 
I like Jamie too had a Viszla and that dog would do anything asked of him. He would point fur and feather, retiever on land or in water(even cold water), guard the house, good with kids... I even taught him how to climb trees and smile on command(no B.S.). He was an extremely smart dog.

If I could give anyone a piece of advice with a new dog it would be to train early and often, you will get out of him what you put in!
 
I have an english springer spaniel from the top hunting kennel in Canada. She is gun shy, hates thunder and any sharp sound. Get her out into the field and she hunts like a pro. If she flushes a bird she will chase it and you can shoot a canon and it does not bother her. She almost died 2 years ago and was on high steroid for a full year. She is now better and just a bit over weight. We will start taking her out into the field and try to build up her stamina again. I hope to have her in shape for this fall.
Zurihegel
 
If you want a top of the line, do it all hunting dog. Go with a Wirehared Pointing Griffon.
IMG_0824.jpg

IMG_0785.jpg

He's fearless, impervious to the cold, loves water, and is a hunting fool.
And he DOES NOT SHED, not even a bit. No furballs on the floor, my wife LOVES him!
 
Thanks for the posts! I'll keep all that in mind before starting to train.
Also, is there any sort of behavioral difference that should be taken note of between a male and female dog?

Griffoneur: Cool lookin' dog! I'd definately like to have an outdoor dog like that. Our current dog is funny (maltese poodle-ish, my sister's dog), but is very useless and kind of fragile.

-Rohann
 
Take a hard look at the Labrador Retriever. They're probably the best waterfowl gun dogs on the planet, and can also excel on upland game as a flushing dog. I was surprised the last time I visited Great Britain, most of the hunters I talked to use Labs almost exclusively for upland game, such as partridge, etc...I had expected to see tons of regal English & Irish Setters tramping the moors and barrens, but not so!

The Labs have a lot going for them. They're very intelligent, very easy to train, robust, strong, loyal and make great family pets as well as gun dogs. They DO require regular exercise & lots of it and they aren't a dog that you can chain up and leave for most of the year. They're a people dog.
 
X-man said:
Take a hard look at the Labrador Retriever. They're probably the best waterfowl gun dogs on the planet, and can also excel on upland game as a flushing dog. I was surprised the last time I visited Great Britain, most of the hunters I talked to use Labs almost exclusively for upland game, such as partridge, etc...I had expected to see tons of regal English & Irish Setters tramping the moors and barrens, but not so!

The Labs have a lot going for them. They're very intelligent, very easy to train, robust, strong, loyal and make great family pets as well as gun dogs. They DO require regular exercise & lots of it and they aren't a dog that you can chain up and leave for most of the year. They're a people dog.
Click to expand...

Great Post! Labs are amazing!
 
X-man said:
Take a hard look at the Labrador Retriever. They're probably the best waterfowl gun dogs on the planet, and can also excel on upland game as a flushing dog. I was surprised the last time I visited Great Britain, most of the hunters I talked to use Labs almost exclusively for upland game, such as partridge, etc...I had expected to see tons of regal English & Irish Setters tramping the moors and barrens, but not so!

The Labs have a lot going for them. They're very intelligent, very easy to train, robust, strong, loyal and make great family pets as well as gun dogs. They DO require regular exercise & lots of it and they aren't a dog that you can chain up and leave for most of the year. They're a people dog.
Click to expand...

With a lab and a beagle 99% of your hunting is covered.
 
Why not go and invest a few bucks in a couple of good books about Gun Dog breeds and training before you invest a lot of money in animal that may or may not meet your expectatations.

As to breeds, ### & colour, there are as many individual opinions out there as there are opinions on guns & cartridges. There is no one "Best" or "All Purpose" .
 
Rohann said:
when you break a dog's "gun-shy"ness, does it go deaf? Are there any major downsides besides that to having a dog be gun-friendly?Rohann
Click to expand...

You don't "break" a dog's gunshyness... You start small with a cap gun or starter pistol fired at some distance and eventually work up to the real deal. Some dogs never show any sign of "gunshyness", others you have to go slow... My advice... GO SLOW, you definitely don't want a gunshy dog...

Also, if you want a dog that's gonna do it all... Have a look here...

http://www.vdd-canada.ca/

READ the info about just what kinda standards THESE dogs are held to... Racehorses are racehorses, GUNDOGS are GUNDOGS... Nuff said!

Cheers
Jay
 
Lots of good info here Rohann, especially about gun-shyness, x-man has the idea for sure. As for breed, well that is personal preference. I like labs, but frankly when it comes to covering fields that may run into the 100's of acres, you need a different breed. Gundogs are like guns, there are some that can do almost everything, but they may not do any one thing the best.

Cheers,

Ian
 
Pudelpointer said:
Lots of good info here Rohann, especially about gun-shyness, x-man has the idea for sure. As for breed, well that is personal preference. I like labs, but frankly when it comes to covering fields that may run into the 100's of acres, you need a different breed. Gundogs are like guns, there are some that can do almost everything, but they may not do any one thing the best.

Cheers,

Ian
Click to expand...
Definately! I'll have to see which appeals to me most when the time actually comes around.
Thanks for all the great info guys! I'll definately be referring back to this thread when I start looking for a dog.

-Rohann
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom