Introducing a dog to gunfire.

[Member 52301]

Your dog's vet will tell you that constant and non stop LOUD noises including shooting can harm your dog's ears.

News Bureau | ILLINOIS

Just like humans, dogs are sometimes born with impaired hearing or experience hearing loss as a result of disease, inflammation, aging or exposure to noise. Dog owners and K-9 handlers ought to keep this in mind when adopting or caring for dogs, and when bringing them into noisy environments...

news.illinois.edu

Training a Dog for Duck Hunting

nomadoutdoor.com

If you swim with your dog/dogs and IF they LOVE to swim as my late/old dogs did - you have to be careful with their ears too. Ocean, lakes, rivers, etc. - check their ears!

Give them a clean water -good rinse or shower/soap/water their fur, brush them and ALWAYS check their eyes after salt water or fresh water exposure too.

Check their SKIN - fur/hair on a regular basis and not just with a light brushing.

Old Lady Cate

Added more. Better links above, etc.

 

[Member 52301]

Just got back from helping a friend introduce her new puppy to gunfire.

She 'rescued' a 4 month old Goldendoodle from a poor living situation and wants to get him used to the outdoors and gunfire.

Anyway we took him out for a little hike this morning and then I started by popping off a few rounds of mild .30-30. First couple he jumped a bit and barked at a few but then calmed down. I then transitioned to .45 ACP and he was fine. He stayed close to 'mom' but didn't run off scared so we think he will be OK.

Congrats to the new dog owner and to the puppy too!

The puppy or dog should be TRAINED to STAY - sit, lie down or stand by his 'Mom' aka the new owner until SHE TELLS HIM that he can move AFTER you fire your gun.
After you STOP SHOOTING.

The puppy/dog should understand and LEARN the STRICT BUT LOVING COMMANDS of STAY, SIT, STAND, LIE DOWN, NO, COME, GOOD DOG, etc. and, later on, IF she wants to take the dog hunting = train him some more.

DO this when you first adopt a puppy or dog! IT is never too early to TEACH a puppy in a loving manner.

The puppy should NOT be running around willy nilly while someone is shooting.

She should teach the puppy/dog proper commands and proper ON LEASH and OFF LEASH manners too.

Some man had his dog OFF LEASH at our range years ago. His girl friend or wife did NOT keep an EYE on the dog and it almost got shot by other shooters (NOT us!) since NO one was watching it well.

I was watching it from a distance since it is a breed that I do NOT like at all.

The dog almost ran out in front of other shooters down THAT WAY.

I went over to one end where they could see me and told them (Loud voice!) that their dog needed to be ON A LEASH and kept UNDER THEIR CONTROL. The people that almost shot the running around dog got alarmed because it came out of NOWHERE on their firing LINE (Their range was HOT!) even if it was not the usual type of nasty dog 'CHARGE'.

We are allowed to tell other people as members as they are allowed to tell us the RULES of our private range for safety. Plus some DEER were coming down the one mountain - in a canyon and you have to STOP shooting while they PASS - MOVE ON.

Take care.

Cate

 

[Member 52301]

It absolutely does. But they make muffs for dogs. And also eye protection. If your dog is going to be around gunfire or go with you to the range, you should invest in a set of eyes and ears for Mr. Woffington and get them used to wearing them.

Amazon.com

I never saw these before. Interesting.

Cate

 

[nwslopoke]

How do these dogs react to fireworks? I had a dog from the shelter who was anti-gun from the get go. Also she didn't like most men or boys. The lawnmower or vacuum didn't faze her but she knew what guns were and got spooky when we headed near the woods.

Any holiday with fireworks were a nightmare. Some CBD oils helped but CBD was new and we couldn't always get the same products.

 

[bbbass]

I ramp up gradually. I start with a pellet/bb gun and throw retrieving dummy at the same time. I then work up to a 22lr rifle with standard vel ammo (subsonic) and then shotgun, throwing dummy each time and making it fun for the dog. I have never had one exhibit any gun shy behavior using this method. Just the opposite results, when gunfire is heard or a gun comes out of the safe they get all giddy ready for work.

I used this method on all my German Shorthair pups. Only diff is I started while feeding them chow, so that they were distracted and busy... ignoring sounds is natural at that time.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Funny I used to think all dogs were scared of fireworks. Surprisingly my current dog doesn't care about them at all. I haven't done anything to desensitize her to noises. I don't take her shooting cuz she's not a hunting dog and I know dogs ears are sensitive so I figure it's probably best for long term hearing but I really don't know on that.

 

[Member 52301]

I do not know how my MT husband's one hunting dog was trained by him. Meaning using a specific firearm round and working up to something else. He never took ANY dog to a rifle range. I do know that because he told me that in the past.

He is out walking and doing his exercises now so I can't ask him.

He was a good hunting dog according to my husband and a man on here has or had a dog like my husband owned in the past. That man had a picture of his dog and my husband told me that his one, late dog looked like that man's dog in the DOG THREAD.

This was many years ago. I did not know my husband way back when so I never met that dog of his.

Some dogs can't stand fireworks due to the LOUD SOUNDS and other dogs are not bothered by them at all.

Old relatives of my late Mom used Cocker Spaniel dogs when they went duck hunting. Their dogs were not exposed to constant and loud noises non stop or that often.

They did NOT take their dogs with them to hunt deer.

They did take their dogs on various sizes of boats when they went fishing just to get the dogs OUT on the water and for a nice trip even when it was HOT outside.

A shelter dog or pound puppy or ANY other dog could have had a BAD experience with someone using a GUN, a bat, a stick or got spooked by a loud noise.

Some dogs can't stand meter readers due to them invading their YARD space or if a meter reader was nasty to the dog and the dog got afraid of the meter reader.

Some dogs don't even like war movies or cowboy movies due to the NOISE (Higher volume - turned UP and shooting.) yet they do not mind other sounds that should spook them more than something off of the tv too.

Cate

 

[Koda]

Does the gunfire not dage the dogs hearing like it does ours?

I have wanted to do this with our dog, but worry about hearing damage for him.

Yes. If you need hearing protection so does the dog. While its great to be able to take the dog out shooting keep them at the same distance you would if you didnt have earpro.

 

[L84Cabo]

I never saw these before. Interesting.

Cate

It's what all the stylish military doggos are wearing!




There is also a new style out that is more streamlined and developed by a company called Zeteo Tech. Here's an article on it...

Innovative Hearing Protection May Protect Military Working Dogs | Defense Media Network

Zeteo Tech in partnership with the University of Cincinnati developed a protection system to prevent short-term hearing loss in military working dogs.

www.defensemedianetwork.com

And it looks like it's available through Rex Specs...which also does eye protection for dogs. I have no idea, however, how this new style compares to the more traditional muffs. Looks like it might stay on better and not catch on things as much. Dogs will also sometimes feel more secure when their heads are wrapped so that may be an additional plus...

Ear Pro for Dogs - 3

Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech was developed specifically to protect military working dogs from temporary and permanent hearing loss that can arise from noise exposure. Whether on a mission, at the range, on a motorcycle, or at an AC/DC concert — Rex Specs Ear Pro will protect your dog's ears...

www.rexspecs.com

 

[Member 52301]

It's what all the stylish military doggos are wearing!

View attachment 1265352


There is also a new style out that is more streamlined and developed by a company called Zeteo Tech. Here's an article on it...

Innovative Hearing Protection May Protect Military Working Dogs | Defense Media Network

Zeteo Tech in partnership with the University of Cincinnati developed a protection system to prevent short-term hearing loss in military working dogs.

www.defensemedianetwork.com

And it looks like it's available through Rex Specs...which also does eye protection for dogs. I have no idea, however, how this new style compares to the more traditional muffs. Looks like it might stay on better and not catch on things as much. Dogs will also sometimes feel more secure when their heads are wrapped so that may be an additional plus...

Ear Pro for Dogs - 3

Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech was developed specifically to protect military working dogs from temporary and permanent hearing loss that can arise from noise exposure. Whether on a mission, at the range, on a motorcycle, or at an AC/DC concert — Rex Specs Ear Pro will protect your dog's ears...

www.rexspecs.com

Hey!

THANKS for posting this.

Now, that you mention this with a picture... I may have seen one of these dogs with their GEAR on.

Maybe it was on one of my military websites or just a general LINK to the news.

I appreciate you putting this up HERE.

Thanks again!

Cate

 

[quneur]

There are a certain steps to take introducing a dog/puppy to gunfire.

Firstly, don't use supersonic rounds around any dogs. The sonic boom from a high powered rifle round will quickly make any dog gun shy. Some ranges will not allow any dogs even in the parking lot. Firecrackers, which are meant to be loud, will do the same.

Secondly, I don't bang pots and pans. I doesn't hurt if used carefully but I prefer to introduce the gun with a purpose.

Steps I take:

1. Get the puppy around birds. Lots of birds. It doesn't matter whether its ducks or upland birds or sparrows. As long as the puppy gets real birdy. Observe your puppy closely. If your dog stares patiently at birds rather than playing with other dogs, then that's the time to introduce the gun.

2. Take the puppy out in the field. Use a .22 starter gun with the smallest rounds, ie. .22 short blanks.

3. Only fire when the puppy is actually on a bird, chasing. The dog reacts to the noise; stop for the day. Do it again the next day. Do it until the puppy ignores it.

4. Take the puppy to a game farm. A little trick; use small birds and tie their feet together. Make the bird sleep by tucking its head under its wing and twirling them around in a circular motion. If its too much, use a spring launcher/ bird release.

5. Plant the bird in the high grass and let the dog discover the first few on its own.

6. Shoot a bird using a .410 shotgun. Observe the dog carefully. Like the .22, stop if the puppy reacts.

7. Take the puppy out hunting but for a limited time. The puppy may find a bird and should be used to the gun by now.

Its a slow process but the puppy shouldn't care about the gun noise. My last dog use to love chasing balloons when not hunting because of the sound of the balloon popping. She would immediately look around searching for the bird.

Last tip: Plovers. They're runners until the dog gets to close then fly low and circle around. Dog loved chasing them. When the birds stopped, the dog learned to stop and point. Eventually, the dog learned plovers were just for chasing and fun. During breaks while hunting, I let her chase plovers until we started hunting again.

Sorry for the long post, but I feel gun introduction is an important subject. A gunshy dog is man made and very hard to reverse. Better to do it correctly the first time because most of time its the last time for the dog.

 

[JRuby]

Took my old dog out when he was a puppy my friend held onto his leash as I walked about fifteen feet away turned my back and fired two rounds of 38 out of my model 10. My dog was curious but not alarmed. Did this up on the Mist mainline 115 years ago.

 

[waltermitty]

I introduced my 10 week old GSD by going on play field trips to Seattle Police shooting range weekly. We started off 100 yds from the firing line, playing ball, frisbee, etc. Over the days and weeks we moved in closer and closer to the gunshots (rifle, pistol). My goal wasn't to get him used to being around it a lot but so he acclimatized to knowing that it wasn't to be feared. On the way home, we passed by Boeing Field airport so, in similar fashion, we walked near the taxiway and park while the biz jets and airliners spooled up to take off.

Now, when July 4th and Blue Angels perform overhead, I don't worry about Ronin cowering in the bathroom like all the other Seattle wuss critters and their liberal, leftist whining parents complaining about the stress their pets go through .... all the while demanding that the loud activities be prohibited (and denying or ignoring that they shirked their responsibility by providing their pets life skills).

(p.s. i was just playing around with an L series Canon macro lens so you get to see Ronin close up)

 

[EPS]

Lol our dog in the back seat of the truck.
Hey dog want to go out and shoot some gun.
.
Nah I'll just hang out here in the back seat.

 

[EPS]

Lol that was a old picture from when she was a puppy.
Now she hangs out on the sofa watching TV in the RV.

 

[clanhanson]

Those thinking that it's safe to fire a weapon near a dog are very, very incorrect. Dogs have much more sensitive ears than us, and it doesn't take very many rounds of 160+ decibels to damage our hearing let alone a dog's. If you claim your dog has been "desensitized", all you've achieved is cumulative hearing damage to your animal.

I love guns and I love dogs, but unnecessarily exposing them to gunfire volume is borderline abuse. If they're a hunting dog chances are it's unavoidable but many times they're not as close to the weapon as they would be at a range or around as many rounds fired. I've personally witnessed a dog's ears bleeding due to his owner insisting on shooting with the dog within arm's reach. But then again, can't have a "wuss" dog it seems...

 

[EPS]

She likes South Park.

 

[Camelfilter]

Those thinking that it's safe to fire a weapon near a dog are very, very incorrect. Dogs have much more sensitive ears than us, and it doesn't take very many rounds of 160+ decibels to damage our hearing let alone a dog's. If you claim your dog has been "desensitized", all you've achieved is cumulative hearing damage to your animal.

I love guns and I love dogs, but unnecessarily exposing them to gunfire volume is borderline abuse. If they're a hunting dog chances are it's unavoidable but many times they're not as close to the weapon as they would be at a range or around as many rounds fired.

Not trying to desensitize a dog to loud noises (fireworks, thunder, gunshots etc) can also be considered abuse.

Note the comments of such- cowering in true fear, drastic negative behavioral changes or running off because of such...

 

[Cavedweller]

There is some good advice here from people who have done this kind of training, so I won't reinvent the wheel, so to speak. But one thing I would emphasize, having been around both dogs and guns, is have control of your dog while introducing it to gunfire. Don't begin the process off leash, or you could end up with a lost dog. Also, I would suggest that if your dog is frightened by fireworks, you have little chance of training it to be a gun dog. But, I don't know that for a fact. I am not a dog trainer. It's just an observation. But one thing I do know for a fact is that dogs are like people in that they are all different.

That said, I have always wondered how the military trains war dogs. I have seen film from WW2 where dogs participated in battle with the sounds of not only small arms but also artillery and mortars, and remained perfectly calm. Can anyone who handled military working dogs provide any insight?

 

[boattail]

There is some good advice here from people who have done this kind of training, so I won't reinvent the wheel, so to speak. But one thing I would emphasize, having been around both dogs and guns, is have control of your dog while introducing it to gunfire. Don't begin the process off leash, or you could end up with a lost dog. Also, I would suggest that if your dog is frightened by fireworks, you have little chance of training it to be a gun dog. But, I don't know that for a fact. I am not a dog trainer. It's just an observation. But one thing I do know for a fact is that dogs are like people in that they are all different.

That said, I have always wondered how the military trains war dogs. I have seen film from WW2 where dogs participated in battle with the sounds of not only small arms but also artillery and mortars, and remained perfectly calm. Can anyone who handled military working dogs provide any insight?

My wife had a dog that could not stand thunder let alone gun fire. The first time we took her shooting we had her tied in the pickup and we were 50 yards away when the shot was fired....that dog freaked out. I told the wife her dog was not going to be a hunting dog and we never took her around guns again. Every thunder storm and Fourth of July we had to lock her in a closet with a radio playing just to keep her calm. Poor girl. She lived to be 15 years old and we only lost her during a thunder storm once. We found her cowing in a bush a mile away.

I grew up with many hunting dogs and it was easy to tell if they were geared for it. The pups that could not handle it were given to the elderly for companion dogs and no dog was ever made to do something it did not want to do. My dad's bird dog would look at him in disgust if he missed the shot....stare right at him as if to say WTF!

I do know for horses you can stuff balls into their ears for shooting off horseback.......not sure if they do that for dogs. I bought my current dog a set of muffs but the damage was done so they did not work.