I thought I would pass along a little bit of info I learned while raising Blue and reading Game Dog. Right now is when you need to be getting your dogs used to loud noises so they arent gun shy when hunting season comes around. I started Blue and my pup the same way, during feeding time I would take some pots and pans and bang them around while the pup is eating, this gets them used to loud noises and it shouldnt bother them because they are eating. I eventually started shooting my muzzleloader cap off in the house, and then took them wih me when I went shooting. I havent had a problem with a gun shy dog yet.

Good advice...been shootin' critters around the house alot. The mutt loves birds........

I been playing AC/DC really loud. Is that good enough?

I started with a pellet gun, then .22, then shotgun.

Is this really that big of a problem?

I hear hunters wig over this issue a lot but have never met or even heard of a gunshy dog?

For my two pups I just tossed a tennis ball and blasted away while they where otherwise occupied.

Although I wasn't too worried about it because even as little pups loud banging noises like thunder and the 4th of July got them very very excited! A lot of tailwagging and barking!

I've wondered that also, Brood. I've only had one gun shy dog, and I was his second owner. I'm thinking that it was trauma from the previous owner, possibly while hunting, or around guns, that made him that way, not necessarily the 'bang' itself.

The second night my current lab was at my home (he was only 50 days old) there was a HUGE thunder/lightning storm. I mean, biblical, rattle the windows, hurt your ears type storm. He never even wimpered, but I lay awake all night thinking "is this scaring the beejeebus out of him?". Nope... loves guns, and is a great dog.

I can't say I've actually seen my puppy truly "scared" of anything at all yet, which has surprised me. Along with all the random noises he is already getting used to, I'm looking forward to watching some big, booming fireworks with the puppy on the 4th. I did the same thing when Kaiser was a puppy and just gave him treats randomly during the fireworks display. He thought it was a pretty cool deal.

Don't discipline after a loud noise and make a bunch while your pup is playing. Beat the food and water bowls together when your getting ready to feed. I swear Mickey new what a gun was the first time she saw one. Target shooting is about impossible with her around. Drake can't even shoot his airsoft guns without locking her up first. Any shot from or even pointing a gun and for some reason a bow gets her very excited.
I just hope and pray none of these pups are afraid of slugs

Along the same line's I took my young female black lab to a working retriever test last summer she has ton's of drive (almost too much)she dig's bird and will retrieve endlessly.I had worked her with dead bird's and such but just throwing them myself. I was worried abought her marking a live bird since I throw everything for her.So they throw a live duck up abought fifty yard's out proceed to shoot it's head clean off.
She's on it headed straight for the bird,cool piece of cake
Not so fast She get's to the bird head down abought to pick it up and this fricken duck get's the last laugh and jump's straight up abought two feet. Scared the crap out of her I think she jumped three feet in the air and came running back to me with no duck.
Got some live pidgeon's and let her chase them around for the rest of the summer. she's over it now all is well.

I am friends with the trainer for tiger mt pointing labs and he has always beat it into me the fixing a gun shy dog is the hardest if not impossible thing to do. I always error on the side of making my dogs extra used to loud noises before introducing them to the shotgun.

Tye just went through an impressive thunderstorm. He didn't seem to mind the thunder but the torrential rains sort of freaked him out.

Pop-its, one at a time. Then treat. Work yer way up to a handful.

Do the same with the .22. Fun and treats let him know bangs mean goood things.

Graduate from the .22 to something more middle range, with more rounds (9mm, magazine at a time) then, once you are sure he can dig on it, park your truck at the range.

Make your first visit short, with treats again. Eventually park and leave him for an hour or so when the rifles and shottys are goin for broke.

Make sure the sounds and scents always equate to fun and treats as a pup and never worry about it again.

i was always told to not let a dog be around the high powered stuff as it will hurt there ears and could push them to gun shy. meaning higher hand guns and high powered rifles?

i know when i was finishing breaking my current chocolate i was up at granit falls (4-5) years ago. he had never spooked till some dip sh&% opened his entire clip in teh ground blind side to us shooting clays took me and the dog and wife by surprise and the dog back to square one to start all over again. 9 months later and he was back to being good but for a while i thought i had lost him gun wise.

i havn't been back to granite falls since was told to go there from a co-worker when we first moved over here.

Brood "I hear hunters wig over this issue a lot but have never met or even heard of a gunshy"

A guy down the street has a GSP who cowers at the site of a gun. She wimpers and runs to hide, sad.

I have one gun shy Lab. I've had her since she was 7 weeks old. Can't tell you why. The other 3 Labs are go getters!