Tomorrow is the day

Eric, thanks, it isn't a sure thing yet. I go to meet him tomorrow. They are about 45 minutes away.
He's the runt of the litter and got into it with the leader of the litter. A little of Napoleon in the boy. He's got spirit I figure.

These folks had the four nearly 1 year old dogs in the same house, so they removed him from the pack and put him up outside in his own space...

I want to throw balls with him for a spell tomorrow and may come back with the boy (probably.)

I am a pushover, and need a dog to start my writing again which I will share with you guy's (and girl.)

I do not anticipate a lot of waterfowl as I am no longer along the Columbia, but may jump shoot some creeks around here and take him east of the mountains for upland birds and jackrabbits... My other dogs did well with that.

I hope he's not gun shy, but we have a shooting range not too far away. So I thought we could visit the area throughout the week where he could hear the shooting and start from a mile away on walks... Each day we could start our walk a little closer to the shooting than the day before, and pretty soon, he'll be accustomed to it.

Until then it will be bonding and fun and basic training.

I don't know if he's gun shy, but I would be shocked if someone ripped off a few rounds over my head without getting used to the blasting first.
 
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Eric, thanks, it isn't a sure thing yet. I go to meet him tomorrow. They are about 45 minutes away.
He's the runt of the litter and got into it with the leader of the litter. A little of Napoleon in the boy. He's got spirit I figure.

These folks had the four nearly 1 year old dogs in the same house, so they removed him from the pack and put him up outside in his own space...

I want to throw balls with him for a spell tomorrow and may come back with the boy (probably.)

I am a pushover, and need a dog to start my writing again which I will share with you guy's (and girl.)

I do not anticipate a lot of waterfowl as I am no longer along the Columbia, but may jump shoot some creeks around here and take him east of the mountains for upland birds and jackrabbits... My other dogs did well with that.

I hope he's not gun shy, but we have a shooting range not too far away. So I thought we could visit the area throughout the week where he could hear the shooting and start from a mile away on walks... Each day we could start our walk a little closer to the shooting than the day before, and pretty soon, he'll be accustomed to it.

Until then it will be bonding and fun and basic training.

I don't know if he's gun shy, but I would be shocked if someone ripped off a few rounds over my head without getting used to the blasting first.
Bang a metal feed pan a bit as your preparing to put down food. I start that right off with pups so they associate noise with something good, in this case food. Got a bird wing? Take it with you tomorrow and after introducing yourself to pup tease him a bit with it and see if he,s interested. Short throw and if interested in feathers he,ll pick it up.
 
Wow, I drove through a terrible rain storm on the way out to meet the boy. When I arrived, the owner was out in the pen with him and said "hello."

That dog attacked me.

With kisses and nuzzles... I swear he would have crawled face first into my front pocket. His tail whipped furiously, and stuff got knocked over from his flagellate thumping. I was flabbergasted.

We threw his ball for him and he brought it right back.
Told him to sit, and he did!

The owner gave me a gigantic crate which barely fit in my suv, some bowls and food and toys, a harness and leash... and all of the vet records and a microchip login ( they chipped him, but hadn't logged into the acct yet to fill out his info)

He was a really nice guy, and didn't want to accept any money for the stuff, but I told him i wanted him to have it.

He didn't care for anything other than to know the dog would go to a good home.

The boy rode all the way into Medford and we stopped at costco, I picked up 80 lbs of food, a dog bed and some treats.


I got him home and unloaded the stuff and told mom to sit in a chair in the house, because i didn't know if she'd receive the same reception I did, and at her 86 lbs, it could knock her down.

The boy went inside and was a total gentleman. Didn't lift a leg, or try to shit anywhere, stayed off the furniture and played with his toys in front of the fireplace.

Mom couldn't believe it.

She said "Todd, how did you get this dog?"

I said, "well mom, some folks think that you might be able to create your own reality based upon the thoughts you entertain, so I've been entertaining thoughts of a red dog that will bring us joy and happiness... Ask and ye shall receive it says. I asked, we received."

She clapped her hands and smiled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You did good son," she said.

I said,
"I had nothing to do with it."
 

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Eric, that is what I was thinking too. My old golden was 45 lbs when we got him (he was 4 years old.). He ended out filling out some... When I ran him on the river he was about 70 lbs.

This dog isn't going to be busting ice or waves on the Columbia like Kaden and Alex did, but I'd like to chase upland birds with him next fall... maybe some rabbits out in Eastern Oregon late this winter or early in the spring when it is still cold out.

I hope he isn't gunshy... Will try to very slowly expose him to gunfire over the next couple of months and ease him into being accustomed to it. He definitely wants to chase birds.

So that is a good thing.

Right now I am focusing on having him walk on a lead only on the Port side and riding in the truck without his crate.
Baby steps and lots of love and encouragement.

He really is spirited, even though he was the runt of the litter.
 
Remember Todd, the runt of the litter may have been fertilized later and a been few days younger than his siblings, and that may be why he was smaller at birth. Maybe one of the vets here will chime in on this. But glad to hear you have found a new dog. I wish you many happy days together.
 
I hope he isn't gunshy... Will try to very slowly expose him to gunfire over the next couple of months and ease him into being accustomed to it. He definitely wants to chase birds.
Like mentioned before, the banging of bowls or two shoes together while eating is how I introduce happy things to loud noises as well. I start that as soon as I get a pup home pretty much. With all the energy and excitement you speak of and describe, it sounds like he should be able to work through it if he is a bit gun shy. Start with this, and then I do the same thing when they start fetching bumpers. I will throw a few bumpers, create that excitement with retrieval and then at mid air with the bumper, I have a helper banging bowls or shoes together. Never before the bumper is thrown, the racket only starts when the bumper is in the air, mimicking a bird being shot at. Remember, he knows the banging of the bowl or shoes sound to happiness in food, so it should correlate over to retrieval as well.

Last thing I do is I use a live shotgun. The thrower has the shotgun and starts out about 100 yds. Again, throws bumper up in air, shot goes off at the peak of the throw, and dog goes and retrieves. At 100 yds, its very quiet so usually no issue. I work in 10 yards at a time to about 20 yards and if all is still well, then I take the gun, have the thrower run back out to 100 and we do the last retrieve with shot out of my hand. That is the final test I put my dogs through. If they succeed at that, then I can comfortably say the dog is not gun shy.

ALL ROUNDS ARE DUMMY ROUNDS! Do not be shooting off live rounds with a handler and a thrower facing each other. I figured I would edit my post and make that clear.
 
Another way to acclimate a dog to shooting is to take him to a gun club. Take lots of snacks along too. Park the car with the windows up at a distance where you can barely hear the shooting. Watch his/her reaction, pass along a treat. If no reaction or just mild interest, drive a little closer and repeat. Let them associate food with the noise, it works well with most dogs. It's a judgement call when it's safe to roll down the windows or get out of the car. It might be safe in one trip, maybe it takes several. Baby steps at someone else's expense.
 
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