Dog help needed - noise conditioning

Bill Savoie

Bill Savoie

Active member
My black Lab Tilly is developing serious issues with loud noises. It began last year with a really violent thunderstorm. It got worse this summer when my next door neighbor decided to host his own 4th of July celebration. Now it's spread to gun fire.

Tilly is coming 7 years old. She's always been a soft dog, definite beta. She has been hunted, but not extensively, maybe 20 birds shot and retrieved in the past 3 years. She was introduced to the gun as part of her training, first with a blank pistol at a distance while retrieving, moving up to poppers at a distance and then slowly closer.

Tuesday was our coastal opener. Tilly and I hiked into a small beaver bog where there are always ducks but never any competition. I've always tried to make the first outing of the season pretty controlled to help the dogs with their manners. When the ducks started moving, Tilly was tracking them with her eyes. I shot a black duck, one shot, clean kill with the bird down about 10 yards away to the right. I shot a mallard, one shot, that landed behind and to the left, maybe 20 yards. I sent Tilly on the first bird, she retrieved and I sent her on to the second. This one was flapping a bit, but she picked it up and brought it in. I sat back down to wait for the next shot, lots of birds moving. Next thing I realize is that Tilly is no longer next to me. I start calling for her, but no response. She has NEVER wandered off before like this. I clear my gun and beat feet back to the truck. She's there, tail tucked between her legs and cowering. I put her in the car, hiked back in for the gear and brought her home. She's perfectly happy to retrieve the ducks in the yard, so she's not afraid of them.

Did I ruin her as a gun dog? Do I start the whole conditioning over again? I've never seen a dog that has been hunting turn gun-shy. She's my 3rd retriever and 5th gun dog. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
From Evan Graham when I had a skittish pup... FYI she is still a little skittish around fireworks, thunderstorms and loud noises in the house that surprise her, but gunfire is a whole different story. She is all gundog when the guns come out.

"I prefer to introduce gunfire as a sequence of events. We start with much smaller sounds, like the clapping of two boards together at a distance, or a cap pistol. This is something I prefer to associate with simple retrieving, but the story takes a little telling."

If it were me I would go back to square one and make sure your pup is associating noises with "fun" i.e. retrieving.
 
Bill,
I would start over even if that means a huge project this year and right in the heat of the season. No dog is done on a one event incident but you may have a good bit of work to do.

I have used a skeet field to train all my dogs. We spend a good amount of time around one, well off at first. All that time is spent with other dogs and bumpers slowly moving closer as the guys shoot their rounds. The noise is steady and constant. You will have to judge how much each session is working and go at the dogs pace. My lab now is in a down\stay under a picnick table on the edge of the circle whenever we shoot rounds. He gets fun bumpers after the shooting is done.


I would PM Travis Bruce and get his opinion.

But I have seen good trainers work dogs that owners considered hopeless into great dogs. Just took time and planning.

Bob
 
Bill, I come from the german world of dogs where we believe gun sensitivity is an inheretited trait, and we test for it. Yeah, you can make any dog gun shy, and you may be able to hunt or mask a dog that was predisposed, but somewhere there is some wiring that is a bit off. I am not an expert on dealing with this issue, but if your dog is a high drive dog, you'll have an easier time overcoming it. But its not just conditioning over again, its building up the conifidence with something the dog really likes and will ignore the noise for whatever "that" like is. And is a much slower process. I would get the advice of a few trainers that have dealt with this issue on how its best to proceed. I have also read good things about a set of tapes out there, but I can't remember their name, maybe someone else knows or a quick goodle search will find them.
 
I really can't say since she was sitting to my left and I was concentrating on the shots. What really surprised me is that if she was that scared why make the retrieves?

I am going to start over from scratch and see if I can bring her along again. This season for her looks to be over.
 
Good luck, Bill. I hope you can successfully re-train, Tilly. Made me think of Chili on the first day I took her hunting. I did not know that there were 4 hunters to my left, maybe a couple of blocks away. Well, when they opened up with a barrage that morning, Chili bolted for the 4 wheeler. She was just like Tilly, with her tail tucked under and very frightened. I had to go get her, sit next to her and just be patient, while petting and talking to my 6 1/2 month old pup. We walked back to my spot. It was about that time when a flock of bluewings came in. I shot, one folded, and the rest is history. She is now going on 9 years old.
Al
 
Bill,

Thanks for your note. I've had two GSP's and love them, that may be my next dog. Tilly is not a high drive dog, unless you count dinner. She has been soft since we first got her. It makes for a great house dog, but her training has always had to be at a slower pace than my previous dogs.
 
Bill
I agree with Hank,but may I also say that when you feed her at meal times, make plenty of noyse by banging a couple of pans together, this will get her use to loud bangs. I do this with all my dogs right at the begining from square one and I have never had a gunshy dog yet.
Take care andGod Bless
Eddie and Amber
Its all about Building that Bond.
 
Bill
I would suggest try to identfy the problem (if you can) before writing her off for the season.
wis boz
 
Bill, load up some 12 gauge poppers. Just put a primer in them then crimp it, no powder wad or shot. I would have a gunner go out about 50 yards and throw a couple of bumpers to get her pumped. Then have the gunner throw the bumper and shoot the popper load. See if this has any impact on her. Gradually have the gunner move in until he is right beside you. If she is not pumped about retrieving this will not work. The light pop of the primer loads should give you an idea of where your at.
 
I conditioned my dogs by having them associate a gun shot with something positive. In my case feeding them. At first I'd give them their food and walk fifty or so feet away with a loaded 410. Then when they were busy eating, I'd let off the round, watching for their reaction. Within a week or so I could stand right over them and shoot the gun, usually getting no reaction from them, and never a negative reaction.
Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top