Introducing guns

[vister]

Just curious how you guys introduce puppies to shotguns. My retriever is 5 1/2 months old, and almost perfect in all of her training. So you can tell I don't want to turn her gun shy with the squeeze of the first trigger. All our other dogs have been introduced by having them around when we shoot clay pigeons. But they weren't really trained bird dogs either! Jaedyn on the other hand will be a great one!! Just don't want to screw it up. Thanks

[TruthWalleyes]

When i was young, and my dad was raising labs once or twice a year, he would give us a capgun to shoot around the pups. Anytime from 1 week old till they left to their new owners. I have never seen a gun shy dog leave our place, and i don't recall hearing back from owners that our pups turned out to be a problem.

If you have some kids, Cap guns shouldn't be a problem...

At 5 months you should already be Teaching retriving with a cap gun, then you could move up a step to a primer fire dummy thower thing, then try a shot gun. We even made shotgun loads for training. Called em "Poppers" Same noise, but with sawdust instead of BB's. Accompany that with some solid training, and you're set.

[FCspringer]

From another Blue Earth native.

What we do at our field trial clubs is. first intro the pup to dead and clip pigeons. 1/4 them then into finding there own clips in the field. Then 1/4 them into flyer's. get them chasing some flyer's first, say 8-12. Just let them go and have fun. When they come off have a dead or clip to toss for a reward as soon as they are back close enough to see you throw.

Once this is done you take a clip ,toss it high and far, and have a gunner off to the side about 60 yards shoot a low base down wind, just as the bird is hitting the ground. The pup will be right there if he is chasing. No reaction, repeat a couple times and do it again a day later. Going well, move the gunner closer until after a few sessions the gun is roughly 10 yards away always down wind. Wind blowing at the pup can intensify the blast. Then you are now ready to let the pup flush a pigeon and shoot his first flier. This is a positive approach that seems full proof as well. Good luck.

[Gordie]

well this is how I have done it in the past and havent had any problems but it was timing the last two pups I have gotten were days or a week or two before duck opener so I would just bring them into the duck boat and we hunted normally and both of those pups would just lay down and take a nap while we were shooting at birds didnt even phase either one of those pups. once in a while they would open their eyes and look at me but soon nood off again. this last pup I got just this past fall was the same deal except when we would retrive the ducks she was all over them and before the end of the season she was watching for the birds in the air. she knows what the gun is also its time to hunt and go in the boat. BTW the first pup I did this with was 60 days old and the pup I have now was not quite 3 months old.

[Ron Burgundy]

I just started shooting a 22 pistol when my cocker Chili chased birds in the hay field. I did that for a few weeks and now I'm shooting a 410. She doesn't even flinch. Soon I think I'll move up to the 12 ga. Then hopefully soon we'll catch some pigeons and work with those.

[WaveWacker]

Don't start out with the "big guns". Your past the small puppy stage but I always start when their young just clapping my hands while we're playing. Then when outside I may go to clapping a couple short pieces of 2 x 4 together. I think you'd be at the next stage of utilizing a .22 or cap gun. Assuming your dog is nuts about retrieving, pitch the dummy and pointing the gun in the opposite direction, fire a shot off. If you can do this for a couple of sessions with no reaction, then you can shoot over the dog. Make sure and pitch the dummy first then fire so that their attention will be on the dummy and not the shot.

[MuleShack]

IMO get the pup out with some live chukars and work the .22 or the 410 from a distance when they are chasing the birds. They will be so in tuned to chasing the live birds that they will not even pay attention to the bang and it becomes second nature. After a few times, have the gun move closer until it is right by you. This kills 2 birds with one stone...live bird exposure and gun training.

[shawn1982]

Hey Levi that buck in your picture isnt THAT big!! Im sure it would only take second at the minnesota deer classic!!!

[tybo]

I let the pup chase pigeons for a while with no gun fire. When I feel the pup is very driven to chase the birds and has a desire to catch them I will use a gun loaded with just primed 12 ga shells fairly close to the dog since it isn't loud. I'll shoot that way 5 or 6 times and as long as he doesn't seem afraid of the noise I'll switch to a 12 ga load that has primer and powder but no bb's. These are really loud and I have a friend stand behind us an point away from us and allow the pup to chase. When he's hot in pursuit my friend shoots the gun. I do this 5 or 6 times as well. Again if he isn't scared I will shoot the same load closer to the pup as the pup chases the bird. This has worked on several dogs and works well.