New pup and guns

[hunter322]

Hey everyone! My brother got a new pup the other day. Its an 8 week old female lab springer mix. Just curious at what age is a good age to start shooting around it?

[DaSwede]

Hey everyone! My brother got a new pup the other day. Its an 8 week old female lab springer mix. Just curious at what age is a good age to start shooting around it?

I'm getting my pup in June. I'll be bringing it to the gun club that I belong to as early as possible. I'm going to start on the far side of the club where you can just hear small pops and play with the pup. As we progress, we'll get closer and closer. Just a thought anyway!

[MuleShack]

I'm no expert, but I believe the proper way to introduce your pup to gunfire is with the presence of live birds with a low caliber pistol. Let the dog get birdy chasing the bird on the ground or in flight (after a point) and then shoot so the dogs mind is on the bird. He/she will associate the gun fire with fun/hunting and not be scared of it. If the dog is a little nervous the first time, get him on another bird and shoot again while the bird is getting up (in the middle of the commotion) and pretty sood it will be 2nd nature.

I used a 22 pistol with my male gsp at 4 months, and he was bold as ever and the first shot he turned back and looked at me. 2nd bird, he never even questioned what the noise was anymore.

The newest pup i also had out at 4 1/2 months for the intro to guns and she did the same thing with the first shot, she stopped, looked around and then keep the chase up. 2nd bird/shot she got bolder and after the 3rd one she never even flinched. They both got so birdy and focused on the birds that I switched over to the shot gun and fired the first shot away from them to keep the noise level down and then the next bird I was shooting the bird down over the dog.

You can get pigeons pretty cheap, and thats what i used for the intro to guns.

You dont want to have a dog on a leash around gunfire if it never has been properly introduced to it before. It is a recipe for having a gun shy dog or one with anxiety disorders.

[Bryce]

Start right now. Cap gun or even two blocks of wood clapped together.

[muchowja]

I would think that introduction to guns in the presence of birds may be the totally wrong approach. If the dog is afraid of the sound it may associate the noise with the bird and that would be a bad, bad thing. It may never hunt a bird again. I have always had someone help me introduce the pup to gunfire. I would reassure and pet the pup while my helper would shoot quite a distance away and gradually move closer while all the while I would pet and talk to the dog soothingly. Some pups could care less about gunfire but some need some soothing.

[supermono]

When I had my first hunting dog, I read several books and got a few tapes on the subject. They recommended using a starter pistol. What they also suggested taking the dog out into a large field and throw & retrieve something the pup loves to play with.

After throwing the object into the air, they suggested firing the pistol. If the pup looks back at you, you just go on as nothing happened and continue to play. The pup will soon learn that the pop noise is associated with something flying in the air and great fun.

At first, fire the pistol off behind your back, with the dog 25 yards away. As the dog gets use to it, and it does not bother him, fire the pistol up in the air, when throwing the toy into the air.

Some dogs could care less, some are super sensitive. I would take things slowly and do this in steps. My dog looked at me the first time, and after that, it was play time. I’ve known people who have screwed up good bird dogs by going too hard too fast. Make it a game.

Hope this helps. Good luck with the new pup.