RE: Goldens?
the best bird dog I ever owned was a golden. I trained him myself and that dog could sniff out a bird in any cover and would even dive underwater to catch the ones I would only wing. As far as fear of the gun, when my dog was young, every time I would feed him, I'd run the action on the shotgun so he would get used to the sound and associate it with good times. When it came down to firing the gun, I had a friend hold him a good distance away, when the gun would go off, the friend would throw a bumper or a wing out into the water or the grass, wherever we were practicing, and send the dog to fetch. Lots of praise, lots of petting. Over several months, I slowly brought him closer to the shotgun until he was sitting directly behind me when I shot. I always keep my dog behind me when I shoot so he doesn't jump too soon. I hunted over that dog for 11 years, had him for 13.
Goldens are very willing dogs and if you give them lots of love and praise they are the type of dog who will do anything you ask.