LIVE BIRDS! My last lab was afraid of gunfire. I was told by many people it was a lost cause ever tring to hunt her. Sre hunted very well though and loved it . I was not going to give up. I bought a half dozen phesants off of a local breeder. I realesed the first one with no gun. The second bird I could of fired a canon and she would not cared less about the noise, buy the third bird she would bring it back after it was shot. All she needed was the conection between the birds and the shot. Before this any target gun range we were on she would run a mile back to the truck and sit right there. Some of those scare tactics with the blank gun are not for all dogs. Don't you wan't the dog to look for the game after the shot. I would run to if sombody banged a pot in my ear when I was trieng to eat. Probaly even bite their leg.