Training Help
 

I have an 11 month GSP, she has very good pointing instinct and seems very birdie. I am having two problems with her. First, she'll fetch for me all day at the park or in the yard even multiple dummies. When I get her in the field, even if we are not hunting she does not want to retrieve even here dummy if I throw it. Any suggestions?

Secondly, and more serious I took here out on pheasants and she works beautifully, we got up and shot 4 pheasants, she would run to the downed bird but not retreive as stated above. Then about half way through our hunt she seemed to develop some sort of gun shyness, when either we would shoot or someone would shoot in the distace she would run to my side and walk behind me and this continued for the rest of the hunt. I am a little confused because the shots on the first four pheasants didn't seem to bother her at all. When I got her home, to confirm my suspicion I fired a cap gun during fetch with the same results, she'd return to me and stay at my side. I'm not sure how to proceed to correct this. She shows great potential in every other area. Any comments?

RE: Training Help
 

I would seek a Pro trainer - Please stop all gunfire around this pup as Yes she has a problem.

It can be overcome with time but you do indeed need help.

Or
contact a local NAVHDA chapter in your area - they may be able to help too.

JW

RE: Training Help
 

Alot of people have advice on gun shyness. avoiding this problem is better than having to fix it. try feeding her and banging the pan around on the ground a little noise at first then more and more. she should start getting bolder as you do it more. (if she has a problem eating do not do this)
Next time you take her out don't shoot just let her have fun hunting pointing, knocking whatever. this develops bird drive and learning to hunt
after some time when she develops a strong drive of wanting the bird nothing else will matter. (this is not going to happen overnight) if hunting time is too valuable to spend on this dog, get her in training with a pro or get one that has already been trained. i find this to be less costly anyways. training fees vary but to start and finish one takes about 6 mnths over 2 seasons 3 to start and 3 to finish (with consistancey)
keep playing fetch with her in the yard it will work out latter. Any time you spend socializing or hunting makes a big difference (but it needs to be positive)

RE: Training Help
 

Hi my name is Dave Jones, I own Jonesy's Gun Dogs in Berea, Kentucky. I train and fix all breed bird dogs, and retrievers. What has happened sounds pretty familiar. Does your dog still like to chase the birds after this problem has occured? Or does she pull off of them midway, because she is anticipating the shot? How much had been done with her prior to this, meaning have you had a few guns going off, or just one gun usually when bird is in air?? Just trying to figure out the rest of the story. The biggest thing will always be patience, my self I don't feel now is the time for the banging of pots and pans, this does work, but it is usually for pups or dogs that have never been in a shooting incident, you follow?? What we have is a dog thats panicing for some reason when the gun now goes off, we have to figure out why. You can pm me, or phone 859-985-2918 or just re post and we see if we can get it figured out, ok?? Thanks Jonesy

RE: Training Help
 

Thanks guys, Dave, to answer your questions, prior to the first time I noticed the behavior she was out with three guns over her and multiple shots fired, she would chase the downed bird all the way to the ground, but not retreive yet. And now as long as there is no gun fire she loves to chase birds, cats, squirrels anything that moves. I have worked with her as a puppy with a pheasant wing. And she had always been "crazy" over it. We will end a training session put the wing away in the garage on the shelf and she will point it on the shelf until I pick her up and carry her away. That intensity is still there if no gunfire is introduced. Thanks for your number, what's a good time to call?

RE: Training Help
 

Usually done with all by 7:00 in the eves, sat and sun, pretty much all day, training ground is within 5 min of the house, so always checking on stuff. We'll worry bout the retrieving stuff later, gotta concentrate on gun issue first, no gun, no retrieves. Thanks Jonesy

RE: Training Help
 

I'm wonder if banging pots is good idea when actually introducing the gun. Point being, the dog gets used to loud noises but don't make the association with birds till later when the loud noises only happens around birds. My first setter it tooka few hunts to make the connection. My current one, her first hunting trip. Now, whenever she hears a gunshot she always half run towards it. But it seems that once they've made the association, you could fire multiple guns over them without a problem. I take my pup out to a popular duck/pheasant place where alot of shots are fired. The further the shots are the more she'd ignore them but closer shots she'll usually be interested. She never had a problem.

Authors should have a chapter on introducing multiple guns to dogs if they are advocating non-gun/bird association.

RE: Training Help
 

Mite,
You hit on the head
sometimes when i lose my dogs out hunting i just shoot the gun a few times and they will come check in to see what the shooting was about.

RE: Training Help
 

What I think is that right now that would not be good, because the food will never be as exciting as a bird. So the dog is walking a fine line of shy or not, so if there is not something as exciting as a bird between the legs flopping, i feel it will fall. The food is an everyday occurance, you its excited for supper, but the bird is alot more. It isn't allowed the time to think.......do I run, or catch this thing flopping tween my legs. 99% its gonna catch the flopper. and if it dont I will bet that it will few more birds later. Don't think it will be a hard prob to fix, but without seeing the responses, we don't know. I think just to much to fast.

RE: Training Help
 

Ive heard that it actually causes the dog pain when a shot is fired close by, and from this point of view it is probably a more natural response to be avoidant, until learning that the discomfort is worth it.

A method I was taught goes as follows:
take the dog to nearby a shooting range in use, and walk towards it until the dog starts to show discomfort. Then stay at that point until the dog is calm. Make some practice and generally a very pleasant time. When the stress reaction has diminished walk even closer to the shooters and repeat the training an fondling when the dog shows signs of fear again.
Let the dog set the pace for your forward movement, and when doing this repeatedly always start the sessionat a comfortable distance, but try not to leave, from the shooting range, when the dog is worried. That would increase the anxiety next time you train. End when its going good as with all training!
Ive only tried this once but it worked. And that was a GP to, a longhaired one.