Ice Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Does anybody know why my dogs are scared "****less" of the sight of guns??? One is a Yorkshire Terrier, the other a labrador cross c sheep dog... Neither of which have ever been shooting with me as they are family pets and i do not intend to use either as gun dogs, not that the Yorkie would be much good as most pigeons tend to be bigger than him Neither of them have ever see a gun being fired so the bang issue will not be the case, i gut and behead all rabits after every shoot on the scene then deliver them straight away to butchers friends / family etc, so they have never seen a carcase and gun together and then put 2 and 2 together. Neither of them have ever been hit with a broom or anyother large object of similar size, so they cant think their going to get beat up with the guns.... Im really puzzled... i dont like cleaning my guns in the kitchen now because i dont want the dogs to be scared everytime.... Any surgestions off anyone would be greatly appreciated.. Thanks Ice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 You sure it's not a case of scared s******* by the sight of you with a gun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 They probably see it as a threat I remember when I had cruches, I walked into a friends house and the dog started growling at me, I had to lean them against the wall and hop the rest of the way. Only suggestion is, is to praise them when they come up to you and give them assurance that there nothing to be scarred of. Df Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 They probably see it as a threat I remember when I had cruches, I walked into a friends house and the dog started growling at me, I had to lean them against the wall and hop the rest of the way. Only suggestion is, is to praise them when they come up to you and give them assurance that there nothing to be scarred of. Df I have tried stroking and making a fuss of them with the gun in my hand and it does work..... at least until the next time i get them out and then its back to normall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Ice do me a favour and list exactly what happens when you go to get a gun out, have the gun out , and sit to clean a gun. If you have to go through the motions and see what the dogs do so you can list it. I have an idea for you but I want to know as much as possible about their reactions first. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Basically, as soon as i walk into the kitchen with the gun (still in the slip) the two of them run around the corner where their beds are to greet me, all happy with wagging tails the lot, and as soon as they see the slip with the gun in, they swiftly turn and return back to their beds where they stay until they hear the locks on the safe locking... I have tried just carrying the gun without it in the slip, incase it was the slip they didnt like, also just the slip without the gun... When i carry the slip with out the gun in it, they are totally unphased and dont mind it at all, so it is deffinatly the gun they dont like. The reaction i get off them is through fear or uncertainty... they both hold their heads to the floor and quickly and walk off whilst trying to make it look like i havent seen them, the yorkie lowers his whole body to the floor as if to make him a smaller target (so to speak)..... It totally confuses me as neither of them even know what a gun is or does. The only slight explanation i can come up with myself is... The people who we bought the yorkie off when he was a pup, used to own air rifles.... im just wondering if he has had a bad experience with them or something which has passed on to the other dog through seeing the yorkie scared, (as if to say , "well he's scared so i will be to") I doubt this is the case though as we bought him when he was only 4 weeks old.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdfish Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 mops the same. soona s i open the cupboard where the gun cabinet is shes away. never seen the gun being shot but is just scared of them. jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salop Matt Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Yikes our bryn loves the guns and given the oppertunity he likes to lick the ejectors and action for the 3 in 1 oil ! lol. he hasnt been bothered at all by them. we started by lying the gun flat on the floor on the slip for him to sniff while we had a brew and when it cam to cleaning them what caught his i first was the cleaning cloth keep poping out of the end of the barrel and thought it was a game ! He just ignors them now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Ice do you have a sxs in your cabnet that you can break down? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris921 Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 try having the guns next to the dogs when feeding them so they start to resemble the guns with food or do it with treats or try walking them with the guns so they start linking them with good things could be that there feeding off your nervous energy about the situation good luck mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Ice do you have a sxs in your cabnet that you can break down? NTTF I have a O/U i can break down, will this do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted July 9, 2008 Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Yes will do fine. What I would like to you to do is, when the dogs are not around get the gun out and break it down to barrels and stock. Set it in a hall cupboard or some place out of sight. Get the dogs in and when things are looking normal I would like you to get just the barrels out and walk into the kitchen. Set the barrels down without making any fuse. Watch the dogs and let me know what they do, if possible have your wife watch them aswell to see what they do before you enter the room. I want to know if they respond to the scent before you get there, or the visual of the barrels, or both. Next repeat the same exercise with just the stock and let me know what they do. Be sure to leave a bit of time inbetween exercises so that the dogs settle back into a normal routine. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2008 Okie dokie. will report back tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Right will have to be quick on this one. I did as you surgested, with the dogs in the kitchen, and they heard me opening the gun safe and legged it, so obviously they knoew what i was getting..... I then took them for a walk to relax them again and left them in the garden on return home, i took the gun from the cabinate and broke it down, i left the barrels on the floor next to their beds, they came in thinking everything was normal spotted the barrels lying there and legged it... an hour or so later i repeated the same thing but with the stock in a different place. Same thing happened, both of them wouldnt go near it. To conclude. They seem to be scared of the gun as a whole and each individual piece on its own??? Could it be the smell they dont like??? if so i could try cleaning with some smelly stuff to disguise it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Ice, I want you to try two more exercises for me. Again while the dogs are out I would like you to place a rag that has gun oil, solvent, and powder residue on the floor in the same area. Let me know what happens. Then I would like you to place a broom handle in the area while the dogs are out and see what happens, let me know. NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Had a similar problem this time last year................. http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...7&hl=gunshy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new to the flock Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Ice, I want you to try two more exercises for me. Again while the dogs are out I would like you to place a rag that has gun oil, solvent, and powder residue on the floor in the same area. Let me know what happens. Then I would like you to place a broom handle in the area while the dogs are out and see what happens, let me know. NTTF Ice have you given this a try? NTTF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 No not yet.... i will do tonight..... I think i might have the problem solved. Our Yorkie has a sister who is my grandfathers dog, since he has been in spain on holiday last week we have been looking after his dog for him. I came back from shooting and was cleaning the gun as normall and my grandfathers dog is totally unphased by it, so i started playing ball with his dog whilst holding the gun, before long our dogs had joined in, and since i was taking part in what seems to be their favourite pass time, they totally ignored the fact i was holding the gun whilst playing with them. I havent tried just cleaning it with them yet in the room yet to see their reaction but im going to try next time i go, see if there fear is cured. I will try the raggs this evening and will post response tomorrow though. Thanks for all your help. Ice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbivvy Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 how did this turn out please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Posted July 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Hi guys. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply to this... It seems the problem has gone, seems the yorkies sister has cured the problem.... Since this i have been playing ball with gun in my hand in the garden quite regularly and now everytime i unlock cabinet the bloody dogs sit their with wide eyes thinking its time to play ball again which is not a bad thing... at least they aint scared anymore hey. Well all i can say is thanks to everyone who has put forward comments / surgestions on possible cures, greatly appreciated Ice.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingdragon Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 (edited) hi I had exactly the opposite with my 2 cockers. We'd pick them up from a working home on the Tuesday and on the weekend the shoot decided to go foxing, so I got my gun out of the cabinet and the 2 pups went beserk. They were wagging and leaping about. I put it down to the fact that they must have picked this behaviour up from the parents and other dogs when they went on a shoot and associated excitement with the smell of the gun. Simon Edited August 1, 2008 by smokingdragon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.