Question: Dogs + bows..

[Becky]

Smossy has a range set up at my house where he'll practice shooting... and my dog is TERRIFIED. Is this normal? He's never been touched or even around the bow when Smossy is practicing. He's normally the most active fun playing dog, runs the yard and chases everything that moves until the second Smossy picks up his bow and instantly he will run and cower under the toilet in the bathroom .. The only thing I can think of is maybe the vibration of wind/frequency of the sound when he shoots is bothersome?  I guess just wondering if it's common, and how to alleviate his stress of even SEEING the bow out of the case.

[Skyvalhunter]

I say keep the dog!!

[DoubleJ]

What kind of dog?

[jackelope]

Mine would chase arrows.

 

Sorry, don't know what to tell you.

[vandeman17]

I am thinking it could have something to do with the sound the bow makes when he is shooting it. Maybe it scares him... 

[fastdam]

Have smossy shoot his bow when your feeding your dog. In the same yard. If he wont eat, take the food away and shoot when he is hungry enough to eat. Like you would train a horse to chill during a gunfire.

[Broken Arrow]

Wish I had  better advice. I have to yell at my dog to get behind me when i practice. Maybe you should just open the case with the bow around it every time you feed him or her and change the fear association with something good, or fill the case with its favorite toys, etc. If all else fails...try the Cesar Milan.

[Becky]

I say keep the dog!!

Haha welllll.. the dog came first so of COURSE it's the dog 

What kind of dog?

Shiba inu mix, he's not a hunting dog by any means but he's cool as hell very well mannered.

I am thinking it could have something to do with the sound the bow makes when he is shooting it. Maybe it scares him... 

That's what I thought? Just didn't know if anyone else had similar experiences with their dogs or not. I just hate seeing him so stressed out.

[Becky]

Have smossy shoot his bow when your feeding your dog. In the same yard. If he wont eat, take the food away and shoot when he is hungry enough to eat. Like you would train a horse to chill during a gunfire.

Wish I had  better advice. I have to yell at my dog to get behind me when i practice. Maybe you should just open the case with the bow around it every time you feed him or her and change the fear association with something good, or fill the case with its favorite toys, etc. If all else fails...try the Cesar Milan.

^^Both good suggestions, we'll have to start doing that, he's very food/treat-motivated. I usually would play with him on the side and he'd be all for it and pre-occupied until he looked up, seen the bow in Smossy's hand then POOOOF he'd vanish so fast.

[fastdam]

You should be able to teach him that when tue bow comes out its happy time with the right conditioning.

[Smossy]

Yeah poor guy, If he even see's it he runs away, But its the same thing with the BB gun... If he see's anyone pick it up he goes the other direction...

[Becky]

Yeah poor guy, If he even see's it he runs away, But its the same thing with the BB gun... If he see's anyone pick it up he goes the other direction...

Oh I forgot about that.. Poor lil man has issues lol.

[Gringo31]

Am I the only one that thinks Smossy might have something to do with this???


 

Maybe 

[mossback91]

Am I the only one that thinks Smossy might have something to do with this???


 

Maybe 

 


Kind of like over time my dog learned that he needed to run and hide everytime I picked up my rope when I was a lil kid..........

[Smossy]

Nope, Id never lay my hands on that dog. Im not that kind of person. I kinda thought something about this maybe from the neighbors but being as they would have never been close enough for him to see the weapon he wouldn't know what it was "If the neighbors shot him" Which we've never found any reason to believe so, Hes just afraid of all weapons. Its not necessarily a bad thing, Its just interesting. Usually there's a underlying reason behind actions like that.

[Becky]

Am I the only one that thinks Smossy might have something to do with this???


 

Maybe 

 


Kind of like over time my dog learned that he needed to run and hide everytime I picked up my rope when I was a lil kid..........

Lol no way..



He grew up as my mom's truck dog, I guess that's why I thought it'd be odd for him to be afraid of strange noises/items considering his whole life WAS strange noises/new places/new things.  Definitely going to try the treats and positive reinforcement route more vigorously.

[biggfish]

Maybe he's just weird my dog is afraid of my guns and has never been near a gun shot, but when I pull out the pellet gun he knows we're hunting rats.

[nocklehead]

I like the idea of associating the bow with treats...my dog knows by now knives, guns, and fishing poles are where yummy treats come from! He gets super excited by the fillet knife especially!

[Fullabull]

Did you get him as a pup or as an adult?
Our friends had one of those and he was very skittish also, it's the nature of the breed.
Maybe you sit with him on a leash while your husband is shooting and just reassure him and give him treats while you sit with him.

[quadrafire]

Mine would chase arrows.

 

Sorry, don't know what to tell you.

Can't keep mine away from the target. I will have to throw something the other direction and take a quick shot before she gets back. Very annoying!!

[Becky]

Awee, my guy has good manners so he'd sit and stay if I made him.. I just don't want to force him. I can see it being bad either way (if he wanted to run after the arrows etc.).

Fullabull - Pup, well my mom did, he's a retired truck doggy now living at home. He's traveled the entire USA with her in her semi though.. but you know what I didn't even think about that, shiba's ARE very shy/timid in nature so that could be it too. He's just gunna have to become one spoiled dog when Smossy does his practicing until he's not as panicked anymore

[sakoshooter]

My daughter has the same dog. When she brings it over, it plays with my yellow labs. Even fetch. I shoot my bow quite often and it nevers has any problems with it.
You just need to keep it close when you're shooting and assure it that everything's OK. Letting it run/hide is only allowing the problem to get worse. They are a smart breed and very independant.

[snarkybull]

i would test the hypothesis of noise and vibration.  have the dog where it can hear a few shots without ever having seen the bow or arrows or targets or anything that would warn it.

[Machias]

Maybe he's seen him shoot before and knows nothing but the target is safe.   J/K   

[pianoman9701]

You'll need to put him down...Smossy, I mean.

[Fl0und3rz]

Friend's dog would go feral if you brought out the vacuum. Some dogs just have weird quirks.

[Becky]

Maybe he's seen him shoot before and knows nothing but the target is safe.   J/K   

 

You'll need to put him down...Smossy, I mean.

You may be onto something here.. the dog WAS around first   

[Smossy]

Maybe he's seen him shoot before and knows nothing but the target is safe.   J/K   

 

You'll need to put him down...Smossy, I mean.

You may be onto something here.. the dog WAS around first   

[Becky]

Maybe he's seen him shoot before and knows nothing but the target is safe.   J/K   

 

You'll need to put him down...Smossy, I mean.

You may be onto something here.. the dog WAS around first   

Juuuust kidding silly, I'd never put you down.

[Austrian Hunter]

We have a Shih-tzu and I just noticed that he hates weapons.  I pick up a riffle for cleaning etc... and he just goes nuts and barks and gets after my legs, yesterday I pulled the bow for practice and sure enough he hates it too.  First there was nothing and after the third or fourth shot he came barking like crazy. 

Like other said maybe it is the noise from the arrows in flight that upsets or frightens dogs 

[Nosferatu]

What kind of dog?

Shiba inu mix, he's not a hunting dog by any means but he's cool as hell very well mannered.


That's what I thought? Just didn't know if anyone else had similar experiences with their dogs or not. I just hate seeing him so stressed out.

That explains a lot. Shibas are one of the most skittish breeds out there. They are scared of their own fur.

You need to do a lot of positive association, and work at it slowly. Let him initiate at first, maybe leave the bow against a wall with a treat 4-6' away. As he gets more comfortable, move it closer and closer until he's just about right on it. DO NOT put the treat ON the bow where he could knock it over by grabbing the treat. That would freak him out more. Make sure it's steady.

After that, you can practice having the bow in hand. When he approaches you, reward him. Do this over and over again inside the house or where ever he's most comfortable. When you're confident he's ok with it, then move to doing the same thing outside.

Also, keep training sessions short and sweet. Always end on a positive. If he doesn't want to come closer, move the treat farther away until he takes it. You only need to do this a few times a day. Do not ever force him, such as picking him up and placing him closer, etc. Let him control the pace.

Prepare yourself for the possibility that he may just never be ok with it at all. Shibas are very very strange when it comes to certain things.

[6haase6]

I had a German short hair that was gun shy from day one, got her from a friend and the whole litter turned out that way. Not just a little gun shy either like if she would have ever heard a shot her heart probably would have exploded. But the bow she loved the bow. Then I had a lab boarder collie mix that loved guns from the start. Anytime the gun came out she turned into a spaz running around the house across couch over the chair. You couldn't control him if he saw a gun he had like a mental breakdown everytime he saw it. Dogs are just a little nuts sometimes.

[huntingfool7]

Some years ago, we had a dalmation that was like that.  Bows, bb guns, rifles, it didn't matter.  He would pick a direction and move out.
We picked him up at 2 years old for $35.00  Kind of a rescue from some local indians that raised fighting dogs.  He was very people/kid friendly but very dog aggressive.