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.