Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Bird Dogs => Topic started by: BIGINNER on November 29, 2010, 10:43:02 AM

Title: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: BIGINNER on November 29, 2010, 10:43:02 AM: AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, I RECENTLY GOT A GSP. HE'S 8 MONTHS OLD, WELL THE GUYS I GOT HIM FROM SAID THAT THEY'VE NEVER TOOK HIM HUNTING BEFORE,... BUT HE IS SCARED OF GUNS, THE WIERD THING IS THAT HE IS NOT SCARED OF THE GUNSHOT, I SHOT THE SHOTGUN OVER HIM AND HE DIDN'T EVEN FLINCH,... THE NOISE DOEN'T BOTHER HIM AT ALL, BUT WHEN HE TURNS AROUND AND SEES THE GUN HE FREAKS OUT AND RUNS TO THE TRUCK, HE'S FINE UNTILL HE SEES THE GUN, HE EVEN RUNS AND HIDES WHEN HE SEES MY KIDS TOY RIFLE.... WHAT COULD THIS BE? WAS SOMEONE SHOOTING HIM WITH BB GUNS BEFORE I GOT HIM? WHAT COULD I DO TO FIX THIS? I WAS THINKING ABOUT CARRYING MY PELLOT GUN WHENEVER I'M WITH THE DOG, OR PUTTING A GUN INTO HIS KENNEL WITH HIM? THE REASON WHY ITS CONFUSING IS I CAN BLAST AWAY WITH THE SHOTGUN OVER HIM ALL DAY AS LONG AS HE DOESNT LOOK BACK AND SEE THE GUN, THEN HE FREAKS OUT.... THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE. IF IT CAN'T BE FIXED I'M FINE WITH HIM JUST BEING A FAMILY DOG, HE'S AWESOME WITH MY KID AND THE KIDS LOVES HIM.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: rasbo on November 29, 2010, 10:48:04 AM: just ease into it with him..he will come around..you two will have many good times
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: gaddy on November 29, 2010, 10:56:44 AM: possably beat with something resembling a gun? i know that once my lab figured out that my shotgun ment we were going to go have some fun, she gets excited when she sees it.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: steeleywhopper on November 29, 2010, 10:57:17 AM: I am no dog trainer, but I would carry a gun around him all the time. Force him to deal with it daily, he should get over it. Start carrying it every time you give him some dog treats, maybe he will start associating it with treat time? just my thoughts.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: BIGINNER on November 29, 2010, 10:58:42 AM: Quote from: steeleywhopper on November 29, 2010, 10:57:17 AM
I am no dog trainer, but I would carry a gun around him all the time. Force him to deal with it daily, he should get over it. Start carrying it every time you give him some dog treats, maybe he will start associating it with treat time? just my thoughts.

THATS WHAT I WAS THINKING AS WELL, CARY IT WHEN ITS FEEDING TIME, WHEN I GIVE TREATS, AND WHEN WE PLAY FETCH.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Curly on November 29, 2010, 11:40:13 AM: ARE YOU ALWAYS YELLING AT HIM WHILE YOU HAVE THE GUN IN YOUR HAND. ???
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Happy Gilmore on November 29, 2010, 12:04:29 PM: LOUD NOISES!
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Happy Gilmore on November 29, 2010, 12:07:11 PM: seriously though, if he's afraid of the BB gun the same way, leave it where he sleeps, move it near his food bowl, put one in his kennel. When he's not spooky around it, pick it up, feed him a treat while you're holding it etc. Its not called guy shy, its called gun conscious. He may have been trained with a healing stick and gotten it a little too heavy for his personality? who knows. you just get to unwind it.

basic thing about dog training is that if you don't have a problem of some sort, you aren't training.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Michelle_Nelson on November 29, 2010, 02:59:17 PM: Does he do the same thing if you pick up a broom, or a stick, pole, etc?
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Stilly bay on November 29, 2010, 02:59:23 PM: I agree with keeping the gun around him at all times especially around feeding time or other positive activities.

you said you JUST got him so I would chill for awhile with the gun. let him get good and comfortable around your house and family. you don't want to bring him to a new environment and scare the beejeezus out of him continually with an object that frightens him.

you might miss out on the rest of this hunting season coping with his problem but if you take it slow, your dog will bring you many more seasons with out being object shy.

another thought is after he calms down around the gun, and isn't acting fearful around it anymore. get a live pigeon and tie it to the end of the gun barrel (unloaded) with about 3 or 4 feet of rope. if he is interested in the bird and ignoring the gun start playing keep away with him. just don't let him catch the bird or that starts new problems.
Title: Re: MY GSP IS GUNSHY IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!!! (ADVICE)
Post by: Malardman on December 01, 2010, 11:53:10 PM: My lab had the same problem PM Me and we can talk on the phone, It's way to much to type.