# Gun Training for Hunting Dogs



## petitpie

1. Have the dog engaged in a pleasurable activity, like eating or retrieving a ball.
2. When the dog is so engaged, have an assistant fire a small caliber gun or blank starter pistol at a distance so that the dog learns to associate the noise with the pleasurable activity, but so that the noise is not so great as to frighten the dog.
3. Gradually have the assistant move closer, as long as the dog does not appear to be frightened by the sound of the shot.
4. Once the dog will tolerate the sound of the shot at very close proximity, have the assistant use a louder gun and repeat the sequence until the dog accepts the loudest sound to which he will be exposed, for example a shotgun fired over a retriever or hunting dog.
5. The rate at which you progress depends on the dog's ability to tolerate the progressive increase in noise. Some dogs can accept gunshots very quickly and others take more time to adapt.


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## Fluffyspoos

I got a cap gun from a dollar store, and popped it off while we were playing ball (the most amazing thing in the world) It's worked great for us.


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## PoodlePowerBC

Our cabin is not far from the gun Range, so our pups get a lot of "gun" exposure. There are also a LOT of fireworks being set off all year (Except fire season). And our home is next to a lot of berry farms that use "berry guns" to scare the birds. Lots of exposure here ...


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## poodlewrangler

This method of desensitizing a dog or puppy should work for any kind of loud noise that they may be subjected too. I grew up with hunting dogs, labs and pointers, and none of them were bothered by shooting over them, but I have never hunted with poodles who were originally bred as retrievers. I don't know whether certain hunting breeds, including poodles, are genetically predisposed to accept the loud noise of gunshots any more so than other breeds. I think the genetic disposition (if it exists) can be reinforced or overcome by proper training because I have heard of "gun shy" dogs being desensitized and becoming good hunting dogs.


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## cdnchick

Great thread! 

We were thinking of taking Finley to our gun range to get her used to the sounds of the firearm shots but we weren't sure if the initial blasts would scare her off (there are some pretty high caliber rifles that are fired off). We'd like to take her hunting eventually. 

Any chance of hearing loss with continued exposure to high caliber rifle shots? We, as humans, need to wear hearing protection... was curious if dogs' hearing work in the same manner.


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## poodlewrangler

cdnchick said:


> Great thread!
> 
> We were thinking of taking Finley to our gun range to get her used to the sounds of the firearm shots but we weren't sure if the initial blasts would scare her off (there are some pretty high caliber rifles that are fired off). We'd like to take her hunting eventually.
> 
> Any chance of hearing loss with continued exposure to high caliber rifle shots? We, as humans, need to wear hearing protection... was curious if dogs' hearing work in the same manner.


Please see the Mississippi State University study copied below:


Hunting and hearing: MSU studies gun-noise effect on dogs
University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Aga Haupt
June 12, 2002
A team of Mississippi State veterinary faculty members, clinicians and students is working to demonstrate that a hunting dog's frequent exposure to gunshots can progressively damage the animal's hearing.

A first, the university study of noise-induced deafness in dogs is being supported by the College of Veterinary Medicine's Office of Research and the Denver, Colo.-based American Animal Hospital Association Foundation.

"A partially deaf dog is not as effective as either a hunter or as a pet," said Dr. Andrew Mackin, holder of the college's Hugh Ward Chair in Veterinary Medicine and an associate professor in small animal internal medicine.

To make the investigation as scientifically controlled as possible, Mackin said the team only is testing Labrador retrievers. In addition to being quite common in Mississippi, the breed habitually sits near the hunter and, therefore, close to his or her shotgun.

Mackin said the test subjects are middle-aged animals 4-10 years old. "We wanted dogs that are old enough to have hunted at least a couple of seasons, yet not old enough to be going deaf out of old age," he explained.

Because swimming can cause ear infections leading to progressive hearing loss, the team screened candidates to rule out evidence of past or current infections, Mackin said.

During the testing, Mackin and his team sedate the dogs and attach scalp electrodes and a tiny probe in the dog's ear canal. The probe sends a repeated clicking noise and the researchers record the electrical pattern in the dog's brain to see how well the dog can hear. The test is repeated in both ears and the results are compared. The hearing test is a painless, standard way of testing for deafness in animals.

"We routinely perform this kind of hearing test for pet owners," Mackin said.

While a healthy Lab begins to hear sounds at about 10 or 15 decibels--much like a healthy human--Mackin said one test animal that has been heavily exposed to gunshots didn't respond until 60 decibels, which is quite loud.

The research group also includes Dr. David Jennings, a neurologist, and Dr. Amy Janda, a small animal intern, as well as two veterinary students. Janda said the sound at 60 decibels is comparable to half the noise of a jet engine.

The team's original research proposal called for testing a total of 40 dogs, 20 hunters and 20 non-hunters.

"The difficult thing in Mississippi is to find a Lab retriever that never has been hunting," Mackin said. As a result, team members decided to forgo a search for 40 animals.

"We are very excited about our preliminary data," he said. "Practically all of the hunting dogs have some hearing loss and practically all of the non-hunting dogs have great hearing."

The difference in hearing ability between the two test groups "is extreme," he added.

Ultimately, results of the study could have great consequences for hunters.

"Perhaps in the future we will recommend the same precautions for hunting dogs as for hunters, including earplugs," Mackin said.


Also see below:

"Ear Protection For Dogs

So.. do dogs need ear protection to prevent loud noises form damaging their ears?
Yep… just like humans do.
The problem is, there aren’t a lot of dog-friendly ear plugs available on the market yet. You could try stuffing cotton balls into your dog’s ears. Or use “human” sponge-like foam earplugs (…that work very well for people by the way). I’ve even heard of dog owners fitting a piece of pillow foam (from seat cushions, mattress toppers, and pillows) inside your dog’s ear canal.
For the record, we’re not the first to try those bright orange foam-like earplugs on a dog. (They’re the same tension-based disposable ear plugs with foam plugs that are routinely sold at loud sporting events.)
Unfortunately, most dogs can’t stand the flimsy plastic headpiece hovering above their head, or hanging below their chin… and they just “paw” at it or shake their heads vigorously to get it off. (Our dog kept it on longer than other dogs we’ve seen at the racetrack did.)
But thankfully there is one very good product called Mutt Muffs. They are the world’s only over-the-head hearing protector for animals. Mutt Muffs were created by pilots “who know the noise level of the cockpit is unsafe for man or beast”.

I have not tested or used Mutt Muffs, but they can be found at the link below:
Buy Safe and Sound Pets Black Mutt Muffs Hearing Protection for Dogs at SkyGeek.com


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## cdnchick

Thanks for the info... like the link to the mutt muffs too.


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