Gun shy

[CKC1586]

Not even really gun shy but gun shot,thunder, big noise shy. Is it possible to get a dog over this fear / paranoia?????

 

[chippie]

a friend swears by Thundershirts. She has two dogs that freak out during thunderstorms.

http://www.thundershirt.com/

 

[CKC1586]

ordered one. Hope it works, I'll let ya'll know! Send good thoughts Maggie's way. ;-)

 

[chippie]

Will do. I hope that it helps her.

 

[iowafarmer]

I know there is a way to get a dog over being gun shy. Never had to do it but have heard of hunters doing it. Here is a link that may help also. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162858

 

[M5farm]

Bb gun to start with . Get them used to seeing the motion and a small sound. I shoot sparrows and birds to focus there attention. After a week or 2 graduate to 22 shorts. Keep increasing the noise level every week .Once they realize there's something for them to do when a gun goes off they forget about the noise. This process can take weeks to months to correct.

 

[skyhightree1]

Personally what I do to break a dog of gun shyness is put a metal trashcan top in my dog pen suspended in the air so if they jump on it it slams on the concrete pen bottom and makes a loud noise.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Bb gun to start with . Get them used to seeing the motion and a small sound. I shoot sparrows and birds to focus there attention. After a week or 2 graduate to 22 shorts. Keep increasing the noise level every week .Once they realize there's something for them to do when a gun goes off they forget about the noise. This process can take weeks to months to correct.

I argee but with that said I have had some that just could not get over being gun shy.

 

[Isomade]

My Aussie Sam is terrified of loud noises. Every time I go somewhere he jumps in the Polaris Ranger and goes with me. A few weeks ago he wasn't expecting me to travel to the back side of one of the far pastures for target practice. After I fired the first shot I looked up and Sam looked like he had been shot out of a cannon. He blazed a new trail back to the house. No one was home so you can imagine my surprise when I got home and found the door standing wide open. I crept thru the house gun in hand only to find Sam shivering behind the couch. After further examination of the door he used both paws to turn the round knob. He must have been at it a while as he took off all the paint in a circular motion around the knob in the process.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have had several Aussies and I think all but 1 or 2 hated Gun shots,thunder and other loud noises like the end gate on a dump truck slamming don't know if their ears are extra sensitive or if they are just scared

Mom and Dad had one that would get the door open and if he couldn't would claw the crap out of it untilhe had no nails left

 

[Blue Dawg]

Is it possible to get a dog over this fear / paranoia?????

Absolutely you can make a change in this dogs behavior, it all depends on how persistent you are.

A few things need to be known........... Is the dog kenneled or run loose? Do you have a certain place or time when you feed the dog?

 

[CKC1586]

Is it possible to get a dog over this fear / paranoia?????

Absolutely you can make a change in this dogs behavior, it all depends on how persistent you are.

A few things need to be known........... Is the dog kenneled or run loose? Do you have a certain place or time when you feed the dog?

She is pretty much house dog, goes out with me to do chores etc. I bought the thundershirt but haven't used it yet, no thunder just snow and not much hunting going on around us right now so no gun activity in the area....

 

[Blue Dawg]

Going on that you have an otherwise happy healthy dog that is shy of strange and loud noises.

I don't want to go into methods much, I will just get you started in the right direction. There is a key and you already hold it. That key is fun and happiness, and your success depends on how well you express it around your dog. Be creative, you don't need a pocket full of snacks to treat your dog. Introduce your dog to some strange noises over the next few weeks. Start with a couple of plastic shopping bags. Shake them during feeding time and watch the dogs reaction but continue like nothing is different, you can have fun with this. Once they have determined that you have lost your mind move on to something else.
Have fun and let us know the dog's reactions.

 

[CKC1586]

Going on that you have an otherwise happy healthy dog that is shy of strange and loud noises.

I don't want to go into methods much, I will just get you started in the right direction. There is a key and you already hold it. That key is fun and happiness, and your success depends on how well you express it around your dog. Be creative, you don't need a pocket full of snacks to treat your dog. Introduce your dog to some strange noises over the next few weeks. Start with a couple of plastic shopping bags. Shake them during feeding time and watch the dogs reaction but continue like nothing is different, you can have fun with this. Once they have determined that you have lost your mind move on to something else.
Have fun and let us know the dog's reactions.

Not real sure I haven't! Anyway this is worth a try. I have tried to encourage her to ignore the scary stuff but treats may just be the answer!

 

[chippie]

I believe that some animals are just more sensitive to noises and sounds. We know that dogs can hear things that people can't, so who really knows how thunder and gun shots sound to some dogs.

We have a min pin/heeler mix that is terrified of gun shots. There is a wild tom cat that my husband has been trying to get. It was outside the barn last night squatting by a tree. He had to stand in the barn to shoot. The dog happened to be in the barn at the time and I found her cowering in the feed room. 3 treats and she was happy enough to go outside.

 

[Blue Dawg]

I believe that some animals are just more sensitive to noises and sounds. We know that dogs can hear things that people can't, so who really knows how thunder and gun shots sound to some dogs.

We have a min pin/heeler mix that is terrified of gun shots. There is a wild tom cat that my husband has been trying to get. It was outside the barn last night squatting by a tree. He had to stand in the barn to shoot. The dog happened to be in the barn at the time and I found her cowering in the feed room. 3 treats and she was happy enough to go outside.

I agree that there are some that are more sensitive, usually you don't have to worry much about the ones that are not sensitive being shy.

Thunder and gunshots are not sounds of habit when you bring them to habit you usually remove the fear.