What’s best to avoid a dog becoming gun-shy?
The most important thing to remember about when you introduce a puppy to gunfire noise is that you should take it gently and not rush anything.
If your gundog puppy is confident you should be able to start at about seven to eight months of age. If she is timid then leave things until she is a year old. (You might also like to read: When should I start training my puppy to be a gundog?)
Hearing and gunshot
Gundog trainers usually wait until the dog is eight months old when hearing has developed properly. If you have any doubts at all then get in touch with a professional gundog trainer who will assess your puppy. Far better to do this than end up with a dog that has a lifelong problem with hearing gunshot. (Read is a gun-shy dog a lost cause?)
Your puppy should be walking reliably to heel and obeying the stop whistle before you even think about firing a gun in the puppy’s vicinity. (Read more on using the stop whistle here.)
Dropping metal food bowls near the youngster will get them used to sudden loud noises
Ways to introduce gunfire noises
Start the process off by dropping metal food bowls near the youngster….
