Thread: Is she old enough?

Thinking of taking Ellie out to experience a shotgun this weekend but is 10 weeks old too young? Regardless I'll fire a few shots with the .22 off with her but was thinking of shooting a few crop raiding wood ducks that plague our farm with her to a) get her a feel for loud guns and b) to get her on to her first smell and taste of ducks.

what you reckon old enough or not?

At any rate I'll be taking her to duck opening March 15th for the experience so I want her to handle guns by then.

Cheers,

BH

Mach send a PM to EeeBees. The lady will know.

Try the .22 first see how she reacts,introduce a young pup to the big bang slowly.

You don't want to scare the crap out of her. Personally I wouldn't try larger bangs till 6 mths at least and then it is also a slow progress.
Don't ruin an up and coming hunting companion.

Read this

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...-gun-shy-2524/

Prevention is always better than cure. Personally, I would build up a huge positive association with all things hunting way before introducing the actual shot. Different application but same process - before Jet and I started our Schuthund style tracking, I built a great positive association with the long line, the harness (the sight of the harness, not just the wearing of it) and the particular tug toy we use at the end of the track.

I thought about all the elements of the final product and built the positive association with them separately before putting them together. I also only added a few things together at a time, rather than each individual element and then bang all of them at once. For example, I worked on the sight of the long line and the sight of the harness separately, then put them together to work on the long line dragging behind the harness just at home. Then I built up to those elements while in the environment of a track lay.

So for me, I would probably build a positive association with the individual elements of the safe keys being jangled, the gun bag, the physical presence of the gun, maybe even the physical presence of my hunting belt too, my day bag, hopping into the back of the car, then building up to the action of the gun being raised into the shoulder etc etc. I'd probably also build on the sound of gun fire by using a recording and having the volume at a low level while fun stuff is happening (dinner lol) and then build up to the sound happening as a precursor for food or other reward.

This is coming from a girl with a very soft dog with medium to low drive and of a non-hunting background!

Good luck and have fun

It's not so much about the age of the pup, it's more about the preparation you've done before you introduce it to actual gunfire and the way you introduce it.

However, 10 weeks is quite young and I'd be doing plenty of hand clapping as the pup is tearing around / sticking it's nose into bushes etc before moving onto a $2 Shop cap-gun (at a distance first, then move progressively closer), then a starters pistol. It's not something that should be rushed and you have to work within the pup's comfort levels with each step.

Get the foundation right before you jump too far ahead. She's just a pup, let her be one.

I have a proper .22 cal pistol that makes a bang similar to a 410/20g shotgun and I use it over the pups at 5-6 weeks old a half a dozen times a week while they are being weaned on to solid food... and up to the time they go at 8 weeks.
any shyness or negative reaction is easy to see and that particular pup is watched over time in case it has a predisposed link to being gun nervy, in this way the pups are well on the way to over come this make or break situation of a young gundog....... I also advise regular exposure to gun fire but not in a hunting situation once they leave home.
I would advise against using a .22 rifle as it produces a sharp crack rather than a bang, at least for the mean time.


'At any rate I'll be taking her to duck opening March 15th for the experience so I want her to handle guns by then.'
would have to be the most common fuck ups I hear with new pup owners, and a sure fire way to make the job so much harder later on down the track for things like lack of pointing, retrieving to hand and control.
you have just slapped a date on her and an expectation....

I agree with Kawhia re 22...very sharp tonal value ...go to a toy shop and buy a cap gun...(if cap guns are permitted in these weird times)!! Excellent comment, Kawhia, re expectation...ten weeks old...why the rush...the duck opening day is too much, has she had some water orientation...nothing puts a puppy off than being wet and cold...

Originally Posted by EeeBees

I agree with Kawhia re 22...very sharp tonal value ...go to a toy shop and buy a cap gun...(if cap guns are permitted in these weird times)!! Excellent comment, Kawhia, re expectation...ten weeks old...why the rush...the duck opening day is too much, has she had some water orientation...nothing puts a puppy off than being wet and cold...

Yup, mate chucked his pup into a puddle and it was shit scared of jumping into water for about 3-4 years

Originally Posted by Toby

Yup, mate chucked his pup into a puddle and it was shit scared of jumping into water for about 3-4 years

I've always found that behaviours that have been the dog's own decision are much stronger in the end rather than them being forced. But we can manipulate their decisions pretty hard out! I never threw Jet into water, always encouraged him which only got him in up to his belly. Then one day I just crossed the river and ignored his barking at me..he then swam across!!

Obviously he got a lot of praise for that. It was his decision to swim too, so now he's much more likely to go for it. In fact he's a big swimmer now.

I walked out knee deep and Pip came swimming out with me same as shooting. Started when she was 12 weeks with a .270

I've been lucky she swims and isn't gun shy

Toby, Labradors originating from St John's Dogs were originally in the service for waterwork around boats and floaty things...

St. John's water dog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Throwing a puppy into water to encourage it to swim...well, heeho!! To some it may seem feeble but introducing puppies to yes, a child's paddling pool or warm puddles is a very good way of getting them into water...obviously not chilled water...but to my mind the breeder should have already done noise and water orientation...I have my puppies carry around a bell as a toy so they know the sound of a bell. The biggest thing about water that will put a young dog off is it being cold, I mean cold as in cold...especially the shorthair breeds.

Originally Posted by Dougie

I've always found that behaviours that have been the dog's own decision are much stronger in the end rather than them being forced. But we can manipulate their decisions pretty hard out! I never threw Jet into water, always encouraged him which only got him in up to his belly. Then one day I just crossed the river and ignored his barking at me..he then swam across!!

Obviously he got a lot of praise for that. It was his decision to swim too, so now he's much more likely to go for it. In fact he's a big swimmer now.

I am not so sure about it being his decision but more a reflex of association...

Take it out, preferably with an older gun broken dog. The sooner the better BUT leave the 22 for the rabbits. Arsehole of an idea those things for that job.

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk

I use shotgun primers . Cut the crimp off used 12 ,20 or 410 she'll . Get chainsaw file pop out old primer , use file to hone out primer pocket so loose fit ( ie can push primer in easy with finger ) . All you need then is a pocket of primers , worked for me . Not too loud .
Start with pup a long way off at first !

I used to use old shotgun ammo too, cut them in half and dump the shot and powder.... you get a decent bang and pup gets familiar with the bang stick at the same time.