The American Beagler Forum

placed 4th. in the state hunt last week....well when it came time to shoot over the dogs my 2 yo came back to me and the judge scratched my dog.

he was never shot over ..i recieved him few mo. ago and all i did was run him.

today my blank gun came in and i need tips on breaking him of gun shyness...

also i have a 6 mo. pup that i need tips on preventing gun shyness..

thanks anthony

Once a hound is truly gunshy it is extremely hard to break them. As far as the young dog, most dogs won't have a problem if exposed to gun fire properly. What usually causes a hound to become gunshy is either being hit by shot, or someone trying to train the hound that doesn't know what he's doing. A prime example of that would be taking the young hound, having him beside you and firing a 12 guage over him. More hounds have been made gunshy that way more than any other. Never never never fire over a young hound unless it is running. Once he's running a rabbit good fire your blank as he brings the rabbit towards you. Fire just once. If he keeps running the next time by let him get a little closer and then fire your blank once again. Just make sure he's running at the time.

As far as the other hound goes, it's a lot of work and the success rate isn't that high for curing a gunshy hound. That he came back to you instead of completely running away does offer help. You have to decide if he's worth the trouble. Run him with gun broke hounds try the blanks at first, make sure he's running. The hope is that with hounds he knows he will keep running. Bang pans and make noise when feeding him. More drastic methods I've heard of include taking him out in a boat in the middle of a lake and firing. Forcing him to choose between the noise or water. Never tried that tho.....have my doubts.

Good luck!

John

alot a times you can gun break a beagle, there usally one of the eaiest...i broke my older hound by tying him up and walking pritty far away and shoot a 12 gauge, about 200 yards and do it again at about 100 and keep shooting and get alittle closer...then let him off, and shoot when he's not expecting it...but don't do it when he's close..do it when you can't see him..and when you do don't give him any attention when you shoot..don't praise him..or shoot and have a dead rabbit at the end of were you shot and take him or her over there to see what you shot. but to beat it all is to shoot around them when there about 4 months old all the way up till there almost a year. and you will have a gun broke dog..best of luck
jon

I've broke a few labs for duck hunting and have been very successful. Try this. When the pup is young bang pots and pans while he is eating. Use some dicression as to the distance between you and him.
One lab i started a little early dove hunting and she didn't like the sound of that 12 ga at all and was i concerned but what i did was held her food in the pan and the 22 rifle in the other. I walked to the back of the yard and fired the gun a couple of times and then gave her the food. Every morning and night. About a week or two of that and she was on her way to recovery. When you pick up a gun now she is ready to go. When you fire a gun now she is johnny on the spot. Try the later method i think it willl work for you. You might try throwing a rabbit down for her when you shoot. Pick up the road kills. Pups like the smell of them and they don't seem to be able to smell the tire tracks on the rabbit.

When we bresk in our springer pups for phesant hunting we fire a pellet gun by them first. Then If their not scared we fire a .22 by them, and if their still not effected we fire a 12 gauge over their head and If they can handle that they will be fine.