Gun Shy Question

From weaning to retirement, this forum covers all aspects of behavior and training; from basic commands to advance field training. Ask questions, or share your experiences and techniques.

Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett

Post Reply
Tellico Hunter
Posts: 56
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:05 am
Location: Maryville, TN

Gun Shy Question

Post by Tellico Hunter »

I have a 17 month old female bluetick beagle. Last weekend was the first time she had been shot over with a shotgun. we killed a rabbit not really far out in front of her, but far enough that she was not peppered by shot. My hunting partner killed it in two shots, and she kept packing/hammering all the way to the dead rabbit without missing a bark with his dogs and the rest of mine. Now over the weekend I hunted her with some other dogs that she had never ever hunted with before. At first she did not pack well with them (she would stay sort of back from the pack, but run the track), but then started to pack good at the end of the hunt. She has never been jumped on by another dog. My question is that when we killed the rabbits over the dogs, she would quit and come out to one of us. But would immediately go back to hunting and hunt hard. They would jump another rabbit and she would get with them again. On the last rabbit shot she did not miss a bark and came right out of the woods with the pack to the dead rabbit. Is this a sign of "gun shy dog"? The guy I was with said it may be because she has not been hunted around his dogs ever, and she did seem a little nervous around them for most of the morning. This is her first real season hunting.

butch 58
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:56 pm

Re: Gun Shy Question

Post by butch 58 »

ii myself would say she is not gunshy not always but if my dogs runing a rabbit and somebody shoots at the rabbit they will come to the gun because they think you have it if your dog is gunshy i would say it would not come to where you shot it would be going the other way to get away from the gun as far as packing up some dogs just have to get use to hunting with differnt dogs dont sound to me like you have any major problems that time wont fix jmo

HatterasBob
Posts: 664
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:47 pm
Location: Maryland

Re: Gun Shy Question

Post by HatterasBob »

Gun Shyness is a learned behavior. That is you would have scared the dog while shooting over it the first time. In my opinion, NEVER hunt over a young dog that has not been shot over with friends the first time. My son hates it when I do this to him. You can't control the shots. Always shot the first time over a hound with the muzzle pointed away from the hound, like after the rabbit passes you but the hound hasn't. Next, tease the hound with the dead rabbit until it's tail is up and the hound id excited again. Never shoot over a hound the first time unless the hound is packed it and running hard. Follow these rules and before long the hound will come to you after a shot looking for the rabbit.

Ky. Hunter
Posts: 1435
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2008 3:20 pm
Location: Richmond, Kentucky 40475

Re: Gun Shy Question

Post by Ky. Hunter »

Is this a sign of "gun shy dog"?
To answer your question, I would say no. I have one that would come out when you shot the gun if she was close to you. She did it for the first 4--5 hunts she was in and I think she was conecting the gun shot with the rabbit because the first rabbit ever killed over her I let her fool with it and pulled the head off and gave it to her and when she heard the shot she would come to whoever was close to her and look around but after 4--5 hunts or so she was fine and retrieves rabbit today if the other dogs don't bother her when she picks it up.

Post Reply