Hunting with my pup

I had the opportunity to do some bunny hunting with my old lab and my 16 week old Airedale Terrier. I expect very little from a pup. I had no idea how he would take to the shotgun.

So we went to the back of my property which is heavely wooded. My lab started hunting and checking the bushes for rabbits. After a few minutes, Tikka spooks out a snowshoe, and he chases it around back to me with the pup in tow. I shoot it and let the Pup, Browning, sniff and play with him.

We move on and Browning is on the hunt. He chases up another snowshoe, and chases it himself. When I shoot it Browning drags the rabbit to me with a proud "Look Daddy what I got for you" After a lot of praise, He sets off again. This time he points out and spooks some Pheasant. When I didn't shoot he gave ma a look like "Daddy that was for you" I praised him and treated him and Tikka. Tikka just sits beside me watching all this, content.

After some of the comments here, I was concerned The breed I selected may have been a dud for hunting. I was surprised to see a pup of 16 weeks hunt. Our total take was 6 rabbits in about an hour and a half. He flushed a total of 9 birds. Browning is now laying in front of the fire sound asleep, snoring. What a dog!!!! Both dogs were given special treats and lots of love.

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Originally Posted by Blackwolf

I had the opportunity to do some bunny hunting with my old lab and my 16 week old Airedale Terrier. I expect very little from a pup. I had no idea how he would take to the shotgun.

So we went to the back of my property which is heavely wooded. My lab started hunting and checking the bushes for rabbits. After a few minutes, Tikka spooks out a snowshoe, and he chases it around back to me with the pup in tow. I shoot it and let the Pup, Browning, sniff and play with him.

We move on and Browning is on the hunt. He chases up another snowshoe, and chases it himself. When I shoot it Browning drags the rabbit to me with a proud "Look Daddy what I got for you" After a lot of praise, He sets off again. This time he points out and spooks some Pheasant. When I didn't shoot he gave ma a look like "Daddy that was for you" I praised him and treated him and Tikka. Tikka just sits beside me watching all this, content.

After some of the comments here, I was concerned The breed I selected may have been a dud for hunting. I was surprised to see a pup of 16 weeks hunt. Our total take was 6 rabbits in about an hour and a half. He flushed a total of 9 birds. Browning is now laying in front of the fire sound asleep, snoring. What a dog!!!! Both dogs were given special treats and lots of love.

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Sounds like you had a good time. Birds and bunnies on your property, lucky man.

To all the new dog owners out there DO NOT take your new dog out and just start shooting over it. I know several people are going to say that it worked for them or their buddy and this or that. You run the risk of making a gun shy dog which is bad news and very difficult to fix. I have tried to get the mods to let us put a sticky up about gun introduction but it has fallen on deaf ears.

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Originally Posted by Jakezilla

have tried to get the mods to let us put a sticky up about gun introduction but it has fallen on deaf ears.

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Would be a good idea...because the obvious thing to a lot of people is to get the puppy out hunting (with guns) as soon as possible.

I was not sure of the shotgun, but he has been exposed to cap guns, and 17HMR, and this last weekend a 3030 for a coyote that was in the arena. We play retrieve, sit, stay, and my whistle to come. I did not expect he would be so ready to hunt. I have always taken my labs out to see, but usually start when they are 6 months old. However Browning insisted on coming with us and I didn't expect to see anything.

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Originally Posted by werner.reiche

Would be a good idea...because the obvious thing to a lot of people is to get the puppy out hunting (with guns) as soon as possible.

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and next thing they know they're getting or trying to get a gunshy puppy out hunting - good luck with that! Such a big hurry to shoot over them, so unnecessary... Dogs ain't born gunshy, gunshyness ain't genetic - like krakadawn said in another thread, All problems are the handler's, not the dog's.

MG

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Originally Posted by crackerd

and next thing they know they're getting or trying to get a gunshy puppy out hunting - good luck with that! Such a big hurry to shoot over them, so unnecessary... Dogs ain't born gunshy, gunshyness ain't genetic - like krakadawn said in another thread, All problems are the handler's, not the dog's.

MG

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Not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying we shouldn't put a sticky up talking about proper gun introduction?

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Originally Posted by Jakezilla

Not sure what you are saying here. Are you saying we shouldn't put a sticky up talking about proper gun introduction?

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I'm echoing what you're saying about people getting ahead of themselves in a hurry to shoot over a pup - most emphatically should put up a sticky as cautionary and informational on proper gun intro.

MG

We should also have something about bird introduction. The gun and bird introduction should also be split into upland and retrieving categories written by people proficient in those disciplines.

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Originally Posted by crackerd

and next thing they know they're getting or trying to get a gunshy puppy out hunting - good luck with that! Such a big hurry to shoot over them, so unnecessary... Dogs ain't born gunshy, gunshyness ain't genetic - like krakadawn said in another thread, All problems are the handler's, not the dog's.

MG

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I think you took my statement wrong...the 'obvious thing to a lot of people....' will result in a gun shy dog.

My point was that a sticky would be a good idea, because the 'obvious thing' is the 'wrong thing' to do.

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Originally Posted by crackerd

and next thing they know they're getting or trying to get a gunshy puppy out hunting - good luck with that! Such a big hurry to shoot over them, so unnecessary... Dogs ain't born gunshy, gunshyness ain't genetic - like krakadawn said in another thread, All problems are the handler's, not the dog's.

MG

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I cannot agree with you less. I raised and bred Keeshonds. Great guard dog great family dog. If you shot a cap gun around them like I do with gun dogs.... they are gone. Super gun shy!! Its the breed. Thats why we went to Labs.

Consider a horse, those westerns they show you people shooting off their backs... bullcrap. It took me considerable time to be able to shoot off my horse's back without being bucked off. The only other way is to give them ear plugs, which I won't do. Dogs are the same. You introduce load noises to them and slowly introduce gun noises. I think the breeder has been working on Browning since he was 6 weeks old.