Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

[texasbrian66]

I have never had a bad day at the range until today. I got to the range this morning around 11:30 and unpacked my gear and put it at my shooting bench. I walked back to the truck for my rifle and was shocked to see this guy tying his 2 or 3 year old dog to his truck. In amazement I asked if he was going to keep his dog tied to the truck while people were shooting 15 ft away. He said she had to get use to the noise. He said "don't worry if she freaks out I'll put her in the truck" I told him I was not going to take part in hurting his dog and left that range but not before I reported him to the range officer.
I drove by 2 hours later. He put his dog in the cab of a his pickup truck.

 

[High Binder]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

15' away is miles compared to how close hunting dogs are to blasts. I regularly hunt with dogs and they're right next to us when we shoot. Dogs have hunted with people like that since guns were invented and even after years of countless blasts they still hear far better than we ever could. The guy had a bad method of training his dog but you over-reacted.

 

[klf]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: High Binder</div><div class="ubbcode-body">15' away is miles compared to how close hunting dogs are to blasts. I regularly hunt with dogs and they're right next to us when we shoot. Dogs have hunted with people like that since guns were invented and even after years of countless blasts they still hear far better than we ever could. The guy had a bad method of training his dog but you over-reacted. </div></div>

+1

 

[Trapshooter12]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: High Binder</div><div class="ubbcode-body">15' away is miles compared to how close hunting dogs are to blasts. I regularly hunt with dogs and they're right next to us when we shoot. Dogs have hunted with people like that since guns were invented and even after years of countless blasts they still hear far better than we ever could. The guy had a bad method of training his dog but you over-reacted. </div></div>

Even though Hunters are shooting close to their Dogs. The Dogs have their attention on something else while The shooting is going on.

The Jackass that brought his dog either already had a Gunshy Dog or was about to make one. Many of this type of idiot thinks taking a Gunshy Dog to a range like that will help them get over it. Believe me it don't.

When I was Traing Bird Dogs I always let the Pups chase the bird before the shot and as they got older I would fire more than one shot so that they weren't shocked by that also.
Thw easiest way to make Pup Gun Shy is to take it out on its first Hunt with 3 or 4 Hunters and everyone start blasting away at once.

 

[gonzaga]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

I agree, he was about to ruin a dog. I have always trained my dogs to ignore gunfire, but it started when they were pups and they were always engaged with their prey when I introduced gun fire.

 

[klf]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

Question to the OP.

Instead of leaving and reporting him to the range officer, who I assume is primarily concerned with range safety and not interfering with a dog owner's questionable practice, why didn't you share your experience with dogs and guns. You may have brought to light information the owner hadn't known. And you may have saved the dog's life. Long ago and far away when I was a lad, a gun shy hunting dog was put down rather unceremoniously. No doubt the practice still remains. People don't take to being told how to deal with their kids and dogs. However most folks if approached carefully are delighted to hear a similar experience you had a while back and what you learned from it. You could have made a friend and saved a dog. A wise man can learn something new from an idiot as well as provide knowledge to a genius. It's all in the approach.

 

[texasbrian66]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

klf

Range officers have a VERY important and difficult job to do. They are responsible for enforcing the rules that keep us all safe. The club I shoot at has about 15 separate shooting ranges and I help officers whenever I can. I thought that dogs were not allowed at the range. So when I saw an officer drive by I pointed out what i thought was an infraction of the rules. He explained to me that dogs were allowed but he did not seem to approve. He was kind enough to set up another 100 yard range for me.

I have never trained a hunting dog so I could not share training my experiences with him. I knew what he was doing was not good for the dog but I could not explain the correct way to him. The first dog I owned was a mixture of red bone and blue tick. She was saved from a hunter's bullet. How I ended up with her is a long story but the short version is I asked the owner for the dog when he told me that he shot better dogs than her. She was the best dog I ever owned and was with us for eight years before she passed on. She was a very timid dog when I first got her scared of her own shadow and she never got over her fear loud noises. I can only guess why.

I don't know how often hunters put down their dogs but before they do they should give other people the opportunity to adopt them. Katie was a perfect fit for our family and she gave us alot of joy.

Thanks for your post I had not thought of Katie in quit a while.

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

I shoot around my dogs starting when very young most of the dogs I raised will tolerated the noise (not hunting dogs by the way). But I had a female I bought about as an adult dog. If she was not pinned up or chained up she'd leave the AO quickly. The fisrt time I found out she was gunshy. I'd been shooting for a hour or so and my other three GSD's was around the corner of the house or on the other side of the truck and out of the direct sound path. But she was gone I found her walking down the dirt road behide my property about a mile away the way she went though the woods but by road about three miles. So from then on she didn't get turned out when I shot around the house.

 

[klf]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: texasbrian66</div><div class="ubbcode-body">klf

Range officers have a VERY important and difficult job to do. They are responsible for enforcing the rules that keep us all safe. The club I shoot at has about 15 separate shooting ranges and I help officers whenever I can. I thought that dogs were not allowed at the range. So when I saw an officer drive by I pointed out what i thought was an infraction of the rules. He explained to me that dogs were allowed but he did not seem to approve. He was kind enough to set up another 100 yard range for me.

I have never trained a hunting dog so I could not share training my experiences with him. I knew what he was doing was not good for the dog but I could not explain the correct way to him. The first dog I owned was a mixture of red bone and blue tick. She was saved from a hunter's bullet. How I ended up with her is a long story but the short version is I asked the owner for the dog when he told me that he shot better dogs than her. She was the best dog I ever owned and was with us for eight years before she passed on. She was a very timid dog when I first got her scared of her own shadow and she never got over her fear loud noises. I can only guess why.

I don't know how often hunters put down their dogs but before they do they should give other people the opportunity to adopt them. Katie was a perfect fit for our family and she gave us alot of joy.

Thanks for your post I had not thought of Katie in quit a while. </div></div>

This is old TC. He has been gone a while now and I sure miss him. You could set off a cannon next to him and he wouldn't mind. The only thing is if you didn't hit something furry he would give you the "look". My current dogs, Boston Terriers, panic at a loud hand clap. I doubt anything can be done to change that. I think gun shy dogs are born that way and few are converted. I never could anyway.

 

[GUNNER75]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

My ol best friend was a great gun dog, but break out the "bigger" rifles and that thing was heading for cover. He would keep at about 50' and watch until finished.

 

[jcfd2201]

Re: Let's bring the dogs to the range today.

I have owned, bred, raised, and trained gun dogs most of my life. I have had gunshy dogs and some overcame it with work and others never did. When I start working with a pup they are introduced to gunfire with a starter pistol followed by a .22 and then onto shotguns. I have never culled a dog nor will I, they have been sold or given away to people as pets if they didn't make the cut as a hunting dog. I have a GSP right now that is fine with shotguns but will come cower by my side at the sound of a large center fire rifle going off in close proximity.

I don't agree with the owner's method of exposing the dog to gunfire and would have most likely not even payed any attention to the dog in the back of the truck having been around gun dogs most of my life. That being said, had I seen the dog reacting negatively to the gunfire I would be hard pressed to keep my mouth shut.