Dog's fear or firearm?

[Kublid]

Hope I found the right place to put this thread as it may be uninteresting to most.

Quick question, does anyone else have or have noticed a blanket fear by their dogs of their firearm??

I have two boxers. One doesn't seem very phased, but doesn't seem to like the slide racking or in and out of the holster(snapping button sound). However, the younger of the two runs whenever the gun is removed from the holster! He is not normally afraid of objects, but seems to be terrified of the presence of a firearm. Btw, it's a pretty basic glock 23. (Insert glock jabs here if any)

We got him at seven months, he's almost four now and he does have a pile of insecurity issues regarding people, but the firearm thing is pretty bazaar.

Anyone else notice this inherit fear in their pooch?

Thx.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Mike1956]

Dogs have two behaviors, learned and instinctive. Some are naturally fearful of loud noises, while others are indifferent to them. If the fearfulness isn't to severe, it can be eliminated through de-sensitization.

[dbglock]

Hunting dogs have had the sound of gunfire bred into their genetic makeup for centuries. I have a lab and a Jack Russell terrier, one bred to retrieve ducks and the other bred to flush foxes out of their dens so the hunter could shoot them. True to breed, neither are the least bit gun shy. Boxers on the other hand were never used as gun dogs in their breeding history so you don't know what you get until you open the box. In my mind any dog can be made gun-worthy with early exposure.

[OldVet]

I had a Brittany Spaniel once that bolted at the sound of a primer being fired, much less a gunshot. Happened from day one and never got over it. Someone said to take teh dog out to a skeet range for the day and they'd get used to it in short order. Never got around to it.

[VBVAGUY]

Funny my little boy Bailey who is a chihuahua gets all excited when I take my Kahr PM9 out of the safe as he knows that we will be going out for a walk. LOL !!! God Bless

[Jeanlouise]

You can probably train him by making the gun a "happy experience". Every time you get it out...he gets a treat. Leave it laying around where he can see it and smell it in his own good time. Put a treat near it too. You have to get him to think of the gun as his friend, not something to be afraid of.
It might take awhile but I bet he comes around. I love Boxers.

My dog isn't afraid of anything but I think it's because he's clueless.

[RKM]

He probably associate the sight of a gun with loud noises if you've ever shot with him around, or maybe just the sound of a gun being taken apart or the slide bother's his ears.

I once had a dog, more than 10 years ago, that HATED cameras. Yeah, cameras. At the same time, he was afraid of thunderstorms and associated the flash of the camera with thunderstorms. His fear of thunderstorms we believe was brought on by when our electric fence was struck by lighting and may have shocked him. I personally don't like those electric fences.... but it's not my house.

My current dog was actually originally born and spent the first year of his life as a stray, wild dog in a war zone in Iraq in 2003 (long story). If he's in the front yard any car can drive by and it won't bother him. Once a diesel truck drives by he goes nuts. I'm guess the sound of the diesel engine somehow reminds him of all the military vehicles from when he was younger.....

Dog's can be afraid of something just because it reminds them of something else.

[archer51]

Hope I found the right place to put this thread as it may be uninteresting to most.

Quick question, does anyone else have or have noticed a blanket fear by their dogs of their firearm??

I have two boxers. One doesn't seem very phased, but doesn't seem to like the slide racking or in and out of the holster(snapping button sound). However, the younger of the two runs whenever the gun is removed from the holster! He is not normally afraid of objects, but seems to be terrified of the presence of a firearm. Btw, it's a pretty basic glock 23. (Insert glock jabs here if any)

We got him at seven months, he's almost four now and he does have a pile of insecurity issues regarding people, but the firearm thing is pretty bazaar.

Anyone else notice this inherit fear in their pooch?

Thx.

Maybe he has a guilty conscience!

[ccw9mm]

Much of it seems to be tired to whether the dog has been trained/introduced to it, like most anything else. Those without understanding of its utility can fear it. Those with understanding of its place in the scheme of things can put up with quite a lot.

[whoppo]

Hope I found the right place to put this thread as it may be uninteresting to most.

Quick question, does anyone else have or have noticed a blanket fear by their dogs of their firearm??

I have two boxers. One doesn't seem very phased, but doesn't seem to like the slide racking or in and out of the holster(snapping button sound). However, the younger of the two runs whenever the gun is removed from the holster! He is not normally afraid of objects, but seems to be terrified of the presence of a firearm. Btw, it's a pretty basic glock 23. (Insert glock jabs here if any)

We got him at seven months, he's almost four now and he does have a pile of insecurity issues regarding people, but the firearm thing is pretty bazaar.

Anyone else notice this inherit fear in their pooch?

Thx.

It's simple.. the younger dog is a Sig fan... good doggie

[whoppo]

oops! duplicate post... move along, nothing to read here.

[Kublid]

Lol. Thx guys. I'm gonna try the ideas mentioned to get him acquainted with it. Boy, if he's around when I shoot it, he may just fall over and die in a pool of his own urine. Lol.

[Arborigine]

I had a black lab who at 3 months age found my house in the forest. He was afraid of guns his whole life. A timing light or glue gun would make him cower. Funny thing, he would chase down pheasant and bring them to me. We could hunt where guns can't be used, like near housing developements in the Central Valley. He was a great dog, just hunted funny. I had other dogs that had to be tied up during target practice,as they would run downrange chasing bullets.

[Doghandler]

Hunting dogs have had the sound of gunfire bred into their genetic makeup for centuries. I have a lab and a Jack Russell terrier, one bred to retrieve ducks and the other bred to flush foxes out of their dens so the hunter could shoot them. True to breed, neither are the least bit gun shy. Boxers on the other hand were never used as gun dogs in their breeding history so you don't know what you get until you open the box. In my mind any dog can be made gun-worthy with early exposure.

Gun shy hunting dogs are not allowed to breed or shouldn't be anyway.

Now about this taking a gun shy dog to the skeet range. Bad idea. This could possibly ruin a good gun dog, let alone a dog that is already skittish. Dogs do not enjoy having a firarm discharged close to them. They tollerate it since it's part of the job.

[mulle46]

My mini schnauzer has been terrified of loud noises( fireworks, thunder,etc) ever since he was outside around 4th of July. I usually have to put him on treadmill to stop his shaking.