Using your blank firing pistols?

[maxgibbons]

I just got my hands on a blank fire pistol after making sure is was perfectly legal to buy and use here in Italy. does anyone have any good tips for starting to incorporate using the pistol in your training routine? how did you first introduce your pups to it? I started to use the party poppers but while walking around you can't really hear anything let alone something that resembles a gunshot!! what kind of training session should/could it use it for and how often would you use it?

Any advise would be Great
Max

[naustin]

Normally two people are needed at first. You would stay with your dog whilst your helper would walk a good distance away from you and fire the pistol. If there is no adverse reaction then your helper can move a little nearer and fire again, repeating until they are a few feet away. If the dog is unsettled stop the excercise and try again a week later. If there is no adverse reaction great and you could probably incorporate it in to a training session once a week.

Be careful of the area where you start training with the pistol - high banks or wooded areas can cause eacho and can unsettle your dog, choose a nice open location if you can.

Nigel.

[maxgibbons]

Ok great thanks Nigel, I know this sounds like a stupid question but when you say unsettling what do you mean? a response like the dog being scared just a reaction from the loud noise. I was walking along the river here and the local shooter started shooting at birds from across the bank. Cindy didn't show any sign of fear but did pop to attention if you to try and find out what was going on. i did at that point turn and walk back home as i didn't want this to turn into a problem.

[Rascal]

Make sure she's doing something she enjoys whilst the pistol is introduced so she associates it with something positive, like a hunt up and a retrieve and don't labour it too much.

Rascal

[crackerd]

Any advise would be Great

Go back and read the advice you were given on this same subject about a week ago.

MG

[naustin]

Unsettling behaviour could be anything that is acting in anyway that you would regard as not normal - shaking cowering and coming right in to your legs, to bolting away and hiding. If he/she has already been exposedto the poppers and has been in an area where shooting has been taking place then you will probably be ok. Just take it easy wth the dog and you will be fine. Dont fire thatpistolright next to the dog,gradually decrease the distance and give plenty of praiseand likein the other reply give the dog something it likes - a short retreive for example helps to build assocation with gunfire and a bird down (or not in my case ha LOL) - therfore something good is going to happen when a shot is fired.

Nigel

[Springfield Pointers]

Bear in mind that the sharp crack of a starting pistol, or .22 rounds are a lot different from a 12g. Also keep in mind that you will want to make sure you draw a conclusive positive association with the shot. Preferably a bird falling out of the sky or one she's chasing. You don't want to just shoot and surprise her.

[Blackjaw]

You can muffle the sound to begin with by putting it in your bag and firing. Plus, as someone already mentioned, have the pup a ways away from you doing something they enjoy and the first time you fire it the might not even acknowledge the shot. Then gradually decrease the distance, etc.

[pwd]

I did read in Pigeon watch that you can place your dog in a sit position and fire a 12 gauge straight over its head a few times..if it didn't run off it was proofed against gun shot.....true that for sure....as the guy did it and was well chuffed with his technique

One exercise you shouldn't go hard on ..get it wrong and you have a problem on your hands. My best results have been getting the dog to stop to shot initially, its easy and fluid seems to not cause bother in the scare tactic stakes...but good point by Rascal is dont get to hung up about it or the dog will pick up on it