How would you go about that? Veeda has one now We were in our friends yard grilling when second neighbours decided it is a good idea to fire a bunch of firework. It was unexpected (we didn´t see them preparing it) and LOUD. Our friends dog (dominant rottweiler mix- they don´t interact or play with Veeda but she obviously looks up to him) is terrified of shots from birth and was racing around the yard in panic till he squeezed himself under a car and Veeda got anxious as well and since then we have a problem...

She doesn´t panic but gets out of mood and out of position when heeling. We have a tracking test (IPO A and B part) that we tried to pass but she left position after the shots. Returned a bit before the end of the heeling part but the damage was done. We also wanted try national obedience (a sport made for newcomers that want to do IPO in the future but find the OB too difficult at first) level 2 but quit before the test- she was seriously disturbed by the shots fired for the previous dogs (and the GSD that we had to be paired with escaped the owner and jumped on Veeda who I have worked for years to act normally around GSDs and not rage at them).

Is there hope for us? Her OB needs just a little work to be ready for IPO, her track will be ready for next years season but I don´t have a point of trying to find a helper if my dog will fail OB because she will bail after the shots. I know it is not genetic- she has passed ZTP and Latvian breeding test (both with gunshots) and I tested her for shots when I got her. I want to work with this but how? Help!!!

Here is something that worked great for me. My little female Dutchie didn't like firecrackers. I use them instead of a starter pistol because they go off kind of randomly and faster than than I can fire the gun.

My female didn't freak but ran over to the other side of the yard when I set them off.

I started setting them off on the other side of the fence and then magically appeared frisbee in hand to play.

Now when she hears fireworks she runs to them for a game of frisbee.

I don't know if this will help or not but... in most other aspects of training when things go bad, you step back and start over. So I would start as if my dog had never heard a gunshot before, from the beginning.

I have no idea how helpful these videos may be to you, they are geared towards teaching a hunting dog to accept the gun shots. They use a positive association method. When a shot goes off, something good happens! You could substitute the bird for a favorite toy, or tug, or frisbee, what ever floats your dogs boat. Might be worth a try.


Video one: Correct Gun Intro - method 1 - harnessed/dead birds type 1 - 2 man shoot & toss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PotMZBtG_e8


Video two: Correct Gun Intro 2 & 3 - 2 man toss-shoot, 1 man flush-shot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmzV4X0ZhXI&feature=related


Video three: Correct Gun Intro - Final - adding the shotgun and releases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMTpcRrV-_k&feature=related