Author: Bob Owens

A gun dog isn’t much of a hunting partner if they’re afraid of gunshots; that’d be like having a canoe without a paddle…

it’s just not going to end well. Therefore, you need to be very cautious and calculated about introducing your dog to gunfire, so you don’t frighten the dog and create hurdles that aren’t necessary.

First, have a buddy stand 100 yards away with a .22 starter pistol while you’re playing with the dog and tossing fun bumpers. When the dog is busy playing and having fun with their favorite toy, signal your buddy to pop off a round. Closely watch the dog’s behavior. If the dog was unphased by the sound and continued to charge after the bumper, perfect! Now, have your helper walk 15 yards closer to you and repeat the exercise while carefully monitoring the dog’s behavior. If at any point the dog slows down, pays attention to the noise, or shows any signs of nervousness, stop and back up. I will generally throw two or three freebies without gunfire and have my helper move back to increase the distance again. The key is to always make sure the dog is so excited about the fun bumper and that they don’t even notice the bang. Continue repeating this in 15-yard increments until you and the dog are next to your buddy and the dog couldn’t care less about the pistol. I usually suggest two or three sessions of this until you’re shooting the .22 close to the dog and make sure they are happy as can be! 

Once the dog is fully comfortable and confident with the .22 starter pistol, then move to a .410 or 20 ga if you have one available and repeat each step. After the smaller shotguns are successful, you guessed it, break out the ol’ 12 gauge and work through everything until the dog is confidently at heel during gunshots.

This is not a training situation you want to rush and should take several sessions to complete. I normally don’t worry about introducing pups to gunfire until they are roughly five to six months old and I have built a foundation of confidence and drive for retrieves into the pup! Like I said before, a gun-shy dog won’t be too helpful in the field, so be thoughtful, calculated, patient and safe when introducing your dog to gunfire.

Author Bio: Bob is a professional retriever trainer and a passionate bird hunter. He currently owns Lone Duck Outfitters and Kennels in central New York, which specializes in training gun dogs of all ages and breeds. Be sure to follow Lone Duck Outfitters on Instagram for advice, hunting stories and (of course) endless puppy pics.