setter unsure of shot

major ranger

hi guys,i have been viewing this forum with the last two years and i must say it is excellent! i have got some great tips from here so it is a credit to all of ye who post here. so now here is my problem,im currently training a english setter pup 13 months.i had introduced the gun to him when he was about 5 months with other dogs and he didnt take any notice of it,but since ive tightened up his obedience/training(all i want a rough shooting dog to do is to recall and drop to the whistle) he is associating gunshot with the recall.when i leave off a shot now no matter the distance he comes back to me and doesnt really hunt on after.i cant figure it out and im really down over this as he has the making of a super dog.he comes from top lines and was setting snipe at 5 months.i just hope after all my effort that he doesnt turn out gunshy.any advice welcome lads

Double Barrel

Major Ranger welcome aboard.

At this point I would lay off the gun .... at least until the season opener and then let him work birds, shoot a bird and have him retrieve to hand. Birds flushing in front of him will peak his interest and bringing them to hand will relieve his boredom.

Training can be overdone.

wildfowler94

Double Barrel wrote: »

Major Ranger welcome aboard.

At this point I would lay off the gun .... at least until the season opener and then let him work birds, shoot a bird and have him retrieve to hand. Birds flushing in front of him will peak his interest and bringing them to hand will relieve his boredom.

Training can be overdone.

on the gun shyness, i always bang the dogs bowl on the cage or something similar before feeding this lets the dog know that after a sudden bang comes something good!!

WF

4gun

wildfowler94 wrote: »

on the gun shyness, i always bang the dogs bowl on the cage or something similar before feeding this lets the dog know that after a sudden bang comes something good!!

WF

that doesn't always have to apply to the dogs

charlie10

i asked this question to the fella i bought my pup off and he said the only time you should put a shot over a pup is when he actually points/flushs a bird and not till then. correct me/him if we're wrong

Vizzy

OP,if I am reading you right dog is not actually afraid of the shot,he is simply associating it with the "return command".In one way this doesn't necessarily sound like a bad thing i.e he will always come back and not chase a bird after the shot.
Why don't you just go back to basics and teach him sit,stay,return etc,but leave the gun at home.
At 13 months he is still very young (for a setter) and probably only needs time to mature a bit.
Best of luck
Viz

major ranger

thanks lads for the replies,i think ill just wait till the season again when he is working birds and scent up his nostrels to leave off a few shots.not going to rush anything, there will be plenty seasons in him if i concentrate getting him right this year

premiercad

major ranger wrote: »

thanks lads for the replies,i think ill just wait till the season again when he is working birds and scent up his nostrels to leave off a few shots.not going to rush anything, there will be plenty seasons in him if i concentrate getting him right this year

OP exact same issue with my lad last year English setter and he is over two years now. Would always stop hunting when I fired a shot thought he was done for but as a friend told me wasn't gun shy he was just nervous of the gun, a week before the season I took him out and every bird he set and lifted I'd fire a shot, he was cured almost instantly , he was so preoccuppied with this bird flying off that the shot meant only good things!

snipey

hi major ranger,when training setters i bring them out pigeon shooting and knock a good few over him in the space of an hour, he'll be so occupied with scenting the pigeons he won't be bothered with the shot and only mad to hunt for more.good luck wth him.