I don’t want to introduce Elvis to guns until he’s gained a bit more confidence in himself, but I doubt that he will be gun shy. Last Friday, we put the dogs out in the back yard while we worked in the yard, and some kids were lighting off firecrackers nearby. The noise didn’t bother Elvis one bit, and Dakota went bananas every time a firecracker went off – she misses hunting in a big way!
Elvis is steadily gaining confidence in himself. Until a couple of weeks ago, he would tuck his tail between his legs and come running to us whenever a dog barked. He’s outgrown that. Not only does he rough house with our other dogs on a regular basis, but now occasionally refuses to come inside when we call the dogs in, preferring to stay out in the back yard by himself – all of which are signs that he’s developing self-confidence.
Tonight, I worked with Elvis on heeling using the power bar method, and he’s catching on quite well. Squirt has now assumed the role as mother and takes care of him, and they play well together although she still keeps him in line. Now that he’s gotten big enough to jump up on the couches, he loves body slamming them when he gets all spun up, or as we call it, “taz’s out”.
Tags: bird dog training, dog behavior, introduce dog to gun, obedience training
