Best way to gun break a Vizsla

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

My Vizsla Dixie is 1 year old (GREAT DOG DoubleB20, your the best!). We have been taking the training real slow and gentle due to the fact that she has a very sweet temperament but is also a red rocket.

Things have been going great. She comes to me on command in the woods, heels very well, quarters decently, and just about has the idea of working in a comfortable range, though we are still trying to get this one down. We have also done pretty well at simple retrieves. She is going to be hunting woodcock mostly and the occasional wood duck shoot.

I am scared to death at ruining her with the gun breaking part. We have come so far together and I want to be successful at this crucial time. I have been reading alot about gun breaking but mostly on retrievers not bird dogs, and I have read alot of bad stories on the forum.

I really could use some good advice and a good detailed plan to follow.

I must mention that we have spent alot of time in the woods walking and exploring. I have not put her on live birds but am starting that within the month. Like I said, we are slow but steady. I plan on hunting with her for a long time so I am not in a hurry to hunt over her this season if it will take longer to gun break her. Woodcock season in Louisiana lasts until January 31. At the very least I plan on hunting her without a gun just to flush and get the hang of it, and have a bit of good fun.

Thanks

Have you ever shot a blank or cap pistol anywhere near her? That's where I would start. From there you could progress or back off.

I would introduce her to birds first.
Then intro to gunfire at a distance, would be after she has a few outing on birds. It can be planted quail or pigeons.

Same way you do it with any other dog. Start using a cap gun while she's eating or doing something she likes that gets her attention. Start far away and work in closer. If you notice her getting scared or having a bad reaction back off and try again farther away. After she is used to the cap gun and shows no signs of being worried about it, go to the field with a shot gun. Do the same thing while she is retrieving or chasing birds or something she likes. Start at 100-150 yards away and work your way in closer. This will probably take couple sessions. Just keep working at it until you can shoot over her. Just watch her reactions and either back off or move closer based on them. It's not hard and there is nothing to worry about if you take your time and read your dog. Some people will have slightly different methods but pretty much the same thing.

Most those bad stories come from knuckleheads that take their dogs out to the field for the first time and try to shoot a 12 gage beside them the first time they've ever seen a gun. Most dogs became gun shy because of stupid stuff like that.

Just take your time and do it over many short sessions. I'm sure there are some you tube videos showing the process as well.

This is good info as well. She will be focused on the birds and the gun shot is just back ground noise.

Don't take her to a gun range...more people ruin dogs that way...the way I like to do it involves 2 people and a checkcord...with the handler 100 yards away you pop a training pistol and have your handler toss a dead bird in the air where the dog can see it and go after...only do a few sets a day...each day move ten to 20 yards closer. Dont move to fast and if you're dog reacts negatively move back. When you have gotten close to the dog transition to a shotgun and wild birds. Allow the bird to flush..let the pup get 60 plus yards away. Keep working in until ur comfortable with killing a bird for her.

I can't imagine a one year old bird dog which is not already pas the stage some of you are recommending.

I started Izzy off as a puppy. I would let her run the fields and when she wasn't looking and at a distance I would shoot off my cap pistol. I would act like nothing happened and keep going. I would not let her see it. I then worked up to a 22 blank, then a 12 ga. You work closer and closer as you increase the sound.

Just act like it is normal and she should too.

Obviously she isn't it or he wouldn't have asked. If the dog has never been introduced to gun fire then it needs to be done from the very start regardless of age. But yes I start mine as soon as they get home at 7 weeks old and it should have been done with this dog at the age but it's never to late to start, assuming the dog has the tools to even bother and being as how she's comes from doubleb20 I'm sure she does.

We are a house of 8 with six being children ranging from 10 to 1. So it is always loud outside. So she is used to a good bit of noise.

I have been using the poor-man method of tossing a dummy and clapping twice very loud and sharply as the dummy is falling and as she runs after it.

Bought a cap gun the other day from the dollar store and before it broke she didn't seem to mind.

Thanks for the tips.

This is how I've always done it and seen it done. I've yet to see this method fail. It may, but it worked with my 8 week old vizsla a couple of months ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc8iO8iemLw

I don't go by the dogs age, I go by its experience.
I also don't do the loud noises with food.
I want the sound of gunfire to mean one thing, birds.
After mine are introduced to birds, the gunfire (at a distance)starts when they are in chase, after the flush.

That's a good way to create bad habits. Why create more work for yourself?

I will never intro gun fire with chasing birds again. Such a hard habit to break and makes steadyness training a nightmare.

Associate noise as a good thing. Bang pots and pans around them when they are eating as pups.
I've had bird dogs for 42 years. I've never had a gun-shy one.

After they are introduced to gun fire and start formal training it takes just a few times for them to associate it with the birds. By the time you shoot a few over them they pretty much have it. Food is just an easy way to start the process not everyone has live birds on hand.

That dog needs birds.

No doubt.

Live birds are to important not to have

We do have chickens next to her yard. She has done quite well if you know what I mean.

Like Bill O said it is hard to imagine a dog this old and never had a bird in her mouth and it is what it is.

Look around for some wild pigeons or any pigeons that are cheap. Set up a semi confined area so the dog does not have many options and lock the wings on a pigeon and toss it and let her go for the bird. You want the bird to be very animated and active. If lockinmg the wings slows the bird too much tie a string to the birds leg or pull featers out of one wing. You want the dog to catch the bird and have her plkeasure with the bird. Its OK if she eats the bird at this time so long as she has fun with the live active bird in her mouth. Next have a helper fire a blank pistol, 22 or 410 some 50 yards away while she is in hot pursuit of the bird. Give her great praise and get her excited about the idea of a bird and the noise should not bother her what so ever. NOTE in the future this should be done very early in a dogs life. If she freaks on the gun noise you may have a pet and not a bird dog. Work the gun fire closer slowly and larger guage and never over her head. Best of luck

Has letting the dog eat the bird lead to a hard mouthed dog? Something to ponder

My dogs have either been hard or soft mouthed from the start.
I think the point Walter was trying to get across was don't grab the bird from her as soon as she has it in her mouth. Pet and praise her and let her hold it. Next don't be correcting her for not handling the bird right at this time. Your only conditioning to gunfire, other corrections can wait a little while.