My almost 6 year old working type black girlie has always been a sensitive one, particularly when it comes to noise. Clearly she would have never have made it as a gundog ! So it is the time of year where the bird scarers are out in force. We live in a rural area so it doesn't seem to matter where walk there are bird scarers going of somewhere around us. If we are lucky they can hardly be heard, if unlucky they sound like someone setting off a shotgun next to you. We are currently away in our place in Suffolk and a walk in the forest on Sunday, which she normally loves ended up with a sad looking dog with her ears back and tail between her legs. Her fear started a couple of years ago when we were walking in a new place and one went off so loudly it even made me jump. The ones in the distance just make her ears flicker but if closer her whole behaviour changes. Obviously we can't stay in from now til September so I wondered if anyone has any experience in something similar and any tips on how best to deal with it. I have tried jolly voice and tried ignoring but it makes no difference. Thanks Chloe
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! I don't have experience of a dog being scared - but my house in Cornwall (where I live when not having to earn money in London) overlooks the harbour which is the town firework patch. I was super keen to make sure my boy was ok with fireworks and went through a whole programme of noise desensitisation with him. I got a CD which did fireworks but also shotgun and other noises, builders working on a roof, scaffolding being dropped from a height onto other scaffolding poles etc - we had that for real walking down the street the other day, and he was cool. He can still sometimes jump at a leaf rustle though! ;D : I rewarded for no or calm reaction. We watched the fireworks outside in the end. I also worked with balloons - you could get something that sounds like a bird scarer - I burst them at a distance, rewarding for no or calm reaction, and moving closer. If you search, you'll find threads on Barbara working with Riley on shot, and Pippa has some articles on noise desensitisation too. One is here: http://totallygundogs.com/gunshy-dog-can-it-ever-be-cured/
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! Thanks Julie. I have used the CD before but she doesn't even blink with the noises on there, even at full volume ! Thinking it might be to do with being in the house I even played the CD off my iPhone whilst on a walk and there was no reaction! When fireworks go off she just barks at them. I will search for those articles. Chloe
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! Hmm...you might have to get something that sounds exactly like a bird scarer then start at a distance and move closer - are they those gas gun ones?
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! Yes. I have just read Pippa's article about her gun shy dog. Maybe I need to get myself a starting pistol ? Chloe
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! I certainly got more reaction from "real" noises rather than the CD, hence the balloons (I wanted some kind of reaction so I could reward for calm). He was more excited than anything, but still, I think it was effective. He is not the type of dog to be calm and quiet in any situation, but fireworks definitely now mean "lie calmly and I get chicken". One of my few success stories - as I can rarely get him to lie calmly without fireworks! :
Re: Scared of bird scarer noise! I did get a dog over the fear of bird scarers. Whenever one went off I rewarded him with something he found exciting, which was a rabbit skin dummy. So 'bang', bunny rabbit dummy appeared, so the two were paired and the scare part then became the signal for something good happening. We started at a distance from the noise to begin with, though once one went off in a field I was in very unexpectedly, so I straightened my back, sang a happy song and kept walking, Jake then realised there was nothing to be scared of as I wasn't scared by my body language.
