Every dog thats going to be used as a shooting dog is going to need introducing to shot during their training. There are several ways of doing this, we’ll look at each one from a dog trainer’s point of view. Please remember though nothing in this post constitutes legal advice. Get this wrong and you could easily face a long prison sentence and/or getting arrested by armed police.

More than anything every dog has to view shot as a precursor to a reward, remember a reward doesn’t always mean food, a retrieve or some other job to do will work very well. Make sure they have a job to do every time they hear a loud noise, that way they will come to associate a loud noise with a job they enjoy. There’s a few ways of introducing shot noise to your dog.

Use a Starter Pistol

Throw a dummy and fire a starter pistol or blank firer. The closer the shot to the dummy throw the better to introduce this. At first try no control of the dog, let them run in, we can add control later.

Consider that starter pistols and blank firers are classed as imitation firearms. Most parks, at least in London, have bylaws against using or carrying them. Make sure you’re on private land with written permission.

Use a Dummy Launcher

Dummy launchers use a .22 blanks to propel a dummy. As with a starter pistol they make a bang, so send your dog straight after firing.

Unlike starter pistols, launchers are not classed as imitation firearms. Some models have a trigger and a stick though so the legal position is less clear.