How to calm down my scared dog?

My dog is a chocolate lab and we live out in the woods. We shoot guns a lot in our backyard, well my cousin is out shooting the gun right now and my dog is shaking very badly. How do I calm him without the obvious "stop shooting the gun" ?

    How to calm down my scared dog?

    My dog is a chocolate lab and we live out in the woods. We shoot guns a lot in our backyard, well my cousin is out shooting the gun right now and my dog is shaking very badly. How do I calm him without the obvious "stop shooting the gun" ?...
    General Dog Discussions : How to calm down my scared dog?...

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    • How to calm down my scared dog?

      How to calm down my scared dog? General Dog Discussions
      My dog is a chocolate lab and we live out in the woods. We shoot guns a lot in our backyard, well my cousin is out shooting the gun right now and my dog is shaking very badly. How do I calm him without the obvious "stop shooting the gun" ?

      How to calm down my scared dog?

      How to calm down my scared dog? General Dog Discussions
    • Your dog is obviously scared of the loud sound that the gun sends off, which probably means he is also scared when a thunderstorm rolls in etc. The only way you make your dog "unscared" is to correlate the sound of the gun with positive things, as in: when someone is shooting the gun give your dog a treat or rub him down make sure that you dog feels save (this is the same as your child coming to your room because they are scared they just need to feel safe) This process will take some time, but remember each time you need to do something positive to make your dog feel save

    • If it's a common habit of theirs to shoot like you say, the dog will get used to it. If you coddle him, it will reinforce the behaviour of fear. The dog will think that's what you expect of him in those circumstances. I know it's hard, but just ignore him, he'll get used to it in time.

    • If you want to learn how to train your dog using classical counterconditioning tecniques, such as that suggested by Jessica, read the article "Dog training tips: fireworks". Substitute the gunshots for the sound of fireworks. It does take some time, however, and is not going to solve your problem today.There are also aromas that may be of calming benefit, like lavendar. If you want you can google it on the internet, look under natural dog health.

    • Just like Jessica said! Associate the gun shot with something happy. So when your dog hears it, he knows that it means he's getting something good like a treat or his favorite toy. DON'T coo and coddle and be all "aww it's okay puppy the big bad noise won't hurt you." This will reinforce the fearful behavior because the dog will think that acting scared means he gets lots of love and attention. You can of course give love and attention, but do it with the distractor. A piece of cheese paired with a belly rub or a game of tug of war paired with pets and kisses.

    • Sit with him, petting gently, and just keep saying how good he is & reassuring that everything is fine over and over in a real low, quiet, and loving tone...Since you already know that the gunshots scare him, make sure that he's in the house everytime before you (or anyone else) starts shooting any guns. It makes it so much harder on the poor dog if they're nearby when you start shooting and they have to run to get away from it.