Bird scarers

[Flowerofthefen]

My parsons is scared of bird scarers. We walk her with our lab for confidence but it hasn't helped. We have quite a few around now and it's really spoiling her walks. Has anyone successfully ' desentisised ' their dog? She is the second terrorist I have had that hates them. The first one didn't react as badly as this one. Any advice would be appreciated. Unfortunately on many of our walks we would encounter the banging so it's not as easy as just saying walk where there are none!!

 

[GSD Woman]

One of the things I've picked up lately is to toss some treats in the opposite direction from the hated/scary object. I use "scatter" as my word. It's helped a lot with a bernerdoodle that I walk and do some puppy work with him. He's much more of a scaredy cat than his littermate.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

One of the things I've picked up lately is to toss some treats in the opposite direction from the hated/scary object. I use "scatter" as my word. It's helped a lot with a bernerdoodle that I walk and do some puppy work with him. He's much more of a scaredy cat than his littermate.

Thank you. By throwing treats away from the noise wouldn't I be encouraging her to go in the opposite direction? She's quite happy to do that anyway!! I did notice, last night at the stables, which are near all our walks, that the bird scarer wasn't banging after about 4. So perhaps I just need to walk her later.

 

[CorvusCorax]

There's one near our club.

Most of the dogs don't even acknowledge it but they are genetically OK with loud noises and most of them have been desensitised to sudden loud noises like gunshots.
The dog who lives on the property in a kennel during the day? He goes nuts every ten minutes. But he thinks by going nuts, he is turning the noise off, as it goes away again for ten minutes.

If I were you I wouldn't avoid it, I'd spend a long time with one in earshot, but not too close, for several days and weeks with the dog's entire allowance of food for the day, and turn it into a giant clicker, feed her from your pocket every time it goes off.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

There's one near our club.

Most of the dogs don't even acknowledge it but they are genetically OK with loud noises and most of them have been desensitised to sudden loud noises like gunshots.
The dog who lives on the property in a kennel during the day? He goes nuts every ten minutes. But he thinks by going nuts, he is turning the noise off, as it goes away again for ten minutes.

If I were you I wouldn't avoid it, I'd spend a long time with one in earshot, but not too close, for several days and weeks with the dog's entire allowance of food for the day, and turn it into a giant clicker, feed her from your pocket every time it goes off.

Good idea about the food, thank you!! Feeling sorry for the poor dog in the kennel

 

[skinnydipper]

My parsons is scared of bird scarers. We walk her with our lab for confidence but it hasn't helped. We have quite a few around now and it's really spoiling her walks. Has anyone successfully ' desentisised ' their dog? She is the second terrorist I have had that hates them. The first one didn't react as badly as this one. Any advice would be appreciated. Unfortunately on many of our walks we would encounter the banging so it's not as easy as just saying walk where there are none!!

Sorry, I can't help but I'll follow the thread because I'm interested in learning how anyone has cured their dog of noise phobia.

 

[bonny]

In my experience the only things that get desensitised to bird scarers are the birds! Dogs, horses and humans never do but the birds don’t care. Horrible things that you could make a good case for them being banned.

 

[Clodagh]

In my experience the only things that get desensitised to bird scarers are the birds! Dogs, horses and humans never do but the birds don’t care. Horrible things that you could make a good case for them being banned.

I agree with that, we used to use them on the OSR and the pigeons soon ignored them. Mind you so did my dogs and horses unless they went off when we were right next to them. And i absolutely hate walking past them

 

[Clodagh]

Sorry, I can't help but I'll follow the thread because I'm interested in learning how anyone has cured their dog of noise phobia.

Phobia is probably a but strong for gun shy but you can overcome that with redirection, rewards, tonnes of time and a steady companion. I think that wasn’t a true phobia that I dealt with, just nervousness.

 

[skinnydipper]

Phobia is probably a but strong for gun shy but you can overcome that with redirection, rewards, tonnes of time and a steady companion. I think that wasn’t a true phobia that I dealt with, just nervousness.

Yep, there is a difference.

 

[maisie06]

They scare the heck out of me the dogs just sit to the bang as they think it's shot and something will land for them to pick!

 

[GSD Woman]

Thank you. By throwing treats away from the noise wouldn't I be encouraging her to go in the opposite direction? She's quite happy to do that anyway!! I did notice, last night at the stables, which are near all our walks, that the bird scarer wasn't banging after about 4. So perhaps I just need to walk her later.

That wouldn't work then.
I do like the clicker idea.

 

[skinnydipper]

The dog who lives on the property in a kennel during the day? He goes nuts every ten minutes.

I wish I hadn't read that. Poor dog.

 

[CorvusCorax]

For sure crows are smart, we train next to a rookery and they are the cleverest ones about the place.

But our dogs genuinely don't bat an eyelid at it. It's not mega close, a few fields away. The best thing that the dog can learn is that either going through the stress means something positive on the other side or that nothing bad happens/only good things happen as a result of the noise. As mentioned there's a big genetic element in how dogs react to environmental stress like loud noises.

 

[GSD Woman]

I don't know what's going on with my phone, but it won't let me highlight to quote.
But, the genetic element to noise sensitivity is why I'm going back to Rudy's breeder's lines.