Why do dogs fear guns?

ODanksta said:

Seriously my dog has never heard me fire a gun, but as soon as he sees it, he knows something is wrong..

My brothers dog did the same shit but tried to bite my hand and was barking like crazy?

What is crazy if I hold something that looks like gun but is not, doesn't even bother them..

Are dogs smarter then we give them credit for?

Click to expand...

loud noise

same thing with fire they dont like either

plus i bet it deafs them too

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that the dogs are simply picking up a subtle change in your behavior and/or demeanor when carrying a firearm.

ODanksta said:

Seriously my dog has never heard me fire a gun, but as soon as he sees it, he knows something is wrong..

My brothers dog did the same shit but tried to bite my hand and was barking like crazy?

What is crazy if I hold something that looks like gun but is not, doesn't even bother them..

Are dogs smarter then we give them credit for?

Click to expand...

I don't know if you still monitor this but I wanted to respond anyway. The whole reason I am at this forum site question is because a few minutes ago I asked my wife the same question. I asked her the question for the same reasons you did. My dog has never heard a firearm discharge before, there has never been a loud noise or other type of commotion that's occurred at the same time as it's been around, AND, she has never seen it handled at any time where it was being used in a defensive or offensive manner. To top it all off, the firearms are kept in a gun cabinet in the living room so they are in plain view at all times.

About the only time the guns are ever brought out is when they are being loaded into their travel cases, or if they are being cleaned. But without fail, every single time one of them is being handled the dog will make some kind of a negative sound, body movement, or all out growl. (My dog is also very timid and does not become aggressive at anything.) It's not really an "aggressive" type growl, in fact you could even anthropomorphize a little and say it's a definite, "I simply don't like them" kind of growl.

But Why? I mean really... WHY?

It can't be the color because I have Stainless steel as well as blued... Besides, if I have a black colored ball in my hand, she would get all excited. Like I said, it can't be any kind of association to the gun itself as she has never been exposed to it's discharge, and as for "smelling my adrenaline," again... the association is not there. They've never been called upon to protect our home or used in such a way as to create an associative bond between the gun and some negative behavior of mine or someone else.

It seems as if it is truly some kind of "instinctual" feeling.

PS. My other dog was exactly the same way before he passed on but he was military trained before I got him so he might have had some issues. BUT THIS ONE HASN'T!

I frequent a gun range with dogs and they just sit there. I've hunted quail with a English Pointer and Brittney Spaniel. My current full size Dachshund hangs out in the reload room with me.


You're seeing emotion in animals that ain't there. It's a pipe with clock work at the end.....and a dog.

He's freaking out over you...freaking out over a gun.