Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Losey
as with so much of this - this is my opinion only, but I do not think e give enough thought to what a shotgun fired over their heads for several seasons does to their sensitive hearing - i expect more damage is done that way than by beepers -
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Rick has a great point. Not only does shooting harm the dog's hearing, but how many of us "experienced" hunters also have some hearing loss? And we are not experiencing the muzzle blast that the dog frequently does. Come to think of it, I used to shoot a lot more over the two dogs I mentioned that went deaf. There were more birds then, and I tried to take more than I do now.
Rick's story of his dog that knew where the warm clubhouse was reminds me of the dogs that I hunted with bells. I know this is hard to believe, but when they went on point and I could not locate them, I would toot the whistle and they would jingle the bell (without breaking point) so I could find them. I know this sounds like a tall tale, but my wife can attest to it.
I'm sure that all of my dogs have been smarter than I. They just couldn't drive themselves to the field...thank goodness! Otherwise, they would probably have left me at home.