Took Henry to a new shoot today - what I didn't realise was that they were doing a walked up shoot rather than drives since it was the last day. This meant the guns were much closer than normal, and thus much louder. He has never been bothered by shots before, but today he worked the first walk fine, but then someone took a potshot at a squirrel really close - it made me jump, never mind him! Unfortunately this came just after a break where we'd been hanging around while someone looked for a lost bird, and he'd been swimming so he was wet, cold and the adrenaline had obviously worn off. So when he was startled, he backed right off and got quite clingy
I just let him walk with us for a bit, then encouraged him to start hunting again, which he did - but then something similar happened on the next walk
Then on the one after that he got trampled by my mate's lab who was off after a bunny, bless him! He quartered across the field well, and there were few shots fired so that helped. But I am worried by the startling, he has never reacted to guns before at all
We are meant to be going to our usual shoot next week, I am a bit in two minds about whether to go now. Part of me thinks we should get back on the horse, and that he'll be happier in a more familiar environment and with his canine buddies who don't bulldoze him
The other part of me is worried he might end up scared of guns, which would be a nightmare.
Poor Henry