Animal IQ & Gun Sense

[ClayInTx]

I believe we don’t always give animals proper credit for their intelligence.

When I began clearing a house site there was an old logging road as the only access. I put in a new driveway which intersected the old road, making the finished access a Y with the old road downhill and no longer used.

Yesterday I went to get the mail. Because of habit I had my gun in my pocket. As I got the mail out of the box I noticed three very large dogs down at the end of the old road. When they saw me they began to growl and bark. Neighbor dogs and when alone nice dogs but when packed become aggressive.

I began walking back to the house and saw the dogs enter the old road. As I neared the house one dog was quite close. Having experience with dogs in a pack, I drew my gun for just in case.

When the forward dog saw the gun he took off back down the log road at full run and the rest followed.

I never knew that brandishing worked on dogs. Of course, he probably was experienced with guns.

Have any of you had an animal show knowledge of guns in an unexpected way?

 

[DMK]

I'll bet it was your demeanor that he noticed. He challenged and you challenged back, with full confidence that you would be the victor, having a gun in your hand.

 

[Water-Man]

Same thing happened to me once before. I swear that dog knew what a gun was!

 

[Edward429451]

They one dog that challenged me didnt know what a gun was so I explained it to him by one in the dirt in front of him, he understood completely. So did his owner which had him chained up the next day. When I came walking by again while he was chained up, the dog had trouble looking me in the eye, lol.

And they say dogs don't have memory, Ha!

 

[kx592]

Dog probably picked up on your quickness and energy and confidence, there very good at assessing people.

 

[Old Grump]

Crows and guns. Every time I went out around the farm on my off time I nearly always had a gun looking for targets of opportunity. Many vicious acorns, pigeons and ground squirrels fell to that gun. Never a crow. I would see them perched safely on power lines at a considerable distance or flying overhead but not in gun distance. Same locale but with a hammer and a bucket of staples to fix fence with and they were right there in my face. Walking stick didn't faze them, old Farmall with a missing muffler didn't faze them, cattle cane didn't faze them but that old 12 gauge or single shot savage 22 made them keep their distance.

 

[hagar]

In Africa you could approach baboons pretty closely if you had no gun on you. They even know the difference between a rifle and a stick, or a handgun in a holster. But you will not even come close to them with a rifle.

Same thing in AZ with crows, they see a rifle, they are gone. I shot one at over 450 yards measured with a 22/250, he must have though he was safe!

My one minpin was so afraid of guns, if I even opened the gunsafe, she would go hide in the bathroom. Her puppy could not care less, she would stand right beside me (if I let her) while shooting, and she would just squint her eyes, did not bother her one bit. She lived to a ripe old age, and did not go deaf until she was almost 15, her sister which was never exposed to gunfire, was deaf at 13, and died at 14.

Dogs (and crows) know what a gun is.

 

[JasonG]

My cats like to sleep on top of things.
They sleep next to my guns but not on them. I guess that's good, I'd hate to grab a tabby at 2:00AM !
If one has gunpowder residue they love to rub on it though.
I think its a smell thing with animals, they associate the smell with ethier "loud BANG and death" or "time spent with owner".
My dad had a Brittney spaniel that would go ape if you walked out of the house with a gun. That meant a hunting trip !!!!!

 

[KingEdward]

It is odd. Many times when I've been hunting with the rifle ready
I don't see anything much.

Then a few days later I'm out in the same area "hiking" and I see
boat loads of rabbits / squirrels / ground hogs / etc.

I think they have reconnisance teams and surveillance shifts.

"quiet, he's got a rifle"

"all clear, he's just walking in the woods"

 

[MTT TL]

I think they have reconnisance teams and surveillance shifts.

"quiet, he's got a rifle"

"all clear, he's just walking in the woods"

"Don't tell the deer, those buggers have been stealing all the chestnuts...."

 

[troy_mclure]

obviously you guys have no experience with hunting dogs!

they see you walk out with gun and they go nuts!

my mom has a chow mix that is hugely gun shy, if he even sees a gun he is hiding.

 

[45Gunner]

My dog is a house dog. She goes out in the back yard to bask in the sun by the pool or take care of business in the grassy area on the far side of the lot, which is fenced in. When she goes for walks, she is on a leash. Even when we travel in the RV, she only goes outside on a leash. The point is she doesn't have the opportunity to become part of a pack. We have had her since the day she turned 8 weeks old.

If she sees me take a rifle off the rack, or pick up one of my handguns, she leaves the room. She just does not like the guns. I can't say why or what motivates her to leave. There must be some instinct that tells her that something like that could do harm. With the exception of three weeks of vacation we took overseas about three years ago, my dog has been with me every day since the day we got her. She has never been hit, yelled at, or abused in any way. I swear this dog understands English and responds correctly to every thing told to her in a normal speaking tone. Yet, for that unknown reason, she leaves a room when there is a gun being handled.

 

[ClayInTx]

Animals, especially household pets, do understand our language to an extent. It seems they come to understand those words which are important to them.

We had a toy poodle who learned go, candy, eat, car, bedtime, and (instant shaking and terror) vet. She then learned how these words were spelled. Of course she also knew all the command words.

We have cats which also understand those words which are important to them. They also know all the command words but ignore those they don’t want to obey.

They also learn the various sounds of activities important to them. When I put my carry gun in my pocket it doesn’t bother the cats. Get out another gun and they’re under the beds. (This last keeps this post gun related.)

I can rip open a package of almost anything and no reaction. Stealthily open a pack of Advantage (flea & tick repellant) and they’re under the beds.

Dogs obey, cats consider.

 

[Bud Helms]

(This last keeps this post gun related.)

Statements like this are unnecessary. Your post is either firearms related or it isn't. We can read. There is no advantage to pointing it out.

 

[ClayInTx]

(...keeps it gun related.)

I intended it as a subtle jest. I’ve found those on this forum to be in general a very articulate and erudite group and did not mean to denigrate their intelligence.

Sorry about that.

 

[4INCHSMITH]

My old mutt Sara was exposed to gunfire as a puppy. Would not go near a gun or a gun case, she would even get nervous around fishing rods. However she would beat me to the truck everytime I would look at her and say "Rabbits?". Only then could I grab my shotgun and hop in the truck. Then she and I would rabbit hunt all afternoon without a problem. I never really understood that dog though, she hated men with beards but loved my dad. Looked exactly like Alf too.

My brother somehow taught his dog Sponge (strange name, long story) left and right.

The deer always know when its hunting season too. The tree farm crawls with them almost year round.