Thread: Why mixing headers and pointers?

Originally Posted by Efalk

I’m a bit scared to mix with the Border Collies because I’ve heard that they easily get scared of shots!? They are a bit more nervous I think? I’m looking for a breed that is as smart as the Border Collie but more rugged… a Huntaway!?

I used a Border collie/huntaway x as a pig dog. It looked like a pure Border, with similar traits. It was fine with a rifle, but like any dog, you have to be careful getting it used to rifle shots. I used to take it for walks with a quiet air gun. It hardly noticed the rifle firing, but quickly associated the rifle with going for a walk. I then used a suppressed 22, next unsuppressed and eventually a centrefire. By the time I used the centrefire it was well used to the rifle. I also made sure that it would see me shooting the rifle so it was expecting it to go off, not surprised when it went bang.

My old huntaway used to get so excited if it heard me working the action of the rifle in my bedroom that he would jump up onto the back door, push down the handle and come inside to the bedroom because he knew he was going hunting! He would do the same with thunder, except through fear! He loved my short barrelled .303 going off, but was scared of thunder. He'd open the back door, sneak inside and run upstairs and jump onto mum and dad's bed whenever thunder rumbled.....