# Ear protection for your dog



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I am just wondering if us hunters haven't been ruining our dogs ears all these years. Most of us agree ear protection is a must for anyone doing much shooting at all. But what about our dog?
Most bird dogs seem to be right at our feet when we flush a bird, or while we sit in the blind, and then we just blast away right over the top of them. 
There are actually muffs especially made for dogs,
I don't know, what do you think?


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## ZEKESMAN (Sep 14, 2007)

WHAT?


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## jsumm_2000 (Sep 18, 2008)

*Dog ear protection*

A buddy of mine has ear muffs for his lab when in the air boat. He started it with the pup and he wears them just like everyone else.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I don't wear them while hunting and neither do they. I think the flop of the ear leather may protect them a little. An old huntin dog may live 15 years max, most die before their hearing completely goes to crap. A dog that is old and can't hear usually has other age related issues like blindness, arthritis, cancer, etc. that would contribute to an inability to hunt anyway. I can't think of a dog in it's prime that was deaf because of too much shooting that had no other health issues.

Basically I think it's a moot (mute) point :grin:

Pun of the day fellas!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)




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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

There is a dog in the extended family that was shot over heavily one day. I think it was a pigeon shoot.

She still loves to go out on outdoor trips (first dog to hop in the truck etc.), but when she sees the guns getting loaded into the vehicle she heads back to the comfort of the couch and won't come back out.

I believe that the excess shooting that day hurt her ears and she remembers it as an unpleasant experience though there is no sign of hearing loss.

I definitely will be mindful of the amount of shooting over a dog or seek hearing protection for the dog.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Well, like I said, just wondering. I was serious although. I have seen dogs that are really gun shy and I wonder if it is out of fear, or does the noise hurt, or both?
I can't imagine that if gun fire noise can damage our ears that it does somehow do some damage to a dogs.


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

BPturkeys said:


> Well, like I said, just wondering. I was serious although. I have seen dogs that are really gun shy and I wonder if it is out of fear, or does the noise hurt, or both?
> I can't imagine that if gun fire noise can damage our ears that it does somehow do some damage to a dogs.


In this case there was no gun shyness prior to the shoot day mentioned. I am sure it is damaging to some extent and I don't think that your concerns are misplaced.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

My 9 1/2 year old Lab can't hear for crap. I do think a lot of that problem came from gunning over him his whole life. I have tried to be mindful of him when shooting, and try to keep him off to the side and not shoot over him. Thousands of shells fired around him definitely hasn't helped. He used to hear ducks flying before I could hear or see them. He would perk right up and look to the sky. Not anymore.:-(


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