Don’t shoot outdoors with an unsecured dog unless the canine has been trained to remain still—out of the line of fire—and is accustomed to the noise of gunfire. Even then, do not shoot repeatedly when the dog’s nearby (i.e. shooting practice). Dogs can and do go deaf from gunfire. Why wouldn’t they? I recommend following the advice of jkolson at nodakoutdoors.com. “A hunting dog should never be introduced to gun fire in the field. I started by shooting a cap gun right after throwing a dummy. Then you work up to a blank .22, then a shotgun from 50 yards and move in closer until you’re shooting over him/her, not more than a couple of times a day.” And yes, there are hearing protectors for dogs. They were designed for dogs flying in private planes, believe it or not. Oh, and never point the muzzle of your gun at your face.