I'm unsure if my dog has been beaten. Dog Found and Stanky

So the AKC American Water Spaniel I picked up in Jan through a contact on this board appears to have been beaten.

I had hoped to work with him more but life has just been too busy and I decided to get him training with another person for use as a duck dog. They said since he is now near 2 yrs old he may be difficult to train but likely could be trained if he is not gun shy. So, we took him out a week ago with the shotgun to fire a few rounds.

When we arrived I got the gun out and the wife unloaded the dog. At first he seemed a bit nervous but excited to explore a new area. We let him explore and run a bit before doing any shooting. We started with him on a leash about 50 yards away and he handled it well. We moved closer and closer until he was at my side and he showed no signs of being afraid of gun fire. In fact, he would sit at attention and turn his head in the direction of the shot every time and appeared to be looking for something to fall out of the sky. GREAT NEWS RIGHT?


Well when I would set the gun down beside me he would immediately tuck his tail and bury his head and try to get away. Every time the slide racked forward on the A-11 he would cower down. Concerned that it was the smell of the gun powder, I let him smell a spent shell and he had no issues. So now concerned it was the sound of the slide, I placed the gun on the ground and backed off 20 ft and called him to me. He approached but when the got to the gun he stopped cowered down then backed up and made a large circle with his tail tucked around the gun.



Is there any other conclusion other than the previous owner beat this dog with a shotgun at some point?

FWIW he does not act this way with any other objects including those that are similar in shape or size to guns even when you are holding them. I already know the previous owner lied to me about the dog and his reasoning for letting it go. We spoke with the breeder after we got him and know that the guy I got him from had complained of the dog being aggressive, eating through the fence, and that he was actively seeking another pup. He had told us he had to get rid of the dog due to a baby on the way and a lack of money. He described the dog as well mannered with great potential.