.22 Pistol As Blank Gun?

[WyomingArt]

I used crimp " acorn" blanks, easier to extract than Ramset blanks. Cleaning cylinder walls with solvent and a brass brush will help.  Blanks leave more residue than regular .22 rounds, IMO. Like Greg Hartman, fire it behind my back into the ground after getting the pup focused on something. Luckily my wife doesn't object to doing this inside if the weather is bad. She helps with the pup by showing him a wing or pigeon or other while I go  a distance away. 

 

A  blank gun chambered for shot shell primers works well, though primers are unobtanium now. The noise is sharp inside. 

 

A pro retriever trainer I knew brought his .22 revolver to Canada for dog training.  Didn't end well.