do you hunt with dogs in this kind of weather, and if so, do they wear any gear to prtect them from the wind and bitter cold?
thanks.
Dogs are usually luckier than us, regarding wind, unless they are on a lake or open field or up high. The cover usually shields them a bit against the windchill.
My dog has 1/4" to 1/3" length fur. And her coat may not be a true double coat. Regardless, she gets cold in colder weather. My lab would have been fine in the temps I listed. My newfoundland never encountered temps too cold, and I know he was out in temps below -20 actual temp.
Dogs like german shorthaired pointers don't have double coats and can be lean and lanky. My dog is lean and lanky too. More surface area vs volume, which means more heat loss. Dogs can get hypothermia, just like people. Cold temps, getting wet (water or melted snow), low energy (high energy expenditure), and exhaustion are risk factors.
All this is to say that cold tolerance is mainly breed specific, and could be dog specific. So then the question is, what to do about it? My take on that is to either not hunt the dog in temps below its tolerance or use some method to increase their cold tolerance.
What I've personally done for my current dog is to layer her up as it gets colder. Same concept that people use. I've watched for signs of discomfort and determined rough temperatures when I will go to the next layer. I use a non insulating layer for some brush protection and so I (and other hunters, although mostly when ruffed grouse hunting in the woods) can see her easier. At around 20 degrees, I put a waterproof fleece vest under that. (waterproof, meaning it doesn't absorb water) If she will be wet, then I may put that layer on above that temp. Once it gets down to somewhere between 5 and 10 degrees, or lower, I add a heated coat under the fleece and the outer cover. I have a fleece vest that is one size larger than the regular one, so it can fit over the coat. The outer cover has adjustable straps. The heated vest has 3 settings. I have only used the low setting so far. I might go to medium somewhere below 0 degrees.
My dog's signs of discomfort are whining/making other noises/body language/nesting, when we stop moving. She wants to keep moving to stay warm. Before I got the heated coat, I wouldn't hunt her below 0 degrees. Now I feel comfortable doing that, if needed.
Her sign of being too warm is panting. I don't want to overheat her anymore than overcool her.
