Dog Vest and Boots

Recon

Recon

New member
Just wondering if the two above mentioned items are must have's for my dog? As this is our first year out I don't want to need something and not have it i.e. dog boots or a good vest. Another small concern is sizing, he will be one in about 3 weeks but I swear he is still growing like a weed so how do I know what size to get? Any recommendations and advice would be greatly appreciated. Will be hunting Co and KS this year have a GSP, I think that covers everything. Thanks
Rich
 
kansas since 1972- never had dog vest or boots- untill I came out here in BURR country

don't think on it to much- just get out and hunt- most times you are finished before your dog
 
Dog Boots and Vests

It depends, as alluded to above, how many days you are going to use your dogs. We hunt 3 days, break for one, and hunt 3 more days.

I use a vest on my dogs, GSHP and Weimeraner, with deep chests. After a couple of days their sternal area is cut up by the brush. Be sure the vest is not too tight in the armpit area. Take it off and clean it out once in a while.

I have used boots, for the same reason, their feet get raw in the wheat stubble and brush/grass where we hunt. I put some thin baby socks underneath.
 
Skid Plate and Lewis Dog Boots are always with us...you can't use them if you don't have them.
 
I just use Remington Dog vests for my dogs. Keeps their chests from getting rubbed raw by the weeds. But I do have to watch in the front leg arm pits they sometimes get chapped from the vest........Bob
 
home made dog boots out of motorcycle inner tubes, if you lose one, no big deal....take some kind of boots, unless you road ready the dogs pads, they will cut up pretty easily.
 
I have never had problems with feet but the end of their tails always get bloody from hitting the cattails.
 
If you don't hunt more than a couple days in a row boots are not really needed.

If your going on extended trips even to relatively benign terrain like South Dakota I feel they are a neccessity.

For prairie grass & cattails I always go back to the cheap dog booties from dogbooties.com. They stay on if used correctly and for $2.50 each when one wears out throw on another.

I have not found a dog vest that really fits my dogs well. They may protect against the occaisonal chance incident with a barbed wire fence but always rub in places they shouldn't and almost guarantee some type of damage to the dog. I'll take my chances with the fence.
 
I have an old dog that has an abcess hanging off her belly (actually the vet took it off today), so I had no choice but to find a good vest. Found one at Cabela's that is designed to be cut to size and is easily modified. We made a couple of extra cuts after finding a spot where it was rubbing. Now she can wear it all day w/o problems.
 
never tried a vest i may need one this year for a couple of my older dogs but the boots are definately out i put them on them the other day and it went over like crap in a swimming pool i couldn't get them to move they just sat there with that look on there face like are you f$$$$$ serious
 
Gove County Britts said:
never tried a vest i may need one this year for a couple of my older dogs but the boots are definately out i put them on them the other day and it went over like crap in a swimming pool i couldn't get them to move they just sat there with that look on there face like are you f$$$$$ serious
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Dogs get over "boot shock" pretty quick. But it can be awfully comical watching the initial reactions.
 
I picked up a skid plate this past week and after 4 long days of grouse hunting I am impressed with it, but it needs a little home modification to keep from rubbing my goldens front legs.

I've also used a neoprene vest that I mainly got for cold weather duck hunting, but also used for bird hunting while snow was on the ground last year. I like that its easily cut to fit without much fraying, etc.
 
Gove County Britts said:
never tried a vest i may need one this year for a couple of my older dogs but the boots are definately out i put them on them the other day and it went over like crap in a swimming pool i couldn't get them to move they just sat there with that look on there face like are you f$$$$$ serious
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put them on and take them to the field and go for a walk, they will soon forget they are on their feet...it's a long season, you will be glad they can wear them!
 
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