Keeping your dog healthy during the season

goldenboy

goldenboy

Well-known member
Hey guys I just ran across this little article on how to help your dogs recover from a day hunt, especially if you are going to hunt again tomorrow. Let me know what you do to help your dogs recover from a long day hunting. https://findbirdhuntingspots.com/ne...-you-can-do-at-the-end-of-a-hunt-for-your-dog

I like to usually put a bowl of food with them in the kennel when we are done for the day and let them take their time eating it before I get home or to the motel. I haven't done some of the stuff in the article but I am interested in hearing what some of you guys do.
 
Raw egg yolk from a squeeze bottle? Sounds like contained salmonella to me.

I don't hunt my dog back to back days. I give her several days off in between hunts to rest and recover.
 
I wouldnt be driving 2000 miles to hunt 2 days. Thats just a fact. I dont have the luxury of taking days off like you do. I understand your thoughts though
 
gimruis said:
Don't disagree with that. What's more important to you, your dog's health or hunting? I know what's more important to me.
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Thats an easy question for me.
Both.
I have bird dogs because I hunt. If I didn't hunt, I'd probably have a Boston Terrier.
My dogs always hunted back-to-back days for at least 5 days. I think if I didn't hunt them every day, I would have gotten bit. They would have been very disappointed in me if they stayed all day in the truck just listening to shotgun blasts.
Three decades ago, I started with 2 dogs, buddy had a dog and we rotated dogs - running 2 at a time.
Slowly built my crew to 6 so with buddy's dogs, up to 8. Same deal all 8 dogs ran back to back days always.
Now down to 4 dogs, one is 15, so he doesn't travel anymore.
Buddy still has a dog and if he is on the trip 4 dogs do just fine hunting every day.
So, if it's just me, 3 dogs hunt every day and they rotate, sometimes one at a time sometimes 2 - depends.

Now, reality has set in.

The weak link in this chain and limiting factor in how many hours we hunt, is me. Not the dogs.

Stay safe everyone.
 
Shoot three roosters before noon and take the rest of the day off. Bostons are great house dogs.
Add some canned food and rest up mid-day. Lots of clean and fresh water.
Minimum 4 day out of state bird trips. Never have experienced lack of energy. Never found an "Off" switch either.
Tailgate exams twice a day.
 
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My Lab is turning 7 this fall. She has always hunted 3-4 days in a row. We've hunted 5-6 days before with one day off in the middle or occasionally hunting a half day. I feel the trick is to make sure she eats well at night. I think she handles it better now than she did when she was younger? I know shes a lot more efficient and wastes a lot less energy when not needed
 
gimruis said:
Don't disagree with that. What's more important to you, your dog's health or hunting? I know what's more important to me.
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Gimruis…
Dont you think that’s kind of a cheap shot? At uplandhunter?
I believe all of us on here think the world of our dogs and care for them.
Any dog …except for older… that is properly conditioned and feed/cared for should be able to hunt more than one day at a time..
I take three out ..hunting them in shifts ..two at a time usually..often 5 or 6 days but usually at least 3 before time off
Im out from the opener until end of November first part of December except for barbed wire injury never a problem..
I do supplement their PPP during that time and Have meds for just about any need..
 
2 dogs, hunt each separately so in theory they only go half a day. On long trips I add some canned food to get them to eat a little more and warm water to the kibble to help with hydration. Other than that nothing special. I do keep them inside so they are not wasting energy at night trying to stay warm which I can see being a problem for kennel dogs in cold conditions.
 
I’ve been doing the glycocharge for a couple of years now. I do have enough dogs that I can hunt several days and yet rotate them enough to give them some down time. I also carry a high calorie paste that I put in their food as it’s typically really hard to maintain their weight. Of course a high quality food is really important as well.
 
Wind River said:
Shoot three roosters before noon and take the rest of the day off. Bostons are great house dogs.
Add some canned food and rest up mid-day. Lots of clean and fresh water.
Minimum 4 day out of state bird trips. Never have experienced lack of energy. Never found an "Off" switch either.
Tailgate exams twice a day.
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Great points.
Couple of other things to consider -
Conditions when you are hunting. Was in SD one year and it was 90 degrees. Snow drifts are brutal on hunters and dogs. Much more caution required.
Preseason conditioning and training.
May have to try some glycocharge.
 
Growing up in S.Dak I have hunted my dogs 40 days straight. Not all day everyday but at least a hour everyday. May have had some 70° days but I guarantee we had some snow drifts in those 40 days.

I have been fortunate in that I road my dogs on gravel preseason and have never had a dog with foot problems.

I have added lard to their food and fresh venison to keep a little weight on them.
 
I just have one dog that can hunt--a 3 year old Lab with lots of energy. I've been working him early mornings/late evenings with this heat and I believe him to be as ready as a dog can be for the season. We'll be hunting in Illinois on private land the first 2 days of that season; then headed west to NW Iowa and maybe north of Pierre in SD if my contact works out up there. I feed Purina 30/20 Pro Plan Performance and we use boots on the dog. I don't feed heavily before the hunt. When we rest around noon hour, he does too. My son and I both carry water bottles in the field so the dog stays hydrated. Where my son lives, he can't have a hard-charger like my Lab, so we go easy the first couple of days because one dog needs to last.. We have to do some long-distance driving between hunts, so he gets to rest then. The main thing is--watch the dog so that if he appears overheated, gets hot spots on the skin, or is limping, we get on that right away. We have to be responsible to stop; most good dogs don't know the meaning of "Quit" so we must when it's time.
 
When I've over paid to buy them and over paid to feed/vet them they're going to earn their keep come fall. And they wouldn't have it any other way. Save them from themselves in the heat and never turn a lame dog out but other than that I hunt them. Run them hard before the season to build that muscle and harden those feet and all is good during the season👍
 
GetTothePoint said:
When I've over paid to buy them and over paid to feed/vet them they're going to earn their keep come fall. And they wouldn't have it any other way. Save them from themselves in the heat and never turn a lame dog out but other than that I hunt them. Run them hard before the season to build that muscle and harden those feet and all is good during the season👍
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Agree!
 
It just makes logical sense then that the better care you take of these investments, the longer they'll be able to "earn their keep".
 
Keep your dog hydrated through out the hunt and at the end of the day. Feed a quality food and keep your dog at a healthy weight year round. Most dogs are over weight and not fed a quality food. Dr. Tims Kinesis and Pro Plan Sport 30/20 are both quality foods. You guys that like to rest your dogs and not hunt back to back days are not doing your dogs any favors. They are animals and born to hunt. Do you think sled dogs are rested every other day?
 
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