Your dogs ever have off days?

moellermd

moellermd

Super Moderator
I suppose it is natural, we all have off days. My lab just did not seem to care about hunting today. Maybe 40+ days in 79 day season will do this to them. From the moment we got into the truck he just seemed not to care. He usually is quite a hard charger. Anyone else ever experience this?
 
moellermd said:
I suppose it is natural, we all have off days. My lab just did not seem to care about hunting today. Maybe 40+ days in 79 day season will do this to them. From the moment we got into the truck he just seemed not to care. He usually is quite a hard charger. Anyone else ever experience this?
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Wow!! 40 days...I envy you ability to get out so much.

My only experience with one of my labs having an off day is when they are sick or injured.
Do you give your dog days off? Could be residual exhaustion.


Had one hunt lackadaisical all day for no apparent reason. Ended up having stomach ills which I found out later when he threw-up and crapped in my motel room.

Hard-charging labs will generally hunt to the point of total exhaustion, if given the chance.

lefty
 
lefty said:
Do you give your dog days off? Could be residual exhaustion.
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He go a 1 to 2 day rest inbetween hunts. He seems more lively today. eating and drinking fine. I think he is just tired.
 
I've been hunting behind dogs for over 35 years. Springers, Labs and Brittany's. I have observed that from time to time that the dogs do seem to have "off days". It doesn't appear to have anything to do with exhaustion or over hunting. I think they are just not up to par some days. Much like us humans.
 
Definitely - Ruby has occasional "off days", but usually it has to do with warm temperature, especially combined with a lack of birds.
-Croc
 
My last Setter, Molly, was a bird machine. Her off days were times when she hunted for herself and got a bit out of control. Next day she would be a dream to hunt behind.

My current Setter, Major, quit on me during a cold snowy hunt in December. He seemed to not like the situation with two other dogs from the moment we put him in the truck kennel to drive from the house. It took encouraging to get him to hunt where usually he's quivering with excitement to be released. Really messed with my mind that this usually eager hunter was hesitant. One thing about the long haired dogs is the ice that builds up on the hair between their toes. After about 45 minutes, a couple good points and retrieve, no amount of helping him clear his paws would get him to go and he shut down.
 
lefty echoed my thoughts. unless sick or injured. my dog will hunt til it cant hunt anymore. buddies dog though, will have days where they just dont care it seems like. could be tired after a great run of 40 days. heck, i have 1 off day at work once week.
 
I think all dogs have a bad day now and then. I do believe like all other creatures. They are subject to extreme weather changes and it does affect them.
 
What do you mean they are home every day I have to go work to pay for the dog food.:D Yes of coarse they will all have off days, hope your dog is OK. Probably just depresed you maybe missed a couple birds the day Before?:eek: Let us know how he or she is.
 
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