Keeping your dog healthy during the season

Getting back to my original question. Whether you hunt your dogs multiple days in a row or not. I am interested in what you do to help these athletes recuperate after a long day of hunting. I want to make sure I am doing what I can to help them love what they do, but do it for many years to come as well.
 
goldenboy said:
Getting back to my original question. Whether you hunt your dogs multiple days in a row or not. I am interested in what you do to help these athletes recuperate after a long day of hunting. I want to make sure I am doing what I can to help them love what they do, but do it for many years to come as well.
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Like I said, water, a healthy diet, and keeping the dog fit. The most important thing you can do is keeping them hydrated all through the day when hunting. Nothing else is needed. Supplements aren't going to have much benefit at all. That is where the quality food comes in. Important to feed the dog once daily, and when hunting, I like to feed 2 hours after the hunt, and mix about 2 cups of warm water with the feed. Don't feed immediately after the hunt. We had this discussion on here a while back I thought. Here it is, lots of good info
.https://forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/threads/recovery.25350/
 
goldenboy said:
Getting back to my original question. Whether you hunt your dogs multiple days in a row or not. I am interested in what you do to help these athletes recuperate after a long day of hunting. I want to make sure I am doing what I can to help them love what they do, but do it for many years to come as well.
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goldenboy said:
Getting back to my original question. Whether you hunt your dogs multiple days in a row or not. I am interested in what you do to help these athletes recuperate after a long day of hunting. I want to make sure I am doing what I can to help them love what they do, but do it for many years to come as well.
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You had the right idea on your original post with Glycocharge. Pat Burns had a webinar with a vet from Alaska who also was into dog sledding that discussed it in-depth but the article you referenced is the reader digest version. I found having the powder premeasured and in one of those shaker cups so I only have to add water worked best for me. This will be my third year using it. My dogs bounce back the next day better than I do?
 
david0311 said:
Sorry we got of track Joel..happens to often.
There should be no issue running a healthy..well cared for in shape dog for multiple days in a row
Besides normal field work I swim mine more than a mile almost every day.
Derby dog did over 2000 measured yards today.
Firm believer in swimming for conditioning
jmo
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Totally agree with you about swimming being a great conditioner for man and beast alike but just curious how you get the dogs to swim that far? With the heat we’ve had in my part of the world I’m having a hard time getting mine much field time right now.
 
Jet said:
Totally agree with you about swimming being a great conditioner for man and beast alike but just curious how you get the dogs to swim that far? With the heat we’ve had in my part of the world I’m having a hard time getting mine much field time right now.
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I’m in Northern Minnesota…Have Labs…and several great training areas..two specifically designed and built for training..and another very good area..
long swims done with both long marks and blinds..the third area has many ponds and one.very large one with multiple points ect for set ups..
yesterday did first double with memory bird about 310 go bird at 258…second set up memory bird at 290 go bird 200 or so
also did some short blinds..working on land to water to land and back to water finishing on land for Retrieve

Just finished for today..only did a couple of long 290-300 blind water to land to water ect.
Then a couple short swims to land long land to water again..
I love traing?
 
david0311 said:
I’m in Northern Minnesota…Have Labs…and several great training areas..two specifically designed and built for training..and another very good area..
long swims done with both long marks and blinds..the third area has many ponds and one.very large one with multiple points ect for set ups..
yesterday did first double with memory bird about 310 go bird at 258…second set up memory bird at 290 go bird 200 or so
also did some short blinds..working on land to water to land and back to water finishing on land for Retrieve

Just finished for today..only did a couple of long 290-300 blind water to land to water ect.
Then a couple short swims to land long land to water again..
I love traing?
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Sounds like you better take that Derby dog south this winter and chase some points!

I train 2-4 days a week year around. Maybe less during October, November and I have zero issues with conditioning. The only thing I do different when hunting is my dog remains in a crate at night. I think they get more uninterrupted sleep this way.
 
Gatzby said:
The only thing I do different when hunting is my dog remains in a crate at night. I think they get more uninterrupted sleep this way.
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That's an interesting thought. For me, I let them sleep loose (like they do at home). I figure it allows them room to stretch out as much as they want/need after a long day in the field instead of in their kennel.
 
Munster927 said:
That's an interesting thought. For me, I let them sleep loose (like they do at home). I figure it allows them room to stretch out as much as they want/need after a long day in the field instead of in their kennel.
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I used to do the same, but the unusual noises of a hotel tend to interrupt my guys sleep. Especially around bar close opening weekend!
 
Gatzby said:
Sounds like you better take that Derby dog south this winter and chase some points!

I train 2-4 days a week year around. Maybe less during October, November and I have zero issues with conditioning. The only thing I do different when hunting is my dog remains in a crate at night. I think they get more uninterrupted sleep this way.
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I spent a lot of years training winters in Texas with Dave Rorem..After we both retired from the same job ..Would do this dog a lot of good if I was to do so again..but have no plan to do so …but I will be training and keeping her in shape at my Arizona home..probably run some trials out in Niland California way..
Had no intention to get back in trials after this long..dog no great breeding …bought for guiding in S.D….but the potential I have seen !!
Afraid this sweet little Wench is going to drag me back in??
 
Unless my dog gets injured, he hunts everyday I do.
every night we return from hunting,I do a thorough check of my dog for burrs and stickers. Check nails and arm pits. Warm bath in the garage and brush him out. Takes 15-20 minutes.
I always have dry bedding and a clean dog bed in his kennel to sleep on. Some of the guys just leave their muddy wet mats in their kennel and their dog has to lay in the wet all night. I think that’s just plain cruel
Usually put some beef or chicken broth on his food. He always gets some fat scraps from prime rib or steak dinners. I stay at a friends place so it’s easy to do this routine.

I always stop in Granite Falls and get him a plain cheeseburger on our way home. I figure he worked hard for 5 days he deserves a burger.
 
At the original question, being in good condition is probably the single most important thing to run a dog multiple days. A well conditioned dog could go farther on McDonalds than a poor condition dog could on the best diet.

I tend to only get my exercise from the same activities that my dogs get. This means that when hunting season starts, either we all can hunt long or none of us can. It's very rare that I'm up for a hunt when my dogs aren't which keeps me from pushing them too hard.
 
My gsp hunts every day I do. We do 3 to 5 out of state trips a year and hunt everyday we can locally. We just got back from Montana. It was a short weekend hunt Friday Sat and a couple hrs Sunday. But he put on 50 miles gps. He is bedded comfortably, usually on the floor by my bed. I hydrate as often as possible during the day, give him a shot of honey at the end of the day and float his food at feeding time. I watch the temp, both heat and cold, and quit when I don’t like what I see. And yes most days he would keep hunting unless I put him at heal and called it a day. We do tail gate check after each walk also. Both my wife and I run the dog during the off-season. I am going to add a dog hopefully next year and he will get the same treatment. I wish I had the time and money for a half dozen dogs, to give them more off days. But since that’s not in the cards, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.
 
One of the things I carry for dog hydration is the. Vivaglory 25oz Stainless Steel Dog Bottle

Its cap is its cup and the cup is the perfect shape for a dog to lick the water out of without wasting any. This will fit into the water bottle pocket on most vests. Well made. Very easy to a dog to figure out. Mine come running when I pull it out; they know what its for. Much easier than trying to water them from a plastic water bottle. I do carry a couple plastic bottles for refills when running multiple dogs or hot day/big field situations.

Mine is red. Figured if I dropped it in the field it would be easier to find. They also have orange. About $15 on Amazon.

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I carry two, 20 oz Gatorade bottles. The green squeeze kind you see athletes using. Then I just keep a collapsible dog bowl in the back of the vest. For a quick squirt of water I just use the bottle but if we're taking a short break I'll fill the bowl up for them. There is some waste but I rarely run out during a hunt.

Then at the truck I fill up a dog bowl of water immediately so they can drink if they need to while I'm unloading and taking the vest off.
 
Chestle said:
One of the things I carry for dog hydration is the. Vivaglory 25oz Stainless Steel Dog Bottle

Its cap is its cup and the cup is the perfect shape for a dog to lick the water out of without wasting any. This will fit into the water bottle pocket on most vests. Well made. Very easy to a dog to figure out. Mine come running when I pull it out; they know what its for. Much easier than trying to water them from a plastic water bottle. I do carry a couple plastic bottles for refills when running multiple dogs or hot day/big field situations.

Mine is red. Figured if I dropped it in the field it would be easier to find. They also have orange. About $15 on Amazon.

View attachment 4053
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Thanks! Just ordered one. Get it Saturday.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Do you think sled dogs are rested every other day?
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That's like comparing us every day pheasant hunters to an Olympic athlete. Not really a fair comparison. Those cold weather sled dogs are literally in the top shape a canine can be.

The single biggest thing I can do to keep my dog healthy is not to let her get over weight. My vet told me that years ago. Maintaining an ideal weight year round has the most influence on the dog's overall health.
 
I read some sled dog stuff when west was talking about Dr Tim’s a while back. The three things that caught my eye. Is that they are bred to a certain size , bred for feet, and bred for an appetite. And sure some others. I guess what I took from it is if you are routinely going to be hunting more than 3 or 4 days in a row you probably should be running a mid sized dog , booted when necessary, and not to free feed and raise a grazer.
 
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Chestle said:
One of the things I carry for dog hydration is the. Vivaglory 25oz Stainless Steel Dog Bottle

Its cap is its cup and the cup is the perfect shape for a dog to lick the water out of without wasting any. This will fit into the water bottle pocket on most vests. Well made. Very easy to a dog to figure out. Mine come running when I pull it out; they know what its for. Much easier than trying to water them from a plastic water bottle. I do carry a couple plastic bottles for refills when running multiple dogs or hot day/big field situations.

Mine is red. Figured if I dropped it in the field it would be easier to find. They also have orange. About $15 on Amazon.

View attachment 4053
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Just ordered mine also!
 
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