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branthunter
08-25-2008, 08:05 PM
I just posted the following in another thread but thought it may get more exposure to the right audience if I put it here although, I've added some things as I'm posting this. It's a vitally important topic for waterfowlers who hunt with dogs. Overhunting and not properly caring for your dog (lab, Chesapeake, whatever) in cold weather when he is he/she is regularly going into the water can kill them. The killer is hypothermia combined with exhaustion. A really good dog won't have the sense to quit, they'll just keep going until they collapse or outright just drop dead. If your dog starts to wobble when they are standing or have difficulty getting up then they are in trouble. A good early sign that many dogs will show is that they're tail goes down and stays down. If the dog gets to this stage you have to act quickly. In my opinion you should always have a vest on them for cold weather water work or really low temperatures. I know, dogs hunted for years before neoprene vests came along, but that also applies to the waders and fleece coats and neoprene gloves etc. etc. etc. that we wear and times and gear change---why let your dog suffer needlessly. Would you take your kid out in the marsh in less than the best gear? Now that my male lab is getting older I actually have a vest on him for all marsh hunting except the warm days of October--but see below. Use your hands to squeegie the water out of their coat when they get out of the water, then fluff up their coat. Keep them out of the wind (nature's wind or running in a boat) when they are wet. Have some high energy treats for them. To give my dogs a break or just as shelter when the shooting is slow I use an old pair of neoprene chest waders from which I have cut off all but about 6" in. of the legs. Put one leg over the dog's head have it sit and pull the body down over it's entire body. They warm up really quick in this---just make sure he doesn't try to go on a retrieve with this on or you might find your self going in after him/her on a rescue mission. The worst cold weather combination for dogs is to be hunting the marsh on foot on a low tide when 6" of snow has built up and then the tide comes up and stupid you (read me the time I let this happen. I did have a log he was able to get out of the water on but it wasn't good enough) in your warm neoprene waders keeps right on standing there shooting ducks with your dog beside you in the water. Thick fur coats don't help much in this situation. Try putting on a thick pair of warm wool mittens and see how long you can keep your hand immersed in that kind of snow slush and icy cold saltwater. Another dumb thing to do is to hunt pheasants all afternoon then go snow goosing for the afternoon shoot in the marsh, especially with the new 10 bird limit under which the work and exposure for the dog is doubled. Your dog will be exhausted from all the running on pheasants and will succumb much more quickly to working in the water. Even if it is the warm days of October, the water is still cold---just try lying down in it for ten minutes while your waiting for the next flight. I sometimes hear or read comments with regard to labs or Chesapeakes that " The dog is bred for those conditions and you'll be turning it into a sissy by using a vest". The fact is, those kinds of dogs can collapse or even die from hypothermia just because they have been bred to be tough and to keep going. We all know from watching them how much they love what they are doing and it is easy to be fooled by their enthusiasm, and therein can lie the problem. The dog looks like he/she is having a great time and still raring to go and then suddenly the tail is down and they are swaying from side to side as they stand in the punt and now you've got to react quickly to save their life. If this does happen to you dry them as best you can, fluff up their fur,and wrap them up completely nose-to-toes in the best thing you've got that will insulate them---or get them up inside your jacket if you can. Cup your hands around their nose and your mouth/nose and exhale so they will be warmed by your warm breath, alternating breaths so you don't suffocate them. Then get them indoors as quickly as you can---ie. stop hunting and head for the truck and get them in the cab with the heater on. I heard of one lab that appeared to die of hypothermia and was revived by mouth-to-mouth. Nobody takes their dog hunting upland birds in hot weather without seeing that they have a sufficient supply of water but I think many forget about or are unaware of the risks to their dogs posed by hypothermia (I know I was fooled by my guy's enthusiasm in these conditions, even as I wondered how he was able to do it, until he got the wobbles). To put an end to this rambling, I suggest it would be a good idea for us all to discuss this concern and these ideas with other dog hunters whenever we get the chance since there are lots out there who don't read this website .

branthunter
08-26-2008, 11:21 AM
Sunny day with a westerly-----good day to get down to the shack and get some paint on the snow goose set. Take the dogs for a swim too. :p

Jimsue
08-26-2008, 11:34 AM
Great post, just wanted to add a little tid-bit, pick up a few of those Shammoos you see at the PNE and flea markets, great for drying off wet dogs.

PS There is a Hunt Test in Aldergrove on Sept 13th and 14th

Regards Jim

SUAFOYT
08-26-2008, 02:04 PM
Thanks for the info- we've had a couple of incidents with ours, cold weather or not. As near as we can tell the affliction is what's called "cold water tail." After a lot of in and out of the water and constant shaking out he'll start grabbing at his tail, and the tail will droop straight down, no wagging or anything. It takes about a week for him to get back to normal. We now try not to throw so much for him because as you stated he'll go and go until he drops.

Gateholio
08-26-2008, 02:17 PM
paragraph (păr'ə-grăf') http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/pron.gif

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n.

A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words.
A mark (¶) used to indicate where a new paragraph should begin or to serve as a reference mark.
A brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper.tr.v., -graphed, -graph·ing, -graphs.
To divide or arrange into paragraphs.



:-P:smile::tongue:

JeffR
08-26-2008, 03:54 PM
paragraph (păr'ə-grăf') http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/pron.gif

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n.

A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words.
A mark (¶) used to indicate where a new paragraph should begin or to serve as a reference mark.
A brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper.tr.v., -graphed, -graph·ing, -graphs.
To divide or arrange into paragraphs.



:-P:smile::tongue:

x2!:-P:smile:

f350ps
08-26-2008, 08:25 PM
Well said Branthunter, I know I just about lost my Lab in a freeze-up once. I can't believe a guy that can hardly spell his own name would even know what a paragragh is. I guess that's why the copy and paste eh Gates? K

Marc
08-26-2008, 09:56 PM
I was hunting back east with a friend who had an 8 year old female Chesapeake Bay Retriever. He ended up winging a black duck and that dog chassed the duck around for a good 20-30 minutes and he couldn't call him off the bird. We ended up chasing the dog down with the boat and brought it back to the blind where I covered it with my Winter hunting jacket. The dog was pretty much going into convulsions it was shivering so bad. After about 30 minutes of being in my jacket and a Bologna Sangee she was back to normal.

As it's been said sometimes they just don't know when to quit. This is extremely important with a Chesapeake, if you can't call your dog off it's extremely important that you know the dog can make the retrieve before you send him out or he'll die trying if he can't.

branthunter
08-26-2008, 10:37 PM
paragraph (păr'ə-grăf') http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/pron.gif

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n.

A distinct division of written or printed matter that begins on a new, usually indented line, consists of one or more sentences, and typically deals with a single thought or topic or quotes one speaker's continuous words.
A mark (¶) used to indicate where a new paragraph should begin or to serve as a reference mark.
A brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper.tr.v., -graphed, -graph·ing, -graphs.
To divide or arrange into paragraphs.



:-P:smile::tongue:

Is that you Mr. Dunn? I know when to end a paragraph and start another, I just don't know which button to push on this durn keyboard to make it happen.

fowl language
08-27-2008, 07:11 AM
my hunting partner had this very thing happen to him and he gave the dog mouth to snout resusitation and brought him back even with a vest on. so i cant help but echo brant hunters sediments.you can get high energy treats from bosleys.......fowl

LOC
08-27-2008, 08:16 AM
my hunting partner had this very thing happen to him and he gave the dog mouth to snout resusitation and brought him back even with a vest on. so i cant help but echo brant hunters sediments.you can get high energy treats from bosleys.......fowl


What brand, type are you using (energy treats)?
I get the cabela's 'power bars' for my mutt, but it's a PITA having to order them every few months.
A local supply of something similar would be much better.

fowl language
08-27-2008, 09:33 PM
we have zukes power bars. innova evo treats,or canaday biscuits.bought at bosleys. make sure you feed them through the day or between retrieves and dont forget this as its very important....fowl

Gateholio
08-27-2008, 10:35 PM
Is that you Mr. Dunn? I know when to end a paragraph and start another, I just don't know which button to push on this durn keyboard to make it happen.


Mr. Dunn was your English teacher?:tongue:

Hit "enter" or "return" 2x and you will get spaces between paragraphs,makes it easier to read. I suffer from similar problems. I know which buttons to hit, but my fingers are so big that I make lots of typos, resulting in lots of switched letters- mkaes em seem dylsexci....:tongue:

branthunter
08-27-2008, 11:21 PM
[QUOTE=Gatehouse;320637]Mr. Dunn was your English teacher?:tongue:

And a fine man he was.

Malley Whacker
09-01-2008, 10:24 AM
The first thing you need to do when your dog gets to this state(tail drop ,shiverring, dazed and confussed will not lissen and trys to nest) is stop hunting give the dog honey or sugar put it between the gums and lips the sugar is absorbed the quickly there. Get the dog dryed off keep them warm and head for home. It was my dog that fowl is talking about. We had been hunting in the marsh on a cold Jan day. He made many retreives that cold icy day he got exausted, he was hypotermic and started to shiver violently went into Hopoglycimic shock and collapped he stopped breathing but with doggy cpr I was able to save him I learned alot that day.Great post Brant hunter

sparkes3
09-06-2008, 05:07 AM
its good to know you guys are taking care of our best hunting buddies .thanks for the tips