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 .
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Originally Posted by Gatehouse
