The hunting season is upon us and hopefully you have done your pre-season work preparing your dog. Dogs need to be conditioned for the rigors of hunting and should have had some bird contact to sharpen up their manners on game. When hunting with your dog in the fall, be aware of the temperatures and remember that the dog is working much harder than you, and being on four legs does not get the same benefit from whatever light breezes may be present.
Carrying water for the dog is a good idea, although planning your hunt near water is better if the temps are going to be above seventy, especially if it is sunny. Giving a dog an occasional drink will help to sustain them on a warm day but will not protect them from heat stroke if the day is hot and humid or even warm and sunny. Dogs do not have sweat glands like you and I and therefore cannot sweat to cool themselves down. Panting is their way of trying to cool off.
I understand the problems involved with keeping a house dog clean enough to bring back into the house after a hunt. And I have seen my share of owners discouraging their dogs from lying down in water when out running. But the bottom line is, you need to accept the fact that the dog will need bathing when you get home. By lying down in water, the dog is doing what our bodies do naturally. Wetting the exterior so that evaporation cools the interior. I train all my dogs to lay in water whenever possible.
In the warm months of summer, our farm drys up. The small ponds and floodings, as well as a small creek that passes through our property, usually dry up in July. To combat the dangers of overheating, we have watering stations every two-hundred yards or so throughout the farm. Livestock watering tanks, the size used for sheep, work well for us. They are low enough to allow the dog to jump in and out on their own. We change the water twice weekly and on the hot days, the dogs will run from station to station.
Some dogs, especially the pointing dogs, don't particularly like going into water and must be taught. Most of them, once introduced to laying in water on a hot day, will then take the dip quite readily. The dog that is water-shy will have a much more difficult time managing its body temperature in the heat.
A dog starting to suffer from heat stroke will become wobbly on its feel and have trouble walking. Loss of motor function is a clear sign of danger. This dog should be taken to a shaded area and allowed to recover. The best-case scenario would be to take the dog to a stream or a pond and have it lay in the water, out of the sun. Simply drinking water will not suffice. If the dog's gums are gray instead of pink, the danger is even greater because this indicates a loss of circulation and the dog's system may be shutting down. Heat stroke may not kill the dog but one episode will predispose the dog to future heat related problems. If a dog does collapse and stops breathing, CPR should be administered as soon as possible. Talk to your vet about proper CPR methods and remember, get the dog to shade and water. I have seen dogs die from heat, not my own, and I have seen dogs that had collapsed from the heat and stop breathing be revived only to be put down later because of brain damage.
Keep an eye on your four legged hunting partner on the hot days. If your dog is going to shaded areas and laying down, panting heavily and reluctant to move on, it may be telling you, ‘I'm too HOT!' Don't expect the dog to regulate its activity for the conditions. Some dogs will, but many dogs will work at the same pace even in the heat.
Also, remember that it is illegal to discharge a firearm within a hundred and fifty yards of a boat launch.
Charlie Linblade
Mighigan Wing Shooters Hunt Club
Michigan Pheasant Hunting
Michigan Bird Dog Training
