By Scott Johnson

Upland Game

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This well-known line from John Fogerty’s hit song, “Centerfield,” is certainly not referring to bird dogs, but when it comes to hunting, our bird dogs must possess the same ambition that ol’ John sings about.

The arrival of cooler weather brings the opening day of hunting season. It’s the day hunters look forward to with great anticipation. When shot shells go on sale, we start preparing. We get out the shotgun and oil it; maybe even bust a few clays just to sharpen our aim. It’s time to get the game bag ready, service the truck, kick the tires and check the spare. (Where is that lug wrench?) 

When our rig is ready for those questionable back roads, we load the dog box because when it’s time to go hunting, we don’t leave behind the star of our team — our bird dog.

Most hunters are also sports enthusiasts — baseball, football, basketball, hockey — whatever it is, we have a favorite team. Those teams are made up of talented athletes— athletes with great training, stamina, and conditioning. Who’s responsible for seeing that each team member is performing at his best? The coach. 

As a bird dog owner, you are the coach of your hunting team. Is your star athlete ready?

Kansas summers are hot and muggy. It’s hard to get much dog training or conditioning accomplished. 

But it’s necessary or hunting season may be cut short for our dogs. I want to highlight five points that are key to the success and wellbeing of a bird dog.

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FEED

All athletes require a healthy diet. Our friends at Purina labs have spent years of research leading up to the conclusion that the proper balance of protein and fat are key to the healthy diet of a performance dog. 

It’s recommended to feed a quality dog food, with at least a 26 percent protein level. Protein is needed not only for energy, but tissue repair (muscle fatigue), as well. High levels of fat is not only necessary for calories that your dog will burn while exercising, but also aid in establishing the proper rate of metabolism.

Keep in mind that a dog should never exercise on a full stomach. Generally, 24 hours is required for a dog to fully digest its food. Of course, on a long day of hunting a dog may need an energy boost, but keep the quantities very light and full of protein. 

It is important to also avoid carbohydrates . While human athletes benefit from carbs, it’s known to have the opposite effect in dogs. By feeding a quality and highly digestible feed, your dog will benefit from requiring less feed to maintain body weight and less waste deposited on the kennel floor. At our kennel, we feed a 30/20 balance using ProPlan by Purina.

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WATER

An athlete needs water. Muscle development and tissue repair cannot happen without water. While exercising your dog, be sure he stays hydrated. As with feed, don’t exercise a dog with a full belly of water. This can be dangerous and uncomfortable. 

Instead, water often with smaller rations. A dog needs water to keep cool inside and out when it’s exceptionally hot. While training, we often stop to cool our dogs with water from a jug that we carry for this purpose. 

Try to lay them on their back to wet down the belly and the ear leathers (be careful not to get water in the ear canal). When it’s warm, your dog is going to want hit any source of water where he can get in and cool his entire body. While this is useful in preventing overheating, we always say, “get more on them than in them.”

It’s necessary to be able to recognize and address the signs of a dog that is getting overheated.  Generally, you will see a change in the panting pattern, which will become more deliberate. A dog’s eyes tend to get wider and he will start seeking shade or a water source –— sometimes lying flat on his belly in an effort to cool off in the grass.

When your dog reaches this point he has already reached heat exertion. Cool your dog immediately, but use some common sense. A dog’s normal body temp is around 102 degrees. When he is over heated it may be approaching 106. This is not the time to immerse him in a 55-degree spring or dump your ice chest on him. You don’t want to stop his heart with an abrupt change in temperature.

When a dog gets to the point he is starting to wobble, the situation is dire and long-range damage to his body has most likely begun. If this occurs, you need to get him to your DVM once you have him stabilized.

Alternately, water can also be a threat in the cold weather. An athlete still needs hydration in the cold, but low temperatures and wet, or snowy, ground can create the opposite effect, resulting not only in muscle damage, but hypothermia as well.