Early heat. Is there a easy answer?

[Birddog08]

With bird season’s opening up all across the states and all of us (dogs included) ready to get out and put some miles on, I just wanted to share what I use and hopefully someone reading this could add what they use to help keep dogs cool in the early season. I run two all black GSP. Try and keep them in as good as shape as I can doing a fair amount of early season walks/ runs and such. But after the wow factor of the first couple drives it seems the heat comes on quickly. I keep a close eye on the inside of there ear, when that starts changing color I know we have an issue. So going beyond just giving them water I picked up one of these to hose down there chest. What other ideas do you guys have to keep dogs cool or cool them down quickly? Happy hunting everyone. And good luck!

 

[Scott85]

Some frozen treats in the cooler. Rubbing alcohol can be used in an emergency to rub on their paws to help draw out heat.

 

[BirdManMike]

The best ‘answer’ is easy. Just run the dog and hour early, then call it a day. The birds will still still be there in another couple weeks (depending).

 

[Sask hunter]

Swimming really reenergizes my lab. Thankfully we mainly waterfowl hunt and that’s an early morning thing before it gets too hot

 

[El Jason]

I try to hunt near water, but really I just accept the fact an early season hunt should

1) be done very early in the AM or late afternoon
2) be done in as much shade as possible
3) only a couple of hours max

Drahthaars aren’t built for heat, and I’m okay with that. Neither am I.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I hunt near water. Here there's more water than land so it's not a problem even years when grouse hunting is in hot temps. I don't go to eastern Montana to hunt uplands till the end of October and by then heat usually is not an issue, though occasionally it can be. Good tips here. Thanks.

 

[406dn]

I field trial pointing dogs from horseback. Part of that involves running dogs in the summer. Precovid, there were many trials held in both Canada and the northern states in late August and early September.

Unless you can carry enough water to keep the dog's fur damp all the time, it is not close to safe, to run a dog in the heat.

A damp hide, with low humidity, will provide evaporative cooling to the dog. But, you have to be ever vigilant. The dog can get into trouble very quickly. It is doable with a horse, since you can carry gallons of water with you. And the chance of the dog being gone is greatly diminished. But, I have seen dogs die at field trials from getting overheated. It is not a good experience.

I run the dogs this time of year, literally at sunrise. I keep the runs to ninety minutes, with many water breaks. If I was to run out of water, the dog(s) would be called to heel and we would walk back to the truck.