| It is important at the end of a hunt to check a dog over. Things like barbed wire or other human related refuse can inflict injuries that are not readily apparent. Gun dogs will hunt with such determination and enthusiasm that often a dog won’t acknowledge a wound until she has laid up for a time and stiffened up. Wounds that are tended to early, before they become contaminated or the edges dry out, heal more quickly. I once had a setter go through a barbed wire fence and, unbeknownst to me, lay her chest wide open. She then jumped into a marsh and stayed mostly submerged for the next hour while we walked the edge for ducks. By the time I noticed the wound, it was an opaque brown, waterlogged mess. I got her out of the water and back home. We laid her on the table and sewed her back up. Despite my best efforts at cleaning and disinfecting, by morning a roaring infection was at work. It required a vet to get her healthy. If I had caught it early, we could have saved some money and spared her some misery.
Let me tell you about another thing I started doing at the beginning of last season. My wife came home with a product called a "Power Bar." It is an athletic energy supplement that looks like a candy bar. It comes in different flavors, and really isn’t too bad once a person gets used to it. Her intention was to find an easy snack for me when my energy started crashing. Now during the hunting season, I always keep my game bag stocked with 3 or 4 of them. I will eat half of one, and then offer any shooting companion one in order to get us through whatever death march we have undertaken. What I found, subsequently, is that they also work great for the dogs. I have always carried snacks for my dogs, but these bars are a no muss, no fuss alternative. A little goes a long way. I take a bite and chew it up to soften the normally stiff consistency, and then give it to the dog. Two to three small bites is enough to give them a 45 minute boost. They seem to enjoy the taste, and once introduced eat it immediately.
The instructions on the "Power Bar" label suggest that water should be taken when consuming the product. Water is always a concern when running dogs. Many of the areas where I hunted in Kansas had ample water available, so I didn’t have to supplement with water I carried. Some of the areas, particularly the more arid western portions of the state, were dry and without water. If I hadn’t carried water, the dogs would have been in trouble. Just as a matter of course, I always carry some water with me. If I don’t have to use it, so much the better. Containers used for carrying water are a matter of personal preference. I often run 2 or 3 dogs at a time, so I need to carry a lot of water. What has worked well for me are the long, salami-shaped, clear plastic water bottles that bottled water is sold in. They come in several sizes. I generally use the largest-sized bottle that fits perfectly, lying flat, in the bottom of a Filson game bag. A bottle of water costs about a buck and is available in supermarkets, anywhere in the country. These bottles are very light and very tough. They generally will remain watertight for a couple of seasons, and when you forget them or they wear out, all you have to find is the supermarket.
In my game bag, I also carry a water cup for the dogs to drink from. I prefer that the dogs drink from a container, rather than my squirting water into the dog’s mouth with a bota bag or sports bottle. In my opinion, it chokes the dog and wastes a lot of water. When I’m carrying it, I want it to go to good use. Another indispensable part of a dog handler’s uniform is a belt clip and a short dog lead for every dog running. These items are available through mail order supply outfits. It won’t happen often, but every once in a while it will be imperative to get the dog under control and out of an area immediately. This will be in cases such as: a dog fight, the approach of a rabid animal, finding a rattlesnake in the field, or finding yourself in a steel trap area. In such occasions, it is important that the lead is right at hand, hanging from the belt. | |
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