Warm Weather Hunting – How to Keep Your Dog Safe
Posted By LSM2013b on December 23, 2012
Hunting during hot days proves to be a lot more challenging. Most of the game will move less so having your dog accompanying you will be a big boon. The natural tracking instincts of your pet and the skills he learned in dog hunting training will really come in handy during this time so you can quickly locate any prey that is in hiding or is bedded away from the heat.
Warm weather days may not be that exciting but there are still a few animals and birds around which you can catch. In this situation, however, it is extremely necessary that you take precautions for your pet against the heat. Just like in humans, the hot and sunny days can also potentially put your dog in great risk. The conditions can make him very susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Your dog can die from any of these conditions if you don’t know how to protect him when you go warm weather hunting.
Keeping your dog hydrated is very important. With lots of running around plus the heat of the sun, your dog will feel parched and can get dehydrated. You must bring enough water with you so you can feed your dog in between breaks. If there are any streams, river or lake in the area where fresh supply of water is available, bring your pet into it to allow him to drink and quench his thirst. To abate the heat, you can also allow your dog to take a bath in these bodies of water.
Another way to keep your dog cool is to keep him in the shade every once in a while. Allow your dog to rest so that he won’t get overheated and succumb to heat exhaustion. If you brought two dogs with you, instead of using them on simultaneous occasions, use them alternately in the hunt so each of them receives plenty of time to rest.
Watching out for tell-tale signs of heat exhaustion in your dog is critically important. You should always look for signs of sluggish movements, lolling tongue, excessive panting and unsteady gait. You need to be aware of these signs as well as the changes in the demeanor of your dog so that he won’t reach the point of becoming critically ill from heat stroke.
Carrying an emergency kit which contains a thermometer with you will be very helpful to determine if your dog feels overheated. Normally, the average body temperature of the dog is between 101 and 102.5F. Dogs suffering from heat stroke will give out high body temperature readings of 104 to 110F. If this is the case, give your dog emergency measures to cool him down at once.
About Author: This Post was provided by Luke Hatch, He is an avid hunter and dog trainer. He currently spends most of the time spreading his knowledge and writing for Versatile Dog Supply an online resource for Dog Training Collars and dog tracking collars.