1.) Don’t overfeed your hunting companion. Follow the dog food’s label and if your dog looks thick and doesn’t narrow toward their back end then back off on the amount of food and/or consult your veterinarian. If you have a difficult time keeping the weight off your dog then your dog may have a thyroid or metabolism issue. Your vet can do tests to make sure all is normal. I have noticed that owners feed their dogs more when they aren’t able to give them attention. A dog that is overweight is putting too much impact on joints and it’s a lot harder for them to run through cover, water, or whatever terrain you are hunting.

2.) Don’t skip the cardio & field preparation. We “road” our dogs with a UTV or four wheeler and we will often road them through thick grass so that they experience resistance and cardio. How much? Honestly a mile a day is not enough, especially close to season. Start out with short runs/walks and try to work up to 2-3 miles per day. Playing fetch, walking in a field, running, or roading all helps build up to the 2-3 miles per day. For upland if a hunter walks 2-3 miles, we’ve had dogs with gps run 10-14 which is almost 5 times as much as the hunter walks and that is a short 2-hour hunt.

3.) Don’t run a marathon. When the season starts, start with short hunts and try not to make your dog hunt a marathon the first time out. Remember, if you did not have your dog exercise in cover, water, hills, or in other terrain that you are hunting then your dog isn’t going to last as long as he/she did in training. If you have multiple dogs, trade them out and allow them to rest. A fresh dog is going to perform better and it makes for a better experience for them and you as a handler.

4.) Don’t get stressed and upset. Be patient. There isn’t anything worse than a dog handler losing his/her cool in the field. The best handlers don’t speak a lot to their dog except for praises. If you are frustrated with your dog’s output, getting mad and upset isn’t going to fix him/her. Often times the problem is YOU, yes YOU. Did you show your dog what success looks like? Did you properly train him/her? Did you put the reps and time in? I am a firm believer that more than half of the dogs issues or bad habits is because of the handler. We do 1 on 1 handler sessions every week and if it’s something that interests you, please reach out to us.

5.) Don’t forget to dry off after taking a dip. I have witnessed dogs going down after they dip in the water. This is most common with the thick-coated breeds such as Labradors, Chessies, or Goldens. Some coats are designed to serve as insulation and if you have a very hot dog and they jump in the water and then you put him/her in the kennel with extreme hot temperatures, it will bake them. Remember dogs can’t perspire which is why they pant. If your dog walks in the water and does’t submerge, that is because they are cooling off through their paws. They release heat through their paw pads and nose to regulate their body temperature and keep cool.