What do you do when your hunting dog gets too old?

[netcoyote]

I can remember my English Setter's first point like it was yesterday. Pointed up a quail up on Chelan Butte. We spent the next 9 years hunting quail, pheasant, and chukar but mostly forest grouse. We hunted hard every season and we got out as often as my schedule would allow and he was always up to the task. Every year I would tell myself, "It just doesn't get any better than this", as we roamed the woods and the fields and I knew this couldn't last forever.
Our last day in the field was a picture perfect fall days under a blue-bird sky up in Winthrop. We finally kicked up some grouse and were having a great day. I just had some pang of feeling like this may be our last hunt. Don't know what caused the feeling, but it was just there.
Last spring as we were getting ready for another season we were doing our usual scouting and I heard my dog yelp out in pain up ahead on the trail. I picked up the pace and saw him coming down the trail holding one rear leg up in the air. He had torn his cruciate ligament.
We spent most of last year trying to get him back in shape with surgery and a lengthy therapy to recover and get his leg back in shape. I though he might be ready for hunting season but it was not to be. Once his rear legs got back in shape, he developed a serious lameness in one front leg. Vet said it may be nerve damage or arthritis, but can't tell without more tests.
We are running out of time. He'll be 10 this year. Not real old for a dog but I really don't think I want to put him through a lot of testing and procedures at this point. Even if I was able to get him in shape, I'm concerned that he might seriously hurt himself in the field because he is such a hard charger. He doesn't even slow down when he is injured and sometimes it's been painful just to watch him try keep hunting when I know he is in some type of pain.
Soooo...my question is, what did you guys with dogs do when your hunting dog gets too old or too injured to safely be put in the field? I tried hunting last season without him and it just was not the same. Do any of you start training a new pup at this time? Do you still get out hunting without your dog? Just wanted to hear what other people have done in this situation.

[Mfowl]

Retire them, spoil them, enjoy them as a pet and not a hunting dog anymore. Its hard but it happens to all good dogs. I have had a few labs throughout my life and eventually they all got retired. I agree hunting the uplands without a dog is just not the same. The thought of bringing in a new pup when the old timer was still around always made me feel guilty as well as the thought of going hunting without my trusted partner. The worst part is when they see you getting  your gear together and still get excited like they always did. But that's a part of it and every dog owner has to deal with it in time.

[Birdguy]

Retire them, spoil them, enjoy them as a pet and not a hunting dog anymore. Its hard but it happens to all good dogs. I have had a few labs throughout my life and eventually they all got retired. I agree hunting the uplands without a dog is just not the same. The thought of bringing in a new pup when the old timer was still around always made me feel guilty as well as the thought of going hunting without my trusted partner. The worst part is when they see you getting  your gear together and still get excited like they always did. But that's a part of it and every dog owner has to deal with it in time.

  There are still some tough times ahead but also some more good times. True, he is not capale of being the dog he once was but he is still the same friend and he has certainly earned a few good years of retirement, just like most of the rest of us. At some point you realize that it is time to take it easy.

[hollymaster]

Retire them, spoil them, enjoy them as a pet and not a hunting dog anymore. Its hard but it happens to all good dogs. I have had a few labs throughout my life and eventually they all got retired. I agree hunting the uplands without a dog is just not the same. The thought of bringing in a new pup when the old timer was still around always made me feel guilty as well as the thought of going hunting without my trusted partner. The worst part is when they see you getting  your gear together and still get excited like they always did. But that's a part of it and every dog owner has to deal with it in time.

  There are still some tough times ahead but also some more good times. True, he is not capale of being the dog he once was but he is still the same friend and he has certainly earned a few good years of retirement, just like most of the rest of us. At some point you realize that it is time to take it easy.

+1 on all the above. Except the dog gets a little more spoiled. 

[washingtonmuley]

Retire them, spoil them, enjoy them as a pet and not a hunting dog anymore. Its hard but it happens to all good dogs. I have had a few labs throughout my life and eventually they all got retired. I agree hunting the uplands without a dog is just not the same. The thought of bringing in a new pup when the old timer was still around always made me feel guilty as well as the thought of going hunting without my trusted partner. The worst part is when they see you getting  your gear together and still get excited like they always did. But that's a part of it and every dog owner has to deal with it in time.

I agree with the above statement as well. Spoil,spoil,spoil and remember the great times had.

[Goldeneye]

  There does come a time to retire them.  If I owned an upland dog it would be done and over for my old dog (14 yrs old).  I own labs, so when I am able do a relatively easy access hunt to get the old girl out.  It's a location I can get to without stressing her much.  She's pretty much just moral support for the young dog who does all the work nowadays .  The old dog has a bad front wheel.  So the more difficult to access hunts, she does not go to.  The day is coming when she'll not get to go even on the easy access hunts.  It is part of the deal when it comes to hunting dogs.  Then as previously said, spoil your old hunter...

  To answer your other question.  I picked up a puppy about 3  years ago.  The old dog accepted the puppy and now they are inseparable.  Plus I think it lifted the old dogs spirits a bit after she realized the pup was here to stay.

  Here's pic of my old hunter and the young dog from this last season.  They were watching me adjust the dekes.

[ghosthunter]

My first lab Tess, I got as a pup. I had never owned a hunting dog. When the kids were all little it was always a mutt for them. When they got bigger it was my turn.
I brought her home at 8 weeks and trained her myself with a little help from training groups. She was everything  I wanted and we hunted 11 hunting seasons together.
On the last trip to a quality blind not far off the road I took her. Knowing she could no longer do the long hikes out in the field. Swans landed around us but no ducks. I had to watch her because if we left the blind she was so senile that she would forget where I was. She couldn't here any longer because we spent all those years in low blinds and her favorite spot was between my legs under my gun.

Hundreds of hours laying under a tarp in the rain and snow together like young lovers spooning waiting for the first light and the first flight.

I could not bring myself to get another pup while she lived. Felt like cheating to me. So she spent her last days following while I mowed the lawn. And after we were finished naps under the ash tree together.
My wife had approached me more than once that she thought it was time to put her down but I couldn't do it. She was on some meds and was not in pain.
One day after mowing the lawn she went to her kennel and I pulled my lawn chair into the shade of the carport to nap together one last time. I heard her yelp and I knew something was wrong. I found her near her house struggling to take a breath, a rush to the vet and in 20 minutes she was gone.
I thought about it  awhile and finally decided that I had one more pup left in me.
Today there is a 16 month lab laying at my feet. She hangs on my every word and is the best 2ND dog I have ever had.

Once you have hunted with a dog, you never hunt alone again. Good luck and when its time get another pup and start again.

[akirkland]

I have always had Labs and I always will. I usually take it really easy on them as they get older. I will hunt them as long as they want to. But with that being said, It may be a stroll through the planted fields of Ft Lewis or down a few old skid roads looking for grouse. I let them tell me what we are doing and how we are doing it. I think the worst thing possible is to stop everything they know. Its really hard on a guy when his best friend gets up there in age. I have learned to not miss out on a opportunity with them along the journey. I cant imagine not hunting in my retirement years, we just change our tactics I guess. My black female will be 10 in December and she will hunt lightly this coming upland season....God willing. But trust me...my Labs are spoiled rotten. That's the way every dog should be. I don't have huntin dogs. I have 4 legged kids that sometimes sleep in bed and on the couch that love to hunt. And it will always be that way.

[Heredoggydoggy]

It is really sad to see a good dog get old, but they do.  My first Setter lived to almost 15, and my last one went almost to 16.  Now 12 years later, I look at the hills we ran on, and am thankful that we did it then, because I could never keep up with a dog now.  I never got another dog, because I know I'll never get another one as good as the last one was.  We understand why we can't do the things we did when we were younger.  Dogs don't, and that is the sad thing.  Enjoy them as long as you can.  I sure did! 

[netcoyote]

Thanks everybody. It really helps to hear how other people handle the situation with an older hunting dog. Like some have said, I just can't see myself getting another dog at this time. We already have a pup in the house, my wife's Aussie, that we got to replace an older dog that died last year. My setter tolerates him and, I think, even enjoys playing with him at times.
I think I'll judge my setter's condition this fall and maybe put him in the field at that time if he's fit. Maybe just a short trip. I enjoy seeing how excited he gets when I put on his beeper collar. He still trembles with the excitement. He just doesn't know when to slow down so he doesn't hurt himself. That's going to be my job. Guess I'd rather have a few hours in the field than none at all.

[jackmaster]

i never had bird dogs like you guys, i had hounds at a young age, before i graduated and left for the military, well my big male walker, "BUCK" he was mine and my two little walker females protector, he saved my butt from a bobcat that decided to get out of the tree via my back, he grabbed it off me and squished his neck and then let out a big bawl right in the cats ear but me and him and my little females hunted together every waking moment, BUCK just got to old to keep up anymore, but he sure tried, he went from the fastest to not being able to make it to the tree anymore when i left for the army i got my dad to keep him as a house dog, the couple of house cats didnt like it  well he eventually got to old and dad had to have him put down, he couldnt even walk anymore, when i called home dad told me and it really sucked, i was at FT BENNING GA, i had to keep it together, but it wasnt easy, BUCK use to ride in the front seat of my rabbit and would do his best to strike cats and coons from the front seat  i havent had hounds since, i doubt i could find a dog like him ever again. i still got some pics of him and my little girls at the tree it always brings smiles and reminds me of the great days of being a kid, it also sucks cause my kids wont ever get to have somethn like that

[LndShrk]

Spoil Them..

[AspenBud]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

10 is old and yet it isn't. I know of more than a few examples of competition dogs, some pro, some amateur, run past age ten and some have had past injuries.

Something to remember, when a dog injures itself like yours did they tend to rely on their other limbs more until they can put weight on the injured leg again. It's why the cruciate ligament in the remaining good leg will often tear if the injured limb isn't treated and sometimes it still goes.

[netcoyote]

Assuming the lameness is now gone my advice is keep the dog in shape, see if the doc will write a script for Rimadyl, and maybe shorten up your outings. Meanwhile buy a new pup or get a started dog to use in the remaining time.

Yea, I've had him on Rimadyl but he just didn't seem to respond well to it. Seems like aspirin worked better but I don't think it's good to have him on a regular dose of either one. Got a vet appointment for next week to see what he thinks.

[wildweeds]

An injury like that at his age was the kiss of death whereas hunting was concerned.The arthritis/nerve issue in the front is most likely caused in the spine near the withers,been there and done it with an 8 year old and spinal arthritis.The more animated a dog is in it's running,the more parts that move rapidly the more wear and tear on the chassis.I have a variety of ages,so as they get long in the tooth they can hunt the gravy spots and leave the heavy lifting to the younger hunters.You have but about one choice since guilt of leaving the old dog at home is high on the list,don't hunt for 1-5 years until the dog passes. I myself would get another dog to hunt with and let the old guy live it up in the house.I know a couple guys who regularly give 8 year olds away free so as to not have to deal with  the old age issues.It's not worth spending more money on trying to figure out the inevitable the options to fix found problems are bad investments,Remaining comfortable is the issue,Aspirin or Rymadryl is going to be a daily regimen at least in the winters.Using the dog to hunt is going to be potentially harmful for the dog.Retirement and a new dog to hunt is the future.