Duck hunting weather and dogs

[ghosthunter]

This is the very reason my dog sleeps out side. I bed her in straw and she seem to very comfortable in the cold and cold water. Every couple hours I release when hunting and let her snoop and run around the general area. Than back in the blind. Little different in a boat.

She has a vest but seems like she prefers not to wear it. When she shakes she can dry off faster without the vest on.

[Stein]

Sleeping outside is for sure the best for a waterfowl dog.  I would have an absolute pitchfork revolt as certain family members like dogs on their bed, so we do the best we can while hunting.

Our dog isn't a fan of the vest, when I pull it out, she tucks tail and pouts around the garage for 10 minutes while I am getting stuff ready.  By the time we load up, she's over it and back to happy.  It is pretty funny to see a lab actively pouting though.  Same story with the e collar, not a big fan but they reluctantly pay the price of admission.

Another advantage of a vest is flotation.  I had an incident in the bay where I forgot the e collar and she took off after a cripple and went a LONG way out and would not break off.  She finally got tired and couldn't get back requiring an emergency dog retrieve.  If she didn't have the vest on, I think she might not have made it long enough for me to get out there.

[anthropisces]

Here's Luna today, 20201227 proudly wearing her much better fitting vest and showing her stuff

[Special T]

My old chessie sleps outside unless the the weather is horrible. I cant imagine a dog overheating around here in the winter no matter the vest. Ive given my chessie hypo thermia whennhunting was 40mph and 20 degrees with no wetsuit... because i couldnt find it. He is way told for that crap now but a young healty lab in the mild weather we have had the last year and so far this year.. not a big deal.

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[SuperX]

in addition to the wet suit, bring a square of foam they can sit on, especially hunting from a boat where they can never really escape the cold.

[anthropisces]

That's a good suggestion SuperX. I bring a one inch thick wool felt pad, from the horse riding community. Its not something I throw on the bare ground though. It goes in her Momarsh dog blind or on the floor of the boat.

https://www.statelinetack.com/item/mustang-square-wool-pad-liner/SLT901243%2030%20TAN/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoab_BRCxARIsANMx4S4QhLlpVc79mSO2umFQFXzF9wUQcVTHTusPdhAsoQFSLQhC5LtGl6YaAtKZEALw_wcB

I'm moving away from her being in a separate blind though-she likes to be in my Tanglefree blind with me. So I may try a foam pad with the horse pad on top.

If I told you guys how much I pamper this dog you would laugh.

[Special T]

in addition to the wet suit, bring a square of foam they can sit on, especially hunting from a boat where they can never really escape the cold.

I cut big squares from old neoprene waders both for kneeling in the boat and for the dog to sit on.