Wildfowl_-_September_2019

Pre-season training means knowing the signs if

you're pup is low on H20.  By Tony J. Peterson

A GENERAL RULE for all dogs is

that they require about an ounce of

water for every pound they weigh,

per day. If you’ve got a couch po-

tato canine that only goes outside

to relieve itself, this is a solid rule. If

you’re running a hard-charging re-

triever that is expected to run long-

distance drills a couple of times each

day, then you can throw that rule

out the window.

Water aids in just about every bio-

logical function your dog has going

on at any given time. It is crucial for

cellular function, digestion and the

absorption of nutrients, lubrication

of joints, and a host of other pro-

cesses that keep your dog healthy

and going strong—including simply

helping cool down quicker after a

few drills.

Without a proper amount of hydra-

tion, health issues can crop up and get

serious quickly. The most forehead-

slappingest examples of these come

every season when the upland oppor-

tunities begin and inevitably, a few

hunters run their out-of-shape dogs to

death in scorching heat. While there

are other factors going on besides a

lack of enough water in these cases,

there is no doubt it's a contributing

factor to the loss of these dogs.

You might think that is an issue

with those silly upland hunters, but

dehydration and the accompany-

ing health issues can sneak up on us

waterfowlers as well.

LAND-BASED TRAINING

The good thing about working

a duck dog is that you’re usually

around water. Dehydration is not

much of an issue when your lab is

retrieving doubles in the neighbor-

Retriever Hydration

Concerns

© Tony J. Peterson

RETRIEVER HEALTH

20 WILDFOWL Magazine | September 2019 wildfowlmag.com