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Hey folks, so I know season is a ways off, but this question has been bugging me for the past couple weeks since it's been warm enough to actually work outside with the dog. I mainly hunt water and this season coming up will be my first using a dog that I own and have trained myself. (She's doing great so far) but all that aside. How cold is to cold for a dog to be out in while hunting? I've never really given it much thought because the dogs weren't my dogs and if it was up to the owner whether or not the dog came. I'm just curious to see what you guys think.
Thanks

All I can say is just watch your dog. Look for the signs of hypothermia. You may have to make sure you have a dry spot for the dog to lay out of the wind too. Also you may have to make a trip to the truck to warm him up in the heat. Just watch him. The dogs are tougher than you think.

My last Lab Gus was never too cold. He would break ice to get in the water, then lay down in it. He was that way from the day I got him to the day he died. Let your dog's actions tell you. If they start shivering uncontrollably it might be time for a warm up in the truck. I always carry a couple of bath towels to dry the dog off and a blanket to lay on instead of just the boat floor.

Here's a link to some good info on canine hypothermia: http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=49809

Thanks for the help guys, I've read alot about dog hypothermia and we've never had a dog that we felt that was uncomfortable, I just know that it happens and wanted to see what people had to say. Thanks again

Fwiw, I'm running Chesapeakes in Southwest Louisiana and still vest them whenever it's not too warm for them to be comfortable, as it affords some protection from sharp stuff, and calories not burned staying warm are available for work.

Some dogs can handle very cold conditions, some cannot. A lot of it I think is their drive. The 9 yr old I'm with now will go until he dies. I have to watch him. His daddy whom I hunted for 12 of his 14 years would simply quit if he got cold and just look at you with that familiar fuck you look on his face. But he only did that in his later years. I've heard people say that dogs kept outside are tougher but I don't know about that. My dogs are family and family stays in my house.

Also important to make sure they are well acclimated to the conditions. Can't take a dog that lives in indoor temps can't be expected to make it in the cold, regardless of coat.

Flightstopper wrote:Also important to make sure they are well acclimated to the conditions. Can't take a dog that lives in indoor temps can't be expected to make it in the cold, regardless of coat.

I'd think that depends on what one means by "make it in the cold" and the dog. We don't ice up often down here, but when we do, it's my vested house dog that picks up what the boats can't get to for most, and on some occasions all, of our marsh blinds:


We make it as easy on him as we can by chauffeuring to the accessible birds to keep him out of as much water as possible:


But we'd lose a lot of game without his help:


None of that's intended to downplay the value of acclimation, just to point out that you can enjoy a house dog and hunt it, too, if you use your head - just as you should when hunting a 24/7 outside dog in extreme conditions.