who’s been writing about wingshooting, hunting dogs and the sporting life for more than three decades. He lives in Green Bay, Wis., and currently owns English setters but previously had pointers. Charles Ellithorpe, a veterinarian in Richmond, Maine, currently owns a Deutsch Drahthaar and has owned golden retrievers, a lab and a Gordon setter. With many years of experience treating and working with hunting dogs, Ellithorpe says the most important things you can do for older hunting dogs are keep them wellconditioned to maintain their stamina and flexibility, and keep their weight appropriate. “You cannot take them off the couch and hunt them late in life. They have to stay in shape,” he adds. Ellithorpe also recommends giving pain medications to older dogs before exercise and hunting: “Anticipate their pain and head it off. Start medicating a couple of days prior to weekend hunts and continue for a couple of days after.” “We want them to continue as long as possible, but ultimately it is our responsibility to them to know when to quit. If they suffer a lot after a hunt or take a long time to recover — days rather than hours — it’s time to accept their retirement,” Davis says. “When your satisfaction at allowing your best hunting buddy to do the thing that gives him more joy than anything else in the world is likely to be outweighed by your fear for his well-being, you should leave him in the truck — as hard as that will be on both of you,” he says.
Tips for Hunting with a Senior Dog Look beyond the graying muzzle and slowed gait, and you’ll find the heart and spirit of a passionate hunter — and one that wants to hunt. Here are other tips to keep your senior dog on the hunt:
» Pay more attention to temperature and hydration, not just while hunting, but at home. Older dogs may have more difficulty regulating their body temperature and may suffer from hyperthermia or hypothermia more quickly than a younger dog.
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Look for soreness, lameness or uncontrolled panting. Start the season with short hunts to see what your dog is still capable of doing.
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Evaluate nutrition options, ensuring the best protein-to-fat ratio for an active but older dog. Consider energy boosters like Kronch Pemmikan bars or Rehydrate water tablets. Never feed a dog right after exercising, drinking a lot of water or while overheated.
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Use a beeper collar, a training collar with a loud locate tone or a GPS tracker to help find your dog if he or she gets lost, disoriented or can’t hear you.
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Don’t ignore sloppy skills or too quickly forgive early training regressions. Basic commands like “come,” “whoa,” “leave it” and “stay” are important safety tools for any dog that wanders into the road, needs to take a break or may get in trouble pursuing game in terrain that is too difficult.
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Many older dogs have arthritis. With a vet’s advice, consider using joint support supplements such as glucosamine with chondroitin sulfate or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like Rimadyl.
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If your dog’s eyesight isn’t sharp, wear a bright white hat or shirt unless you’re in snow. (Don’t forget that dogs can’t see blaze orange.) If you call your dog but he or she has trouble orienting where the sound is coming from, flap your arms or move around. Dogs see motion better.
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If your dog is losing hearing, use a quieter bell (or running beeper) so your dog can still hear whistle or voice commands. Another option is to train him or her to respond to a vibration collar.
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Remember to move at a pace that matches your dog’s comfort level and working range without pushing beyond his or her abilities. — Nancy Anisfield
Grizzled jowls and a slower gait are no match for the iron will at the heart of a great dog. Partridge will be found; ducks will be retrieved. Gun-dog-loving hunters know that finding just one more covey of quail or retrieving one more mallard can be as special for the senior dog as the first of each for a puppy. We need to be smarter than our dogs, but we need to listen to them, too. For all the years they worked for our guns and shared our adventures, we owe it to them to let them live the lives they were bred for as long as possible, start to finish.
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