Getting the most out of your hunting dog

Written by: Luke Care - Keeping a dog in top condition can be demanding and expensive, but there are a few things you can do to make sure your money is going directly into dog performance. Food, housing and health all play a large role   

Condition

It is clear that there is much more research in NZ on working dog condition and performance than there is for hunting dogs – be that waterfowling dogs, indicating dogs or pig dogs. Unfortunately the research is least applicable to larger retriever breeds with more muscle mass and greater insulation requirements for cold water work, and a much more seasonal workload, but I would argue that with said large muscle mass it is easier to see when the dog isn’t receiving the right amount of nutrition. Given their duties, a substantial degree of muscle and fat is usually desired and so their issue is probably more commonly over-feeding, especially out of season.

Proper nutrition is important. Like humans, if a dog is too lean or too fat, they won’t be able to work at their full potential. Finding out exactly where those points are has been the result of a lot of study, but primarily focused on overweight ‘pet’ dogs historically, rather than working dogs.

What is underweight?

As many working dog owners know, public perception of malnourishment of a dog is a long way from the truth. An issue seen by interviewees with the research dogs at Massey University along with farmers, pig hunters and even the Police and armed forces. Having visible ribs is cited by many as evidence of malnourishment, but on its own that is a very poor indicator of a dog’s health. Most fit short-haired dogs have clearly visible ribs.

Dogs that are exercised regularly don’t maintain high fat levels, after a certain point it is even detrimental, especially for endurance dogs working for longer duration than the likes of our retrievers. How many top level athletes keep a high fat percentage? Very few. It’s usually a difference in muscle mass between disciplines that set athletes apart, i.e a 110kg rugby player vs a 65kg marathon runner. One will likely have more fat than the other, but the biggest difference is in muscle mass, similar to a light Spaniel vs a heavy Chessie. Both performance athletes will likely have a lower fat percentage than the general populace too. Just like working dogs vs pets.

This translates to less of a buffer - with small fat reserves dogs will quickly consume the energy stored in their fat if they aren’t fed the right food, reducing their strength and stamina for further hunting. This is especially relevant for our retrievers – you can watch them burn fat before your eyes on a busy weekend hunting down birds in big water.

So, what is the right food?

Vets have done all of this work for you. In an ideal world you could feed your dog the high-end complete diet solutions every day, all year. I won’t name names, but we can all think of some premium kibble dog foods and they’re usually over $200 a bag now. Being a dog food seller you want to take this with a grain of salt, but Purina recommend 28 to 30 per cent protein and from 18 to 20 per cent fat to sustain high-energy demand sporting dogs and the expensive stuff does work. Our pig dogs are fed a mostly raw food diet, but if any of them need a top up or recovery, I go straight for premium kibble.

Dogs are incredibly efficient with their energy demands, but you want to be maximising not only your spend on their food, but what you and they get from it.

Complaints about price aside, there truly are some cheap and nasty food solutions out there. Fed once a day on cheap bulky food some dogs can’t physically consume enough to meet their energy demands during the season, and you can’t expect the most from your hunting partner if they’re malnourished.

When it comes to raw food there are a range of recommendations about cooking and freezing durations, the QR code below is a good start. I include a lot of raw food in my dog’s diet as it is economical given my involvement in farming and hunting, but a word of advice – never feed cooked bones to dogs. They are brittle and sharp and you run a serious risk of gut perforations. I don’t even feed my dogs raw venison bones after one of ours died of septic shock from an intestinal perforation. It’s simply not worth the risk in my book. Put that leftover roast mutton in the rubbish bin. I don’t feed any of the big bones with mutton or venison (venison alone is a very lean meat for dog diet anyway), but do use brisket as the cartilage is soft. Beef bones are chunkier and aren’t prone to creating shards, and of course dogs love a big ‘dinosaur’ bone!

If you’re worried about it or don’t have access to raw meat products like dog roll or Mighty Mix frozen concentrate are an easy solution.

A fairly typical mixed-diet option during duck session in our household. Premium kibble with a beef bone. Murphy approves.

I spoke to Teresa Borrell of Stormbay Kennels about it too – ‘I totally agree with the raw food aspect as well. Also agree that if you feed kibble, feed a top quality one, the cheaper kibbles are poor quality and have a lot of unnecessary carbs and fillers in them. Some hard-working dogs may not get enough from kibble alone because the volume of kibble needed to fuel them is greater than their ability to “rest and digest” it overnight. In this case it’s better to top them up with raw fatty meats such as mutton or fatty beef brisket bones. Feeding extra fat, even a little, will go a long way in helping them out energy wise. This is where Mighty Mix frozen concentrate is a good option because of it’s high fat content.

I feed 50 per cent good quality kibble and 50 per cent raw fatty meats, brisket bones or Mighty Mix frozen concentrate once a day in the evening, after exercise and let them rest and digest this overnight.’

You’ve got to remember that dogs are carnivores, and what seems like an obscene amount of fat to an omnivorous human is just the right fuel for a hard working dog.  

Not what but when

The most value for money is probably found not in what should you feed your dog but when.

If you’re anything like me, the dogs do less work over summer, and in the heat they want to be fit and lean so they don’t overheat. This means you can adjust your feed seasonally. The dogs will need the same components: protein, fats, carbohydrates and minerals, but in lesser quantities and you may be able to utilise cheaper products for a part of the meal and retain the same body condition given they use less energy for warmth and exercise.

This is a subtle long term seasonal procedure though, not month-on month-off. It is important to ramp up your feed and training at least eight weeks prior to the season, not all-of-a-sudden add 50 per cent to their portion sizes and exercise duties and expect them to work at maximum effort. Diet must be increased gradually and in conjunction with training and exercise. But just as importantly, you should have a decreasing scale of both exercise and feed at the end of the season.

Nearer the season I increase the fat component for retrievers to increase their insulation and energy reserve, more so than for any other dog. This must be done carefully though, too much fat and they are inhibited. We’ve all been a few kilos too heavy in our lives, it's much worse for a dog. Being overweight will limit their life span, not to mention effectiveness, through a range of conditions - joint health being top of the list.

On a daily basis most research supports once-a-day feeding. Eating creates an insulin spike that inhibits the body's ability to use fat, so Purina recommends feeding “a minimum of 10 to 12 hours before exercise, such as the night before hunting. Feeding 6 hours or sooner before exercise contributes to reduced endurance and energy generation. If you feel you must feed in the morning, a small amount is best, followed by the rest of the daily ration at the end of the day”.

Teresa agrees - "Once a day feeding at night – rest and digest after their meal. Dogs should not be exercised after feeding as it increases the risk of bloat. Deep chested dogs with a full stomach, particularly of kibble (which expands with water) can partially or completely flip their stomach over, sealing it off. The food ferments and blows up inside them. This “bloat” process can be quick and is frequently fatal.

"Also, it is recommended that dogs are not fed directly after exercise either, instead are allowed to cool down and have their breathing rate return to normal before eating. So, I totally agree with you on the once a day feeding. Feeding in the morning is not necessary, and many do it for ‘us’ rather than the dog. The exception is puppies."

How much for my dog?

Now that you know what components your dog needs in its diet, it will be up to you to monitor just how much it needs. You will need to observe fat levels and muscle mass to ensure you’re hitting the sweet spot with its portion sizes. Most premium kibble options give you an indication based on live weight, but note that energy demands during the season will vary from day to day.

Without a proper body condition examination from a vet poor condition is most evident with wasted muscles along the backbone (the ‘backsteaks’) and over the hips and narrow shoulders. In my experience good conditioning shows first with prominent muscle development in the forelegs and shoulders, depending on the dog and breed of course.

Dogs struggling for condition tend to show it first in bony hips and a chalky/dusty looking coat, if you’re seeing this you’ve been behind the curve for a while.

Without a qualified vet involved (and best of all, a rural vet used to working dogs) only you will be able to track the changes over time through familiarity. In the shorter term the dog’s general willingness to work and demeanour can give you an indication of issues.

Other considerations

There are a few things you can do to make sure the energy your dog expends (i.e how much you need to feed it) is actually spent on hunting. A lot can be money down the drain without considering other demands on their body.

I could spend a day designing the best dog hotel, but there are some incredible commercial products available now featuring all the key things.

Kennels

Insulating kennels, removing drafts, and using coats at night all mean less calories spent on warmth. A fabric flap stapled over the door keeps heat in and cold out in winter, likewise removing it in summer allows a bit of ventilation. Raw iron kennels can be brutally hot in summer and cold in winter, a little plywood lining goes a long way and it’s not hard to put some expanding insulation in the gap, or simply buy a commercial solution - there are some fantastic kennels around now. Also the placement of the kennels is important, shade and shelter from the wind will save you money.

It can be quite simple to add a little insulation to older kennels. Vastly increasing the comfort and decreasing energy demands for your dog. here I've simply lined the base with expol.

Parasites

Managing parasites is very important too. Being up to date with worming means less drain on the metabolism and lice control means effective rest while not scratching fleas. On another note, up-to-date sheep measles de-worming is required for dogs hunting on sheep farms. If you’re door knocking it will help to be aware of this in advance and be a point in your favour that you’re clued up and proactive.

Sheep measles information

Bedding

Some dogs just don’t like beds and will tear them up, personally I use straw over winter as it’s cheap, effective and allows the dog to construct the bed how they like it. I’ll swap it out every month and put the old stuff in the garden beds. I even use it in the dog box, drying the dog immediately while travelling and allowing them to quickly warm back up. This came about more from my pig dogs, with less insulation than the Labrador, but it’s easy to see they all benefit from it.

Water

Water is easy. Give them access to lots, keep it clean by refreshing it regularly, and you can’t go wrong. They will require much more water on dry rations like biscuits/kibble, and in hot conditions. Stainless steel bowls are best, concrete is good, only use plastic if it is UV stable and your dogs aren’t chewers. The danger here isn’t just to the container, but the dog digesting broken bits of plastic.

A word of warning, be mindful of male dogs in adjacent runs urinating in to other dogs’ bowls. Also be mindful that some dogs like to paw at the water and will tip the bowl – it may not be that they’ve drunk it all, they’ve just tipped it out, either way they won’t have had adequate water, wire it to the edge.