Gundog Training Forum

I seem to have had a bad start to this years picking up with injuries.
I think we have got away with it in the past few years, but this year

How do you all cope with it?

Every week one dog or another picks up an injury.

1st dog.Nasty rip from some discarded barbed wire,(Farmers) out of action for 2 weeks.
2nd dog.Yesterday, Black thorn in front pad, cut on front leg, ripped back toenail.
3rd dog.(pup 1st season) numerous cuts and scratches. And I don't want to work her too much yet.

They are looking battered!
We are only in November....

I might be putting my feet up in December

Dave.

They bounce back fast. They have a whole off season to recover

As SP says, if it doesn't bother the dog I treat it and keep on hunting. Nicks, tears, minor cuts and scratches are par for the course for me, especially with the amount of barbed wire I have to live with. A damaged nail is a bit of a bummer, though. The season's too short to pack in early especially when you've three dogs to spread the work between, you lucky begger The last few seasons I've managed with one!

Naj

Got the old girl injured today. Gash on the inside of her stifle. Clean cut and got her picked up and taken home within half an hour. Stitches not needed but a few weeks off.

westcountry wrote:Got the old girl injured today. Gash on the inside of her stifle. Clean cut and got her picked up and taken home within half an hour. Stitches not needed but a few weeks off.

Nah. The dogs are tougher than you think. They will prefer to be out there. Summer is time to rest. Enjoy the season.

It makes me wonder, how many injuries are caused by barbed wire.
I think my dogs are good at jumping, but I will if I can get them through a fence rather than over it, the problem is the return with a bird?
Farmers around here are starting to put a strand of barbed wire not only on the top but on the bottom of fences, which does restrict putting the dog under a fence.
Then there is the discarded wire or the old fence they cannot be bothered removing before putting up a new one!!

Ramble over,
Have a good day,
Dave.

I'm surrounded by barbed wire stock fences so I initially train my dogs not to jump wire unless I'm beside them. If it's a 6 strand stock fence I'll separate two wires low down for them to slip through on command. With experience they learn to slip through older fences where the wires start to widen half way up, or through gaps under the bottom wires where the ground dips. Around the farm where we walk everyday they have their own safe routes through familiar fences and will run considerable distances to one of their safe spots. But on new fences I always stop them at the wire and they know to wait for my assistance. It's just routine now. On shire wire topped with barbed strands I always stop them and part the wires so they hop between the shire wire and the next strand of barbed wire. I never take chances with barbed wire but even so they pick up the odd nicks and tears but they quickly heal with a bit of attention and I've never had one that has stopped them from hunting. Touch wood!

Naj

Springfield Pointers wrote:

westcountry wrote:Got the old girl injured today. Gash on the inside of her stifle. Clean cut and got her picked up and taken home within half an hour. Stitches not needed but a few weeks off.

Nah. The dogs are tougher than you think. They will prefer to be out there. Summer is time to rest. Enjoy the season.

I understand what your saying Springfield but she is a Springer and gets stuck into heavy briars at a great speed. It wont heal if she does this and will get it filled with muck. She wont be long before she can go again and afterall this could well be her last season.

You'll have to make the call, I'm just conveying my view. If it's an inhibitive injury, (like I said in another thread) pull the dog for recovery. But these dogs are tougher than we give them credit for. The wound is not in front if me, and I know not the dog - you need to make that call.

Naj wrote:I'm surrounded by barbed wire stock fences so I initially train my dogs not to jump wire unless I'm beside them. If it's a 6 strand stock fence I'll separate two wires low down for them to slip through on command. With experience they learn to slip through older fences where the wires start to widen half way up, or through gaps under the bottom wires where the ground dips. Around the farm where we walk everyday they have their own safe routes through familiar fences and will run considerable distances to one of their safe spots. But on new fences I always stop them at the wire and they know to wait for my assistance. It's just routine now. On shire wire topped with barbed strands I always stop them and part the wires so they hop between the shire wire and the next strand of barbed wire. I never take chances with barbed wire but even so they pick up the odd nicks and tears but they quickly heal with a bit of attention and I've never had one that has stopped them from hunting. Touch wood!

Naj

I sometimes close my eyes and hold my breath at the speed some dogs run through fences. One day, I swear, I'll find a pair of testicles swinging on a fence.

My dogs all have chest scars from running through fences.