We’ve had our share of hot days, and more are apparently on the horizon. And we haven’t even touched “the waiting room to Hades” that is the month of August. Honestly, I don’t know how people in Texas survive being that close to the sun.
And yet, dog training still needs to be done in the off-season — hunting season is fast approaching, after all. It will take adjustments to our routine, however — as well as our expectations — in order to realize positive steps in our dog’s development. We might also need to get a little creative.
Water. The go-to training environment for hot weather is, of course, water. But that doesn’t automatically make everything all right. Not all water is created equal; same with the water environment.
Beware of the deadly blue-green algae blooms in ponds. If you approach a body of water and a swampy sludge covers the surface, do not let the dog plunge in. It doesn’t take much of this nastiness to be gulped by a thirsty dog — or swallowed while swimming — to deliver a potentially fatal blow to our pal. If you wouldn’t swim there, your dog shouldn’t either.
Take notice of the postings on public beaches before turning the dog loose. Typically, even on those stretches that allow pets, they still need to be leashed. Let’s respect our fellow beachgoers so that there are still areas accessible to pets.
Once you’ve found suitable water to either cool off in or complete actual water training, scout the area. Look for any discarded trash, machinery, sharp stumps or submerged deadfalls, or other debris both on shore and under the surface where the dog jumps in.
Finally, keep in mind that the tepid water at this time of year in small ponds and lakes isn’t all that much cooler than the air. Dogs can still overdo it and experience heat stress while working in the water. Continue to bring and supply fresh water from home for the dog to drink.
Timing. Seek shelter during the heat of the day. Save the strenuous, meat-and-potatoes running and bird work for the early morning or evening. There will likely be more bugs in the evening, and you’ll get the benefit of dew in the morning, so set the alarm early — same as you would for a day of hunting — and get the dog work in before 9 a.m.
Likewise, if you do work during hot stretches, limit exposure to around 10-15 minutes tops. Perform simple obedience lessons — particularly whistle training — in the shade. If you find yourself commenting that your dog’s panting tongue looks like the size of his leg, he’s too far in distress. Stop all activities, find someplace cool, and call it a day.
(Note: Talk to your vet or research online to learn all the symptoms of heat stress, and commit the signs and treatment to memory. The best medicine is not to let it get to that point in the first place.)
For the duck dog, get the boat out and, in addition to discovering if the motor still works, acclimate to dog to the boat and gear he’ll need to be stepping around, how to jump off for a fetch and climb back in using a ladder or some other assistance. This is especially important if you hunt out of or travel in a canoe — better to tip now than in October.
Indoors. I know it feels pretty darn good to stay indoors in the AC and binge a favorite show while our dog lounges with us. Hey, we’re bonding, right! That has to count for something!
And, yes, it does, but there’s more we can do indoors if we get creative.
Training indoors is all about mental stimulation, which is known to be helpful in lowering a dog’s chances of developing canine cognitive dysfunction, especially for senior dogs. Since they can’t do Sudoku puzzles – yet another drawback to the whole “no opposable thumbs” thing – it’s up to us to provide them with mental challenges.
There are many dog toys on the market that will develop the dog’s ability to problem-solve, all generally revolving around a food reward. Use food rewards — or a favorite toy — to put their sniffer to use in playing seek-and-find games. Hide food rewards in different rooms, develop commands to engage the play behavior, and work those brain cells.
Simple obedience commands can — and should — also be worked on indoors when the outside temps reach “you’ve got to be kidding me” levels.
Out and About. Scouting: Although the habitat won’t look the same in a few months, bust out the map or favorite app and pal around with the dog in the AC looking for new spots. This also allows a dog, especially a youngster, to get used to loading in and out of the vehicle. It goes without saying but I will anyway to never leave a dog alone in the car during summer. I don’t care if the AC is still on. Just don’t do it. Ever.
Getting to Know You: Use the time to socialize your dog to other dogs and people he might be hunting with this fall. In other words, let them get the sniffs and hackles out of their systems now instead of at the boat launch parking lot in the dark on a perfect duck morning.
The Simple Walk: Don’t discount the benefits — physical and mental — of the simple “walk.” You can drive to a neighborhood and do a several block leash-walk, or find a shaded hiking trail. Dogs experience the world through the nose the way we do through our eyes, and the mental stimulation comes from his kicking his schnoz into overdrive sniffing, as a vet told me once, all the “pee mail” around the neighborhood. Obviously, obedience commands are ideal to work on, but if your dog is a retriever, bring along a bumper and work on the fetch-hold-give routine as well.
It’s hard not to take a few steps back in our dog’s training during this time of year, but by managing our routine and getting creative, we can put our hunting buddy in a better position to get back in the groove when things improve.