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When Wolf, my late-great springer, was on the prowl, he didn’t need no winter jacket or booties. Wolf, a squat, stocky springer with a heavy coat, never shied from any water, any time of year. To wit, his first retrieve came at six months on a duck: he broke ice with his paws to get to it!
My new springer, Hunter, on the other hand, has a light coat and is much larger, therefore loses more heat. The only time he’s shied on a retrieve was late last November on a cold day in high winds and in very cold water. He got that first long retrieve as the duck blew away, but he wouldn’t go long after that. Ashore, ice formed on his back (see photo). So, I caved and got him a doggie coat this off-season. I’m habituating him to it now, and he seems okay with it during training. We’ll see if it gets him to do those arctic retrieves this fall.
Booties? I’ve never used them. I’ve always roaded my dogs using a bicycle on pavement. Keeps their paws tough. Sure, my dogs have suffered the odd small paw laceration, but very seldom. They could have used booties in fields with those damnable goat heads, but they usually run around them after I pick them off. What’s you’re take on doggie coats and boots?
The Nomad is written by Mark Herwig, Editor of the Pheasants Forever Journal.
Doggie jackets and booties – Useful? Waste of Money? Humiliating?
[caption id="attachment_4680" align="alignleft" width="166" caption="A frosty Hunter sulks after a cold hunt in North Dakota. After a few long water retrieves, he would only do short ones in the frigid waters. I've since got him a vest."][/caption]
When Wolf, my late-great springer, was on the prowl, he didn’t need no winter jacket or booties. Wolf, a squat, stocky springer with a heavy coat, never shied from any water, any time of year. To wit, his first retrieve came at six months on a duck: he broke ice with his paws to get to it!
My new springer, Hunter, on the other hand, has a light coat and is much larger, therefore loses more heat. The only time he’s shied on a retrieve was late last November on a cold day in high winds and in very cold water. He got that first long retrieve as the duck blew away, but he wouldn’t go long after that. Ashore, ice formed on his back (see photo). So, I caved and got him a doggie coat this off-season. I’m habituating him to it now, and he seems okay with it during training. We’ll see if it gets him to do those arctic retrieves this fall.
Booties? I’ve never used them. I’ve always roaded my dogs using a bicycle on pavement. Keeps their paws tough. Sure, my dogs have suffered the odd small paw laceration, but very seldom. They could have used booties in fields with those damnable goat heads, but they usually run around them after I pick them off. What’s you’re take on doggie coats and boots?
The Nomad is written by Mark Herwig, Editor of the Pheasants Forever Journal. Tags: cold weather hunting, dog booties, dog vests
5 Responses to “Doggie jackets and booties – Useful? Waste of Money? Humiliating?”
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I have never found a need for a jacket of any type. I have seen vests for females that are still feeding puppies, but only for protection. I am in central MN, and have dogs that tolerate the cold. I have not found boots useful either. I do have one GSP that is a bit of a wimp on real cold ground (below zero) – shifting feet. Two other GSP’s I have, plus another wirehair have no issues with the cold. I opt for no boots as they are too problematic. When it’s that cold, though, I am unlikely to be out hunting – just some short training. Now I have heard that boots can be quite useful in the mountains (sharp rocks) and desert (cactus/stickers) settings. I am hoping to find out next season.
I’ve used boots for medical reason (keep them from scratching at something). Thinking back to where I used to live, I could see using them in -30 weather. Poor dog trying to pee without letting his feet stay on the ground too long.
Jackets, I swore I would never use one, but now I’ve got an old guy who absolutely hates the rain, so he has a waterproof jacket. Well it’s more like a horse blanket. Also our Brittany has a hunters orange skid plate that he wears in tough brush.
Have used only skid vests on the lab. Do use booties along the South Platte and for hunting pheasants. The booties keep the sand from between her toes and have helped in poison ivy patches. The booties allow me to hunt Pheasant around pivot corn patches whose edges are often covered in goats head. I have found a heavier kevlar bootie available online to be effective.
I use a skip plate in warm weather and an insulated vest when the temp gets below 10 degrees. We hunt hard enough that with out the skip plate all the hair would be gone from my springers chest. Why not protect your best friend?
Never used boots in wisconsin. Skid plate on my male GSP years ago. My 2 yo Female GSP doesnt use one and seems to be doing just great.