# Too Cold for Retriever?



## cfuller6 (Jan 6, 2015)

We are headed west to Arkansas to hunt  rice fields in the morning on a 4 day trip. I was planning on bringing my yellow female labrador, June, but the projected temps have me second guessing. It will be 12 degrees the first morning, and the highest temp over the four day span is 34. What so you guys think? Will she be okay? She's almost 2 years old and weighs 68 lbs. I have hunted her with temps in the 20's this year, but we did not have ice. I'm sure we will battle ice the duration of the trip, but it shouldn't be deep water in the fields... Bring or not bring? Was really hoping to get her 3 solid days of work , she loves it more than me.


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## WhiteStoneGuy (Jan 6, 2015)

You are going to get various responses on this. The breed can handle those temps and I'm sure some can share stories of colder situations when their lab was used, but to me it depends on what your lab can handle individually. Is she an inside dog or outside? If inside, she may not be able to take it. Hopefully Joe Overby, Krazybronco and other guys will chime in who can better answer you. 

Quick note, if you do decide to take her, make sure she has a dry place to sit between retrieves and one quick way to check for hypothermia is through the gums. Right now if you press on your dog's gums next to the teeth, the reddish coloration will turn white as you push the blood away from that area of the gums by pressing firmly. When you lift your finger, relieving pressure, the blood will immediately circulate back to that area of the gums and turn back to red again within 1-2 seconds. If a dog is getting hypothermia, in addition to non-stop uncontrollable shaking, the gums will look bluish and when you press on them the blood will not circulate back.


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## cfuller6 (Jan 6, 2015)

She stays outside 95% of the time, I let her in only to sleep when its frigid( below freezing).


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## ghadarits (Jan 6, 2015)

That's a great question and I've wondered that myself. My dog is an inside dog but she doesn't hesitate to retrieve even in temps in the teens. She will shiver after getting out of the water but will go right back in again if I send her. She'll also shiver even when she hasn't been in the water with temps in the 30's and 40's after we've been out for a while. I do have a vest for her and she wears it.


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

The dog needs to be acclimated to the cold. Years ago a buddy had a male lab that had qualified for the NAFC trial in Bend Oregon. His dog was not acclimated to the very cold mountain water run off and did not do well. Very cold water takes its toll on retreivers of all breeds. Unless you have conditioned your dog to extreme cold weather and water I would not put my dog into those conditions. Now some folks will say I am crazy but I would not do it.


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## krazybronco2 (Jan 6, 2015)

i agree white stone you will get different answers from different people i hunted my dog is AR but it never got below 30 degrees the whole time and she had a vest most of the time. I also carry a towel just like a shamwow in my blind bag so i can dry any exposed parts of the dog (anything not cover by the vest) and it helps alot also if i am in a spot that i can get the dog moving and stay dry i will get her moving when it gets slow just a min is all that is needed to get some blood flowing again and she warms up.

but keeping the dog dry is the best way. i was just in kansas last week when it never got over 25degrees we never got a shot at a bird and she was perfectly fine but she also never got wet. 

and i agree with killer the dog needs to be used to the colder water. i try and train in every condition i can all year long so when a situation arises we are used to them. like snow we dont get alot of snow here in GA but when it does snow i train in it so if i go somewhere like we did in kansas and there is snow on the ground we are used to it.

 also i take precausions in the winter when i am training on a water setup one i try and keep the swims short but the marks the same length as normal so the dog does get wet but they can get up on land and run for a little bit to warm up. also soon as i am done training and before i put the dog up i dry her down as best as i can and get her back in the box as quickly as i can so she can start to warm it back up. and again i train all year long so as the climate around us changes she slowly gets used to it and when it is late january and the coldest time of the year she is not nearly as cold and still ready to work


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## locknut (Jan 6, 2015)

She should be fine.  Labs were bred for this!  I haven't had a dog in years, but the last one I had hunted in 6 degrees on the only open water we could find on Oconee.  When he finished his retrieves, as soon as he hit the bank, his coat immediately turned to ice.  He "jingled" when he walked.  No problems at all, and this was before dogs wore neoprene coats!  Just make sure that you have her on a food with at least 20% fat.  Fat is where the energy comes from, which also produces heat.


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## jmtaylor189 (Jan 6, 2015)

Get a vest for her. My brothers 50-60 pound lab does just fine with ice on the water and the vest on


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

jmtaylor189 said:


> Get a vest for her. My brothers 50-60 pound lab does just fine with ice on the water and the vest on


Yea and he is up north.


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## GSURugger (Jan 6, 2015)

My 13 month old did just fine in the ice this morning. She should be fine.


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## cfuller6 (Jan 6, 2015)

still undecided... Updated forecast shows temps not getting above freezing for the whole 4 day stretch. We may be limited to hunting an irrigation reservoir for most of the trip. Not sure I want Her going on ice retrieves in 10 plus foot of water . I'm sure if I leave her I'll regret it but I don't wanna bring her all that way to just leave her kenneled up


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## krazybronco2 (Jan 6, 2015)

cfuller6 said:


> still undecided... Updated forecast shows temps not getting above freezing for the whole 4 day stretch. We may be limited to hunting an irrigation reservoir for most of the trip. Not sure I want Her going on ice retrieves in 10 plus foot of water . I'm sure if I leave her I'll regret it but I don't wanna bring her all that way to just leave her kenneled up



mine is used to being kenneled so i kinda take the dog anytime i hunt cause if i don't want to hunt her she can stay in the kennel. but i am one of those "mean" owners that doesn't let my dog run around in the backyard.


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

would you swim in that cold water?


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## hillbilly waterfowler (Jan 6, 2015)

*Hunt That Dog*

I have a 9 year old Black Lab that is an inside dog and he has hunted sub freezing temps since he was 9 months old.  Like the post above stated, as soon as he comes out of the water it freezes on his top coat.  His vest has even froze on the side panels.  I do however highly recommend a neoprene vest for your dog.  You will be amazed how much heat it will help the dog retain in its core.  First subfreezing retrieve I sent him on worried me when he got out of the water and it started freezing on his fur.  I reached under his vest and he was still toasty.  HUNT THAT DOG!!!!


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## jmtaylor189 (Jan 6, 2015)

You still have to do what you feel comfortable for your dog. If it eases your mind not taking her don't and don't regret it.


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

I will say this again I have had the dogs teeth rattle. Ice  frozen on my dog but I also made sure my dog was ready for the cold. If you have an inside dog and you go out when it is zero and you think thats ok . I never said  dont take your dog hunting. What i said was make sure your dog has been exposed to the cold. That means train in the cold. The dog sleeps outside kenneled not running the yard. Get a vest, and make sure the dog wears it. As i have said cold weather and cold water takes a toll on a dog.  The big thing is make sure your dog is acclimated to the cold. That means he is an out side dog and is exposed not your lap dog.


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## meandmydog (Jan 6, 2015)

Outdoor dogs thrive better for sure. There coat gets thicker to help insulate their bodies. Taking a house dog out in that frigid temps is very rough on a dog.


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

This^^^^


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## Boudreaux (Jan 6, 2015)

If she's not used to the cold water, she could end up with limber tail for a week or so.  Painful for the dog.

But most labs should be able to handle that weather, especially in the shallow water of flooded ag fields and being able to get out of the water between retrieves.


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## king killer delete (Jan 6, 2015)

This ^^^ but long swims in deep water with extreme cold will exhaust a dog quick.


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## vrooom (Jan 6, 2015)

It won't matter. She won't be swimming in it, she will be skating across it this week.


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## cfuller6 (Jan 6, 2015)

Well the dog box is loaded up and the neoprene vest in the truck . She's an outside dog and has been in mid 20's for several hunts this year, teeth chattering , ice on her head, yet ready and steady. I'll keep a close watch on her and share some photos.


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## king killer delete (Jan 7, 2015)

vrooom said:


> It won't matter. She won't be swimming in it, she will be skating across it this week.



Yep


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## king killer delete (Jan 7, 2015)

cfuller6 said:


> Well the dog box is loaded up and the neoprene vest in the truck . She's an outside dog and has been in mid 20's for several hunts this year, teeth chattering , ice on her head, yet ready and steady. I'll keep a close watch on her and share some photos.


good luck and be safe.


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## MudDucker (Jan 7, 2015)

I've had my prior labs hanging down parts freeze to the bottom of the boat once.  Other than whining until I poured some coffee to break the ice, he never missed a lick.  I have also seen inside dogs suffer.  Just watch your dog and if it gets lethargic, stop using it and warm it up.


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## Boudreaux (Jan 7, 2015)

MudDucker said:


> I've had my prior labs hanging down parts freeze to the bottom of the boat once.  Other than whining until I poured some coffee to break the ice, he never missed a lick.  I have also seen inside dogs suffer.  Just watch your dog and if it gets lethargic, stop using it and warm it up.





Must be where Dewey gets his insane drive to retrieve no matter what the conditions.


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## WTRFOWLSBEII (Jan 7, 2015)

Should a bought a Chesapeake... I'm totally kidding... but seriously.. But like others have said, if you have a good fitting vest for her and can keep her out of the water between retrievers she ought to be okay. Also like Bronco said, bringing a towel to dry the exposed parts of her coat is good idea as well. As always, just stay vigilant on her conditions and behavior.


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## The Horned Toad (Jan 7, 2015)

I would say it all depends on what your dog is conditioned for. 

Mine is conditioned for the couch.


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## cfuller6 (Jan 12, 2015)

Well as expected we were frozen solid the entire trip on the rice. I did get her out there for some mid afternoon hunts( we did not hunt rice in the mornings)I have attached some photos, it was a good experience for her and i'm glad she came along.


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## king killer delete (Jan 12, 2015)

Nice picks. I don't think he swam allot


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## waistdeep (Jan 12, 2015)

Get a chesapeake, they eat ice for a snack!


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## Silvereyes (Jan 12, 2015)

Great photos! She looks like she had a blast.


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