Field Day Gleanings

214 – April, 2010

by Chris Robinson

The United States Navy and Marine Corps each have a tradition known as a “field day.” While the ex-sailors and marines in The Canine Chronicle’s readership know precisely what that means, for the rest of you, it doesn’t mean that Navy and Marine Corps personnel get to take the day off to play games in the field. Far from it. A “field day” is a day of hard work spent thoroughly cleaning the barracks or the ship.

I conducted a field day in my office a few days ago only, in this case, I was both the skipper and the swabbie. But along with several garbage bags of old stories, interview notes dating back to 1980, and several stacks of truly ancient press releases, were some useful bits and pieces I’d been saving. None was significant enough to warrant a story by itself but, blended together, they might actually constitute some practical advice and information for those of you who are rookies at field activities with your dogs.

There are a fair number of hazards in the field. Some are risks only in certain areas of the country while others are pretty much out there wherever you go. Most of these are “biohazards” but some, like barbed wire, are man-made and it is a “given” that if there’s anything in an area where a dog can get into trouble, they will manage to find it.

Poisonous Snakes – For most sections of North America where venomous snakes reside, this means rattlesnakes although in some parts of the country it can also mean copperheads, water moccasins, and coral snakes. If you either live in an area where these snakes reside or if you hunt, camp, or hike in these areas, it is wise to take the time to “snakeproof” your dogs. This training, which is called “aversion training”, could save your dog’s life and also save you thousands of dollars in vet bills.

More than 15,000 dogs are bitten by poisonous snakes every year. Dogs are curious and will investigate anything that is new to them or unusual. If it’s a poisonous snake, that often means that the bite will be on the face or head of the dog. Snakeproofing is designed to teach the dog to steer clear of the sight, sound, and smell of any snake.

For this type of training you’ll need some non-poisonous snakes because dogs can’t tell the difference between harmless and poisonous snakes. By using the harmless ones in training, both you and the dog will be safe. At least three varieties would be best so the dogs get the idea that all snakes should be avoided even if they don’t all smell quite the same.

You’ll also need an electronic collar and the recording of the buzz of a rattlesnake. Use a fairly high level of intensity on the collar as your goal is to teach the dog a lesson that could potentially save its life. Believe me, a jolt from an electronic collar is far less painful and way more humane than a bite from a poisonous snake!

First, teach the dog to avoid any snake he can see. Put a snake on open ground and let the dog approach it from the upwind side. This will make sure the dog sees the snake before he smells it. When the dog sees the snake and gets very close to it, hit the transmitter button to shock him. A quick pulse is usually enough to make the dog jump away immediately. Do this several times in different locations with different snakes. You want to make sure the dog associates the unpleasant but harmless sensation of the shock with seeing any snake. Once the dog refuses to approach the snake and deliberately avoids looking at it, he has the idea. Then it’s time to teach them to avoid a snake’s scent.

This is done by hiding the snake in a small area of cover. Bring the dog to the area downwind of the snake. You want the dog to get the snake’s smell before he sees it. If he goes to the area to investigate the smell, hit the transmitter button. Most dogs are quick learners and will associate the smell of the snake with the sight of one from your earlier training. If the dog begins retreating when he smells the snake or refuses to come closer, praise him. Try this several times with different snakes in different situations. If he shows any curiosity, shock him. If he consistently avoids the snake, praise him.

Finally, it’s time to teach him to avoid the sound of a snake. Using the recorded sound of a rattler, place a snake on the ground and start the recording. Let the dog see the snake and hear the sound. Since he is already conditioned to avoid the sight of the snake, he shouldn’t approach. The idea here is to get the dog to put the buzz together with the sight of the snake. If he should move toward the snake or the sound, hit the transmitter button. You may have to repeat this a few times before the dog makes the connection between snake and sound. Then, hide the recorder and start playing the rattlesnake’s buzz. If the dog investigates the sound, wait until he’s within about three feet of the recorder and then hit the transmitter button. You may have to repeat this lesson several times until the dog associates the sound of the buzz with the shock from the collar. You’ll know your dog is snakeproofed when he gives the training snakes a wide berth when he sees, smells or hears them.

Porcupines – For some reason, like skunks, dogs find porcupines irresistible. But, a “porky” has something in excess of 30,000 very sharp quills which they use to defend themselves against overly curious dogs. And the pain of even a single quill can be intense. If that sounds like the voice of experience, it’s because it is.

If the dog has a lot of quills, the only thing to do it get it to the veterinarian right away. It usually requires general anesthesia if the dog has been severely quilled. However, if it only has a few quills, you may be able to safely remove them yourself. The first thing to do is muzzle the dog. They’re in a lot of pain from the quills and they may bite anyone who touches them. Then, get a strong individual or two to help you hold the dog.

The first step is to pour plain white vinegar on the areas where your dog got stuck. Putting vinegar on the quills will help loosen them and also make them easier to remove completely. Then, take a scissors and shorten the quills. This deflates the quill which makes it easier to remove at the same time as it eliminates the risk of you also being stuck by the quills as they are sharp at both ends. Using needle-nosed pliers or anything that will hold the quill firmly, get a good grip on the quill as close to the dog’s skin as possible to avoid breaking the quill which will make it impossible to remove and pull it out. Be sure to check for quills in hidden areas. There may be some inside the dog’s mouth, ears or underneath its body. Make sure you check every part of the dog’s body. Then clean the wounds with an anti-bacterial soap and dry the dog.

Removing quills is not an easy task and if you do it the wrong way, the dog will suffer more. If you don’t think you are capable of doing the job because you are afraid of hurting the dog, let your vet do it.

Weeds – There are some weeds that produce unpleasant traps for dogs. One is a common type of grass called “foxtail” which is topped with a slender, spiky bristle and the other is burrs. In some parts of the country, there are also thistles and prickly pear cactus.

When foxtail bristles get caught in a dog’s coat, the barbed ends can pierce their skin working their way farther and farther into the dog as it moves. They’re often found between a dog’s toes but they can attach anywhere. While they obviously hurt the dog, of more importance is that bacteria are often carried into the wound with the spike and into the body as far as the spikes can burrow. The resulting infections can be both serious and costly. So, be sure to check your dog thoroughly during foxtail season and keep their coats short. Be sure to check them carefully and if you find even the smallest sliver, remove it to prevent it from moving deeper into the coat. If you can’t remove it, take the dog to your vet. Don’t count on it to come out on its own. The longer you wait, the deeper it can go.

In areas infested with sandburrs, thistles or prickly pear, your best option is prevention. This means dog boots. It usually takes most dogs some time to get used to the feeling of wearing boots and it may take a few days before they begin to walk normally in the boots. So, be sure to give them enough time and also make sure that the dog associates the boots with doing something they like to do.

However, despite your best efforts, it may not be possible to keep a dog totally safe from these prickly hazards so it’s important to learn proper burr removal. The first thing to do is carry a pair of leather gloves in either your vehicle or in your first-aid box. Burrs and cactus spines easily penetrate human skin and they hurt. A lot. If the dog is calm, tweezers are very effective for removing burrs. Grasp the burr with the tweezers and slowly pull them out of the dog’s feet or coat. Make sure you do not leave any spines behind as these can work their way into the skin or foot pad of the dog and this can cause abscesses. If there are only single spines remaining when you remove most of the burr, each one has to be removed with the tweezers. If the dog develops an infection or an abscess, take the dog to the vet for some professional help.

Weed seeds in a dog’s eyes can also be miserable for the dog. The easiest way to rid the dog of these nuisances is to flush their eyes with a sterile saline solution of the type used for contact lenses. There is a preservative-free brand called Unisol which comes in four ounce bottles which is my personal choice because the bottles take up less space in my first-aid kit.

Alligators – If the water you want to use is also home to an alligator, find a different pond. Don’t walk your dog or work it close to water in gator country. Hunting is a different story. A friend of mine who hunted waterfowl in Louisiana had what he considered to be the only sensible solution. In the shell loops on the left chest of his hunting coat, he carried three 12 gauge shotgun slugs. While most alligators are pretty dormant during the late fall and winter when waterfowl season is open, if a gator happened to appear where he was hunting, he did not hesitate to use them. He also carried a .357 magnum pistol in his shell box. His philosophy was “Damn the consequences. I’m going to protect my dog and the people I’m hunting with.” I also know sporting dog trainers who live in gator country who never do water work with their dogs without first making sure they have firearms and ammunition powerful enough to stop a gator in its tracks with them and who religiously monitor their training ponds for any sign of these large reptiles. Many professional trainers, during the season when gators are most active, simply move their operations to northern tier states away from the danger.

Field First-aid Kits – If you spend any amount of time in the field, it is important to have a first-aid kid both for you and the dogs. You can buy already prepared canine first-aid kits but, for some reason, these always seem to lack the one item you desperately need when something happens. So, based on years of experience, here’s what I put in my field first-aid kit which is a large plastic storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

Must Have Field First-Aid Kit:

• A dozen or more 4 x 4 gauze pads and an equal number of

non-stick pads

• Several rolls of Vetrap (or any other non-stick elastic bandage)

• Antibiotic ointment

• Eye ointment and a bottle of preservative-free saline solution

(the kind you use for contact lenses)

• Tweezers

• Scissors

(one pair of straight scissors and one pair of bandage scissors)

• Small and a larger hemostat

• Needle-nose pliers

• Adhesive tape

• Cotton balls and cotton roll

• Digital thermometer and sleeves

• Latex or plastic gloves

• Piece of cotton rope to use as a muzzle

• 2 boxes of Odormute (for skunkings)

• Something that can be used as a tourniquet

• Styptic powder

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Petroleum jelly

• Syringe (50 cc)

• Kaopectate

• Ice packs (the ones used to treat sports injuries)

• 6 wash cloths and two bath towels

• Benadryl (in my part of the country for bee stings but also can

be used for snakebites until you get the dog to the vet.)

• Pair of leather gloves

• Spare leash (loop lead works best)

• Box of Band-aids (for me)

• Full roll of toilet paper (if you need to ask why, believe me, at

some point, you’ll understand and you’ll thank me for telling

you to include it.)

Despite the dangers that lurk in the field, they should not stop you and your dog from giving the dog the opportunity to do what they’ve been bred to do and for the two of you to have the kind of fun together that you can only have when the dog is doing the job it was intended to do. It just means you shouldn’t go into the field unprepared. Semper Paratus may be the motto of the United States Coast Guard but it should also be the mantra of every dog person headed into the field with their dogs.

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Posted by admin on May 19 2010. Filed under Health & Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.