Gundog fitness: Preventing injuries this shooting season, including heat stress
When considering whether our gundogs are ready for the shooting season, it’s easy to cast our minds to all the training, spending the last few weeks brushing up on our stop whistle and steadiness.
But we also need to consider our gundogs’ fitness, their ability to cope with warmer early season temperatures they may be working in, and our shoot day routines if we are to reduce the risk of injury and heat related illness while keeping our dogs healthy for a lifetime of beating and picking up.
There are plenty of discussions about how to get a gundog “fit” for the working season ahead. Suggestions include turning the daily walk into a daily jog, putting out lots of long memory retrieves, or encouraging lengthy swimming sessions.
These extreme, high-impact, and intensive bursts of exercise might help our gundogs' strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness levels, but they don’t take into account the true nature of the sport.
Gundogs work intermittently throughout the day. Beating and picking up dogs will often go from a static behaviour and potentially lots of waiting around, to hunting and running at full throttle through challenging terrain featuring additional obstacles like ditches, log piles, brambles and jumps.
While we need them to be able to work for long durations safely without worrying about them collapsing, too often, gundog fitness focuses solely on this without considering whether our gundogs’ bodies are prepared and fully warmed up for the intense activity.
In this gundog fitness blog, we look at how our gundogs move, why they sustain injuries, how factors such as fatigue and heat stress affect their performance, and what we can do to protect their long term health throughout the shooting season and prolong their working careers.
Understanding how our gundogs move
Before we look at fitness and preventing injuries, we need to have a basic understanding of how our gundogs move.
A gundog's movement is based on the interaction between its muscle and skeletal systems. Simultaneously, sensory receptors are constantly adapting to environmental feedback to ensure that balance and stability of movement are maintained, no matter what obstacles or forces there are.
Imagine that while running across a field to retrieve a dummy, the surface beneath our gundog switches from a harder, drier soil to a wetter, boggier surface.
This changes the forces sustained through the limbs. The sensory receptors in the body have to report this information back to the brain to ensure that the body alters the recruitment of different stiffening or bracing levels and adapts the dog’s movements to minimise the impact of these forces.
We also need to understand that when walking, our gundog’s body weight (irrespective of their breed) is unequally distributed, with more weight being distributed forward to the forelimbs 60:40, front to back.
These forces increase further when the dog moves faster in trot and gallop. When we also factor in that our gundogs are travelling over uneven ground, while carrying a dummy or game bird, we need to remember that this additional force has an additional burden on the body.
Movement is a learnt behaviour. It is developed in response to training and establishing connections between the muscles and the nervous system, allowing the correct muscles to be activated at the correct time in order and sequence at the correct speed.
One of the first things we can do to make sure our gundogs are fit enough for work and unlikely to sustain injury is to develop body awareness, coordination and proprioceptive skills early on while gradually establishing suitable conditioning protocols to influence and build confidence over the different types of terrain we wish gundogs to negotiate in the future.
The main reason gundogs get injured on a shoot day
Conformation, age, and overall fitness of an individual dog may predispose it to a higher risk of injury when out working, but one of the biggest problems that handlers face is that working dogs have a tendency to hide their physical and mental fatigue.
Just like when we are tired, mental fatigue can easily lead to poor decisions, while physical fatigue can cause the body to make careless or clumsy mistakes.
Being observant with your gundog when you are working or training them will help you notice if their performance is lagging and can predict and highlight that they might be more at risk of injury.
Some of the signs you might notice that would indicate your gundog is pushing its limit include excessive panting, an elevated heart rate, trembling muscles, a spade-shaped tongue, changes in gait (such as shortening of stride or a change of pace), self-regulating breaks by sitting or lying down more often, or when nearing the end of a day, and they may even start to appear stiff or stilted while moving.
Many of these are also some of the earliest indicators that a dog is struggling to cope with the environmental conditions, particularly warmer weather which is becoming more common even into October.
If your dog has reached their peak, you will need to ensure they are well rested to prevent further injuries related to muscle fatigue.
Heat stress and working gundogs
Heat stress is another important consideration when preparing our gundogs for the shooting season.
Although many people associate the season with cold mornings and wet weather, early shoot days in October can still be surprisingly warm, and therefore particularly dangerous when dogs are working hard for prolonged periods.
Many handlers are understandably cautious about exercising their dogs during the summer, yet those same dogs may then be expected to complete a full day beating or picking up in similar temperatures once the shooting season begins. Heat stress is therefore something we need to consider throughout the working season, not just during the summer months.
When it comes to preventing heat-related illness there are two key aspects. The first is learning to recognise the early signs that your individual dog is becoming too hot, and knowing when to stop before heat stress progresses. The second is helping your dog gradually acclimatise to exercising and working in warmer conditions.
Just as we wouldn’t expect a dog to cope with the physical demands of a full shoot day without gradually building its fitness, we shouldn’t expect it to cope with working in warmer temperatures if it has only ever exercised in the coolest parts of the day and has avoided training when temperatures go over 24 degrees.
Careful exposure to progressively warmer conditions, while closely monitoring your dog’s response, can improve their tolerance over time. This should always be done gradually and responsibly, with appropriate rest, hydration and opportunities to cool down.
Perhaps the most important skill is learning to read your own dog. There is no single temperature at which every dog is safe or unsafe to work. Breed, age, body condition, fitness, humidity, wind, sunshine, hydration and acclimatisation all influence how well an individual dog can cope.
Heat stress rarely occurs without warning. Dogs will often show subtle behavioural and physical changes before they become seriously unwell.
These may include heavier or more persistent panting than is normal for that dog, seeking shade, slowing down, choosing to rest more frequently, reduced enthusiasm, delayed responses to cues or a reluctance to continue working. If these signs are recognised early, giving the dog time to rest, cool down and recover can prevent the situation from progressing further.
Preventing heat illness is less about finding a universal temperature cut off and more about understanding your individual dog, preparing them for the conditions they are likely to encounter, and making sensible decisions on the day. If your dog is struggling, there should never be any hesitation in ending the session early. There will always be another training day or shoot, but your dog’s long term health must come first.
NB: For more information and educational resources from vets, researchers and other dog professions, please visit the Canine Heat Injury Prevention & Field Treatment Facebook Page. There is a wealth of information on there and it is an excellent source for expanding knowledge within this area. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid035j381DGSTBfjMysDgyw78wP6RFs788b3H9Fjprc5wu5hDixUvMD8sKwmVZ3YcYrdl&id=100092257509484
Why gundogs need plenty of rest
Due to the strenuous workload a gundog undertakes on a shoot day, it's vital that you provide adequate rest periods if your dog has been working intensively.
In human exercise, the idea is to do strengthening exercises for a particular group of muscles (i.e. legs), then leave approximately a 72-hour rest period to recover, before exercising this group of muscles again.
Working a dog on a shoot for the entire day, however, will have an overall effect on several muscle groups. Depending on the individual dog, the way they move and their role, one group of muscles may also have been worked in excess when compared to others, and some muscle fatigue will therefore probably occur.
When muscles are fatigued, the muscle fibres become inflamed from being overworked. They need time to recover and rebuild themselves before they can be productively stressed again. If inadequate rest is given, this can lead to muscular injuries and long term diminished performance.
If you notice long term performance variance, your gundog might actually be in pain, with some inflammation present. In gundogs this may be seen by a sudden lack of motivation to retrieve, knocking limbs on obstacles, change of jumping style or reluctance to jump, stiffness after a period of rest, dropping dummies, or just a change in their enthusiasm or focus.
Gundogs, particularly the high drive dogs who are eager to keep working, will start to off-load any areas of pain or discomfort. They will often start to compensate using other muscles which can change their overall movement pattern and start to create longer term effects to the tissues.
Planning down time, rest and periods of settling will also prevent our gundogs from becoming addicted to exercise, something which is often seen in human athletes as endorphins are released.
Hot weather may also increase the amount of recovery required following a day’s work. Even if a dog has not developed heat illness, regulating body temperature places additional physiological demands on the body, making adequate rest, hydration and recovery even more important.
How to minimise injury while working our gundogs
There are several things that can be done to reduce risks of injury as well as keep our gundogs in great condition, which in turn may help to extend their working life.
Warm up
Warming up prior to exercise is really important. You wouldn’t see Mo Farah setting off for a marathon or Usain Bolt doing a quick 100m if they hadn’t properly warmed up – that’s because they would be far more prone to injury and are unlikely to perform as well.
It is the same for our gundogs.
Whether you are waiting for the first drive on the shoot to begin, or are in a group training session waiting for your turn, we need to make sure that our dog is physically prepared for the activity ahead.
Warming up the muscle tissues prior to a sudden burst of exertion will prevent tears or tendon and ligament injuries. This is because muscles are ‘thermodynamic’ and much better at stretching when they’re warm.
It doesn’t have to be complicated and you certainly don’t need to start teaching your dog the canine equivalent of lunges or leg stretches.
Examples of this might be some slow lead walking (not jogging or trotting, just walking), along with some short repetitions of sit to stand, weaves, and lateral bends.
Each dog should be warmed up individually to its requirements. On a brisk shoot morning in December, you might need to do ten minutes or more to make sure your dog’s muscles are warming up and getting ready to work.
In warmer conditions, the aim is not to increase body temperature unnecessarily but to prepare muscles and joints through controlled, low intensity movement before work begins.
Cool down
Cooling down is just as important as warming up. If your dog has been working at speed, try to make sure they don’t suddenly stop moving. Instead, walk for around ten minutes or so when you have finished.
If you’re out shooting for the day and there’s a lot of stop-start action, try to consider how you can maintain gentle movement in between drives, so they don’t stiffen up.
You might want to invest in some drying coats as keeping them dry and warm while resting between sessions, and at the end of a day, will also help to protect your dog’s musculoskeletal structure.
On warmer shoot days at the start of the season, cooling down also provides an opportunity to assess your dog’s recovery. Monitor their breathing, demeanour and willingness to move, and provide access to shade and fresh water while allowing them to return to their normal resting state before travelling home or beginning another drive.
As for stretching, it is also always worth engaging the services of your local veterinary physiotherapist who can show you some appropriate exercises that you can do with your dog as part of a cool down routine.
Conditioning programmes
If you intend to go beating or picking up, it is vital to ensure that your gundog has the fitness to cope with the demands of the day. Preparing their bodies through regular training and conditioning programmes will support their readiness for the season ahead.
Each individual dog will have a conformation personal to them and obviously their age, fitness, role, and clinical history will drive what type of conditioning programme they might want to follow.
A good conditioning programme will build on their general fitness but also one that can build muscle mass and strength as well as influence balance and coordination. This might include things like therapeutic exercises, hydrotherapy, proprioception or strength training.
Conditioning should also include gradual acclimatisation to the weather conditions your dog is likely to encounter. Dogs that only ever train in cool conditions may find it much harder to cope when unexpectedly asked to work in warmer weather during the shooting season.
These programmes can be introduced alongside normal walks and gundog training activities and are generally developed individually for each dog following an assessment.
Typically, an assessment ensures role, conformation or musculoskeletal variance are all driving the best programme for that individual dog. Assessments will also make considerations for any time off for an injury (ensuring that healing is optimised) and will take into consideration any existing musculoskeletal conditions to ensure the dog's health is optimised.
Overall, when considering the fitness needs of your gundog try to become as knowledgeable as possible and ask advice from your trainers and veterinary surgeons. Where possible, engage specifically with accredited and qualified personnel such as veterinary physiotherapists, nutritionists, and hydrotherapists about what might help to individually support your dog further to physically meet the demands of the role.
It’s important to recognise that we need to prepare them for what they will be doing in their daily and working life as gundogs, as well as the temperatures and weather conditions in which they will be expected to work.
Try to approach this holistically and look at their health overall in an ongoing way which will encourage and strive towards prevention rather than having to address specific injury or illness as they occur.
With the shooting season just around the corner, September is the ideal time to make sure both you and your gundog are fully prepared. The Live Game Training Days at Kemble’s Field are designed to help you put the finishing touches to your training in a realistic environment before the season begins, while giving you the opportunity to assess your dog’s readiness. You can find out more and book your place here.
Once the season is underway, our Group Shoot Experience Days are an excellent way to make sure your gundog is truly ready for the demands of a working day. As well as helping you assess their fitness, they provide the opportunity to build confidence and ensure the key cues and behaviours needed on a shoot are reliable before heading out into the field. Find out more about our Group Shoot Experience Days here.
If you would like help with your gundog's fitness and mobility, our instructor Lynsey Moss is also a qualified Vet Physiotherapist and is able to offer canine physiotherapy sessions tailored to gundogs. For more information please click here.