Caring for Gundogs: Time to Change the Narrative?

Are we giving our gun dogs the care they need and deserve to prolong their working lives? Vet Physio and keen gun dog owner, Emma Carrott, advises….

For thousands of years, dogs have been firmly known as ‘man’s best friend’. Using their incredible senses and willingness to please, they have worked tirelessly throughout harsh conditions, over a variety of rough and difficult land to hunt and retrieve shot game, providing a meal for a family. 

In more recent years, many guns have continued to enjoy the company of their canine companions either beside them on a peg, or they’ve been a vital part of any shoot day as the beating or picking up team members and let’s not forget trialling world.

The shooting world may have changed dramatically over the years but sadly, in many cases, it seems we haven’t moved at the same speed when it comes to how we care for our hard-working canine team members.

As a registered veterinary nurse, veterinary physiotherapist and working gundog owner myself, I feel saddened by the lack of support and recognition this wonderful canine category receives.

This last season alone, I’ve heard numerous guns say how they’ve been unable to bring their dog to a shoot day due to the dog suffering with a lameness or some sort, owners who are attempting their own rehab programme without professional guidance and unaware of the dangers and potential injuries they could cause. I’ve seen people being ridiculed for putting a drying towel on their dog between drives, and to top it off, I’ve first hand experienced vets who didn’t quite understand the working dog and sadly was less forth coming with care. I can only think they thought he wasn’t loved because he was a working dog and not a pet…if that was the case, they could not have been further from the truth.

Many will say that a dog is just a dog, regardless of what they do…. I disagree. Gun dogs, whatever breed they are, are a whole different ball game, and, having witnessed this season, their work ethic is beyond comparison to many breeds.

Why not put a drying robe on between drives? Surely this is just aiding the dog to dry faster which prevents shivering and energy wastage as well as preventing injuries such as muscle strains and tears and ensuring that the muscles and joints of your dog are being cared for to optimise performance and longevity. 

Why don’t owners regularly consider physiotherapy? or an appropriate warm up as the day starts? When would we ever expect a human athlete, for example, Lionel Messi, to be at their best without regular physiotherapy treatments? Would we really expect them to leap into action out the back of 4x4, run across a ploughed field in the rain or dive into a bitterly cold river to retrieve the last pheasant of the day, without any physical consequences?

After all, let’s not forget, physiotherapists don’t just correct problems that are present, but with correct fitness and ‘sports-specific’ conditioning and an appropriate warm up regime we can help prevent against injury. Which if you’re like me, I would do anything to avoid during the season!

It is difficult to say where the change needs to begin, the vets? the owners?  I believe, we need to start with education, sharing our stories, our knowledge and helping each other. Surely after spending months training as young dogs, if we want the best out of our shooting companions for the longevity of their life, we need to look after them as the incredible athletes that they are.