Got a Hard Decision To Make...

[BirdieBoiler]

So after today I have a hard decision to make and need any input, suggestions, advice, or anything that you all have to offer. I'm having issues with my 13 months old GSP female. She's a great dog. Points and holds to flush. She's my first gun dog and first attempt at training a bird dog so I'm very attached. She sleeps under the comforter in my bed at night. I mean she's spoiled rotten. BUT shes VERY accident prone! Its her first season and she's already been to the vet a few times. She cut the pad of her paw open once. Cut her leg open once. And today she cut her leg WIDE OPEN again. She's got all the go and courage in the world, but sometimes I think it overtakes her ability to think, "Wow that might just hurt!" Anyways, my fiances not extremely happy about her coming home all the time hurt and I'm not extremely happy about the vet bills. So what do I do? Keep her as a full time lap dog and buy a dog thats broke and maybe would be a little easier going in field and on the wallet? Is there anyway to slow my dog down? Like I said any input would be of great appreciation!!! Thanks everyone!

[romeo212000]

You've got a young dog that as good and loves to go. Its tough but honestly what else could you ask for? She will learn from her experiences.

[wfkgsps]

She's a great dog. Points and holds to flush. She's my first gun dog and first attempt at training a bird dog so I'm very attached.

That pretty much sums it up...give her time.

[intothewind]

id thnk about gettng rid of the fiance!

[BirdieBoiler]

Haha yeah about that...She's finally gave into the idea of me having another bird dog around the house...I'm just not sure what to do

[Yawallac]

She's finally gave into the idea of me having another bird dog around the house...

That's pretty funny because that's exactly what I was thinking when I read your post. Any reason to get another bird dog IS the answer. Plus everyone knows that if you hunt two together they are much less accident prone!!

[Willie Hunter]

id thnk about gettng rid of the fiance!

I'll second that!

[BirdieBoiler]

Man this sucks!!! Had to go to the emergency vet last night. Millie's cut from yesterday needed a few staples...Anyways, shes laid up for 2 weeks. I wake up this morning to a buddy calling me, "Hey man, I just talked to my Dad and he said we could go hunt our farm" I've been looking forward to hunting the property all year. Hes got like 2000 acres of farmland in some prime area. If that didn't have me down enough, I'd say once I got out of bed and saw the 3 inches of fresh snow cover just topped it all of...

[shags]

Get yourself a skin stapler. Then get the second dog.

[Sharon]

Maybe just bad luck.
However, I had a dog getting cut up too much in my opinion. Turned out he had a vision problem. I know she's only 13 months but it wouldn't hurt to let the vet have a look at those eyes.

[Don]

You can always find another girl friend, good dogs don't come along that often and don't live that long.

Dog 3 - girl friend -0

[Mike50]

Which one are you talking about? quote[ She sleeps under the comforter in my bed at night. I mean she's spoiled rotten.] Sounds like there could be a cat fight in your future. But I'm sure your pup doesn't mind sharing you with another female. Pups like that don't come along every day! I'd keep the pup. What you do with the other is up to you unless she'll back!

[big steve46]

Put a protective wrap over the staples, and hunt her.

[BirdieBoiler]

Hunt her? Won't hurt her at all? I'm kinda of an over protective father and my fiances ability to blow everything out of proportion doesn't help haha Oh, and the fiance doesn't mind her sleeping in the bed with us. Millie was a gift from my fiance last Christmas and we are both guilty of spoiling her pretty bad. My fiance lives with me so she's kinda like an only child for us.

[luke0927]

if its not a terrible accident you can doctor the dog your self...clean the cuts and stapler her up.....I would hate to see what vet charges to clean and staple a cut that you could do yourself.

[ACooper]

First things first, if you are not going to hunt the dog and just make her a "lap dog" you are doing her an injustice. IMO
Second thing is a good vet is one of the most important assets to keeping your dog healthy and hunting for a long time, another that is just as important is to become familiar with treatments that you can do yourself, and most cuts you should be able to staple yourself, it will save you hundreds of dollars and several trips to the vet. This is by no means stating that a vet should not be used, but you don’t necessarily need to go every time the dog has a minor injury.
Third wrap that leg and let that dog HUNT.

Seriously though good luck in whatever you decide.

[Wildweeds]

Keep the dog,buy a stapler and a vet book,get a second dog!Put the fiance in her place,unless she tells you what leg of your drawers to pull on first.

some dogs are accident prone,I've had one that was constantly needing a staple here and there,not a big deal,squirt some antiseptic on it and staple it back together,if it needs a drain tube in it put one in the bottom it's easy.

I've had other dogs that were really hardchargers that could hit a fiddlestring tight barbwire fence at full throttle.The hair would fly off the dog and I'd cringe just knowing that the gash was going to be huge,to find just a scratch.Maybe modify where you hunt your dog,in other words keep her away from fences and things that cut,almost everyplace I've ever hunted has a junkyard of crap that cuts all piled up in an area.Stay away from those areas.

[BirdieBoiler]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I think I've made up mind...Keep her and hunt till SHE tells me she wants to stop..

Wildweeds, I get what you're saying about staying away from the hunting areas she's likely to get torn up on...I wish I could and I'm going to do my best in the future BUT its so hard in Indiana. I'd give anything to be able to hunt open fields like out west BUT the majority of everything around here is fence rows and ditches. Those are evening getting hard to come by anymore. Farmers keep tearing them out and burning them off to create more tillable acreage...GRRR