Gun Dog Forum

Haven't really done overnight trips much, but the last couple of years I've vowed to spend more time chasing wild birds. My setter is a house dog. Leaving for KS tomorrow to chase pheasants. The outfitter does not have heated kennels, and does not allow dogs inside at all. So the dog will be spending his nights in a crate in the bed of a pickup with a topper on it.

It's supposed to get down to 13 deg tomorrow night before it warms up a little. Above 30 I wouldn't even worry about it, but 13 seems pretty extreme for a dog used to sleeping inside. I was figuring on stuffing some extra padding in the crate, and wrapping a big blanket around the outside to keep the heat in.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but this is a 1 dog trip for 3 days hunting. I want the dog to be safe, comfortable, and be able to recover to hunt the next day not shiver in his crate and crap out after 1 day hunting. This is the first time I've ever taken an over night trip where it's supposed to get really cold so I figured I'd see what you guys who have done it think.

ETA: Also I usually take my SUV and can run the heat up before bed, but we can't fit 3 guys, dog and gear - so this trip we have to take my buddy's pickup.

For cold nights in the back of the truck we do as you planned, extra padding and crate covers. In addition I have coats for my dogs https://www.bigdweb.com/category/pet+su ... lothing.do I got the 9.99 one that the brindle dog has on.
For really cold nights i stick a heater in there. Ours is a little 200 watt personal space heater that I picked up at walmart for under $20. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lasko-Electr ... 0/16503222.
My dogs lay out everything they have for me, so I do what I can to keep them comfortable.

Does the crate have a winter cover? I'm assuming it does for this reply. Put some straw bedding in your crate, I start with about 1/3 the crate hight of bedding, and then close up your winter cover and you should be ok.

If there is no wind the dog will be just fine. Don't put anything extra in the crate,except for straw or grass. I have a shorthair and a thin crate cover now that is plenty, but before I did I put an old sleeping bag over the top and sides. Make sure you leave a couple inches open at the bottom of the door for air or you will overheat the poor guy. I have family in Illinois and northern Nevada so have had him in the truck in temperature well below zero numerous times and he is always nice and warm in the morning.

The bigger issue to me is bringing the dog in cold and wet from hunting and putting him in a cold crate in the back of a pickup with no heat. I have seen a dog die from that. I do like my dogs to be comfortable. So, I would either cover the crate good or try to use a small electric heater. When I used a pickup I had sliding windows in the truck and topper. Put a bicycle tube between the cab and the topper and opened the windows so the dogs got heat when we traveled.........................Cj

Some bedding and a crate cover. My dogs come out toasty warm driving 80 mph down the highway in 5 degree weather.

cjhills wrote:The bigger issue to me is bringing the dog in cold and wet from hunting and putting him in a cold crate in the back of a pickup with no heat. I have seen a dog die from that. I do like my dogs to be comfortable. So, I would either cover the crate good or try to use a small electric heater. When I used a pickup I had sliding windows in the truck and topper. Put a bicycle tube between the cab and the topper and opened the windows so the dogs got heat when we traveled.........................Cj

You really feel dogs are that fragile that they need a heater in a topper of a truck? They are actually built to withstand cold temps, especially GSP's will have an undercoat. A crate cover would be more than adequate to keep a dog warm. Their body heat would heat up the crate very quickly. Much easier than rigging a heating system.

I don't think you have to worry but if you are, the easiest cure is a very small electric heater on an extension cord in the back of the truck. You may even have to crack a window.

Fortunately the weather is supposed to be dry in KS for the duration, so I don't think the dog will be getting put up wet. And if he was wet at the end of the day I would certainly do something to make sure he is dry before bedding down.

I don't have a winter cover for the crate, which is why I was planning on wrapping a blanket around it. My dad always said that straw was the best bedding when they had outside dogs, but I don't even know where I would get any.

Any feed store around here has it.

Or try a garden center.

A blanket will work in a pinch, but I'd really look for a going cover. They come in handy fairly often.

Something else that helps...I stuck a piece of foam foil-backed insulation under the crates, It keeps the cold from seeping up from the truck bed. I insulated the dressing room floor of our aluminum floored horse trailer with it, and know for sure it helps keep it toastier.

Stuff the crate full of straw with barely enough room for the dog. He'll be fine and stay nice and toasty.

I have the Mud River Insulated Dixie Cover, and it has worked well for the cold weather for my dogs when I've taken them up Elk Hunting. Its pricey but like said above it has come in handy a lot of times. Most any town in Kansas will have a feed and tack store and they will have straw there.

Some years back I went out to the flint Hills of KS with a buddy. BIG 2 compartment uninsulated aluminum crate and 4 dogs inside a pickup bed with topper. It was below freezing the first night and when we went to the dogs, there was condensation on all the windows...The dogs generated THAT much heat.

If you don't have a crate cover, I suggest that instead of a blanket, you wrap the crate in a cheap plastic tarp on all sides except the door. You could put a blanket underneath but generally that would not be necessary, unless it is really frigid. Unless it is truly bitterly cold, the dog will take care of generating all the heat it needs. You could put in some hay or straw or pine shavings, or a small doggie bed...whatever. Mostly that stuff just makes a mess. if the dog does get wet...some straw or hay can help to dry the dog off...but a couple towels from the motel work just fine for that.

The tip about the insulation under the crate is a great one. Do that. If it is indeed bitterly cold, you could block up most of the door(leave an airspace at the top... with a piece of cardboard and a bungee.

Two other things... have plenty of cool water available for the dog. They need fluids in the cold as much or more than they do in the heat. Also, when you feed your dog, pre-moisten the kibble with warm water and perhaps bait it with some canned dogfood. You want the dog to eat and when they are tired after a long day in the field, they may not want to. The warm water oistens the food, makes the flavor come off the kibble and also softens it, so the food goes through the gut easier and the dog gets more value from it. Also, the dog is less likely to have bloody stools from passing undigested kibble.

RayG

I've had dogs get down to -20F in an aluminum kennel, with the dividers removed, with a blanket cover (looks like a quilted moving blanket), wrapped in a space blanket, and loosely filled with straw. They came out of there hot.

Elkhunter wrote:

cjhills wrote:The bigger issue to me is bringing the dog in cold and wet from hunting and putting him in a cold crate in the back of a pickup with no heat. I have seen a dog die from that. I do like my dogs to be comfortable. So, I would either cover the crate good or try to use a small electric heater. When I used a pickup I had sliding windows in the truck and topper. Put a bicycle tube between the cab and the topper and opened the windows so the dogs got heat when we traveled.........................Cj

You really feel dogs are that fragile that they need a heater in a topper of a truck? They are actually built to withstand cold temps, especially GSP's will have an undercoat. A crate cover would be more than adequate to keep a dog warm. Their body heat would heat up the crate very quickly. Much easier than rigging a heating system.

It is the 21 century, I like my dogs to be comfortable. A pickup topper does not have a very high r value. When the dogs come in wet and cold I want a warm place for them to ride. Opening a couple windows is easy......Cj

I was always taught as long as they are dry, protected from the wind, and insulated from the ground or concrete, they should be fine. Assuming they are in good health and body condition, of course.

I was actually worried about this too.
I put comforters in the dog boxes for them and doubled them up in the dog boxes. I was still worried about them but they were fine.
I completely understand wanting them to be comfortable though.

As an aside, I don't know when your trip is, but this weekend is supposed to be pretty nasty here. But that's here in Manhattan, I have idea where you are going.

Limit?...apply commonsense and read the dog.

Water is critical, good food, dry bedding, no drafts, healthy dog.....all a good start....adjust as necessary.

A good fairly small dog house with an el shaped entrance, plenty of dry bedding such as grass hay, indirect ventilation, and a well fed dog would keep a dog comfortable in any reasonable temperature down well below zero.

Thanks guys. We had a great 3 day hunt and the dog did fine. He is pretty well spent though!

Ended up taking my SUV after all. Took the small crate and wrapped it in a blanket. Surprised how warm it was in there in the AM! Had to resort to warmed up canned food to get him to eat, but I knew that would be an issue and planned ahead on that.

This dog is not a top performer in some ways, but darn if he isnt tough. 3 days in a row we hunted around 6 hours +/- a day. He was still going and made 3 solid finds on wild quail and pheasants on the last afternoon hunt.

Hope next year one of my buddies gets a dog. It would be much easier on the dog.