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My background is a bit different than many of the dog handlers on the SportDOG® ProStaff. I'm a tactical paramedic. I work with law enforcement and service dogs. In fact, I've never hunted with dogs. However, I've trained explosive-detection canines, and I specialize in cadaver dogs. Today, I teach canine handlers and emergency medical responders how to care for and treat dogs in emergency situations.

My emphasis is on dealing with injuries in the field, and the number one goal is to stabilize the dog until you can seek professional treatment. My canine first aid kit reflects this goal. With that in mind, one point I like to emphasize up front is that in an emergency, don't be afraid to be a "MacGyver." In other words, as long as what you are doing is working, it's probably a good idea.

My canine first aid kit is also my personal first aid kit, because a kit for a dog is basically the same thing as a kit for a person. Most of the supplies have crossover use. When you think of it that way, it takes some of the mystery out of preparing for emergencies. One thing you don't want to share, though, is a thermometer, because we take a dog's temperature rectally! Many canine health emergencies are related to hyperthermia (too hot) or hypothermia (too cold), so that's why the thermometer is so important. See my previous article on dealing with heat-related emergencies.

While the contents of a first aid kit might vary somewhat due to personal preferences, my advice is to start with your own personal kit and then add to it. If you already have a kit, I'd guess it includes bandages, tweezers, some compression wrap and some sort of disinfectant. Build on that. Again, there's no reason to have two kits. Add that thermometer I mentioned, or better yet, add two. I suggest adding some extra gauze as well.

Some other contents I never leave home without include super glue and duct tape. If they can duct tape a NASCAR car together, you can certainly duct tape a dog. It's cheap and it's readily available. If your dog is cut up and you need to close him up right now, duct tape is probably a good option. You don't need to buy expensive medical tape. It might not even stick in a situation where your dog is soaking wet, but duct tape sticks to pretty much everything.

Hydrogen peroxide is another good crossover item. It's used for cleaning wounds, but if your dog ingests something that it shouldn't, it also induces vomiting in canines. Use caution, though, because once you induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide, there is no off switch. The dog is going to throw up until it throws up everything. Still, if you're not sure what the dog just ate and you have a suspicion, it's probably best not to risk your dog. I know I won't. I'm going to make him throw up everything he ate. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian about the proper use of hydrogen peroxide in emergency situations.

Rubbing alcohol is another item that has double purpose. It can clean wounds, and you can use it to help cool your dog down because it evaporates faster than water, making it ideal in humid environments.

You can use human medication on dogs, too. Keep in mind when administering medication to dogs; they are like a 7-year-old with a super-fast metabolism. The medicine is absorbed and goes through their system faster than adults. Again, check with your vet so you understand the effects of various medicines and proper dosages. Pediatric Benadryl is something I always carry. It works great for mild allergic reactions. The common dose for dogs is 1 mg per pound, up to a maximum of 50 mg. The pediatric pills come in 25 mg doses, so most hunting dogs will probably get two pills.

I also keep buffered aspirin in my pack for pain. For dogs, it has to be buffered and it can only be used for short-term treatment. Long-term use can create ulcers in the dog's stomach. Again, this is just for the short term to help the dog get through the pain on the way to the hospital.

Below is my basic first aid checklist. You may want to add to it, but with this basic list you are ready for short-term emergencies, both for yourself and your dog.

First Aid Check List

Thermometer

Travel size bottle of rubbing alcohol

Travel size bottle of hydrogen peroxide

Neosporin

Several sizes of gauze pads (sterile and non-sterile)

Duct tape

Medical tape

Trauma pad

Super glue

Alcohol prep pads

Band-Aids

Veterinary self-cling wrap

Trauma shears

Multi-tool with needle-nose pliers

Knife

Pediatric Benadryl

Buffered aspirin

Israeli pressure dressing (a great add-on option that can be found online)

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My background is a bit different than many of the dog handlers on the SportDOG® ProStaff. I'm a tactical paramedic. I work with law enforcement and service dogs. In fact, I've never hunted with dogs. However, I've trained explosive-detection canines, and I specialize in cadaver dogs.

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I'm a setter man. I've owned Irish setters and English setters, and some day I'll probably own a Gordon setter. I like the way they hunt with their heads held high, their energy, and their biddable natures. Setters like people, and even better than that they like having a job to do. Yeah, they're a little bit sensitive, and while I admire other bird dogs I probably won't own one. Why? 'Cause I'm a setter man.

Most of my friends run other breeds. One, for instance, is a die-hard pointer man. Another is a shorthair gal. Another favors Griffons. And another has Brits. None of them will likely own a setter or any other breed for that matter, and that's fine. The real fun for me comes when we hunt and train all of these different breeds because I learn something new every time.

My buddy's pointers are well-oiled machines. They are durable, precise, and indefatigable in the field. My buddy's commands are designed around his dogs: they are sharp, crisp and to the point. He does not mince words, he trains with a firm hand, and he is always one step ahead of them. His dogs work with a surgeon's precision. They scour the uplands leaving no birds behind. Sometimes they'll get the itch to air it out, to really stretch their legs and open it up. During those times he'll shift to a field hunt for pheasant or quail and give them some running room. I study his methodologies and incorporate some of his techniques on my own dogs.

The shorthairs are a funny bunch. They are smart and bold and if I had to say so they're independent. They like people but they love to be challenged. My friend has developed a progressive training routine in which she regularly ups the ante. A great training companion for the shorthair is the pointer; theirs is a natural competitiveness that heightens both dogs' intensity. Sometimes the shorthairs want to soak their webbed feet in the water and that's an important part of the training routine. To hold her dogs' attention my friend mixes field work with a periodic splash. The transition from casting in the woods for woodcock to blind retrieves on ducks brings out their very best, and during the hunting season she'll routinely change gears from the uplands to the marsh. A constant challenge is important and I make sure to use that approach on my setters.

Springers are eager to please, quick to learn, and willing to obey. They're natural retrievers with soft mouths, and my buddy had zero problems training his dogs to fetch-to-hand. His dogs quarter well but he did need to spend some time on the positive flush. When they were young they hesitated when they found birds, and regular repetitions with pigeons and spring woodcock helped them learn the difference between foot and body scent. And since they're dogs with a strong desire to please, my pointer pal had to learn to lighten up a bit on his handling.

Every handler has a breed that simply steals his or her heart, and setters stole mine. But working with different breeds helps me improve my own training. And it helps others with theirs. Our training routines are a team effort, an interesting one that enables each of us to elevate our dogs' levels of play. We are all better for it, and in the end, that's what matters.

Tom Keer

Tom Keer is an award-winning writer, columnist and blogger who regularly writes for over a dozen outdoor magazines. He owns The Keer Group, a full-service, outdoor marketing company and hunts and fishes with his wife and children. Don't hold it against...
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I'm a setter man. I've owned Irish setters and English setters, and some day I'll probably own a Gordon setter. I like the way they hunt with their heads held high, their energy, and their biddable natures. Setters like people, and even better than that they like having a job to do.

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If I were to look back on my bird hunting life, the overwhelming amount of my days in the field were spent pursuing Ruffed grouse and woodcock. The focus of my attention has been in New England and Canada, and if I were to drill down even more New Hampshire gets most of my time. I own covert dogs, shoot small bores with open chokes, and wear out tin cloth chaps and brush pants on a regular basis. My dogs and I have the scars to prove it.

A number of years ago, cross training became popular among college and professional athletes. I thought then and think now it's a great idea. I applied that level of thinking to my bird dogs, and it meant exposing them to different regions which had different conditions and different birds. The quality of my dogs improved, and cross training has paid big dividends.

This past fall I noticed that my dogs had become routine oriented. I would put them down in the grouse and woodcock woods and they went about their business. Two of my setters had a knack for remembering where they found birds. They'd high grade the covert and make a bee line to where they remembered they had found birds in the past. Most of the time they were right, but they'd bypass a lot of huntable areas in favor of cutting to the chase. I didn't like that approach, and were I a betting man I'd bet you wouldn't, either.

To correct that ailment I moved them into a big corn and millet field that had some pheasant. These new areas were big, they were soft, and they had big, running birds. My dogs were awakened, and they looked to me for direction. They listened better, covered the terrain better, and got outsmarted by some birds. It was a learning curve that inspired them, and we all got along fine. When we returned to our home coverts the next trip they were better than ever. They worked thoroughly and deliberately and it was a joy to behold.

Since that discovery a long time ago we've taken our show on the road. When our season winds down at home we'll search out different areas with different conditions. The most popular hunts are in the Southeast for quail and also for migratory woodcock in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina. Cross training dogs on different birds and environments is a good idea because it makes both of us better. We're learning as we go, just the way it always should be.

Tom Keer is an award-winning writer, columnist and blogger who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is a columnist for Covey Rise magazine, the Upland Almanac, and a Contributing Editor for both Fly Rod and Reel and Fly Fish America. He's also a national spokesman for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation's Take Me Fishing program, and writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines. When they are not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds over their three English setters. His first book, a Fly Fishers Guide to the New England Coast was released in January 2011. Visit him at www.tomkeer.com or at www.thekeergroup.com.

Tom Keer

Tom Keer is an award-winning writer, columnist and blogger who regularly writes for over a dozen outdoor magazines. He owns The Keer Group, a full-service, outdoor marketing company and hunts and fishes with his wife and children. Don't hold it against...
More about this author
Related Articles & Videos

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Improve Your Dog Work by Hunting for a Different Species | SportDOG

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If I were to look back on my bird hunting life, the overwhelming amount of my days in the field were spent pursuing Ruffed grouse and woodcock. The focus of my attention has been in New England and Canada, and if I were to drill down even more New Hampshire gets most of my time.

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Time marches on, we all know that. A new generation grabbing the reins is exciting and terrifying, all at the same time. There is a bittersweet part of handing over the reins, the transmitters, and the check cords. The bitter part is that it means that we're getting older. The sweet part is that we get to see our children carrying the torch of what we love to do.

My 16-year old daughter Morgan has really taken to bird hunting, and her favorite part is running our setters. It's mine, too, and while there are a lot of things that we don't have in common (mine is not a digital world, hers is), hunting and our dogs give us a tremendous amount of common ground. Morgan has been a student of dog handling for just about half of her life, and she's mastered enough of the basics to start running the show. I've learned a lot from my own trial and error, and here are a few things that I've done to help create a successful environment for us all.

Success begets success.

When kids start running dogs on their own, put them in the best possible position for success. We hunt a lot of grouse and woodcock, so let's take them as an example. While the grouse is perhaps the more coveted bird, they're also wily. Woodcock hold tighter, run less, and they are a favorite among pointing dog handlers. If Morgan is running the show we'll work the woodcock coverts. The dogs stay close, they hold point, and it's a great way for her to build her confidence and experience. In a few years she'll be ready for the grouse coverts, but getting a solid foundation based on success is really important.

Focus on prime time.

The early season's heat and full foliage makes it more difficult for Morgan to keep track of the dogs. We're hunting resident birds, so contacts are lower than they are during peak migration. She'll get opportunities in the early season as warm ups, but where I really focus her attention is during the third and fourth week in October. The leaves are falling and after the first killing frost the understory is down. Woodcock flights are on and there are the most birds of the season. Morgan has an easier time seeing and therefore handling the dog, and with lots of action her attention is held for a long time. Those successes will carry her through as the season winds down and form a good foundation.

Correct mistakes carefully.

Kids will make mistakes, and what I've learned is not to be mad when something goes wrong (which it will). In most instances I'll ignore the mistake and focus on the correction. Instead of telling Morgan what she did wrong, I tell her what she should do the next time. Patience is a virtue, and I've learned to be a lot clearer in setting my expectations. The result is that she's clearer in her understanding, and her dog handling has dramatically improved.

Lots of repetitions over short periods of time.

If concentration is the king then repetition is the queen. Rather than run a big covert I'll select several smaller coverts. Kids have an easier time concentrating in smaller doses, so frequent hunts of shorter duration helps me to get them focused. The increased reps reinforcing new skills and cementing old ones.

In the end, we only go around once in life. But if we do it right then once is enough. I don't like getting older any more than you do. That said, it's easier to deal with if I have confidence in the next generation.

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Handing Over the Reins...or Check Cords | SportDOG

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Time marches on, we all know that. A new generation grabbing the reins is exciting and terrifying, all at the same time. There is a bittersweet part of handing over the reins, the transmitters, and the check cords. The bitter part is that it means that we're getting older.