Retrievers: On the Road Again
Gunner.com
Experts recommend keeping your retriever in a crate anytime a vehicle is moving.
When I caught up with Tom Bahti, he was busy pre-packaging each day’s ration of food for his black Lab, Kema, into zip-lock bags ahead of a three-week trip to Saskatchewan and North Dakota. “I like being able to pull out a bag of food and just dump it into her pan,” he explained, “instead of having to dig around for a container and measure out the correct amount every time.”
Bahti, a retired regional wildlife supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, knows as well as anyone what it takes to keep a dog well fed and healthy during an extended road trip. He says there’s no reason to lug around an entire 35- or 50-pound bag if you’re only going to be gone for a week. “But never assume,” he stresses, “that you’ll be able to find the brand you feed—or, for that matter, anything else your dog may need—in the place where you’ll be hunting.”
Bahti has become a firm believer in the benefits of Purina Forti-Flora, the probiotic dietary supplement that helps maintain gut health in traveling dogs. Other must-haves include a basic canine first-aid kit; any medications; lots of old towels; leads for airing dogs during rest stops; and plenty of water.
The next crucially important point is that you need to set up your dog’s crate in such a way that he’s comfortable
Read Article