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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Early-season tips for dogs

Cheney-area bird-dog trainer Dan Hoke moves in to flush a pen-raised pheasant while hunting with his German shorthair pointer at Pheasant Valley Preserve north of LaCrosse, Wash. The preserve features hunting for ducks and pheasants as well as accommodations and sporting clays shooting on a family farm homesteaded in 1902. (Rich Landers)
Cheney-area bird-dog trainer Dan Hoke moves in to flush a pen-raised pheasant while hunting with his German shorthair pointer at Pheasant Valley Preserve north of LaCrosse, Wash. The preserve features hunting for ducks and pheasants as well as accommodations and sporting clays shooting on a family farm homesteaded in 1902. (Rich Landers)
By Rich Landers richl@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508

 Hot, dry weather is hard on dogs, which is why hunters must give special attention to their dogs during early bird-hunting seasons. Based on years of experience, Dan Hoke, veteran dog trainer from Dunfur Kennel near Cheney, offered these tips:

• Trim toenails. Don’t let them get long and break off.

• Hunt early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

• Keep hunts short. Most dogs need weeks of hunting to get into shape, but even fit dogs can suffer heat exhaustion, which could set them back for weeks or months or possibly kill them.

• Bring plenty of water for the dog, and yourself.

• Check dogs for seeds in eyes and be wary of cheatgrass and other seeds getting into ears. Cotton stuffed in ears can help prevent trouble. Q-Tips and saline solution used by contact lens wearers can be squirted to irrigate and extract stubborn seeds that get under a dog’s inner eyelids.

• Keep expectations in check. If the dog didn’t get any training during summer, don’t expect it to have improved since last hunting season.

• Scenting conditions usually are not prime in early season. Even good dogs will miss birds.