barbwire

Texrab · Post by **Texrab** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:49 am

When working in fields with fences how do you keep your dogs out of the fence or barbwire? My older dog has learned by experience (he's ran into a couple of barbwire fences but never the actual barb). I carry a first aid kit just in case. I figure with my younger dog there has to be a better way. I don't want to over handle the dog and want her to work the fence lines but how do you get them to slow down and not run in to the fence?

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:05 am

You let them get older. Seriously. They run into barbed wire when they are young. They get some experience and then they learn to avoid it.

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:06 am

I try to teach Whoa !

Ezzy

TrueBlu Shorthairs · Post by **TrueBlu Shorthairs** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:31 am

Buy a medical staple gun, carry betadine, hydrogen peroxide, vet wrap, and bandages. They won't avoid fences, they'll learn to blow right through them, which means some big nasty rips sooner or later. Just happens. But, the rips bleed like stuck hog and the dog will need medical attention quickly.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:33 pm

EXPERIENCE. Thats about the only way to almost gaurentee. You can whoa all you want but if you dont see it, dog doesnt hear or listen you have a dog that runs right into it.

I had my little guy gashed open by barbed wire. I disinfected and taped it and now you cant even tell. He now knows barbed wire and crouches low or waits for me to split the wiresfor him.

Its all about experience.

original mngsp · Post by **original mngsp** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 5:29 am

Experience is the way it works.

A thought I've had, but never done yet, is to string a small section of barbed wire inside my fenced in back yard so the pups can learn about wire in a controled enviroment. This fencing would be straight tight runs as opposed to the tangles of concertina wire that you see when out hunting.

Any thoughts or opinions about this idea?

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:13 pm

if IF you are going to do that make sure the wire is as tight as you can get it so no the dog cant get tangled up, second dont leave it out there unsuprivised and third make sure your puppy isnt running around like an idiot anymore.

I waited till 5 months to introduce my to barbed wire. Until then I always ran him in the open where barbed wire was on the edges of the feild but we never passed or went near.

airman · Post by **airman** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:46 pm

My golden has been working the same fields for years,and guess what... She still comes home with a hole here and there. Thats hunting with dogs. Get yorself some Gordon's EMT Gel that stuff will heel any wound quickly!

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 4:49 pm

airman wrote:My golden has been working the same fields for years,and guess what... She still comes home with a hole here and there. Thats hunting with dogs. Get yorself some Gordon's EMT Gel that stuff will heel any wound quickly!

You are right that is just a fact that your dog is going to get nicked but its the difference of your dog slamming on the breaks then senaking under or through slowly than him/her running head on into barbed wire and getting a cut up bad.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:53 am

Once had dog that ripped her ear nearly in half lengthways on barb wire.

Ideally teach dog not to go through fences except on your command.

Not so bad here these days, most of them are wire mesh the dog can't get through without help, or they are electric.
Some of the electric fences though run off the mains and the dog gets a shock it can put it off hunting for the rest of the day. And they often remember these places and won't hunt until you are past where they got the shock, at least for a few visits.

I know one particular farm fencing along the river edge I just won't take a pup until it is at least 6 months old.

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:40 am

The barbed wire that we run into, that creates problems, is not standing fences in good condition. It is old fences that are down, or wire lying around in the grass or brush. Dogs figure out right away, with just a couple of exposures, to be careful going through standing fences. Those are not the problem.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:18 am

The onlyinjuryby a barbed wire fence that my dogs ever had was a nicked ear once. My experience has been the same as John's with the fences. I do stop my dogs if they are running towards them but they just arent much of a problem. Just becareful around the areas where there are old fencing or other jusk laying around.

Ezzy

Post by **Ayres** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 3:41 pm

I also agree with John and Ezzy. My pup has had experience with barbwire twice. The first time there was just one tight piece sticking up out of the grass and he must have thought it was a stick because he barrelled right into it. He bounced off (had one little puncture which I eventually put EMT gel on), then jumped over it and kept on running.

The second time there was a mess of it lying on the ground from an old fence crushed in several places by falling limbs, etc. He got into it before I even saw the situation. I yelled woah to try to keep him from struggling against it until I got there but he was too freaked out. Luckily he wasn't hurt by it at all, and a split second later jumped about two feet vertical up and out of the mess, then bounded away.

Before I take him hunting in that area this fall I'm going in solo with a pair of gloves and some wire cutters to clear things out.