Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game high energy treats for hunting dogs

I'm looking for a healthy, high energy treat recipe. Blue is feed twice a day and during bird season needs a little energy boost. She runs pretty hard.

I can't be any help on supplements, but since the replies are slow I'll chime in anyhow.

I don't give 'supplements' to my dog. What might work for one dog might give the next dog a case of the runs or worse. Any disruption to the dog's system is bad, but even worse if it ruins a hunting trip.

We all know the drill - a hunting dog is too excited to eat in the morning and too tired to eat at night. Over the course of an extended trip or season the dog loses energy and weight. I cheat the system by spiking my dog's regular food with something proven to be easy on his digestion and also entice him to eat. Mixing some canned dog food into the dog's regular kibble is one such cheat, or mixing in some beef broth, etc.

You mentioned feeding the dog twice a day - morning and night. I would break that into four smaller meals during a hunting day and spike as needed. Dog food is already overloaded with carbohydrates and will provide plenty of energy providing the dog will eat it.

If I'm hunting with pards and their dogs I prefer a spiked dog food that I can hand-feed my dog. Leaving a bowl of spiked dog food around will only cause a battle at the food bowl and risk that my dog will get shorted. In that case I'll often feed canned food from the same manufacturer as the kibble. That's a pretty safe bet for both the dog's digestion and his willingness to eat it. On extended daily hunts away from a vehicle I'll put a chunk of canned food in a zip lock or two and stash it in my vest, and then I'll use the empty zip locks to water the dog.

I wet the food slightly and sprinkle it with Parmesan or Romano cheese. They love the "seasoning".

Supplement their food with peanut butter. Has protein for muscle building and considerable amounts of minerals that are lost with hard exercise and it will usually induce them to eat before they crash in sleep.

I give all our hunting dogs a Vitamin supplement starting 2 months before the bird season starts and continue until birdseason ends. I only feed my dogs once a day period. I do this some 20 hours before they go to the field.

Now by this time, they are carrying "no extra baggage" in the form of stools in the system. They are not blowted and run better in the field. I also intice a tired dog with some top quality canned dog food. It is hard to find high protein in canned dog food.

Withholding food for 20-hours before a hunt doesn't compute for dogs that are worked hard or hunt multiple days in a row. There aren't enough hours in the day.

I have a 13-month old GSP that eats 30% more food this time of year and barely maintains his weight. Dogs have to eat to work, so a light meal in the morning followed by a handful of food every few hours during the hunt. An hour or two after the hunt he can eat at will until he hits the total I want. At any point during the day I'll spike his food as necessary to entice him to eat. I'd be in the same place as Tbjohn in the OP, looking for a treat recipe, if I didn't have success spiking my dog's regular food with simple ingredients.

Liver: elk, antelope, deer, cow, pig what ever............