On a long day, while hunting or trialing your dog, his blood sugar will drop. Prepare him a quick picker-upper with cheap ground meat and honey. Pack raw meat into small balls. Squirt inside the ball a bit of honey. Then freeze them in a small plastic baggie. When in the field, carry them with you. The meat and honey balls will defrost as the day goes by ... feed him a few every so often.

When in the field, you need to keep water on hand for your dog. Try using one of the small water or pop bottles, a ketchup bottle, a dish soap bottle or any small bottle that has a pull lid. For warm weather, add ice or freeze the water.

To prevent your dog from overheating inside his crate, you can build a cooling system. Obtain a piece of PVC pipe, 2 inches or more in diameter. Cut the length of the pipe to fit the area within the crate. Secure one end by gluing on a permanent cap. Use a threaded cap on the other end. Fill the pipe with ice or water and then freeze. Put the frozen PVC pipe in the crate with the dog. The larger the size PVC pipe the less likely the dog will chew it and he will keep cooler laying against the pipe.

During hot summer months, help air condition your dog's house. Freeze a bucket of water or put ice into a bucket. Place frozen bucket into a larger bucket full of water. Then hang the larger bucket high in the dog house where it will not tip and the house will stay cool. My dogs' houses have lids that open and I hang the bucket at the top. The bucket will need to be changed daily.

When traveling with your dog or returning from a hunt during winter months, use a crate cover to block the cold wind. Some crate covers come insulated and the dog's body temperature will keep the crate warm. Some covers are waterproof so the dog stays dry, even when it's raining and the crate is in a pickup truck with an open bed. I recommend contacting Longshot Outfitters at 1-888-hot-dog (468-3644).

Like to hunt, try a Pheasant Hunting Tournament with your dog. These are dog trials where you're scored, not judged. The scores are based on what your dog does --- finds birds and retrieves them. If you're not the best shot, have a designated shooter shoot for you. You can win prizes and money as well as have a great time. Call Ray Marinier at 417-253-5710 for more information.

Be prepared for potential wounds in the field for you or your dog. Pick up a disposable leg wrap in your horse section at the local farm store or pet store. These wraps self stick and can stay tight even when wet.

Terri travels across the United States giving seminars on dog training, and also has out videos and books on the subject. For more information, contact Terri at 417-253-5710.