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For those of you who have a hunting dog or just have a dog around as a pet, you know how much time and energy that can take.
Multiply that times four and you can live in my world. For most folks it is not all that hard to find someone to watch the pooch when you want to be gone. Others will pay a boarding outfit the $35 a day to be sure that they get some attention and get let out to do their business.
I have come to the conclusion that boarding my dogs is kind of a last resort. Not to say these places are not great, but when boarding four dogs you can actually run into some pretty real money for the service.
I have had hunting Labradors in my life for about the last 25 years and have made a life choice to do what needs to be done to keep them with me.
This entails buying dog food by the pallet and making great friends with my preferred veterinarian. Taking a dog or dogs along is easy, as long as the temperatures are between 45-70 degrees.
What do you do with a dog when it’s 5 degrees below zero or if it’s 95 degrees in the shade?
There are ways to deal with these extremes, but in most cases the security of the dog is severely impaired as a result.
Leaving a dog in a kennel in the pickup box with the tail gate down and the door open might be enough to keep the dog cool, but if you’re sitting at a wedding for an hour, the dog can easily be missing upon your return.
Leaving them on a rope or a chain is just asking for a disaster to happen.
I sacrificed my current model GMC truck and the four that have come before that to being nothing much more than dog haulers.
Purchasing the necessary structures to carry four dogs safe, sound and protected, no matter the temperature, does not leave much room for tents, coolers, fishing rods and Yogi’s favorite picnic basket.
A company called Ainley Fabrication in Dubuque, Iowa, makes specialty trailers, toppers and pickup box kennels designed solely for dog transport and safety.
I utilize a stainless steel and aluminum topper box on the back of my truck. I purchased my first one in 2003. Mine weighs 600 pounds. These can have two, four, six, or even eight individual dog kennels built in, depending on the length of your pickup box. Their stature is just taller than the normal pickup topper.
They are insulated all around and have cooling fans built right in. My hunting champions can be in this unit parked in the sun at over 90 degrees and still be safe and comfortable.
Because of the insulation properties of this unit, when occupied by four dogs their body heat can keep the temperature about freezing even when outside temperature reaches the 10-degree mark or lower. When it is bitter cold, I add an electric heater that I plug in at the motel to keep the boys comfortable.
This unit also has an insulated 12-gallon water tank, so carrying enough water is never an issue. I added big LED lights on the back so when I let them out at night, I can light up the area and keep them in sight.
The fans and lights run off of a separate battery under the hood of the truck that is charged when the truck is running but cuts out when the ignition is off so the truck starting battery cannot be run down. The lights and fans can run for over 96 hours on one charge.
All of the dog supplies fit in a small breezeway in the very back. Dog collars, leashes, shells, bird cleaning stuff, flashlights and a whole host of other necessary items fills it up quickly. My truck dog box has four doors, but due to its design can carry six dogs.
A decade ago I ran across a six-hole dog trailer manufactured by the same company and ended up buying it. It was a good deal and figured I could sell it later for a sizable profit. Sold it never was.
When I load up a hunting enthusiast or two and we head to parts unknown, we often travel with 8-10 dogs, and the trailer really comes in handy for that.
Other hunters in the group that transport their dogs in the cab or back of the car will overnight their dogs in the topper box or the trailer for all of the reasons mentioned earlier: security, comfort and peace of mind.
Very few folks will make this kind of dog transportation monetary investment, but those who do never look back.
My Labradors are more than just dogs; having them with me is important. I can’t see my life any other way. The only thing better than one dog to love is having four.
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.