Keeping my new fishing buddy safe

[Acemac]

one of the big reasons i started thinking about getting a dog was becasue I thought it would be nice to have my dog when I was out ice fishing.

well winter is here and I got a 7 month old French Britt that I am getting excited about her keeping me company on the lake this winter.

so the question is this the more i think about it the more i reilize that a fish house can be a very bad place for a dog. curious what you guys have done to make your fish house safer for your dog.

[Cheetah]

Depends on what kind of ice house. My dad uses a clam style portable, the dogs fit in fine, but the propane heater needs to be situated so they don't touch it, and a rubber mat or wood floor for them to lay on helps a lot too so they don't have to sit and lay directly on the ice or in water.

[Hd Wtr Hillbilly]

I have a permy, I built a kennel with a door in it underneath the bottom bunk (separate from the battery compartment and heater). Most of the time she lays on the bunk by me but when a fish is on or some action is happening she goes in the kennel and shes fine.

[LightningBG]

Dont leave any hooks or scrap line laying around.

something to lay on

coat if your not using a house (sitting on a bucket)

keep the heater away from them

Helpful to know what type of house you're using.

[Acemac]

2 man flip eskimo. I use a sunflower with a outdoor tank ( that is really my bigest concern. I do use a good Ecollar so i figure i will have to make it a fact right away that my fishing gear bites pretty hard. mostly I will let her run around on the ice and figure i will keep a few kongs or chew toys on hand to calm her down in the house.

I have had her fishing many times in the summer and have tried to make her unintrested in fish by not being excited about fish when i catch them.

[LightningBG]

Could you keep the heater in the sled behind you? and keep the dog up front on a mat in front of the 2nd seat?

[shnelson]

i will keep a few kongs or chew toys on hand to calm her down in the house.

Be warned, kongs are awesome but sink like rocks .

I have an 11mo old pup thats coming out with me this year as well, trying to take some things into consideration that I normally wouldn't and where he's going to lay/sit comfortable is one of them. Thinking about a surplus wool blanket.. just don't want him to be sopping wet when we go to pack up.

If I could teach him to sit upright in the comfortable frabill seat I wouldn't have anything to worry about!

[Jack Peterson]

Also, don't let the dog run around on the ice with people around. Some people don't enjoy having a dog come up to them while they're fishing.

[Todd Caswell]

Not trying to sound negitive here but a dog in a portable with a sunflower heater, hooks, ect. sound like more trouble than it's worth. I take my dogs ALOT of places but try to avoid stuff that has more negitives than positives. I do take them Ice fishing if were outside running tip ups but inside a small portable no thanks. just my opinion.

[Acemac]

I agree that Icefishing is not the safest place for a dog.. I mean I would never let my dog run around a bunch of guys with guns, charge under and over barbedwire fence, chase skunks into culverts, and eat all the deer [PoorWordUsage] in the world.... oh wait they call that South Dakota

I know from growing up in brainered that your dogs prob get to run free a ton. but in all honesty living in the city with a hunting dog I HAVE to take advantage of the lakes in the winter they are trully the only place that my dog can run free in the winter.

[Todd Caswell]

I agree that Icefishing is not the safest place for a dog.. I mean I would never let my dog run around a bunch of guys with guns, charge under and over barbedwire fence, chase skunks into culverts, and eat all the deer [PoorWordUsage] in the world.... oh wait they call that South Dakota

I know from growing up in brainered that your dogs prob get to run free a ton. but in all honesty living in the city with a hunting dog I HAVE to take advantage of the lakes in the winter they are trully the only place that my dog can run free in the winter.

Acually mine don't run free at all but we do train Almost every day. But I do get what your saying, they need daily exercis, good luck