All dogs show a little sagging around the neck and jowls when they age. But for some droopy pooches, loose skin is a breed characteristic. Loose skin has benefited certain breeds in their working past, making them better at tracking scent and at avoiding injury, although nowadays, it is the cosmetic aspect of loose skin that appeals most to owners. In some cases, loose skin can lead to health and hygiene problems for dogs.

Loose Skin, Tough Background

He may have the look of a dopey and adorable pooch, but the shar-pei’s tough guy history explains exactly why he’s got loose skin. The shar-pei was bred for fighting and his loose skin protected him in two ways. It’s tough, bristled texture deadened the impact of bites and the loose folds enabled him to move about, even if another dog had a good grip on his skin. Modern shar-peis can have somewhat exaggerated skin folds, which affect them negatively in a number of ways. They are more prone to skin infections and in extreme cases, the heavy folds can impede their vision.

Neapolitan Mastiff: Big Skin, No Bite

The Neapolitan mastiff may look fearsome, but it’s been a long time since this gentle giant was used for guarding and protection work. His deep, loose folds give him the distinctive look of a dog wearing a jacket several sizes too big, but like the shar-pei, those wrinkles had a purpose. If called upon to protect people or livestock, his loose skin would reduce his chances of suffering injury from a bite.

Scent-Tracking Skinfolds

Like the Neapolitan mastiff and shar-pei, the bloodhound’s loose skin has an important purpose and if you’re ever on the run from the law, you might just find out about it. His famous scent-tracking abilities wouldn’t be what they are without those loose folds around his jaw and neck. While this pooch patrols the ground for scent, his skin folds capture scent that he’s missed, enabling him to double-check his work and find what he’s looking for.

Bulldog’s Bullbaiting History

Bulldogs have a flattened face because they descend from breeds used for bullbaiting. Those breeds benefited from having a flat face because it enabled them to grip onto their prey while breathing clearly. Today’s bulldog carries the legacy of those dark days, his wrinkled jowls a reminder of his ancestry. Although they serve no practical purpose, those sloppy, wrinkled chops sure are cute. However, there’s also a downside. His skin folds are a haven for infection.

Frenchy’s Wrinkles Are a Fashion Statement

The French bulldog has a shared ancestry with the bulldog and also carries the wrinkly legacy of days gone by. However, his loose skin is also a product of human desire. Many breeders seek to exaggerate the trait of wrinkled skin to give their dogs a distinctive appearance. The French bulldog’s head and shoulder wrinkles should be moderate, but some examples of the breed have excessively loose skin.

Some dogs have it, and some dogs don’t. When it comes to gun dog training, Labrador and golden retrievers definitely have it. These dogs were created to retrieve fallen fowl. Retrieving breeds have webbed paws and water resistant coats, making them some of the best swimmers of the dog world. Retrievers are also intelligent dogs and have a natural eagerness to please their human masters. They are easily trained, for any owner who is willing to put time and effort into his hunting companion’s education.

Basic Obedience

Don’t train your dog as a gun dog until it has completed basic obedience. In the field, your dog needs to know how to stay by your side off its leash. It should return to you without hesitation when you call or after retrieving a bird. For safety reasons, you also need to know that your dog will sit, lie down and stay at your command. Enroll your dog in basic, intermediate and then advanced obedience classes to help it get a good foundation in obedience. Practice these skills daily at home, both in formal training sessions and by incorporating the commands into your dog’s daily routine. Start this training when your gun dog is still a puppy.

Training Retrieve

Retrieving is a Labrador or golden retriever’s favorite thing to do. Start this training as soon as you get your gun dog home. Purchase retrieving dummies. Hold your puppy back with one hand on its chest, and show it the dummy. Toss the dummy no more than a few feet away, and release your puppy as you give a verbal command such as “fetch,” “retrieve” or “get it.” Start this training in a hallway so that your puppy has no choice but to return to you. Praise it each time it does. Ask your puppy to drop it. Again, reward your puppy with praise and a treat if it gives the dummy back to you without a fight. Gradually increase the length of your throws, and start practicing in outdoor environments as your puppy gets better and better at retrieving.

Field Conditioning

You can’t train your gun dog at home, take it hunting one day and expect it to perform. Even though they were bred for this task, retrievers need a chance to get used to the sights, sounds and smells they will experience in the field. Take your puppy out as often as you can as it grows up. Keep it on a leash at first, especially if it is still working on basic obedience. Expose your puppy to the sounds of gunfire, the marshes it will be working in, other dogs that will be hunting with you and the sight and smell of real birds. Take treats along on each outing, and reward your gun dog when it remains calm despite the exciting (or frightening) surroundings. Start practicing your dog’s retrieve in the field a little at a time.

Train in the Offseason

Retrievers will forget commands and skills if they aren’t practiced. Even after hunting season ends, practice with your dog in your yard and take it to the field whenever you can. Keep practice sessions short. They should last only five to 10 minutes for an adult retriever. If they are any longer, your retriever could get bored and distracted. In addition to retrieving, keep your dog up-to-date on its basic obedience skills. Include commands such as “sit” and “stay” in its daily routine. Take it on walks to secluded areas where you can let it off the leash. If it gets used to being confined, it might wander off when hunting season finally does come around. Off-leash, retrieving and basic obedience skills should all be practiced year-round.