How to remove Cockleburs from your hunting dogs coat
Cockleburs have evolved a unique way of surviving and spreading their seed. They don’t have flowers that bees or other incest can pollinate, what they do have are little seed pods covered in hundreds of hooked spines. These hooked spines catch any and everything that passes by, clinging to fur while being transported to a new location, allowing the Cocklebur to spread it’s seed far and wide. That’s a pretty neat trick, but not their only one. Each seed pod contains two seeds, one seed that will quickly germinate the following spring, while the other typically doesn’t germinate until the following year, increasing the chances that you’ll have to continue to deal with this nuisance no matter where you hunt.
An interesting fact about the Cocklebur is that it served as the inspiration behind Velcro. Velcro was invented by a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral in 1941 after returning from a hunting trip in the Field with both his dogs covered in Cockleburs. While pulling these little burs from the dogs’ fur, he inspected the Cocklebur’s hooked spines and realized their potential. He worked with skilled craftsmen to create a fabric with thousands of tiny hooks and another fabric with tiny loops so that when they came in contact, they grabbed and held each other.
If I let them, my dogs will eventually pull these burs out themselves, at least the ones they can reach. However, these burs can be extremely toxic to mammals if consumed, even in small quantities, and the spines can injure the mouth and/or stomach if swallowed. You and your dog would be much better served by placing the dog on your truck's tailgate after a day in the Field so you can inspect and remove any foreign objects, whether cockleburs, sticktights or other types of seeds. Even though these little burs are covered with hooked spines, you need to take precautions when removing them because they can still inflict pain. They make detangling products you can buy online or in pet stores, but I like to use cooking oil spray, like Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil. Just spray the tangled hairs with oil which helps the cockleburs to slide right out. You might have some troublesome areas where several burs have grouped together and embedded deep in the fur, just focus on getting one out at a time. For super tough areas, you might consider trimming with scissors or shears.
About the Author : Jeff Davis.
Visit authors website | View more articlesWhen I created Gundog Central, it was to help people place their hunting dogs in hunting homes. I want everyone to be successfully using the site, so l thought I'd try my hand at creating a few articles filled with knowledge and lessons I've learned over the years running this site. I'm certainly not a writer and I'm a terrible speller, and although I promise to make an effort to proofread and spellcheck these articles before I post them, you'll most likely find them riddled with grammatical errors. I don't know if I'd even really call them articles per say, more of a collection of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Gundog Central. Tips on how to sell your dogs and tricks on how to use the site. I have no plans to write any other articles, as I have great writers already contributing content to the site. My focus with these "articles" will be geared towards helping you be successful selling your dogs and marketing your kennel and services on Gundog Central.
