"This kind of a vest also gives the dog some chest and stomach protection," Wilson said. "That's critical if you're hunting in real brushy areas, and it's great for females to protect the underbelly, especially if you have a dog that's recently had a litter of pups."

Then there are vests specifically for waterfowl retrievers. In the story recounted earlier about Max, his owner had to strong-arm him by the collar to get him up over the side of the boat. However, today's neoprene dog vests serve as insulation from the cold, and offer convenient "handholds" for helping a tired and wet dog into the boat. Some vests offer both flotation and warmth, while others offer only flotation. In colder climes, you obviously want a vest that offers both, and be sure you get one that is cut to provide "handles" to help lift the dog into the boat.

Some vests have a heavy "skid plate" in the chest area of the dog for protection.

"This is especially good if you have a hard-driving retriever that charges into the water," Wilson offered. "If you're hunting an area such as a beaver pond, you have no idea what's under the water. A vest with a heavy skid plate offers protection for the dog and adds the warmth of the neoprene."

The key to a good vest for a waterfowl dog is warmth, particularly when you get into the middle of winter.

"I shudder when I see people out with their Labs in the winter and they don't even give them a vest," he said. "Dogs can get hypothermia, and they can't tell you they're cold. It's hard to tell when a dog is really cold, because some of them shiver with excitement."

When it comes to waterfowl hunting, some of the most basic protective gear is a piece of wood and a couple of wool blankets.

"We hunt from an aluminum boat, and aluminum conducts cold," Wilson pointed out. "So I built a wooden box for my dog to keep him off the aluminum. I put a wool blanket on the box for him to sit on, and after he shakes off, he gets up on the blanket and I throw another blanket over him. He stays there until it's time for him to go out again."

One thing to look for in a kit for dogs is a card with some basic canine first aid instructions.

Depending on where you're hunting, you might want to consider "boots" for your dog.

"For the most part, dogs don't need boots," Wilson said. "But when we hunt in some places in the middle of the winter, snow is a problem for the dogs, particularly the bigger-footed dogs. In some cases, if you don't boot the dogs, they get giant ice balls between their toes, and their feet crack and start to bleed. When I'm going to be hunting in 3 or 4 inches of snow, the boots go on."

Another place where you might want to consider boots is in dry or rocky areas where there are numerous sandspurs and other thorny or prickly vegetation.