conditioning

[Dan Edwards 1,134]

How do you know when you are conditioning your dog too much and huntin them too much?

 

How do yall like your dogs too look as far as muscling and conditioning go?

[Guest 2GOOD]

How do you know when you are conditioning your dog too much and huntin them too much?

 

How do yall like your dogs too look as far as muscling and conditioning go?

they let you know in their own way ,but only a good dog person will see them telling you ,as you should know dan .

[poacherman 353]

a reckon you could work your lurcher everyday. its proberly best to get out with your lurcher as much as ye can because they can loss there sharpness. ave realised this with mine that season. when a had her out 5 or 6 times a week she was doing great. now am only managing to get her out once or twice and shes not as sharp as she was. if you can get your lurcher out constant and on quarry all the time you will have yourself a top dog. a dont realy think about muscle on my dog, if you work it often you will have a strong fit dog that can do the job

 

atb poacherman

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

How do you know when you are conditioning your dog too much and huntin them too much?

 

How do yall like your dogs too look as far as muscling and conditioning go?

 

Very interesting question mate

 

I have found when my dogs are being worked very hard everyday, they need extra fat and carbohydrate to keep their muscle up and a fine layer of fat over their ribs. The first place I notice wastage is around the loins and hips. Once I start to really see the bone poking out then I know I have to increase their food. I am referring more in relation to the greyhound types. But some Saluki types have leaner muscles anyways.

 

Now my collie hybrid puts on fat like a.... collie, so I feed him less and he can work all day. He starts the days work with a decent layer of fat under his pelt and by evening its all gone. He is like a Camel!

 

You will know when a dog has had enough when it starts loosing concentration and generally just wants a lay down.

 

I find if the dog was worked very hard the day before and you see maybe you pushed him too hard then just giving him a days rest with extra quality food. He will be back in even better form the next day you are out.

 

So I guess watching their muscle, fat, and mind are the main indicators.

 

I have pushed my greyhound to her limit, going all day 16 miles round trip with hunting in-between, and she took it. because I worked her up to it and fed her correctly.

 

Keep them fit, keen and confident

Edited April 8, 2010 by cúagusgiorraí

[skycat 6,173]

Top answer there: one of the most sensible posts I have read, and I'd agree completely.

 

But a lot depends on what sort of work a dogs does as well: like hare coursing, running in top gear for several minutes at a time and several times in a day really takes it out of a dog: even when fully fit I wouldn't want to do that more than twice a week: it really takes time for the muscles etc to recover. Many's the dog that has been over run on hares and dumped/passed on as a jacker when all the dog needed was a bit of rest and better food.

 

If your'e talking about pack hunting that is a totally different thing as the work load is spread throughout the pack and dogs can take a breather, slowing down every now and again and letting another dog/s do the hard hunting. Like mooching with a mixed pack of terriers and lurchers: I notice that as the day goes on each dog will slow down temporarily, maybe trotting beside me, but always watching the others to see what they're doing, then after a few moments they dive back into the cover again.

 

If a dog stays by my side then I know it's had enough, though many dogs are on such a high that they will push themselves over their limit, though as long as the dog isn't continually wanting to lie down it should be able to walk home on a lead. I've never run a dog so hard that it had to be carried off the field: where's the merit in that? Just uses up the life batteries too fast and shortens the dog's working life.

 

You can't even say that because the dog bounces out of the kennel the next morning after a hard day that it is fit to go out: anyone who has ever really pushed themselves athletically/physically knows that the next day you can feel fine until it comes to hard work all over again, and then you may find that your'e still tired after only a half hour's work. It's the same with dogs: their natural enthusiasm/drive makes them forget their tiredness to begin with, but they quickly fade if they're not fit enough or still tired from previous work.

 

I never run my dogs very light as I like them to have reserves to draw on if the need arises: dogs run too much on the edge are likely to fade quickly, though a lot depends on the breeding. A lot depends on the dog's age as well: young dogs have more in the tank than old dogs who tire quicker and need more rest to refill the energy tank.

[turnout 7]

as they say doin the job keeps them fit very true but the extra road work always helps and my lurch is the best trainin partner ive ever had we do 5 miles 3 times a week!

[rickyspringer 15]

with anything rest is just as important as exercise, work the dog accordingly and you will know the dogs boundaries..

 

great responses from skycat & Cuagusgiorrai

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

Well said Skycat

 

sounds like an interesting topic for an article

 

[the bullcross man 6]

How do you know when you are conditioning your dog too much and huntin them too much?

 

How do yall like your dogs too look as far as muscling and conditioning go?

 

Very interesting question mate

 

I have found when my dogs are being worked very hard everyday, they need extra fat and carbohydrate to keep their muscle up and a fine layer of fat over their ribs. The first place I notice wastage is around the loins and hips. Once I start to really see the bone poking out then I know I have to increase their food. I am referring more in relation to the greyhound types. But some Saluki types have leaner muscles anyways.

 

Now my collie hybrid puts on fat like a.... collie, so I feed him less and he can work all day. He starts the days work with a decent layer of fat under his pelt and by evening its all gone. He is like a Camel!

 

You will know when a dog has had enough when it starts loosing concentration and generally just wants a lay down.

 

I find if the dog was worked very hard the day before and you see maybe you pushed him too hard then just giving him a days rest with extra quality food. He will be back in even better form the next day you are out.

 

So I guess watching their muscle, fat, and mind are the main indicators.

 

I have pushed my greyhound to her limit, going all day 16 miles round trip with hunting in-between, and she took it. because I worked her up to it and fed her correctly.

 

Keep them fit, keen and confident

 

 

i completely agree no more needs to be said

[Kye 77]

Dan, that lads back home are not used to how you hunt mate,...

If you had two more dogs on your yard that could share the work load, i think you would get great results!...your dogs are fed good, and they see MORE than enough work!...they are very fit mate, but on the game you run, on your ground, with your regularity, they could do with a little more rest i think mate,...i could be wrong, wont be the first time!..lol.

 

kye,..

[taz2010 1,297]

When ya have dogs long enough mate you will know and they will let ya know there your companion mate

[nicklpool 0]

How do you know when you are conditioning your dog too much and huntin them too much?

 

How do yall like your dogs too look as far as muscling and conditioning go?

 

Very interesting question mate

 

I have found when my dogs are being worked very hard everyday, they need extra fat and carbohydrate to keep their muscle up and a fine layer of fat over their ribs. The first place I notice wastage is around the loins and hips. Once I start to really see the bone poking out then I know I have to increase their food. I am referring more in relation to the greyhound types. But some Saluki types have leaner muscles anyways.

 

Now my collie hybrid puts on fat like a.... collie, so I feed him less and he can work all day. He starts the days work with a decent layer of fat under his pelt and by evening its all gone. He is like a Camel!

 

You will know when a dog has had enough when it starts loosing concentration and generally just wants a lay down.

 

I find if the dog was worked very hard the day before and you see maybe you pushed him too hard then just giving him a days rest with extra quality food. He will be back in even better form the next day you are out.

 

So I guess watching their muscle, fat, and mind are the main indicators.

 

I have pushed my greyhound to her limit, going all day 16 miles round trip with hunting in-between, and she took it. because I worked her up to it and fed her correctly.

 

Keep them fit, keen and confident

 

 

 

Bit off-topic so apologies, but:

beautiful pic mate - where's it taken (roughly)?

Nick

[Dan Edwards 1,134]

Some very good answers here gents. I really appreciate all of them. I aint no rookie at all when it comes to dogs but just wanted a little discussion on this topic. I have a hard time fully understanding all of this conditioning stuff cause I just wanna "GO GO GO" and I dont think it always works all that well. My biggest problem is that I try and treat these dogs like I would a coon dog or a coyote dog and it just aint possible. Try and put that never quit mentality into a dog that was made to sprint and it just dont work all that well. Thanks again gentlemen, I really appreciate and by all means dont stop now.

[romany52 313]

When I ran Fen dogs, twice a week was plenty for them ,they would go down there looking a tad over weight, but come back looking too thin.

Edited March 31, 2010 by romany52

[UphillDoc 278]

Some very good answers here gents. I really appreciate all of them. I aint no rookie at all when it comes to dogs but just wanted a little discussion on this topic. I have a hard time fully understanding all of this conditioning stuff cause I just wanna "GO GO GO" and I dont think it always works all that well. My biggest problem is that I try and treat these dogs like I would a coon dog or a coyote dog and it just aint possible. Try and put that never quit mentality into a dog that was made to sprint and it just dont work all that well. Thanks again gentlemen, I really appreciate and by all means dont stop now.

 

 

Dan-You ment coon HOUND and coyote HOUND vs your running dogs (stags). No matter how much road work you give a running dog it will never have the endurance of a trail hound, because they wont hunt in that lope your conditioning them in. Too much work will take away some of their sprint speed and recovery ability, IMO. Do all your conditioning preseason...you hunt more than enough during the season for the stags to stay fit! Remember if you can work the mouth off a bulldog, and the cut out of a rooster, than you can sure work the catch out of a stag...

 

Take care.