Trotting Alongside Bike...

[troter58 1,711]

work work and more work that is why a dog is called working fit you can run that dog all you like behind the bike but it will not be working fit the more you get her out doing the job she is bred for the fitter she will get you will see the difference in her when she is proper fit on the lamp should go all night for you my dog is worked every day on rabbits and on the lamp two /three times a week and rested in between.atb

[inan 841]

 

 

You dont have to do them sort of miles GD. 4/5mile would be enough steady pace with a few sprints

 

 

But at this time of yr you souldnt really need too be fitting her up ^{(unless shes been lame?)} . Work work and work this time of yr and a few days of decent rest IMO would be better for her than 10/12 miles on the bike...

I won't lie mate, I thought she WAS fit. My fit anyways. Lamp a few rabbits here and there. Run the odd daytime rabbit.

 

Until a bloke off here took me out and put some game in front of her. She was fooked. Proper let me down.

 

I know it's the wrong time to be getting her fit but I will keep it up through the summer and keep mooching about and then by September she will be ready for what he's got to show us :-)

We've all been there.....

 

 

10/12 miles still too IMO tho id be trying for more 4/6 buts thats just my way. I know you know the importance of decent grub. So come july step it up and by Sept she should be ready for it and throw her at as much as you can and decent rest souldnt go far wrong.....

 

...

I used to build up to 6 miles, inside 50 mins ,doubled up with an hours free running/ bushing, but that was for competitive running . Start around July and slowly build it up, couple of miles to start.

Careful not to wear down the pads.

Surgical spirit to harden them off.

Vary it with some bushing/ lamping. If the dog is looking flat.

I think a steady bike pace is better than flat out,and kinder to their pads too.

 

Only problems I found were cats, and dogs stopping for a piss. Been thrown off a few times,when they've suddenly changed direction or stopped dead. Once the dog is fit and running regularly, say twice a week, it needs just walks on some nice pasture, and as much rest as it looks for.imo.

[socks 32,253]

 

I used a lure when I was into the greyhounds and I ALWAYS let the dog catch the lure ... If they believe they can catch it they will put that extra effort into catching it ... You just increase the distance to work them harder ... I'm luck hat I live in the middle of nowhere and my main road is a farm track ... I quad the dogs 3 or 4 times a week ... All different terrains hills flat and obviously they run whatever they put up ... I can work them hard and fast intermittently for a mile then give them an easy 7 mph for the next mile then sprint them then let them mooch etc ... Obviously not everybody has the luxury of being able to do this so you have to work with what you have got and think and work out a sensible regime for the dogs and start at a sensible level for the dog ... Tilly the pup gets 5 miles a day free walking and won't see the quad until she is 6 months of age ........

Interesting about catching the lure every time......i believe all dogs are made different mentally and so theres not a right and wrong way about doing it......but in my experience allowing a dog to catch the lure more than about once every 3 or 4 sessions leads to a notciceable loss in the intensity a dog puts in..........im a firm believer in that your not just conditioning the body your conditioning the mind as well.....maybe with running dogs its not to a peak but still you want a dog that when it comes to the crunch is 100 % concentrated and focused........allowing a dog to catch a lure maybe every 3 or 4 sessions ive always felt leaves a dog with a heightened desire to get it next time which in turn leads to a far more intense workout where the dogs not just going through the motions before he gets the prize that he knows is coming.

That was just one aspect of the training and as i said the distance would be increased so the dog had to work harder to get the lure it was never given on a plate ... The lure work was combined with the dogs getting live runs also and that was never a guaranteed catch for them ... But as I said it was just one part of their training cycle ........