fitness

[dennned 172]

AS YOU SAID EVERYBODY'S METHODS ARE DIFFERENT, BUT THEY ALL HAVE TO DO THE SAME IN TERMS OF FITNESS, IM VERY LUCKY IN THAT IM ONLY A FEW MILES FROM A FORREST TRACK WHERE I LET THE DOGS OUT AND DRIVE ,BETWEEN 10 - 15 MPH WITH THE DOGS TROTTING BESIDE THE VAN, NOT ONLY ARE THE TROTTING BUT THEY ARE HUNTING IN AND OUT OF THE FORREST AS WE DRIVE , I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT ROAD WALKS ARE GREAT IN THAT IT IS A GREAT BONDING SESSION WITH YOUR DOG , BUT TO GIVE THE CARDIO VASCULAR EXERCISE A DOG NEEDS TO KEEP IT FIT YOU HAVE GOT TO KEEP THE DOG RUNNING TO BUILD STAMINA AND FITNESS

[skycat 6,173]

I'm lucky that I can bike my dogs off road: just on lead through the village to begin with then out on the tracks and commons: I've got 2 routes: one is about 8 miles, the other is 14 miles. they get the 8 mile route 2 or 3 times a wekk and the long route once a week if I'm up to it. Ther're trotting and cantering beside the bike and chasing the odd bunny and hunting up when we get near cover.

Even though my dogs are out bushing all year round the older ones don't do as much as the younger ones who are always tearing about keeping themselves fit. I really noticed the difference with one of my ultra laid back dogs after I'd biked her only 3 times: lost some weight (she's a fat little thing: lives on thin air) and her muscles really toned up.

 

Plus when an older dog gets unfit it takes a lot more to get it fit again and keep it fit. Summertime bushing for an hour or so just doesn't get those muscles and stamina up to peak fitness like continuous running by a bike does, where they just don't get the chance to stop and take it easy like they do on a mooch.

[bill88 6]

Running dogs are sprinters,so ideally they need to be able to get up to speed quick and maintain it for a resonably short period of time.Trotting behind a pushbike isn't doing anything for the dog As Wilf said the best form of exercise for a running dog is WORK i.e. running after its quarry.Sprinters train by doing lots of short fast runs,they don't go out pottering along for 4 or 5 miles.All roadwork would do for a dog is,knock a bit of weight off and tone the muscle,it won't improve cardio vascular,or muscle mass unless it was very intense (short and fast).

A guy near me keeps and race's greys,they never run,he just walks them 3 times a day.

Edited October 30, 2007 by bill88

[Guest SHOT]

As were talking about getting a dog right/ready i think road work is very benificial.

i,ll do it with lurchers and terriers in the few weeks before my season starts i see it as a bit of primeing..

once there out 2/3times a week i dont see the need.

[TOMO 26,611]

Running dogs are sprinters,so ideally they need to be able to get up to speed quick and maintain it for a resonably short period of time.Trotting behind a pushbike isn't doing anything for the dog As Wilf said the best form of exercise for a running dog is WORK i.e. running after its quarry.Sprinters train by doing lots of short fast runs,they don't go out pottering along for 4 or 5 miles.All roadwork would do for a dog is,knock a bit of weight off and tone the muscle,it won't improve cardio vascular,or muscle mass unless it was very intense (short and fast).

A guy near me keeps and race's greys,they never run,he just walks them 3 times a day.

 

never runs them. BEHAVE YA SELF. must greyhound men will put there diogs on a gallop at least a couple times a week, the one near me has one on his own property 350 yrd long rising up hill at the end.

 

trotting behind the bike or car impoves its stamminar , also behind the car you can speed up or take it slow, i will very often cover 2 miles in about 8 mins.

 

i do agree though , that at the end of it all , actual working is the best thing for fittnes

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

My two get a free run in my local park and swim in the river, for about two hours and sometimes I go out on the bike and they get a steady continous run for a couple miles.

[Guest SJM]

Work, work and then some more work. Roadwalking and biking add variety but cant substitute the real thing

[juckler123 707]

Deffinitely work but if your on about fitness for big rabbits and big land then roadwork with short bursts of speed is helpfull if your not getting distance in when your out local.

A lot of the old boys did it when i was younger and there dogs performed well enough even though that was about all the exercise they got except for the weekends .

I find it beneficial for when the dogs getting fit after a lay off thats the only time i ever put roadwork in just to get em fit before they go out.

I reckon you can do to much roadworking and would prefer hunting anytime but if its a bit of extra wind you need why not do a bit along with their usual routine.

[snoopdog 1,256]

Running dogs are sprinters,so ideally they need to be able to get up to speed quick and maintain it for a resonably short period of time.Trotting behind a pushbike isn't doing anything for the dog As Wilf said the best form of exercise for a running dog is WORK i.e. running after its quarry.Sprinters train by doing lots of short fast runs,they don't go out pottering along for 4 or 5 miles.All roadwork would do for a dog is,knock a bit of weight off and tone the muscle,it won't improve cardio vascular,or muscle mass unless it was very intense (short and fast).

A guy near me keeps and race's greys,they never run,he just walks them 3 times a day.

alright bill ...running dogs arnt just sprinters far from it ....racedogs are mostly just sprinters ...but not the lurcher they need stamina and plenty off it .....can a hundred meter sprinter run that hundred meters 5 10 or 20 times and still maintaine the speed he was doing in the first run no he cant because he will run out off wind ..simple as that you need to work on stamina ..unless of course you are happy with a few runs then home time... because when the dog gets tired he will start missing his quarry ..then its time to go home ........road work in imho is a important .....

[Royston2 0]

Pictures dont say feck all about a dogs fitness some dogs no matter how fit wont show definition as much as others will depending on the way they are bred you cant tell me that a picture of a muscular whippet grey and a picture of a toned saluki cross determins the individuals fitness thats bollocks i have a beddy grey first cross who is rough coated you cant tell her weight unless you stroke her let alone muscle tone and i have a saluki cross no matter how fit never shows her fitness through the eye...If my dogs are tireing when i dont think they should be i look in to the work they are getting if they tire they get more gradule work alot more if they are still fine after a good night i know all is well... This is my dogs i am talking about not all... other than what i was saying about physical appearance but even that isnt an oppinion thats fact...

[Giro 2,648]

royston bull shit even bull types with good muscle difenetion wont have ripped fore legs and chest might have half decent back legs but you can tell if a dogs fit by a pic fair play not a rough coated dog but smooths yes..

[lurcherchavvy 3]

i have tried bike riding with the dog but he sees cats and foxes while im riding and he pulls me off so i cant do that, no chance of me riding my dog in the car its too dangerous for me

 

i always go coursing on a sunday without a doubt, maybe twice a nights lamping during the week and me and my dad road walk the dogs every night for an hour or take them up the park or to some fields and they all chase each other constantly and that does ther stamina good as they dont stop running

[snoopdog 1,256]

your right in one respect ....muscel certaining dosent meen its fit ...black dogs or dark dogs are easy to get them looking fit because off the colour ......but it does give you an idea if there are in shape .....you can certainly tell if a dogs to heavy so when you see muscel you know it aint fat if you know what i mean ..apart from rough coated dogs which for obvious reasons you cant see there body structure because of there coat .........but just for hear say if i put two diffrent pics up of a dog one when......one before and one after ......then the pic says somthing royston but like i say your right it doesnt mean there fit it just means there not fat ..

[leec 132]

I BUSH MY DOGS 2 OR 3 TIMES A WEEK LAMP EVERY POSSIBLE NIGHT AND GIVE THEM ABIT BEHIND THE MOTOR ONE WAY IVE FOUND VERY EFFECTIVE IS LIKE SNOOP SAID TO SPEED LAMP ON THE BUNNYS EXERCISES EVERYTHING IN A DOG FROM ITS BRAIN DOWN AND SHARPENS THEM UP FOR BIG EARS LOADS OF WORK GETS UM RIGHT

[socks 32,253]

roysten is correct ... muscle definition is no guide to stamina ... yes it shows that the dog is in good nick and has good muscle tone which by the way is easily achieved with short high intensity training rather than the type of training needed to condition a dog for stamina ... however a dog that is over muscled and not fit will suffer with lactic acid build up and will cramp up before his hunting session is finished .... you need to give your dogs a cross training program to get them muscled up nicely for early pure speed and then the lungs to enable them to keep going ..............

 

MY WELL MUSCLED GREYHOUND THAT WAS AN OPEN CLASS WINNER AT 730 YARDS ........

 

 

MY 14 MONTH OLD FIRST CROSS COLLIE GREY ... SHE CAN RUN ALL DAY ......

 

 

A YOUNG BITCH I HAD IN FOR SOME CONDITIONING ..... BEFORE .........

 

 

AFTER ............