Getting Them Fit.

[dillydog 8,463]

 

received_10208960783764306.jpeg

I don't keep many pictures but just to prove a point

Did you drop 50p D. LOL

My reputation goes before me

[jake824 517]

 

 

 

Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Men in condition do not tire. [/size]

 

Lt. General Patton March 6, 1944[/size]

Anthropomorphozize, seeing human characteristics in an animal.

They don't need what you think they need, they've got to be happy in the head more than hard in the body

Some of us expect a lot from our dogs.

If you want to excuse your own lack of effort to help a dog reach it's full potential that's your own business. But if you've never had a terrier fully fit and conditioned you can't know what you're talking about.

I hear Dilly spends more time with them than he s letting on. He puts plenty time in his pups and pampers his old dogs on the sofa . Mines curled up by my feet as I type .

[dillydog 8,463]

On the sofa, not a bike

[jiggy 3,209]

 

Some lads think that training them like a pitbull in a keep is going to benifit a terrier but it can be over done to the point of exhaustion. A Bull terrier is built up and trained to peak on a certain day and after that it goes backwards. An average to good standard of fitness ( not a fat dog) will be enough for a terrier to start with, then work will put him in the condition he needs to be in and after hard work a dog could lose a few pounds of condition and need good food and rest to regain that condition not a marathon run that will slow down recovery. If the dog has a good back on him but not overweight or thin then it's a telltale sign that he has a good muscle mass and is good to go.

And old friend.old man he's passed on now.used to do alot with apbt around the country.

I'm not exercising my dogs any were near the condition that his dogs were in.feck a little trot on the bike they are having mun lol.

again I'm not talking about you I'm generalising. SO STOP BEEN PARANOID. Ha ha only kidding?

[neil cooney 10,416]

 

What I've noticed over the years and it's only my opinion is that very, very fit terriers that are not getting much work can not only be a pain in the ass but a liability. They'll look for fights and bark when in the kennels.

The one thing good honest workers need is work to keep them happy. If that's not always possible then they definitely need mental stimulation. Some ratting or bushing a few times a week will see a better happier terrier than one that's looking at the back wheel of a bike for an hour a day.

As for threadmills and walkers etc. they have a different job and getting working terriers fit enough for the countryside is not that job.

The 6 Mile jog by the side of the bike doesent take long at all to be honest neil.flat lanes the distance is soon covered.

Then the dogs are in the yard in the day.

And either up the woods up the road or over the estate fields were the lurcher and bushing terrier have an hour or 2 bushing. bitch border x jrt has gone under a few times but can be called back out.

But the pat is kept on the lead as the keeper is keen on the gun apparently so I don't want him to ground with a keeper about.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'd much rather see terriers kept highly fit than those poor tykes that get stuck in a kennel all week except for 3 hours on a Sunday morning and when they're not able for the job get rid of by their lazy owners.

But when I say that very fit terriers can be a pain in the ass I mean that as a tip for those who don't need a yapper on their yard. They mightn't realise it but the terrier could be the way he is because of the owners good intentions.

You'd be amazed how much work a terrier could do if the only exercise he got was a 45 minute ramble around a few fields every day as well as being let out for a piss every hour or two.

Another thing regarding short cuts when it comes to getting dogs fit. Bikes, threadmills and walkers don't get a terrierman fit. That's something to bear in mind.

[neil cooney 10,416]

Same as gun dogs when it not shooting season they get fed less and once start working they get fed a bit more as they burn more energy, I like my terriers kept on the fatter side as 4-6 hours under ground they come out a lot thinner than they went in, mine get a walk along road morning and night to empty them selfs nothing more, if they look skinny I feed them more if they look fat I cut there food, just wish someone would cut my food!

 

Same as gun dogs when it not shooting season they get fed less and once start working they get fed a bit more as they burn more energy, I like my terriers kept on the fatter side as 4-6 hours under ground they come out a lot thinner than they went in, mine get a walk along road morning and night to empty them selfs nothing more, if they look skinny I feed them more if they look fat I cut there food, just wish someone would cut my food!

Yep, same as that. Always an extra pound or two on them in case they get left in overnight.

[fagaen 282]

 

 

What I've noticed over the years and it's only my opinion is that very, very fit terriers that are not getting much work can not only be a pain in the ass but a liability. They'll look for fights and bark when in the kennels.

The one thing good honest workers need is work to keep them happy. If that's not always possible then they definitely need mental stimulation. Some ratting or bushing a few times a week will see a better happier terrier than one that's looking at the back wheel of a bike for an hour a day.

As for threadmills and walkers etc. they have a different job and getting working terriers fit enough for the countryside is not that job.

 

The 6 Mile jog by the side of the bike doesent take long at all to be honest neil.flat lanes the distance is soon covered.

Then the dogs are in the yard in the day.

And either up the woods up the road or over the estate fields were the lurcher and bushing terrier have an hour or 2 bushing. bitch border x jrt has gone under a few times but can be called back out.

But the pat is kept on the lead as the keeper is keen on the gun apparently so I don't want him to ground with a keeper about.

Don't get me wrong. I'd much rather see terriers kept highly fit than those poor tykes that get stuck in a kennel all week except for 3 hours on a Sunday morning and when they're not able for the job get rid of by their lazy owners.

But when I say that very fit terriers can be a pain in the ass I mean that as a tip for those who don't need a yapper on their yard. They mightn't realise it but the terrier could be the way he is because of the owners good intentions.

You'd be amazed how much work a terrier could do if the only exercise he got was a 45 minute ramble around a few fields every day as well as being let out for a piss every hour or two.

Another thing regarding short cuts when it comes to getting dogs fit. Bikes, threadmills and walkers don't get a terrierman fit. That's something to bear in mind.

my thoughts exactly the dogs are not the only ones benefiting from a walk us overweight shovel leaners could do with the excercise

[Bryan 1,362]

Shall we keep up with the pissing competition ?

I don't mean you've got to keep them under lock and key, what I'm trying to say is they don't need the fitness levels of a running dog

 

Pissing contest??? I win.

 

See my picture with the old guy holding the dog? That's the picture of the dig, she pulled it out. Pulled 2 that day and about 1 in 3 all her working life.

 

Maybe you've never had them fit enough to do that for you?

 

Just to say I'm not being too serious above but I think the benefits to a terrier being fully fit are huge.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Bryan

[stop.end 4,079]

 

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Men in condition do not tire.” [/size]

 

Lt. General Patton March 6, 1944[/size]

Anthropomorphozize, seeing human characteristics in an animal.

They don't need what you think they need, they've got to be happy in the head more than hard in the body

 

100% bang on... a terrier can be conditioned to the highest order...that means absolutely nothing if his brains not wired right.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Pulling foxes ain't nothing new and is frankly a pain in the arse .Gave a few away for that very reason .

[the goat 642]

 

 

Same as gun dogs when it not shooting season they get fed less and once start working they get fed a bit more as they burn more energy, I like my terriers kept on the fatter side as 4-6 hours under ground they come out a lot thinner than they went in, mine get a walk along road morning and night to empty them selfs nothing more, if they look skinny I feed them more if they look fat I cut there food, just wish someone would cut my food!

Same as gun dogs when it not shooting season they get fed less and once start working they get fed a bit more as they burn more energy, I like my terriers kept on the fatter side as 4-6 hours under ground they come out a lot thinner than they went in, mine get a walk along road morning and night to empty them selfs nothing more, if they look skinny I feed them more if they look fat I cut there food, just wish someone would cut my food!

Yep, same as that. Always an extra pound or two on them in case they get left in overnight.

 

That extra pound or two might cause the overnight stay due to it being tight?

[neil cooney 10,416]

Hasn't happened yet Goat. Fit not fat.

[p3d 879]

Getting terriers fit isn't really a topic that's mentioned at all on here.And neither is diet.i haven't bought a tin of dog food for over 20yrs only raw diet the dogs get

I'm biking my bull x 6 Miles a day on country lanes.

I hardly turn a pedal he pulls me there and back.

The terrier is also biked 6 miles a day.

Then 2 Mile walk in the evening.

I've allways enjoyed getting the dogs fit.

And can't wait for the temp to start dropping in August to really get the fitness levels up.

What's your methods of getting your terriers fit.

For the coming season.

I know there's lads out there who dont do any fitness not even walking the terriers.

And expect them to work hard for hrs on end on a day out.

You aint going to finish the London marathon if you've spent 6 months on the couch.

Then turn up at the start line.

 

King,

Credit to you for putting the effort into your dogs.

 

It is interesting to hear the different advice form everyone about fitness levels required for hunting.

At one end you get lads who believe the terriers physical fitness does not really matter.

The other end want their dogs to be as fit as they can have them.

 

If their is a way to judge which system works best? One way is probably on wastage from litters.

How many pups from a litter end up working? Assuming that the pups are bred from good lines.

Can we judge the methods based on performance.

 

If a man keeps his terriers isolated in kennels and never exercises them, feeds them crap BUT the pups all work well.

Do we credit that method?

 

My own opinion is that if I am gifted a pup from good working stock.

In 18 months when I meet the breeder I should bring a fit and healthy dog into the field.

I would guess that most good breeders would look at the dog and know if I did my job.

 

More than just physically but also mentally the dog should be ready for work.

The mental development of the terrier involves a different set of skills.

 

Someone once said that you should never give advice to terriermen.

The smart guys don't need it and

The stupid guys won't take it.

[king 11,972]

Interesting post that mate.

But on the other hand if the breeder is the non walking the dogs type and feeds crap.

Maybe he wont see what work you have put into the dog taking the dog into the field.

Maybe my mind set is trying my best by the dogs both with mental stimulation and plenty of exercise.

Hoping I'm tipping the scales in my favour when the dog is ready for work.

But the views are very mixed so who knows.

[Rory4 267]

How can a terrier be be too fit?

 

The job will be easier for a fit terrier than a unfit terrier. Biking, chasing a ball, mooching and swimming in the summer in between working.

 

A hard long tight dig for a Terrier can't be easy and a life saving dig could give you more time if the dog was physically fit, lungs and heart well worked from plenty of exercise. Would a fit terriers body use oxygen more efficiently?