Training off-season

[CockerCanuck]

Well my dogs get an off leash walk twice a day. They certainly enjoy it but don't get 10% as excited as they do when they see me throw the bucket of dummies in the back of the truck. If you asked them if they wanted a day off or to go training, training would win hands down! I don't beleive they need a break from it unless you are putting them under a lot of pressure.

[Naj]

Yeah, stuck in a kennel or stuck on a leash for half the year. The sad lot of many a ‘trained’ dog. And top athletes keep themselves fit, active and engaged. Dogs are totally reliant on us, even though we may feel like we need a good rest at the end of the season.

[newf]

I agree with CC, Naj and Judy way, way back. Off leash exercise (free run in my case even where there is game) I believe, it is only fair treatment to a healthy dog. If we're not trialing, I think all the working dog stuff is not precision based. Yes, it requires an obedient dog or many, but, daily interaction where one always maintains an acceptable standard of obedience has to be good for bonding, fitness and socializing. This leash walking is alright, if it's the only thing available but personally, it drives me crazy. I love the sight of my animals running, checking scents, discovering carrion and getting dirty, after all, that and hunting over them is why I'm a dog owner.

PS. I take my dogs out twice a day when not hunting. So, when out it's either free running or a bit of fun based skill training of some kind. And this is the caveat, all of it is basically fun, unless someone doesn't listen.

[chrokeva]

I try to keep training all year mostly because I really enjoy training and I think my dogs do too. It can be difficult to keep it fresh with my older finished dogs though.
I will do a lot of water work, piles, lucky launchers and handling drills. I will also do some work on pattern with live birds when possible. I also find training with a group most beneficial in the off season.

[Naj]

I think I’ve just found the solution to exercising a dog out of season ... Car Walking!! I kid you not. Took the dogs out this morning and noticed a car on the road at the top of our track acting strangely. It was crawling along the road and on closer scrutiny the owner’s dog was trotting beside it. Whenever another car came along the back door opened and the dog hopped back in. The worlds gone mad.

Naj

[Judy]

Grief! I know someone who used to let their dog out when they got to their property, it would go off hunting and meet them at the house. One day they got it wrong when it burst out of the woods and ran straight under the car.

[munstyman]

I use to do that with my first Munster coming home from shows. There was a straight mile of road into the village, hardly used so I liked to give her a run after being cooped up in the car for one or two hours. The trouble was, being German and female she didn't like to lose, so after the first few times she knew what was coming and it became a race. ( No automatic tail gates in them days ) So from release till me getting back in the car she had a fair head start I would catch her up before half way and ran along side her for the rest till she flagged near the end. Had to stop when the smart arse figured out if she ran in the middle of the track I couldn't overtake her

[crackerd]

Go ahead with the rest of the story, munsty, now that your cover's been blown. You were h*llbent on infiltrating White City and the English Greyhound Derby with Munsters and just look what's become of the old track!

I use to do that with my first Munster coming home from shows. There was a straight mile of road into the village, hardly used so I liked to give her a run after being cooped up in the car for one or two hours. The trouble was, being German and female she didn't like to lose, so after the first few times she knew what was coming and it became a race. ( No automatic tail gates in them days ) So from release till me getting back in the car she had a fair head start I would catch her up before half way and ran along side her for the rest till she flagged near the end. Had to stop when the smart arse figured out if she ran in the middle of the track I couldn't overtake her

[munstyman]

She was my only one that quickly learnt it was pointless to chase hares ( Unless in a Trial under the cover of sugarbeet ) So would only of been any good at White City if they allowed me to park the Subaru behind her

[CockerCanuck]

There is an annual pheasant hunt (more of a slaughter) on Pelee Island in Lake Erie. In my youth I use to go each year. The night before the "hunt" the tavern attached to the only hotel on the island was a pretty wild affair with hunters from Canada and the USA mingling, drinking too much and bragging up their dogs. One year I met an orange clad gentleman who was about 5 1/2 feet tall and about 6' wide. He was at least 400lbs. He talked about how much he enjoyed the hunt and how good his black lab was. I kept my mouth shut but was surprised he could walk more than a few hundred feet.

Late the next afternoon a friend and I were walking back to our rented cabin along a county lane, birds in our bag and dogs at heel. From behind us came a small hatch back car with the back open. (Not sure if you had them in UK it was an AMC Pacer, billed as the first WIDE small car). As he passed us I saw it was our large friend from the evening before. His black dog was in the back as were several pheasants. Just after he passed us we saw the break lights come on and the muzzle of a shotgun come out of the car window pointed into the field beside the road. At the report the Lab jumped out the open hatchback picked up a dead cock bird and jumped back into the back of the car.

It appeared our large friend did all his shooting without ever need to even step out of the vehicle