Conditioning tips..

So this is where I've gotten Folsom.. he's not exactly HOG fat.. but he's far from ripped either. I am walking him daily a mile.. my big problem is he has NO toy drive.. he has no interest in playing ball, flirt pole.. nothing. I am hoping that Stillwater will be getting some cow hides in soon.. and see if that will help. So what else besides walking can I do to help get him in some shape? I'm wanting to try my hand at showing him coming up..but I'd like to have him in alittle better shape. He's still a puppy.. 6/01/07 he'll be a year. Any suggestions?

This is Folsom in his new Stillwater collar. (thanks Shane! I like it alot)

 

does he pull on the leash at all? he has good bone structure but genetically his muscles look average. that just means more work for you but you should be able to get him there. i think a question of how to get him motivated for workouts is more in order. i use watcher's idea of getting china in shape by walking my other dog in front of her while my friend or mom walks her behind us. she pulls like a mule just to be next to me bc she always wants to be my center of attention. i tried walking her before and she just wants to walk by my side and cross over almost tripping me when i try to get her to gallop. find the motivation and you'll find a different dog than you thought you had.

 

I am searching for that motivation.. yeah he pulls on the leash when we walk.. and I tend to lean back a bit and sort of make him pull me.. trying to give him alittle extra work out.

 

well , unfortuantely you cant make a dog possess prey drive, IMO that is something they are born with. id suggest more hand walking or an e mill/ slat mill, something you can make him run on long enough to make a difference.

 

He has a prey drive.. but its got to be something alive i guess... he chases the cats, he chases a rabbit. Just no interest in toys.

I've been considering getting a weighted harness and walking him with it.

 

the weighted harness may help a bit. And once you get sme hides that may spark his interest in the flirtpole or springpole. Try taking him hiking where there are alot of steep inclines and declines. Great workout for ya both!

 

Run with him 8-10 miles daily. it'll be good for both of you. usually these dogs are eager to work.

 

Walk 2 miles a day, and run or ride your bike with him or something. Also for the playing with flirt pole try and get an old rag, or some rabbit fur, and put some yummy stuff on it like peanut butter, or something your dog loves.

 

i would suggest walking him along with an other dog, and have you tried swimming ? i quess everyone said their op and this is mine . hope it will work out .

 

Hell get a live chicken. Bet he'll have some drive then.

Seriously though, my friend is having the same problem with his dog.
Since I put up my new spring pole, a buddy of mine also put one up, but his dog tugged on it for a second but once it sprung up in the air he ran. Now he justs sniffs at it and what not.

We're going to bring Maximus(my dog) over to get down on his spring pole in front of his dog and we're hoping that maybe his dog will get the idea and be more interested.

If you have another dog that is driven you could try that.

 

ahhhh, i see. yeah, you should try some hide strips or some type of wild fur. im sure there are plenty of critters running around your neck of the woods

 

My dog got scared of the springpole too first time, after a couple months she went crazy on it. Some dogs, just aren't mentally ready for springpoles, flirt poles, etc. So your dogs, prey drive will eventually come up. imo

 

If you want to get him cut and in a fast time, run em , start of with a short distance and gradually increase ,do it every other day, use a slat mill or even better yet you run with him, youll see him get cut in no time.

 

still isn't going to be that hard.all you can do with him lots of handwalking,running,swiming is gret for them and burns a lot of fat off them treadmill and maybe a cat mill might be in order for you.but word of advice with the cat mill make sure it fits him right and always be there with him don;t even leave to go get a drink or anything like that.dogs can take flight pretty quick and get hurt or never go near it again if not watched and done right.now since he likes to chase cats this is in your favor.take a cat and put it into a cage and there ya go instant drive he will run like the dickens on the mills and the cat will be fine at the end of the day.if you don't want to use your housecat go to the pound and adopt one thats healthy and give it a good home.and the longer your cat goes round and round on the catmill or sits in front of your dog on the treadmill it will more than likely go right to sleep.but all and all the dog looks fine to me i have seen folks work their asses off to get a dog to the point yours is at right now,so don't worry to much if he doesn't get no better no big deal he is a real looker right now.

 

Thanks for the nice comments about Folsom.. he's the sweetest natured dog I've ever seen.. almost too sweet at times..lol. I am going to continue to walk him.. take him up to the fenced in ball field and run around with him. As soon as I can get some plans for a mill I have someone that will build it for me. i noticed today I can really see his muscle tone when he's running.. but can't see it much when he's still.. I guess he's still got alot of that loose puppy skin or what have you. Anyway thanks alot! I am going to try alittle bit from everyone.. and I'll post up some pics here and there of his progress.

 

don't you think that is a bit excessive for everyday workouts? maybe 3 times a week. the dog would burnout on that if done everyday i think.

 

8-10 miles free handwalking is not at all excessive for an animal in top-condition. There is no substitute for hard work, and I truthfully believe you will not overwork an animal free working (no weights) with your own legs. We've incorporated bicycles, atv's, rc cars, just about anything to get maximum workouts out of a dog. However, we're still back to walking them ourselves. It's not so much an issue if the dog can do it, its can you, and are you dedicated enough to get out and hoof it for 3+ hours a night. One mile, is basically just a warm-up, you won't see the results you need to out of that.

ETA-an example. When I started getting serious about walking them, and left the bikes and other toys in the garage, I remember the first one took 2 hours to get to what is now about 1/4 of a regular days work, and I was sore and suffering to make it. After a few weeks, we were passing that mark in less then 30 minutes, and completing 3-4 times the work in those 2 hours, and finally up to 3-4 hours a day putting that original mark to shame. My partner walks the dogs with me, on days when I can't make it. Putting a marker at your maximum distance, before turning around, to have your partner beat it the next day, move the marker up a mile or so, is really good competition to ensure your getting in what you need to, and not slacking. At the distances we are hitting now, we work the dogs 4-5 times a week, without overworking them. We work dragging weights in as well, that is the only time we conserve ourselves, and don't walk the "normal" distance, because that will possibly overwork the dog. However, we are dragging weights for distances which far surpass the distance it took 2 hours to hit the first couple nights free handwalking. No treadmills, no atv's or motorized vehicles, until you've seen it, you will not believe the benefits in handwalking one on a 30' lead for a few hours a night.

 

man its funny I just read this. I just got back from a 2 mile walk. I walked 2 dog 2 miles each seperately. This is a hell of a workout for me just think about the dogs.

 

hey rock, now couldn't all that free walking be substituted for mill work, im just thinking that if u get a dog that will run hard on a mill then it would be easier on u and work the dog in less time than by hand walking.

 

Along with changing his diet to high protein with amino-acid supplement, do this....purchase a used electric treadmill from the local thrift store or in the paper, frame it with wood walls (2.5 feet high), and incline the mill to 45 degree angle. Allow the dog to walk slow for a few days to get adjusted then gradually increase the time and speed. But never have the dog run at all out sprint pace (joint stress). The incline of the mill places primary stress on the hind muscles, and secondary on the shoulders. This will also increase his cardio. Within 3 weeks you will see a difference.