questions about working a dog for w-p

hi

my questions are:

how to work a dog for weight pull and be shure not to wack life sustaining fat (i mean in a keep to prepare a dog for a w-p show).

also im interested to know about lactit acids, how it works for w-p, when the come in play, what do they do, how to reduce them?

thanks in advanced

 

have you ever competed with the dog that you are referring to with the conditioning, or is this dog just beginning his pull career? I think that, and the age of the dog are important info to know before answering the 1st question...

As for the second, in regard to lactic acid build up there are several ways to reduce the build up.

First, lactic acid is produced when glucose is burned as energy duing exercise. If you are working at a low enough intensity o2 will convert that into carbon dioxide and water and it will be released through the circulatory system. High intensity work causes not enough oxygen to circulate and therefore this waste is left in the muscles causing that burning sensation. Imagine a 400m sprinter hitting the wall at the 325-350m mark...lol.

The first step in reducing this is proper hydration/nutrition. Make sure the dog stays properly hydrated and does not overheat. There are several theories as to when to feed and what before/after a workout, and all of thus discussion can be found on the forum. I beleive that twice a day feedings space 12 hours apart are best. The 2nd meal is given after the dog has fully recovered from the workout. I do know some guys that will feed the first meal fully as "supplement" to make sure that the dogs stomach is light all day and he gets his nutrients while burning less energy through digestion.
Secondly, is a proper warm-up, cool down, and rub down. This will deal with lactic acid build up. Also...and most importantly is to know your dog. Bring them along slowly, and know what their current conditioning will allow. If he's sluggish he needs more rest...dogs have bad days just like we do!

Finally, repitition and exercise specific workouts reduce lactic acid production. THis is the easiest one because obviously if we are training a dog to pull...he has been pulling...Alternate low intensity (dragging less weight over longer distance) with high intensity (heavier weights shorter distances but never less than about 20 ft to make sure he'll never quit on a pull he can make)...good luck!

 

thanks a lot for the reply
she is starting her carrer, she is 10 month old and i have time, and thats why i asked, since i have a bit of time to learn more before getting serious training, i dont charge her for the moment but do drag pull, i prefer wait a couple of months before working weights.
but the conditioning thing is for next spring, dog is too young for now,
i have a first show the end of the year where im gonna test her and she how she reacts, i will take it easy.
so i just want to keep her in shape for this firts show but im interested in learning about conditioning

 

i fogot to say that i have an adult female (4yrs) that i want to work, she is shorter and more bullier, i feel she has force but at same time fire goes out easy, i would like to work her "explosivity" for w-p.

 

In order to avoid lactic acid build up in the muscles, do not feed carbs during competition. This means switching to raw. It is much easier for a dog to process and use fats and oils for energy than carbs.

 

sum good info on here...thanx

 

and yes...anything that scratchindog mentions on conditioning I'd heed for sure. Just look at Angus!

 

thank you

maybe this might seem stupid question to some
hidratation, not too much water not lack of water, how to know the exact among of water dog should have?

and
how to work a dog without wacking life sustaining fat?


thanks in advanced

 

...keep plenty of water available. That is the hydration method. After workouts allow him to drink only once he has cooled down...he has to learn to cool himself with his own panting anyway. If you let him cool himself down immediately after a workout he will probably drink too much and puke, or bloat his stomach because of all the air he's also taking in as he gulps water. The rest of the day...just let him drink as he wishes. He knows the right amount and will drink it as he's thirsty. As his conditioning increases you will probably find that he is requiring less water, but leave it available anyway.

You won't whack life sustaining fat in this type of training. You will have to increase his food to account for the spent calories, but the dog's metabolism will also adjust. How this works during conditioning is you will find the dogs lowest possible weight where they won't lose strength...like boxing. Just for a quick example if you have a 65 lb. dog that can go down to 58 lbs. to pull (that is an arbitrary 7 lbs BTW each dog is different) he should be more competitive in the lower weight class and in pounds per pound of body weight for the entire pull. Anyway, just by virtue of him having to steadily increase in the weight he's pulling , and you upping feed to meet those demands the point that you are asking about will not be reached.

The best advice, of course, is to start slow and bring the dog alone... pm me so I can send you some good training articles covering this subject. Just how to bring the dog along, proper diet, etc. from a few different perspectives.

 

thanks a lot