I am beginging to see a few posts about hunting season already. 
But I have not seen any about our best partners. (The pooch)
This is the time of year we need to get our parnters in shape for the upcoming season. (Not to mention my fat a$$. 
)
Just a reminder. I know we wouldn’t want to hear any horor storries on this sight.
I have to start to get my dog running with me on the bike. Seems like the only way I can get 6 miles without dieing 
I guess maybe I should jog with him, be better for me, but don’t think he will get the miles he needs, ahh I will just have a few 
I have to start to get my dog running with me on the bike. Seems like the only way I can get 6 miles without dieing
I guess maybe I should jog with him, be better for me, but don’t think he will get the miles he needs, ahh I will just have a few
My hounds have been getting the rollerblade work out. Last night we made it almost 2 miles befor I had to workout myself. Pulling my lazy butt around should get those two in shape in no time. Remember lots of water for those dogs, it is a must 
My hounds have been getting the rollerblade work out. Last night we made it almost 2 miles befor I had to workout myself. Pulling my lazy butt around should get those two in shape in no time. Remember lots of water for those dogs, it is a must
Farm boy,
I am not one that pounds the pavement with my dog. I use a compbination of water, field and road work. For the water I take the dog to a stream/river near the house and have her retrieve in the current. This is done 2 days a week. The remaining days are done in the pond in the back yard.
For the field I use the beans out back or some woods at the cabin to get the dog moving. We all know the dogs will put there nose to the ground and start pounding if the opprotunity arises. This is a great way to get small spirts of hard work in the heat. (Keep them short) No need to over heat the dog.
The walking is done with the wife. A 30 to 45 minute speed walk combined with some of the other options will go a long way.
I like to change things up. Then it doesn’t seem like work for me or the dog. A little work a night can go a long way of it’s done over time and not cramed in 3 weeks before pheasant opener.
I hope Bird Dog will chime in. He started working his dogs this week and I know he will have some great suggestions.
Thank you to everyone that responds. It’s always helpful to hear what is working (Or not).
Farm boy,
I am not one that pounds the pavement with my dog. I use a compbination of water, field and road work. For the water I take the dog to a stream/river near the house and have her retrieve in the current. This is done 2 days a week. The remaining days are done in the pond in the back yard.
For the field I use the beans out back or some woods at the cabin to get the dog moving. We all know the dogs will put there nose to the ground and start pounding if the opprotunity arises. This is a great way to get small spirts of hard work in the heat. (Keep them short) No need to over heat the dog.
The walking is done with the wife. A 30 to 45 minute speed walk combined with some of the other options will go a long way.
I like to change things up. Then it doesn’t seem like work for me or the dog. A little work a night can go a long way of it’s done over time and not cramed in 3 weeks before pheasant opener.
I hope Bird Dog will chime in. He started working his dogs this week and I know he will have some great suggestions.
Thank you to everyone that responds. It’s always helpful to hear what is working (Or not).
I guess I should rephrase. I take Rock the Wonder Mutt 
, on a bike trail by my house for about a mile or two, and go to a field that runs along the trail. I let him hunt that for about 20 minutes, or he feels he has it covered, and then we go for a little ride again. A couple times a week I bring him to the Zumbro river by my house for some retreives against the current. That is the best workout he can get, and I cannot get him to stop. he just wants to keep going.
Then when he is a little tired, and I have a few extra minutes, we do some hardcore training in the yard on the retrieves (blind retreives, taking lines, etc. etc.) Seems like the best time to do it is when he is a little tired.
You are 100% correct that the hardcore “road” work is not good for the dog, but I think I need that to get my butt in shape. I much prefer to work the dog in a training environment while getting him in shape, but what good does a dog do that can hunt all day, if I can’t
I guess I should rephrase. I take Rock the Wonder Mutt , on a bike trail by my house for about a mile or two, and go to a field that runs along the trail. I let him hunt that for about 20 minutes, or he feels he has it covered, and then we go for a little ride again. A couple times a week I bring him to the Zumbro river by my house for some retreives against the current. That is the best workout he can get, and I cannot get him to stop. he just wants to keep going.
Then when he is a little tired, and I have a few extra minutes, we do some hardcore training in the yard on the retrieves (blind retreives, taking lines, etc. etc.) Seems like the best time to do it is when he is a little tired.
You are 100% correct that the hardcore “road” work is not good for the dog, but I think I need that to get my butt in shape. I much prefer to work the dog in a training environment while getting him in shape, but what good does a dog do that can hunt all day, if I can’t
Quote:
what good does a dog do that can hunt all day, if I can’t
This would be my problem. Guess I better do somthing about it.
Quote:
what good does a dog do that can hunt all day, if I can’t
This would be my problem. Guess I better do somthing about it.
I’m lucky to have a fenced acre, they’re out running around most of the time so they stay in pretty good shape year round. Swimming, dock jumping a few days a week helps. Really anything that gets their blood pumping and muscles moving helps. Although in shape and in hunt shape are different. Going for walks, biking is a good start but they really need the field work to build those muscles that have been sitting dormant all year. Every season someone in our crew will have a dog come up lame, it’s not in hunt shape. In another month I’ll start to boost their food intake using food high in protein and really boost the field work. The diet they’re on during the summer isn’t going to cut it come fall especially if the dog(s) hunt hard and often. I get reservations for game farms starting late Aug. I like to get out at least once or twice a week till pheasant opener. You don’t have to buy birds every time, scratch hunting can be pretty good and it’s cheaper. Not only is this great work and excersize for the dog but me as well, it helps get me in hunt shape and work my hip flexors which I have trouble with come hunting season. It helps to sharpen the crooked eye as well. Now you guys got me all charged up for pheasant opener…it’s gonna be a good one!! 
BIRDDOG
I’m lucky to have a fenced acre, they’re out running around most of the time so they stay in pretty good shape year round. Swimming, dock jumping a few days a week helps. Really anything that gets their blood pumping and muscles moving helps. Although in shape and in hunt shape are different. Going for walks, biking is a good start but they really need the field work to build those muscles that have been sitting dormant all year. Every season someone in our crew will have a dog come up lame, it’s not in hunt shape. In another month I’ll start to boost their food intake using food high in protein and really boost the field work. The diet they’re on during the summer isn’t going to cut it come fall especially if the dog(s) hunt hard and often. I get reservations for game farms starting late Aug. I like to get out at least once or twice a week till pheasant opener. You don’t have to buy birds every time, scratch hunting can be pretty good and it’s cheaper. Not only is this great work and excersize for the dog but me as well, it helps get me in hunt shape and work my hip flexors which I have trouble with come hunting season. It helps to sharpen the crooked eye as well. Now you guys got me all charged up for pheasant opener…it’s gonna be a good one!!
BIRDDOG
I agre with Birddog. I think waterwork is a great way to condition your dog. it’s low impact and we still have hot days to think about. In a few weeks I’ll be in Indiana for doves and early ducks. Can’t wair!
I agre with Birddog. I think waterwork is a great way to condition your dog. it’s low impact and we still have hot days to think about. In a few weeks I’ll be in Indiana for doves and early ducks. Can’t wair!
I too agree with bird dog. I started ramping up the hounds work outs. One thing that I also do is stard with about 5min of off leash obediance befor the work out and 5 min after as well.It helps remind her that above all I expect her to work as a team with me even if she is amped up Im still the boss. Im sure you will all agree there is nothing worse than having someones dog 200 yards ahead of the group busting roosters the whole way. I was out at the inlaws 2weeks ago and saw lots and lots of birds and a fair number of hens with chicks too. come on October!!!
Bird dog- what kind of dogs do you hunt behind?
I too agree with bird dog. I started ramping up the hounds work outs. One thing that I also do is stard with about 5min of off leash obediance befor the work out and 5 min after as well.It helps remind her that above all I expect her to work as a team with me even if she is amped up Im still the boss. Im sure you will all agree there is nothing worse than having someones dog 200 yards ahead of the group busting roosters the whole way. I was out at the inlaws 2weeks ago and saw lots and lots of birds and a fair number of hens with chicks too. come on October!!!
Bird dog- what kind of dogs do you hunt behind?
I have a couple GSP’s, always a work in progress. Agreed, a dog that’s not obedient is about as worthless as teats on a bore. Those are the dogs busting all the roosters out way ahead.
Since were on the obedience subject, how about the guy yelling at his dog all day giving the roosters a heads up, those are the same guys wondering why the roosters are “skidish” and flushing early?? 
BIRDDOG
I have a couple GSP’s, always a work in progress. Agreed, a dog that’s not obedient is about as worthless as teats on a bore. Those are the dogs busting all the roosters out way ahead.
Since were on the obedience subject, how about the guy yelling at his dog all day giving the roosters a heads up, those are the same guys wondering why the roosters are “skidish” and flushing early??
BIRDDOG
Bieddog, you mean teats on a boar. I’ve seen bores with teats that weren’t entirely worthless 
Bieddog, you mean teats on a boar. I’ve seen bores with teats that weren’t entirely worthless
I have a funny story for ya about the yelling guy, Its a bit long so Ill try to make it quick.
so I got this buddy who had a young female lab at the time it was about 9mos old and he yelled and yelled at this poor dog. EMMA HEEL-EMMA EMMA DAM IT EMMA.Im telling you that is all we heard for 3 days I was seroiusly ready to strangle him. Our group is a pretty tight nit group and everyone has a very well trained and totally undercontroll dog. now except for Emma. and Im not knocking the dog she was still a pup. now fast forward a year Emma has been trained by Cannon River Kennels and she turned out awesome. So alot of you guys who frequent the site may have heared about the yearly Rooster Run that I put on in Feb of every year at the game farm. And of course here comes Emma the wonder dog 2 full seasons and 15 weeks of profecional training. Now the tables have turned and we got this new guy hunting with us he has a Nova Scotian Duck Tolling retriever name Ruger. so Emma and Ruger are on the same end of the line and all you here is RUGER COME HERE, RUGER HEEL, RUGER OVER, RUGER GET UP THERE, RUGER GET OVER HERE. Im telling you this was the worst guy I have ever seen.Not only was the guy screaming at his dog ALL day but he wasnt even using the same commands so the poor dog was so confused it didnt know what way to go. It was so bad I went over and asked him to put his dog away. and we all know that is MAJOR tabu to ask a guy to put his dog away, but this guys was spooking birds @14.00 a crack so I had to do something. so fast forward to the end of the hunt. Ruger and his master leave and my buddy who ownes Emma comes up to me and says “how in the ell did you guys put up with me yelling at Emma last year I was ready to strangle that guy”
It was probably one of those you had to be there stories but we all got a good laugh
and on a side note we wont ever see Ruger again
I have a funny story for ya about the yelling guy, Its a bit long so Ill try to make it quick.
so I got this buddy who had a young female lab at the time it was about 9mos old and he yelled and yelled at this poor dog. EMMA HEEL-EMMA EMMA DAM IT EMMA.Im telling you that is all we heard for 3 days I was seroiusly ready to strangle him. Our group is a pretty tight nit group and everyone has a very well trained and totally undercontroll dog. now except for Emma. and Im not knocking the dog she was still a pup. now fast forward a year Emma has been trained by Cannon River Kennels and she turned out awesome. So alot of you guys who frequent the site may have heared about the yearly Rooster Run that I put on in Feb of every year at the game farm. And of course here comes Emma the wonder dog 2 full seasons and 15 weeks of profecional training. Now the tables have turned and we got this new guy hunting with us he has a Nova Scotian Duck Tolling retriever name Ruger. so Emma and Ruger are on the same end of the line and all you here is RUGER COME HERE, RUGER HEEL, RUGER OVER, RUGER GET UP THERE, RUGER GET OVER HERE. Im telling you this was the worst guy I have ever seen.Not only was the guy screaming at his dog ALL day but he wasnt even using the same commands so the poor dog was so confused it didnt know what way to go. It was so bad I went over and asked him to put his dog away. and we all know that is MAJOR tabu to ask a guy to put his dog away, but this guys was spooking birds @14.00 a crack so I had to do something. so fast forward to the end of the hunt. Ruger and his master leave and my buddy who ownes Emma comes up to me and says “how in the ell did you guys put up with me yelling at Emma last year I was ready to strangle that guy”
It was probably one of those you had to be there stories but we all got a good laugh
and on a side note we wont ever see Ruger again
Bird dog. I am going to need some assistance again this year. The pooch is doing well but I need to introduce another dog or two. YOU IN?
I know thats a stupid question.
Bird dog. I am going to need some assistance again this year. The pooch is doing well but I need to introduce another dog or two. YOU IN?
I know thats a stupid question.
Yellow, so true.
BORE 1. penetrate. to penetrate into the inner or hidden parts of somebody or something
2.make hole in something. to make a deep hole in something, such as that made by a drill, a bullet, or a boring insect
No argument from me…BOAR. To funny! 
chriss…You know where to find me. 
BIRDDOG
Yellow, so true.
BORE 1. penetrate. to penetrate into the inner or hidden parts of somebody or something
2.make hole in something. to make a deep hole in something, such as that made by a drill, a bullet, or a boring insect
No argument from me…BOAR. To funny!
chriss…You know where to find me.
BIRDDOG
Must be the Pond. Cuz your never home. 
Must be the Pond. Cuz your never home.
Yup…been “busy”.
BIRDDOG
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