Gun Dogs Report to Training Camp

Like Pavlov's bell, the last week in July triggers football fans to salivate at the mouth. Hometown teams are yet again arriving at their respective training camps to gear up for another hard fought season. Rabid fans speculate that this is "the year" their team brings home the Super Bowl. Turn on the radio dial or flip the t.v. remote and sports talk show hosts are full of outlandish predictions believing wholeheartedly in their own swami like mysticism. Just like football players getting in game shape, all serious gun dogs and their owners must now check in for preseason conditioning drills. The summertime vacation is officially over. It won't be long before opening day and our four legged hunting partners must be ready to run the playbook from front to back! For most serious bird hunters it is about 10-12 weeks before before kickoff of the 2010 waterfowl and/or upland season. It is up to us as canine masters to stick to a routine schedule of physical fitness. Here a few things to keep in mind during the 2010 Gun Dog Training Camp...

• Make a tight schedule and stick to it! Not only will the increased physical activity help your dog become fit, it just might help you shed a couple unwanted pounds in the process. Remember, for every mile you walk a field this season, your dog will likely cover three times that if not more!


• Start transitioning your dog to a higher Protein/Fat percentage food. Remember 30/20% is about the average mix for a steadily working gun dog.


• In addition to scheduled daily workouts, mix it up a bit for your dog's personal enjoyment. Visit different training fields, run stadium stairs, strap on the roller blades, take a bike ride together, etc...whatever you come up with to variate the routine while still maximizing your dog's fitness regiment.


• Take it easy on the treats. Scale back the grain based "Scooby Snacks" and move to high protein sourced rewards such as dehydrated duck or chicken strips.


• Workout at daybreak or sunset. Your dog will most likely be hunting as the sun rises or sets. The time is now to get both your time clocks set and dialed in for maximum activity. These are the bewitching hours where animals are most active, including birds and your trusty bird dog. To further mention, dawn and dusk are the coolest part of the day in both temperature and experience!


• Take your dog for a preseason vet visit for a complete physical. Get him or her checked out thoroughly and ready rock n' roll come opening day! Blood tests, stool samples, and wellness check should be included during this visit. Just like pro athletes, it is always a good idea to get a clean bill of health before the season starts.


• Train and condition in fields with heavy cover. Get your dogs paw pads and under carriage toughened up now. Early season bird cover is not much different than summer field conditions. Briar's, thorns, nettles, etc are all present so get out there and mix it up in the rough stuff!


• If you have not already, train your dog to drink from a sport squirt bottle or hydration pack hose nozzle. It will help them rehydrate quickly and much easier to administer in the field.


• Get your dog on LIVE birds before the season opens. Even if it at a local preserve or just a few hobbled pigeons shot out on the back forty, this is critical piece of training camp. Live bird drills should always be a live fire! Leave the popper shells for field trailers! Pack the heat and drop those birds that your dog proudly found on his own.

Off-seasoning conditioning leads to in-season productivity! Feed them right and prepare them accordingly.

And finally...more for the sanity of the master than gun dog! Get all the honey do's out of the way NOW! Fix the deck, paint the bathroom, repair the fence or whatever it is. Bird hunting season is short and it is ALWAYS a good idea to have as much sweat equity built up as possible!

I hope all of you have a great 2010 Gun Dog Training Camp and more importantly looking forward to a productive season. God knows I am!

Best of luck out there. -Mark