Hi,
I am just starting to condition a 21 month MN Lab for field work. Have any of you had any hands on with "Roading"? Am looking for recommendations for harnesses, preferences as to bike versus a 4 wheeler and any other tips you are willing to share?
Thank you in advance.
Denise M Testa
Roading for Field Work Lab
Re: Roading for Field Work Lab
Hi Denise,
just a few thoughts off the top of my head...you may want to think about using a harness similar to those used in Sled dogs...they fit well, and do not restrict any movement. also ensure that the dog only does biking 2-3 x per week. (a bike is preferred as it can't go too quickly unless you are a hardcore bike rider)
On the off days does strengthening exercies are beneficial. I have found many clients that do bike work more than 3 x per week end up with forelimb injuries from doing it every day...A cross training program is tatemount to good overall conditioning.
tania
just a few thoughts off the top of my head...you may want to think about using a harness similar to those used in Sled dogs...they fit well, and do not restrict any movement. also ensure that the dog only does biking 2-3 x per week. (a bike is preferred as it can't go too quickly unless you are a hardcore bike rider)
On the off days does strengthening exercies are beneficial. I have found many clients that do bike work more than 3 x per week end up with forelimb injuries from doing it every day...A cross training program is tatemount to good overall conditioning.
tania
Re: Roading for Field Work Lab
Tania's reply makes me think of training the dogs to pull (i.e. a 1-man sled or a scooter bike). One of my staff does this with her dogs!
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES
Re: Roading for Field Work Lab
I want to chime in again... I JUST got asked this question this morning by one of my clients.
So, I put my brain to work on it even further. My client want's to use an ATV vehicle (because it's winter here and she's in the country.) She want her dogs to be off-leash... which I think is also advantageous, as they can select their own gait and body positioning... which on lead (even in a harness) and attached to a person, bike, extendable arm from a motorized vehicle, etc, may be hindered.
We worked through the thought process of, 'What do you want the dog to do?' (I.e. why do this? what is the sport you are wanting to train them for? What skills / athletic conditioning capabilities are you trying to build with this?) So we thought, these field dogs don't need 'husky-like' endurance. They need endurance with lots of bursts. Thus, we came up with a plan for interval training.
I suggested starting them off with a walk-trot warm up of 5 minutes (likely about 3 - 3.5mph), then a 30 second burst (sticking to about 4 - 5 mph... I'm going with what I find when I have done interval training on the treadmill... and how we work dogs in the UWT.) Then back to 2 minutes of a walk-trot. Then 45 minutes at 5 - 6 mph, again followed by about 1 and a half minutes of walk-trot. The speeds can get faster for the bursts. The resting phase should always be an easy jog or a walk, and the sprint to rest ratio should not get past 1:1.
I advised the owner to watch the dogs... that the temptation would be to go too fast and to not give enough or a slow enough rest phase. But that if she followed the guidelines as to ratio of sprint to walk, building up speed in the sprint little by little, allowing warm up (and after work cool down), and enough of a rest phase between sprints, that she should be okay. Watch the quality of the movement during the sprint as well.
(My client's dogs are already well conditioned... so she could likely start this program right away. A less conditioned dog would need about 3 - 4 weeks of general conditioning - steady pace work - before engaging in Interval Training.)
There you go... I hope this helps in some way!
Cheers,
Laurie
So, I put my brain to work on it even further. My client want's to use an ATV vehicle (because it's winter here and she's in the country.) She want her dogs to be off-leash... which I think is also advantageous, as they can select their own gait and body positioning... which on lead (even in a harness) and attached to a person, bike, extendable arm from a motorized vehicle, etc, may be hindered.
We worked through the thought process of, 'What do you want the dog to do?' (I.e. why do this? what is the sport you are wanting to train them for? What skills / athletic conditioning capabilities are you trying to build with this?) So we thought, these field dogs don't need 'husky-like' endurance. They need endurance with lots of bursts. Thus, we came up with a plan for interval training.
I suggested starting them off with a walk-trot warm up of 5 minutes (likely about 3 - 3.5mph), then a 30 second burst (sticking to about 4 - 5 mph... I'm going with what I find when I have done interval training on the treadmill... and how we work dogs in the UWT.) Then back to 2 minutes of a walk-trot. Then 45 minutes at 5 - 6 mph, again followed by about 1 and a half minutes of walk-trot. The speeds can get faster for the bursts. The resting phase should always be an easy jog or a walk, and the sprint to rest ratio should not get past 1:1.
I advised the owner to watch the dogs... that the temptation would be to go too fast and to not give enough or a slow enough rest phase. But that if she followed the guidelines as to ratio of sprint to walk, building up speed in the sprint little by little, allowing warm up (and after work cool down), and enough of a rest phase between sprints, that she should be okay. Watch the quality of the movement during the sprint as well.
(My client's dogs are already well conditioned... so she could likely start this program right away. A less conditioned dog would need about 3 - 4 weeks of general conditioning - steady pace work - before engaging in Interval Training.)
There you go... I hope this helps in some way!
Cheers,
Laurie
LAURIE EDGE-HUGHES
-
DeniseLaceyBaxter
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 1:36 pm
Re: Roading for Field Work Lab
Tania and Laurie,
Thank you for the responses. In the meantime, we have found that the bike won't work for this Lab. His owner has been pulled off a couple of times. Now we are using a golf cart with an arm attachment and getting pretty good results. I think the bike would work with a different person. And we are doing this twice weekly.
Again thank you the input!
Denise
Thank you for the responses. In the meantime, we have found that the bike won't work for this Lab. His owner has been pulled off a couple of times. Now we are using a golf cart with an arm attachment and getting pretty good results. I think the bike would work with a different person. And we are doing this twice weekly.
Again thank you the input!
Denise