Well, now that we are in the heat of summer training what's everyone working on?
Here's what Mack and I are focusing on until season starts. He's 8 this year and a solid veteran but still has some quirks that need constant attention.
1. Conditioning - being 8 he needs to be in great shape to get the most out of his time in the field. We spend time doing quick singles in the river and lots of hiking in the mountains as well as daily runs and walks. When it's not too hot I'll do rapid fire dry land singles with him too. The equivalent of wind sprints for athletes.
2. Steadiness - Mack has always been very steady when hunting alone but when other dogs are in the equation he breaks something fierce. I hate this and know it's dangerous so working him with other dogs in the off season helps.
3. Multiples - Mack loves to try to fetch all the bumpers at the same time and this equates to lost birds during the season. I do pile work with him to reinforce the idea he cannot get them all at once. Mixing in still water multiples works too.
4. Enjoying the Process - I try hard to enjoy the time working with him as I know the day is coming when I won't have him to work with anymore and want to be able to look back and savor the time we had together.
Here's what Mack and I are focusing on until season starts. He's 8 this year and a solid veteran but still has some quirks that need constant attention.
1. Conditioning - being 8 he needs to be in great shape to get the most out of his time in the field. We spend time doing quick singles in the river and lots of hiking in the mountains as well as daily runs and walks. When it's not too hot I'll do rapid fire dry land singles with him too. The equivalent of wind sprints for athletes.
2. Steadiness - Mack has always been very steady when hunting alone but when other dogs are in the equation he breaks something fierce. I hate this and know it's dangerous so working him with other dogs in the off season helps.
3. Multiples - Mack loves to try to fetch all the bumpers at the same time and this equates to lost birds during the season. I do pile work with him to reinforce the idea he cannot get them all at once. Mixing in still water multiples works too.
4. Enjoying the Process - I try hard to enjoy the time working with him as I know the day is coming when I won't have him to work with anymore and want to be able to look back and savor the time we had together.