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Backwoods Bulldog Club |
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Bull Breed & Guardian Group Registry |
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Bluegrass Training Program
“Before starting any training program there are a few important training and medical notes one must follow.” If your dog has had hookworms it will be at least three months before he is fully recovered. Hookworms hurt both his blood count and his ability to absorb oxygen. Never try to condition a wormy dog. He must be free of all parasites. Vitamin B-12 will cause your dog to overheat if used within 10 days before a hard training session or hunt. If you use a tread mill , cat mill, or similar device always stay with your dog during the workout. Remember, anything can go wrong so do not go eat supper or watch TV during his workout. Do not over work your dog if he is lighter than his optimum weight. It is better for him to be a pound heavy than a pound light. Beginning with puppyhood you should take your pup for a ride in the car at least once a week. An adult dog not use to traveling usually shows signs of motion sickness. Every one hundred miles or so the dog should be walked 10 minutes. If traveling more than 350 to 400 miles to a competition, you need to go a day early for the dogs sake. During work-outs talk to your dog, praise him and encourage him. Pet him often and remember the more the dog likes you and trust you the longer and harder he will work. If you are using intra-muscular supplement as in liquid B-12 remember all injections should be placed in the thigh muscle with a 1/2 inch long 26 gauge needle. If using this method remember to alternate the legs used, never inject the same leg twice.
Foreword This method will take you step by step through a complete training cycle for a competition dog. Training or conditioning an American Bulldog for show, protection, or catch work is an individual effort your success will depend upon the amount of time and effort you are will to spend on your dog. This recipe is based upon the idea that a novice can train a top grade dog to 50% of his potential. A top grade amateur can train a dog to 75% but a professional can consistently get his dog to 90% plus.
Conditioning To see the maximum benefit and best results of your hard training one must remember that the little things count as much as any individual large problem and must be recognized and resolved before you continue your training. It is much like the weak link of the chain, a chain is only a strong as it weakest link; therefore, missing a watering, feeding, or walk just one day can throw off your program. My best advise is be consistent!
Feeding and Weight It is best for the dog and easier on you to keep your dog within five pounds of his optimum working weight at all times. Excess weight and fat strain heart and vascular system. Weigh your dog each day just prior to feeding. Never try to take off or add more than one pound of body weight per week. Any more will weaken him. There are many feeding programs and opinions on feeding and you may want to experiment. One famous pit bull feeding program consist of 1/4 to 1/2 pound of lean meat and cottage cheese added to 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of high quality dog food feed once per day, depending on the size of the dog. My best advice on feeding is to use a high quality dog food and supplements. If for some reason your dog does not eat eagerly, take feed away until his next scheduled feeding. Always weigh or measure the food before each meal, do not use guess work. Feeding at night is the best as a general rule. In the summer the dog has the food on his stomach during the cool nights and during the winter he has the food on his stomach to keep him warm. Recommended vitamins are: a one-a-day vitamin plus iron and one tablespoon of Clovite conditioner in his feed each day. Wash his feed bowl and give him fresh water each day. Watch your dogs stool. His stool will give you a daily indicator of his general health. Always keep fresh water for your dog and allow him to cool off after a work out before giving him water.
Work Before starting a serious program you should give your dog several days or even weeks of short work outs, 10-15 minutes long. Either road work or tread mill is alright for now. This will get him use to working and will toughen his feet. Pay careful attention to your dog’s feet look for cuts or severe wear on his pads. Bonocain is the best product to protect his feet. Use the product like paint using a brush to apply to the pad. Make several thin coats and let dry. Bonocain is good for injuries and toughens the pad, so be sure to use this or a similar product before road work. Always avoid overworking your dog. If a dog overheats or strains to breathe stop and walk him until his breathing returns to normal. If your dog fatigues in the same duration of time after each work out you should not increase his work load. Obviously as the dog fatigue time increases his work out can increase also. Pushing him to a new level and increasing his overall work out time. If a situation arises that he can not take the daily increases, give him the same work out for a few days and resume increasing his time. Soon his should be back on his schedule and you must remember dogs have bad days just like humans. If a dog is not eager to work out that day let him rest. If he does not want to work out the next day ignore him and hopefully he will respond on the third day. If after three days his attitude has not changed check him for medical problems. There may be an underlying problem that is making him not respond. Solve this problem before returning to the schedule.
Continuation of important work notes and a workout schedule!
Work! Continued.
One Major Key to Success! Always walk your dog a short distance before and after any major workout other than the regular walking schedule. Most humans cannot out walk a dog, and most other animals cannot out do either man or dog in conditions of constant demand for power without fuel over long periods of time. Obviously a man or dog cannot out run a camel in the desert, but in most cases a man or dog can keep a constant pace without over taxing the body beyond it’s limits in order to maintain life. Most animals in fight or flight use much of their energy in short spurts as if in sprint contests and this is what I believe makes man and dog one step above all others. Hopefully we stay ahead of the dog in the biological order of intelligence, but what we have gained in intelligence, we have also lost in instinct.
Conclusion
This schedule is geared toward the average bulldog, but should only be used as a tool for your personal canine friend. Remember to be flexible, if you use a mill, use a good free wheeling mill. Keep mineral spirits handy! Cotton balls dipped in Mineral Spirits will in most cases bring a dog back to consciousness if in fact you burn him up and he passes out during a workout.
Final Statement
There is a connection between man and dog that is too complex to explain in a paragraph or two. If you don’t remember anything else I have wrote, remember to view each day from your dogs point of view and you will be successful.
Schedule
First Week: Note: Give vitamins time to absorb into system before work out! Feed at night! Work in mornings.
Monday Flush dogs system in the evening, no work, no feed, 1 cc Combiotic or similar Antibiotic for every 100 pounds of body weight and a liquid antacid. Tuesday 15 minutes of work or 2 1/2 miles then begin feeding program and stay with it as much as possible in time and amount of feeding. If using intravenous B-Complex begin today in right thigh as prescribed dosage on bottle. Wednesday 18 minutes of work or 3 miles B-Complex left leg. Note! Remember to alternate legs. Professionals use combinations of B– 12 and B-15 if you want to experiment, but read up on the products. You may also want to use Sublingal B-Complex as a substitute for shots, but it is not as effective. Thursday 21 minutes or 3 1/2 miles then feed and/or supplements.
Friday 24 minutes or 4 miles then feed and/or supplements. Saturday 27 minutes or 4 1/2 miles then feed and/or supplements. Sunday 30 minutes or 5 miles then feed and/or supplements.
Second Week
Monday Rest, feed, and/or supplements. Tuesday 33 minutes or 5 1/2 miles then feed and /or supplements. Wednesday 36 minutes or 6 miles then feed and/or supplements. Thursday 41 minutes or 6 1/2 miles then feed and/or supplements. Friday 45 minutes or 7 miles then feed and/or supplements. Saturday 50 minutes or 7 1/2 miles then feed and/or supplements. Sunday 55 minutes or 8 miles then feed and/or supplements.
Third Week
Continue this same routine until your dog plateaus to his peak of ability.
This routine is designed to be increased over eight weeks and you may need to increase or decrease workouts during this time frame .
Make sure that you take your dog off B-12 or B-Complex one week before the Meet or Show because they will overheat your dog during extreme performance. B-15 may be used up till the day before.
Rest and quiet 3 hours before event and if the dog does not flush his system, give him a suppository at least one hour before and walk till he is empty. The rest is up to you!
Written by Christopher Kelley
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Looking for An intense Training Program? Look no further! Preparation, Feed, Training, & Weekly Schedule |