Is there really an off season?

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10Sam29
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Is there really an off season?

Post by 10Sam29 » Sat Aug 30, 2014 10:55 pm

As a detective working narcotics, I handled 4 K9's over my career. Needless to say, once I finished my basic training, I was kept busy year round with search warrants, probation searches, drug interdiction operations, and my continual in-house training. There really was never an off season.

Now handling my first pointing dog, I understand the break between hunting season and the Summer months. My question is.....does there come a time during hunting season that you should not engage your dog with new challenges during training, cut way back on training, or let things ride out with what you've worked on during Summer?

Thanks for any input...

10sam29

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Fun dog
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Fun dog » Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:10 am

No. The seasons may change as does what you work on, but I don't see there being an off season.

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Brazosvalleyvizslas
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Sun Aug 31, 2014 3:54 am

I have found that if you compete with the dogs then yes, there should be some down time to avoid burn out. If your talking about simply hunting, then no, I cant see an off season.

Neil
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Neil » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:10 am

My dogs get 6 weeks off, June-July, as vacation, no lessons, very little discipline, just fun time. No conditioning other than a little free running and swimming. Lot of hugs and petting, and just goofing off.

Max2
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Max2 » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:27 am

Neil wrote:My dogs get 6 weeks off, June-July, as vacation, no lessons, very little discipline, just fun time. No conditioning other than a little free running and swimming. Lot of hugs and petting, and just goofing off.
This sounds like everyday of my Max's life :D when it's time to hunt he put's his little head in gear and as soon as the hunting session ( not season :D ) is over he's back to being a goofy fun loving (kid) :D

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Doc E
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Doc E » Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:47 am

Our adult dogs hunt 5 months a year with "tune-up" training every day.
They run in hunt tests 7 months a year with "significant" training two or three days a week and tune up training the other days. On days that we don't hunt, they are 'free roaded'.
During Hunt Test season, they are 'free roaded' every day.
With young dogs, it really depends on where we are in training.

They really get "down in the dumps" if we don't do training or roading on a daily basis.

.

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Double Shot Banks
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Double Shot Banks » Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:57 pm

After the first hunting season i let my Dog just be a dog for most of the summer. every few weeks id freshen him up on a few things but hardly any. Just about a month ago i got him back into it and he didn't forget a thing. With pointing dogs it might be different. But during the winter/summer his only job is being my best bud.
Isaac and Banks

Max2
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by Max2 » Mon Sep 01, 2014 6:50 am

IMO for what it worth. You start with a good foundation and they never forget. The most important thing is the research we do before purchasing our new friend. I think more often then not we don't give them the credit they deserve. To the O/P you already have a dog background so you are knowledgeable already on dog behavior. You are going to enjoy this :D

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gonehuntin'
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by gonehuntin' » Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:21 am

For a young dog no, but once he is trained, there is nothing more to really be gained by working them. From the end of season I just free run them and let them be couch potatoes, then in July, I start conditioning. I always reinforce basic training and give them all a brush up right before season. Work a trained dog too much and they'll get bored and sloppy.

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CDN_Cocker
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by CDN_Cocker » Mon Sep 01, 2014 5:23 pm

Spring through summer is training time. Fall is for hunting. There are 2-3 months in the winter (after all seasons have closed ie. jan - mar) where training is pretty sparse - mainly due to all the snow and ice.

41magsnub
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by 41magsnub » Tue Sep 02, 2014 3:24 pm

My off season is when it is just too cold and dark every hour I'm home to do any serious training. Ya drive to work in the dark and drive home in the dark. I just reinforce basic obedience in the house in those months with one or two hunting specific training sessions outside on the weekend. Spring and summer are plenty long to get the dog fully back in the groove before bird season kicks off again.

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ultracarry
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by ultracarry » Tue Sep 02, 2014 3:59 pm

When they get older... if you do a good job while they are young you can have as much time off as you want. I haven't worked mine more then a handful of times since march. I don't see there being a problem in the coming trial season. Just conditioning.

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LarryLowell
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by LarryLowell » Fri Sep 19, 2014 9:26 am

Sam
Training is training, and hunting is hunting. When out hunting that is the results if the training put in. Out in the field hunting you reinforce/correct what's been learned in training, but for me anyway all training is done in the training field.

You can still continue training year round even during hunting season but i keep the two seperated. With training it's control work, hunting is reward and bring the training all together. So if your training for something and you cant consistently correct for that behavior while hunting because they haven't fully learned it yet, then it could create inconsistent yoyo learned habits that creates inconsistency in the field while hunting.

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UglyD
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Re: Is there really an off season?

Post by UglyD » Fri Sep 19, 2014 12:37 pm

Depends on what one might consider an off season.
From Sept 1 until Dec something my dogs are hunters period. Sometime in Dec until mid Feb they are hunters and cross country ski dogs.
From mid Feb until the snow is gone they are strictly cross country ski dogs.
April they are back in training.
Come June they still work out but become back packing/goat packing/fly fishing dogs.
Come Sept 1st the routine starts over again.

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