Field Trials in the heat

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ROTTnBRITT
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Field Trials in the heat

Post by ROTTnBRITT » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:02 pm

What are some of the things you guys/girls do to prepare for your dog for a trial when it's hot?

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Neil » Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:35 pm

Conditioning, high fat diet, trim coat, hydrate (bait water with kibble), wet down before run (some use a 1/4th solution of rubbing alcohol and water through a pump-up garden sprayer, others explain it burns their briar cuts, I believe it sterillizes), energy bar for recovery. Of most importantance is conditioning.

There is a very real genetic component, but it is too late for that advice.

Hope for a morning brace.

Neil

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Grange
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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Grange » Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:21 pm

Conditioning is the best thing I can do for my dog. When I'm on a course with water I make sure to handle my dog to the water. I also bring plenty of water for the dog. I like to wet down the dog before the trial, but I don't think the effects last the full brace especially if it's an hour.

Like Neil said though some dogs aren't affected by heat nearly as much as others. I've watched some run in high heat without any signs of stress while others look like they want to lay down in water rather than run and both were conditioned well.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by DonF » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:06 pm

When I trialed, I trained from about late morning to late afternoon. Put out plenty of water and carried water to pour on the dog's bellies. It seemed to me that what happened was the dog's learned not to go flat out and burn themselves up, they instead learned to pace themselves in the heat. No doubt about it, if trials were not run in the heat, it would not have bothered me one bit. I asked an old timer when I started why they ran the trials so early in the fall with the heat we get. Why not wait till November to trial? His answer, hunting season's open and no one would show up! Sad to put the dog's through that.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by CDN_Cocker » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:16 pm

In my limited experience conditioning and water!

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by jetjockey » Thu Sep 10, 2015 6:33 am

Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.

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Brazosvalleyvizslas
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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:53 am

jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:11 am

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.
I think this is a known fact with most any animal. We all need to acclimate. And then if they were to continue to live in those conditions in the wild where we didn't provide food and shelter the bigger ones would do better in the north and the smaller ones in the south.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:37 am

ezzy333 wrote:
Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.
I think this is a known fact with most any animal. We all need to acclimate. And then if they were to continue to live in those conditions in the wild where we didn't provide food and shelter the bigger ones would do better in the north and the smaller ones in the south.
This is one case where size doesn't matter. :D Sorry.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Spy Car » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:59 am

ezzy333 wrote:
Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.
I think this is a known fact with most any animal. We all need to acclimate. And then if they were to continue to live in those conditions in the wild where we didn't provide food and shelter the bigger ones would do better in the north and the smaller ones in the south.
The notion Ezzy is getting at here is called Bergmann's rule. The hypothesis being large animals have relatively less surface area (and therefore less heat loss) than smaller animals. Bergmann's rule is not settled science, and has been challenged. But there is also evidence in support of this idea.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by jetjockey » Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:23 am

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.
That's why I said "what you can control". If your going to win in the heat, you need a dog with the breeding to win in the heat. Acclamation and conditioning only gets you so far, especially in 1hr trials. It's like any competitive event. I can train just like the Kenyians who win the Boston Marathon every year, but I will never win the Boston Marathon. 30 minute stakes are not as grueling to dogs, so even in the heat, an average dog can look decent. But you run dogs in a 1hr trial when it's pushing 80-90 degrees, you have to have the breeding, or the dogs not getting around.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by SCT » Thu Sep 10, 2015 11:42 am

Actually size does matter! Ask any winning sled dog guy/gal why his/her dogs fit into certain size parameters. Heat affects bigger dogs more than smaller dogs, but the smaller dogs can't pull as much so the sled doggers' dogs fit a certain niche'.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:01 pm

jetjockey wrote:
Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:
jetjockey wrote:Conditioning is what you can control, but breeding is more important. Most Pros run all their dogs through the same conditioning program, yet certain dogs do better in the heat than others. Why? Breeding... Like others have said, if there isnt water on the course, make sure you have some with you.
I have to disagree on this. Acclimation and conditioning are more important then simple breeding. Sure, good breeding is important but I have some "show" dogs that were raised in HOT climates that do better than my dogs from up north. It works both ways, living in SE Texas my dogs may have a hard time in a really cold environment until they got acclimated no matter where or what there breeding is.
That's why I said "what you can control". If your going to win in the heat, you need a dog with the breeding to win in the heat. Acclamation and conditioning only gets you so far, especially in 1hr trials. It's like any competitive event. I can train just like the Kenyians who win the Boston Marathon every year, but I will never win the Boston Marathon. 30 minute stakes are not as grueling to dogs, so even in the heat, an average dog can look decent. But you run dogs in a 1hr trial when it's pushing 80-90 degrees, you have to have the breeding, or the dogs not getting around.
1 hour is nothing, living in triple degree temps does more than breeding. With that said, you cant breed for heat tolerance. I would love to learn how though.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by NEhomer » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:07 pm

I don't do trials but my summertime hikes with my setter pup have been really hot. Thing is, I can't get him to stop hunting and cruising to drink. He refuses. I guess I could try standing on his check cord until he learns that he must drink.

When we get back to the truck, he'll drink a bathtub dry.

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Re: Field Trials in the heat

Post by jetjockey » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:43 pm

Brazosvalleyvizslas wrote:1 hour is nothing, living in triple degree temps does more than breeding. With that said, you cant breed for heat tolerance. I would love to learn how though.
Sure you can. Breed dogs who are known to run well in the heat, and breed them. Take all of those dogs who live in triple degree temps, and find the one who handles those temps the best. Contrary to what your saying, they won't all run the exact same way and handle the heat the same, certain dogs will stand out for various reasons..... My wife LOVES heat and humidity, I can't stand it! She can wear jeans and sweaters when it's 90 degrees and humid out, and she loves to jog in the heat. I on the other hand, am sweating my balls off in thin shorts and tee shirts, and can't run 15 ft in the heat without worrying about heat stroke. Yet we both live in the same house in the same conditions. Dogs are no different. Different dogs handle the heat different ways. It's no different than the athletes who cramp up on the sidelines when the temps get warm, yet other Athletes have no problem with it. Why?

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