You have no items in your shopping cart.
The Benefits of A Routine Training Regimen
As with all athletes, your gundog needs a routine training regimen. There are several components that should be included in your dog's routine that might be slightly different from the regular house or yard dog. Conditioning, training, and proper nutrition should all be incorporated into your regimen. These particular elements will play a key role in the longevity and vitality of your greatest hunting companion.
It Begins With Proper Nutrition
Researchers have proven proper nutrition plays one of the most important roles in your dog’s care. But, what exactly does proper nutrition look like? Nowadays with all the regulations required in the pet food industry, most dog food companies have included all the necessary elements to be considered a complete and balanced dog food. The pet food industry has done most of the homework for you in order to present to the consumer what each company considers to be the best and most nutritious dog food on the market, most of them having their recipe backed by a veterinarian. Their research stops there. It is important for you to figure out what diet is best for your particular breed and hunting style. Because there are so many quality choices you might seem overwhelmed but, if you know what you want in a food and what you don’t want in a food then just pick one, it’s hard to go wrong if you follow that plan. Just keep in mind, a healthy coat is one indication that your dog is getting the proper nutrition.
You Can’t Fast Track Conditioning
The next most important part of the process is conditioning. Whether conditioning for cold weather or just to maintain stamina in the off season, conditioning is paramount to your dog’s performance. Just like any athlete, if he lays around the entire off-season and only starts to train when the season starts, he won’t amount to much. Building endurance and strength is a process and it can’t be fast tracked. The ideal routine would to always be conditioning and never take time off however, the reality is that most of us will need a break and even if we start off planning not to take much time off, life usually gets in the way and we break away for a time to catch our breath. That’s ok, as long as you take the time to build your pup back up. Remember, your dog doesn’t see conditioning as work, like an athlete. He sees it as a way of life and almost always has the desire to condition, even when you don’t.
Training is Required
Last but, certainly not least is training. You can read all the training articles in the world and watch all the training videos out there and have all the latest and greatest training equipment and still fail if you don’t actually train your dog. Just like the star athlete, your dog has to train and training is one thing he can’t do on his own, he has to have you. It is hard to match the loyalty of a dog but, if you realize that his existence as a gundog depends solely on you, then it might make you quit being lazy and honor his desire to hunt for you by allowing him the time and patience it takes to train him well.
