|
Sweating off the Pounds
by Rick Smith
First, physical
workouts rather than feed control must determine your dog's
weight. In my early experience with the Stafford, I felt I
should present a fit animal with a tucked at the loins and
nice line of muscling down the back, but I was mistaken. Most
Staffords shown in the U.S. appear in less than fit condition
and show too little tuck. Fit animals are the exception rather
than the rule.
We must care first and
foremost about the condition of our Staffords. Each dog must
be free of internal and external parasites before beginning
any conditioning, and it should also be fairly lean before
undertaking vigorous activity. Further, a thorough blood
workup must verify its health. Meticulous observation of the
dog's overall health and the use of common sense must be
maintained by constant vigil.
After the dog has
proven itself in shape to begin a workout regime, we need to
focus irst on the its feet, which is very important. If the
dog gets a cut or worn pad and cannot continue its workout, we
are wasting valuable time. (As they say in horses, "No
hoof, no horse.") Begin with a nail trim and then work on
toughening the pads. Scarlex, an aerosol spray, may help
toughen the pad. Also apply Bag Balm ointment liberally on
each foot before a workout to keep the pads supple.
Hand walking, also
called roadwork, is the most important element of all workouts
because it is the only exercise that man and beast can perform
together, and neither can get too much of it. (It is also the
only exercise to give a puppy less than one year old.) Try to
use the longest lead that will allow you to control your dog
safely, and walk it in a place free of strays and other
distractions. Start the dog with as little as one mile per day
and work your way up to five miles of brisk non-stop walking.
Be constantly alert for signs of fatigue and/or lameness and
rest the dog until the next day or even longer if either
appears. If the dog continues lame or suffers an injury, use
common sense.
Once the dog is fit for
a vigorous walk with intermittent running, begin extended
sessions of fetch, jogging, or running alongside a bike. The
more contact with the animal the better, be it at the end of a
leash or just taking a ball from its mouth.
Next, take an old
garage door spring, heavy rope, and cowhide (or heavy-duty
rubber) and connect all the parts and hang the device from a
solid mooring so that the dog can work it while keeping its
hind feet on the ground. This is a "spring pole,"
and Staffords invariably love working with it. This vigorous
tug-o-war "toy" will strengthen your Stafford from
its jaws to its hindquarters and improve its physique faster
than you can imagine.
Now that the dog can
walk, run and pull, it is time to try the "flirt
pole." Take a long bamboo pole (the kind you used to use
for fishing) and tie a short nylon cord to its end. At the end
of the cord, tie a small toy and let the dog chase it around
at a sprint, leaping and jumping at it to develop its
hindquarters. Most Staffords will chase a flirt pole until
their trainers give out.
After each vigorous
session of any activity is completed, walk the dog half a mile
to cool it out, and then give it an hour or more of rest
before feeding.
Again, the trainer's
common sense is the key element. He/she should push the dog as
far possible but without over-exerting it and increase the
workout incrementally over the course not of days but of
weeks.
|
