You’ve read about the wonderful bird hunting out West—mixed bag valley quail and chukar in Eastern Oregon, Gamble and scaled quail in Arizona, or maybe sharptail, Huns, and pheasants in the Dakotas.
No one will argue with the fact that any of these can be a hunt of a lifetime, but let me warn you: there is work to be done if you expect your dream—and Fido’s endurance— to last past the first hour.
I’m not talking about lining up guides or hunting areas. It’s about being prepared physically, and having the general toughness it takes to endure the harsh conditions in most of the western states that you really don’t want to overlook. Out there, every bush, blade of grass, and patch of soil is out to get you. The hot dry air can really parch the moisture from your dog’s nose and throat, causing discomfort and impeding scenting.
If you’re a mid-west flat lander, like me, you might be underestimating the demands your dog will experience out West. Years ago, we flew to Boise and traveled back into Eastern Oregon to hunt the Owyhee Reservoir area for three days with a solid dog in top shape. He could easily last the better part of a day after quail in southern Iowa, and he was no slouch out West either, but it really beat him up.
His feet and pads suffered terribly. The soil is like what we call ‘lime screenings’ from the gravel quarry, and it can tear and cut pads up. The altitude and the constant climbing and side hilling took its toll on his muscles and joints as well.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to talk you out of a great opportunity. Any hard-core hunter will love the birds and challenges out West. Just be aware there is a lot you need to do to prepare before making the trek west.
"Roading" is an effective way to provide your dog with LSD training to build cardiovascular endurance. (Photo courtesy of Bob West) Physically Conditioning a Dog for Western Hunting I would like to share some thoughts on endurance training, building overall toughness, and what we can do to condition the feet of your dogs.
Next, set up a progressive training and conditioning plan to help build on your dog’s cardiovascular base. You also should prepare your dog for a variety of environmental conditions, including weather and humidity.
Your plan should include a warm-up, followed by resistance training, and build up to long slow distance (LSD) training. Resistance training is an activity that helps to build muscle mass, but it’s important not to build too heavy of muscles—which could change a dog’s gait or affect its reach and drive. LSD training helps to build a dog’s cardiovascular pace by increasing endurance. Work your dog at a slower than normal pace, but travel for a longer distance than it is accustomed to.
Cross training, such as swimming, should be part of a training program as it helps to balance a dog’s strength by conditioning muscles not used as much during their regular sport.
Try to find varied terrain for exercise. Flat ground is good to begin, but you should soon advance to up and down hill, side hill, etc. Think about the fact that muscle groups have separate purposes/functions; some work while on side hill or uphill, and others work during downhill travel—we have to be creative during our dog’s exercise.
We also have to be creative and careful in how we apply resistance. In other words, how we require the dog to work harder in a given amount of time. You’ll likely find that your dog soon breezes through your allotted workout time still looking for more. How to safely create resistance and increase work—so that they can gain endurance—within your allotted training time, is important. There are ways to do this, most involving the use of a harness specifically designed for dogs.
Some attach chains to each side of the harness to create added resistance as the dog pulls the chains during its workout. Note: if you use this method, be absolutely sure to keep the dog in view at all times and never work near water. Adding a check-rope is also advisable. Others create the resistance using a quad or side by side, particularly if time is an issue where you have more than one dog to work.
Bottom line, be careful in how you create resistance, and always be mindful of your dog’s safety during LSD work. Your goal must be cardio, toughness, and endurance.
Western terrain can be tough on a dog's paws. Toughening a Dog’s Paw Pads I said we would discuss toughening pads/feet. To be honest, I’ve been trying to figure this out for a good while myself. A hard-working dog in the West, with hours and hours spent on dry rough ground, has the perfect solution. So, I figure, ‘therein lies the answer.’ The closer we can emulate those conditions, the better our dog will be prepared and ready to hunt the West.
Ideas include: adding pea-gravel to your kennel floor; if the kennel floor is cement, building a 2x4 wood frame and filling with sand and gravel to condition feet; when possible, choosing dry sand or light gravel surfaces for training runs; and using foot treatments like ‘tough pad’ to toughen your dog’s pads.
When you’re short on time to prepare, check into dog boots. Gun Dog Supply has a great selection with lots of options. Here are some things to remember:
Be sure of proper fit, there should be plenty of room for your dog’s foot to move and flex naturally. Be sure of design so that foreign objects can’t be trapped inside to rub and blister the dog’s foot. Be sure there is a safe way to secure the boot, so you don’t lose it during the hunt.
Homemade dog boots can be an effective way of protecting your dog's paws. (Photo courtesy of Bob West) Making Dog Boots at Home My good friend Rick Snipes has hunted across the country, and he lives on his own ranch in Texas. The rough prickly country has forced them to perfect a pretty good design through trial and error. Let’s take a look a Rick’s tried, proven, and inexpensive boot that utilizes a bike tire inner tube.
Cut a piece from a motorcycle inner tube with a split down each side to allow for secure tapping to the dog’s leg. Cut a notch on the rear flap to clear the carpal pad. The front flap then folds up for a final wrap of tape. Leave the toe open and trim the tube so unwanted material can be ‘thrown’ out as the dog strides forward.
