[Catieliecutty]

Just out of curiosity, what is everybody's keep and what is the time frame it takes for you to get your from from chain to conditioned?

If you can post before and after pics along with providing age, weight, and height, that'll be great

[Cuccuccaltefe]

Here's my chubby chop the day I was told she is fat

It was in mid March weight around 56-57# age 8 month
Here's the lean mudnose at the age of almost 11 months 49-50#

We went the raw diet route
One feed a day of chicken backs, hearts, necks, gizzards, eggs, cottage cheese and plain yogurt, RMB's, some beef and supplements (NuPro at first switched to Wholistic Joint Mobility from K9 Power recently) about 1# a day.

[diemeareendup]

8 months? Aw, she was just a baby! I wouldn't call her fat in that first picture, just appropriate for the age.

[Catieliecutty]

Here's my chubby chop the day I was told she is fat

It was in mid March weight around 56-57# age 8 month
Here's the lean mudnose at the age of almost 11 months 49-50#

We went the raw diet route
One feed a day of chicken backs, hearts, necks, gizzards, eggs, cottage cheese and plain yogurt, RMB's, some beef and supplements (NuPro at first switched to Wholistic Joint Mobility from K9 Power recently) about 1# a day.

I would't call her fat at all. She looks like an average built pup in the first pic, but then again she is a pup LOL. She looks a lot better on the bottom though. Can you get a front shot and a stacked shot? She looks amazing.

[pageup85]

Typically I like to ease into working them so it takes around 7 weeks from start to finish. That includes rest days which I feel a lot of people overlook. I like to keep them not too far off for the rest of the time so it doesn't take too long to bring them up to condition. At a pinch they could probably be reasonably conditioned within 4 weeks, but it wouldn't allow for adequate rest intervals for my liking.
Different dogs let you know how much they need to work though. Some take condition a lot easier and 7 weeks would be counter productive.

[Catieliecutty]

Typically I like to ease into working them so it takes around 7 weeks from start to finish. That includes rest days which I feel a lot of people overlook. I like to keep them not too far off for the rest of the time so it doesn't take too long to bring them up to condition. At a pinch they could probably be reasonably conditioned within 4 weeks, but it wouldn't allow for adequate rest intervals for my liking.
Different dogs let you know how much they need to work though. Some take condition a lot easier and 7 weeks would be counter productive.

I believe the most important thing in conditioning would be to know when your dog is tired. A lot of my friends, family members, acquaintances, etc. that are avid hog hunters tend to be able to get their dogs into their conditioned weight in no more than 10 days. The dogs are fit year round but their chain weights are normally 5-7 lbs. above their conditioned. While losing 5-7 lbs. isn't exactly detrimental and could be done in 10 days, it does tend to require a strict regiment and it normally leaves the dog exhausted. Because of this, I chose to develop my own, which would take approximately 30 days for my own dog since I keep him active year round, though he is 63# now. I belive his conditioned should be 55-58 #. He is 21 1/2 inches withers in April, but he looks to be about 22 now or slightly over.

[interznakinfo]

First thing you need to know is his right pit weight (conditioned weight). Then from there you would know where to start. Our keep is composed of 2 months preparation. Must build wind first then once there is wind, you can work on strength and give raw meaty bones for strong jaw (if you want that strong chisled face with biting power)

[Catieliecutty]

First thing you need to know is his right pit weight (conditioned weight). Then from there you would know where to start. Our keep is composed of 2 months preparation. Must build wind first then once there is wind, you can work on strength and give raw meaty bones for strong jaw (if you want that strong chisled face with biting power)

My keep consists of road work, spring pole, and flirt pole. From my knowledge of the breed, you can get a dog conditioned in just about any fashion. I believe the late great Donny Mayfield even specified this.

[pageup85]

But Mayfield has been accusted of overworking his dogs and running them on a cat mill for 6 hours a day with no rest.

[interznakinfo]

My keep consists of road work, spring pole, and flirt pole. From my knowledge of the breed, you can get a dog conditioned in just about any fashion. I believe the late great Donny Mayfield even specified this.

You can do springpole, but don't do it high. Just enough till he can stretch up his body up. We took that practice out our keep when 2 of our gamedogs got a broken hip because of jumping. It's sad to lose a good dog and pay a forfeit just because of a bad practice.

Also it depends on the dog you are conditioning. I mean like, if you got a game as hell dog.. train more wind on his keep. Specially a defensive dog? More wind will be the key. But for a destructive dog.. strenght will be the main recipe on the keep. As I've said, depends on the dog and his ability.

---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 AM ----------

But Mayfield has been accusted of overworking his dogs and running them on a cat mill for 6 hours a day with no rest.

Not sure of this info. But on my experience.. a well rested dog wins the match. He might be reason for that, we don't know. I normally do roadwork for 4 hours non-stop. I got people who helps me aswell..

[VIAGRAENLINOBARATOCAMPRAR]

LOL Here we go!!! ROTFLMAO!

[Catieliecutty]

But Mayfield has been accusted of overworking his dogs and running them on a cat mill for 6 hours a day with no rest.

Yeah but everyone has their own recipe. Mayfield is also accused of bringing in dogs that have virtually no fat on them, and yet he has won more times than we can count. He also had many a great dogs with his greatest dog in my opinion being pit general.

---------- Post added at 05:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:26 PM ----------

You can do springpole, but don't do it high. Just enough till he can stretch up his body up. We took that practice out our keep when 2 of our gamedogs got a broken hip because of jumping. It's sad to lose a good dog and pay a forfeit just because of a bad practice.

Also it depends on the dog you are conditioning. I mean like, if you got a game as hell dog.. train more wind on his keep. Specially a defensive dog? More wind will be the key. But for a destructive dog.. strenght will be the main recipe on the keep. As I've said, depends on the dog and his ability.

---------- Post added at 01:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:14 AM ----------




Not sure of this info. But on my experience.. a well rested dog wins the match. He might be reason for that, we don't know. I normally do roadwork for 4 hours non-stop. I got people who helps me aswell..

Well with the springpole comes riskes. That's actually how honey bunch died, by falling off the spring pole at the age of 10 or so I'm told.

4 hours non stop road work can be a lot or a little depending on intensity. What does your road work consists of?

---------- Post added at 05:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------

LOL Here we go!!! ROTFLMAO!

Care to share what's so funny? I missed the joke LOL

[EvaQWmrm]

i do a 12 week keep starting of slow and easy building up on the mill spring pole and road work as it goes along i change things for different dogs according to their needs but all in all it works for me

[Clesylafabada]

what is road work?

[voksveta]

Well Cleo isnt old enough to be conditioned yet....although i like to think she's in pretty good shape!

Ask me this question again in a few months!!

[EvaQWmrm]

what is road work?

exactlly what it sounds like walk run i use a bike later on in the keep

[Clesylafabada]

exactlly what it sounds like walk run i use a bike later on in the keep

okay so like hiking and swimming in my dogs case. Thanks for clearing that up.

[EvaQWmrm]

no prob homie

[Catieliecutty]

okay so like hiking and swimming in my dogs case. Thanks for clearing that up.

well roadwork isn't swimming, but hiking counts LOL. Pretty much your dog stays on dry land and walks, either running, walking, jogging, climbing, etc.

[Clesylafabada]

well roadwork isn't swimming, but hiking counts LOL. Pretty much your dog stays on dry land and walks, either running, walking, jogging, climbing, etc.

okay gotcha thanks for clearing that up, sorry for thread jacking