When you travel you are in one with your dog. No phones. No wannabes nagging you. Solitude. This has always provided me with a good time to achieve the clarity required for flawless handling. To this dogman, traveling has been a plus. Don’t let a top notch opponent get by because you don’t know about traveling. Remember by going to then it puts a lot more work on them, heck once you get it established hook two more with them and let’em work three dogs. When traveling, always use your first class dogs. That is not to say they should be aces, but remember: don’t travel with your B team, leave them at hone. You take your BEST when on the road. This alone will usually bring the odds back to 50/50.
Then look at where you are going and plan your trip well. Have all stops planned and travel with only, yourself, one friend and the dog. Let your buddies catch up later, cause a serious dogman ain’t got tine to fool with a bunch of drunks on a pleasure cruise. When traveling a short distance, six hours give or take a few, this is a one day drive. During the keep of the dog that is making the trip be sure the dog spends 6-10 hours a week riding in a vehicle, inside a sky kennel.
Make this part of his everyday life. The show time is 9:00 PM. Six hours to the show site. Leave the house at 1:00 with 6-10 minute stops planned, this should get you there 10-30 minutes early. Walk the dog out at each stop and do your final walk out before getting to the site. Have the dog empty when you arrive, then walk out in the field and act as if you are agitated to the fact your dog will not empty.
This will help with the action. When traveling 500 to 1000 miles I still say drive. Show time 9:00 PM Saturday the 27th. Monday, the 22nd feed dog at 9:00 PM. Tuesday, the 23rd feed dog at 9:00 AM in the morning.Feed the dog a high calorie pre-digested diet Metabolol II for example. Tuesday afternoon put the dog in the car and drive as hard as you can. Stop every two hours to empty the dog. Take food and water for you and the dog, stopping only for fuel and to empty. Time is a factor. If you take this seriously you can cover 1000 miles by Wednesday at 3:00 PM. Upon arrival set up your scales and look up what your dog weighed on Sunday, 21th at 3:00 PM. Feed your dog two scoops of Metabolol II with 8 oz of Pedialyte if your dogs weight is right. If your dog is light, feed him his meal that you would have fed at 9:00 PM.
When 9:00 PM comes, weigh the dog and you should be where you were after feeding on Monday. The dog will loose 1/2 to 1 pound of weight from this trip. Make sure the dog is empty and at least a pound over weight and wet on Monday before you feed. Now it is Thursday the 25th, so feed as if you were at home. Use water from home or use bottled water. I prefer bottled water for the last two weeks. Always make sure that it is in your agreement that your lodging area is no more than 30 minutes from the arena. Do your feedings on Thursday and Friday at the normal times and everything should go for the better dog.
0 Comments