Scheduling work/ feed around hunt time.

[BLADE]

I'd like to get opinions of others of the importance of scheduling your work time as close to a predetermined hunt time as possible? Example: you work a regular job during the day and only have time to work your hunting dog evening/night. You do this planning on taking a trip to the woods during this time frame, then an opportunity comes up but it's a morning hunt only! Do you take the hunt even though your schedule only allows you to work a dog evening and nights? Or pass on the opportunity because your dog will be completely off point by doing so? I say pass! Maybe some of you will have a different idea to share.

[CYJ]

This falls in the realm of a match well made is a match well won. The opponent knows the other fellows work schedule. Knows this person does only one event dog pulling shows. Which is very wise by the way. So in hopes of throwing this person's keep off the last few days. Wants a say, midday show event.

One way of dealing with this is to pass on the first go round. Let the opponent's dog go through one dog pulling show. Hopefully a good hard grinding show. Then that person can see what sort of dog is to be dealt with. This is not spot picking, but using good common horse sense. Since the opponent was planning on a strategy advantage for his dog. If the person's dog was not up to snuff to win over the opponent's dog, no need to proceed any farther.

Remember you are your dog's promoter/match maker and protector. Always try to put your dog first within the rules of fair play and may the best show or pulling dog fairly win. Cheers

P.S. It is very rude when a person has won a dog show. Feeling good about the event and his dog. Than a non sportsmanship jerk jumps in the show ring and bad mouths this person dog and makes a challenge. Those are the real spot pickers. Best avoid such,trouble always follows these types.

[EWO]

I'm not so sure how much it factors. I started off in that mindset and I think it may actually be the preferred method matching work and feed times around the show schedule.

I work rotating swing shifts. My schedule is very hectic. With over time it is all over the place. One part of my schedule keeps me on nights four nights in a row and another part is three nights in a row. I schedule my heaviest work weeks around those night shifts as I have days off on the front and back of those stretches. When I go on the four day shifts I work the dogs on a lighter load because by the time I get home at 8 I feed and water dogs so it is only so much time to work before I have to leave at pre-5 the next morning.

I work the dogs based on my work schedule. Sometime when the two conflict the dog gets a lighter work load or sometimes an extra day of rest. It is not ideal but it is either work the dog around my schedule or not work dogs period.

As far the effect of the non-routine work method I have never seen it as an issue. My dogs may work a week in the morning followed by working a week at night. The crossover days usually are rest days and the feed is adjusted to be close to empty for the next feeding.

I will set the date based on my work schedule. I want the last 7-8 days to be workable for me and the dog so I can dial in to the end. I do not care if it is a day or night show.

What I do care about is that the show time does not change after the last 10 day mark. If I start the last week dialed into a certain time and it changes I am a no show. I always make that a condition going in and I make it perfectly clear if the time changes the last 7 days I am a no show.

A number of years ago we got a call on Friday night that the show had been moved from Saturday night to Sunday morning. I bailed for two reasons. One my dog is dialed in for Saturday night. And two, and this goes along with the CYJ post, I am thinking they had their dog dialed for Sunday morning all along.

To also add to the post. It is a team sport. You and your dog. He has to all the hard work but you have to all the smart work. If something changes that puts your dog at a disadvantage, regardless of how small the disadvantage is, a person should bail. Losing a good dog to a bad decision is a hundred times worse than losing with a good dog to a good dog, if that makes sense.

EWO

[BLADE]

Thanks for the input guys! All good points.