New YouTube Channel

[APBT4LIFE]

I show and compete dogs in the ADBA. This includes sports such as weight pull, Top Dog which is lure coursing, treadmill, and wall climb. I am making a YouTube channel to promote the breed and exercise. I also have other things planned for the channel. Feel free to reach out to me, or leave comments etc.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMOPXDoqSKtGIxnqYR393bg

[EWO]

Nice job.

Conditioning is my favorite part of the dogs.

I am not sure what the job will be for the dog in the video but he looks good.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the sled. I really like pulling weight with the dogs but I like it to be lighter for longer periods of time. I prefer to pull chains. Chains are lighter but a much smoother pull across the ground.

I do pull for weight. I ditch the really nice type trace set up you are using and use two traces without the cross bar, and a bit shorter. The shorter harness provides a little lift action on the load and with that lift the drag is a bit smoother.

Most of my opinion is based on the end result I am looking for in the dog. My goal in any of the exercises I use is for the dog to be stronger-longer meaning the dog has enough cardio to support the muscular load over time. If that makes sense.

Looking forward to your next videos. I will log on, subscribe and like you video the next time I am on youtube.

Again, nice video.

Big fan.

EWO

[APBT4LIFE]

I understand, most advanced conditioners drag chain and I do as well. This was an introductory video to show that people do in fact do these exercises and it’s okay for the dogs to do them as well. I’m not an expert or claim to be. Just someone who is trying to promote health and fitness along with working dogs. There will be more content as I advance the channel from product reviews, interviews, action videos taken at working dog events etc. I just wanna leave these dogs in a better place than what I found them.

[EWO]

No doubts. I am the biggest fan of any dog that does what he was bred to do or what he was trained to do so I am looking forward as the videos come out.

If I say something along the lines of 'this is how I do it' it will always be based on personal experience. And more importantly way back a hundred or so years ago I had certain conditioning goals for the dogs. The exercises, the duration, the load, the level of intensity were always singularly purposed.

End goals and end expectations dictate how the dog is worked.

I like the flirt pole video which is one of the most effective means of prepping a dog any one could choose. Most people want and think things have to be way more complicated and complex in order to be effective. Seldom is this the case, especially when working a dog.

I like the up and down on the hill. Understanding you mentioned it is a workout for both you and the dogs, I will add that standing in one spot (small circles) has its benefit as well. Part of what makes the flirt pole so effective is that it teaches/conditions the dogs to explode from zero to max effort, repeatedly. Nothing does that better than change in direction. In your video you changed direction at the end of longer runs (which is awesome) and the exercise increases in effectiveness with shorter bursts followed by change in direction.

Every fiber of his being is moving in one direction(max effort), then all the muscles being used brings him to a sudden stop (brings him to zero) and then he explodes in the opposite direction (max effort). This gets a little more high in the high intensity training approach.

I wish I had that field and more so I wish I had dogs I could work off lead. (Lack of time put in by me from choosing to own, at times, lots of dogs). Most of my dogs will work the flirt pole to no end and they will stay right there on it. I have had quite a few that if something caught their eye elsewhere I would still be chasing them to this day.

And I like to add personal experience to the theories and approaches to working the dogs as well. By far, the very best conditioned animal I have ever seen was a Eli/Snooty/Molly Bee bred female who never once saw a mill or a flirt pole. For whatever reason, this bitch was absolutely mesmerized/possessed or obsessed with a lime green softball. No other ball seemed to get her juices flowing like these type softballs. (girls fast pitch). We stood 20 yards or so apart and played catch. I would throw to my buddy and that bitch went from zero to max for a 25 yard sprint, come to a sliding stop and then go the other way when we threw the ball. (Similar to you video but at a much higher pace/intensity, but principle the same). At the end of 6 week this bitch strength wise could pull hell up off its hinges and wind wise I am pretty sure she could pretty much breathe underwater.

Keep up the good work. I am a fan.

EWO

[APBT4LIFE]

Thanks man I appreciate the support, I added a drag chain video today.

[EWO]

Nice video. I like the smooth drag. I made several different chains and put around 25% of the dogs weight. The chain is about 25% of the dog's weight but the friction of the drag adds to that and it usually works out to where the dog does not mass muscle.

The sled and a lot of weight builds muscle and muscle takes blood and blood can be at a premium at times.

Nice vide.

EWO

[EWO]

I just watched the video on the raw feeding. Nice work.

A lot of the feed concepts for humans is not the same as canine's. The beef heart is a nice protein type feed but in a performance animal it should not be the staple for energy. When working a dog the fat content needs to be much higher.

Once a dog acclimates to a change in diet of high fat he will use fat for energy and proteins will be used for recovery. Burning fat for energy is a cooler process for the dogs making more water per calorie burned than protein or carbs. (Krebbs cycle)

http://mushing.com/nutrition-rendering-sense-feeding-fat

This is a great article about feeding the canine athlete.

Also go to Sportsvet.com : Feeding the Canine Athlete. Another article on feeding fat and its importance.

EWO

[APBT4LIFE]

When talking about the comparison to humans I was trying to use common sense approach that Whole Foods are healthier than processed foods, you understood what I was getting at.

And you are right. When meaning staple, I use 3-4 oz as a muscle meat. I also use chicken necks with fat as the more bulk of the raw 6-7 oz.

So when I think of staple food I’m thinking something I can feed everyday not something I can primarily feed in large amounts.

[APBT4LIFE]

When referring to the fat as a weakness, I was referring to body fat not fat as a fuel source. I know that sounded bad and I wrote that in the description. I should probably edit that gonna get heat from someone.

[EWO]

Understood. I think lots of people in the past (most everyone) placed the nutritional needs of humans onto the dogs.

The performance dog needs as much fat, if not more, as protein in their diet. The beef heart is indeed a nutrient dense protein and is an excellent choice when feeding raw or even using it to supplement dry food.

When I shop beef I prefer cow cheek. It is a fatty cut of meat, even cheaper than beef hearts, and pushes the percentage of fat in the diet.

If I am looking for straight type protein raw food I lean toward leg quarters. Again, it is cheaper (you may start to see a trend with how I don't like to spend money). Plus chicken breaks down faster than red meats so the percentage of assimilation and what ends up as waste is more efficient when using chicken. (and again, cheaper as well).

Mot people with bulldogs feed crappy shit out of a bag. (me included). I feed raw a lot, but my raw is not RAW where the bowls are balanced daily. Mine is more raw food supplemented with dry food for convenience. I know that makes me a horrible dog owner but when working 50-60 hours a week every minute counts with the dogs. I could do better by lessening the amount of dogs but some addictions are harder to kick than others. If that makes sense.

The mushing article is really neat in that a thousand years ago they fed dogs they way nature intended. Then we as brain surgeons placed the human needs on the canines, coupled that with our 'fascination with efficiency' (laziness/need for convenience) and we developed bag food. Then people saw the kibble industry as a billion dollar enterprise and profits became far more important than the health of the dog. Then a thousand years later with modern day science coupled with a million dollar study, we found out the sledders from a thousand years ago were pretty much on point with how to feed a performance dog.

With that said, not many people are working in that climate and that plays a huge part. The fat content can back off a bit and the protein source can be changed from meats and chickens to fish which is really nutrient dense as well. It takes more energy to digest/assimilate fish so it creates heat. Heat is a good thing when sledding thru the arctic but not so much in the rural south. I shy away from fish and fish products when working a dog but use them for dogs not putting in serious work.

I have fed my dogs as much as 40% fat in their bowl, with 40% to 50% proteins and then a couple hand full of dry food to make up the rest.

I am also a water content guy when the dogs are working so the dry food is as much a water tool than a food source, actually both, but I use it as a water tool.

A working dog's diet should be based upon water first, fats second and proteins third.

When water is not #1 and proteins move to a higher percentage point that is usually when the dog runs hot.

Apologies. I did not mean to hijack your thread. Just really dig these types of posts/conversations.

EWO

[APBT4LIFE]

I need to check out ordering a case of cow cheek and see the cost comparison where I live, great idea! I fed CA JACK Eco Raw Diet before and liked the results on that. I am thinking about trying that again in the winter since it contains carbs and I can load up the fat AKA Lard since I wont be working dogs, but we will have to see. I also don't think you are a horrible owner for feeding kibble or dry at least you are feeding and taking care of your dogs. I have neighbors around where I live who I swear seldom feed their dogs so not trying to discredit or put anyone down that feeds kibble or dry.

When you say water first what does that mean on a raw diet? Because as my dogs are fed raw, they barely touch the water bowl. I add 1 cup of water with the raw to help with digestion and thats how I measure their extra water intake especially after workout. I can add or subtract that 1 cup depending on the moisture count on skin but usually they stay very hydrated so if you could expand on that, that would be great.

I also agree that they need high percentage of FAT, but how can you actually figure out when to bump the fat content on the diet especially feeding raw? Where it is a-lot harder to calculate grams of fat vs a 1 cup of 30/20? Would that be when the dog reaches a peak condition that you know and starts to decline aka lose muscle mass vs fat, you would then bump up the fat to compensate the workload? If so I don't think most APBT will reach that point working for any ADBA Sports or Competitions. In extreme cases I can understand a bump and I have feed an Ice Cream Scoop of Lard to compensate and saw great results with that as well.

No need to worry about hijacking this thread, this website is pretty slow anyway I don't mind talking or having conversations about conditioning or my videos.

Keep the ideas coming EW.

[EWO]

I buy the cow cheek at Wal Mart as it is the only place that carries it our area. I would imagine it can be bought by the case there as well.

In performing dogs water content is usually the first thing that leads to running hot. Either the water content was missed under and the dog is dehydrated or it is missed over and the dog is deemed 'wet'. It is a very fine line between dehydrated to hydrated to over hydrated.

On a raw diet the dog will not normally visit the water bowl as much because raw vs. dry has a double effect depending on what plan is being used. The raw food has far more moisture content and does not take hardly any moisture from the dog to support digestion. Dry food draws moisture from the dog.

The best example would be to get two bowls of water. Add a handful or dry food and a handful of raw meat. The dry food will absorb more that its weight in water, swelling and then turning to much. It takes pretty much that amount of water for the food to pass, then they need even more water to hydrate.

When dogs run hot, in my experience, water content is the first suspect.

I add the fat gradually over time prior to work getting started. I let the stool dictate what is enough and what is too much. If the stool gets loose I back off or plane off and allow the stool to get right before the next adjustment.

Once the dog has been acclimated to a high fat content diet (usually 8-10 weeks) and the work starts, there can even be more increases in fat content per meal as the keep progresses.

EWO

[EWO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT4_sv1uKbE

This is Dabo as a young puppy. It is never too early to start the young dogs. They think they are playing a game but in reality you are laying the foundation of becoming a hard worker.

Due to a sickness and time away from the dogs I now own my first crop of young dogs who did not learn valuable life skills as a young puppy. Most of my dogs start on a mill as early as 8 weeks, not necessarily workiing/turning the mill, but just learning it is not as God awful as it seems.

I also like this type of pole vs. the ones with a length of rope between the 'hide' and the pole. I feel like I have better control, keep it closer to the face of the dog and can give the dog a broader/longer run before changing directions. It is what I prefer mostly because I can make them for a couple-three dollars a piece (LOL).

This puppy is off lead and the yard is fenced in so he can't really go anywhere if distracted.

Really envious of your set up and your dogs and your ability to work the dogs off lead.

I just know I would be chasing one of mine across the county or to the first furry thing he could grab.

Somewhat jealous.

EWO

[APBT4LIFE]

Yeah, I have had bad luck getting dogs at an older age. From this day forward I will only take on puppies that are 8 weeks of age. The imprinting I do is too crucial for success for my goals with the dogs. I take advantage of the public hunting land around where I live and run dogs/work dogs in these areas. I have had a few close calls etc with other hunters and hunting dogs especially bird dogs/coon dogs but never anything serious usually you can tell if someone is in the area if you see a vehicle parked. I watched your video and cannot wait to raise this upcoming litter and document the process of taking a pup to full blown ADBA Conformation Champion on my YouTube Channel.

[EWO]

Good luck.

Look forward to the videos/conversation.

EWO

[SGC]

A good thread, thanks for posting all the info. I wish I could watch the videos but I am not set up to watch videos… still in the stone age here, LOL.

For adding fat to a dog's diet I have had good luck with raw chicken necks with the fatty skin on them (unfortunately one store now has de-skinned necks), full fat cottage cheese, and those Satin Balls also have a goodly content of fat.

I have had pretty good results with feeding kibble supplemented with raw but this is a maintaince diet since I am only keeping one dog right now and she's not really being worked hard. Just daily exercise to keep her happy and in shape. With other dogs I have found some do better with more raw and some with more kibble. I also add canned jack mackerel when I had it.

[IWK]

What happened to the YouTube channel? Seems it’s gone.

[APBT4LIFE]

I took it down. It came with a lot of bs. A lot of newbies constantly asking me questions I just got tired of dealing with the people and reiterating the same basic concepts.