One thing I learned from my mistakes and from finally taking some good advice from Vernon. You see for awhile I was trying V.J's ways and reading all sorts of dog nutrition books to boot. What I started too doing was trying to make things ten times better. LOL
There are many ways of doing something and the simpler one keeps it. The easier it is to solve a problem when one occurs. V.J's. feed method/times of feeding and pointing a dog the last three days was the easiest and simplest way I had saw or read about. Mayfield's way though not incorrect would be a tedious nightmare to me.
Unfortunately I was not a Master Staff Sargent and had a gang of young marines to help me. I did not have enough hours in the day and access to long soft back roads to work dogs. I knew I had to try a different approach and went with a large building and a extra large low to the ground running round table. Things started looking much better and everything got much easier.The way I worked a dog near the end of my time in the dogs. I was hitting all around it, but knew something was missing.
Was what EWO had learned from watching his son train for collegiate wrestling. The Karate and other type martial arts fighters had to learn this type training, when they got involved with Cage fighting. Thinking they were in top condition were getting their asses handed to them in short order.
That info. shared by EWO, hit me like a ton of bricks. I was thirty years to late. LOL In return I encouraged him to at some time build a extra big (16 FT To 20 FT) across round table out of the weather. That will not bounce and running at knee level when sitting in a chair close to dog.
When one can work a dog and it can grab and drive it's opponent back into it's corner and pound on it like Mr. T pounded Rocky in their first bout with no let up. That is indeed some great conditioning. LOL Cheers
Sorry Misfit, for getting off subject. With any of those better formula dog foods. If it has a high protein source especially fish based. Check the moisture content. I believe you want at least around 12 percent moisture. Reason those Fish based kibbles and some others have such lower moisture contents. Is to give the feed more shelf life. More moisture, the sooner it may spoil on the shelf or grow some sort of fungus among us. LOL
The amount of Ash may have some bearing as well. Not sure if Ca Jack mentioned that in that blog. I think to much ash or not enough is bad for cats. That the ash content is what makes cat food bad to feed dogs. Not sure about all that anymore. If wrong I stand corrected. Cheers
Thanks for all of the info. A buddy of mine was asking about that feed. I figured I'd ask here. Told him to just feed raw or use Jacks meat/brown rice recipe.
Reading the sled dogs sites for their feeding methods is a good place to start when working a dog. Hundreds of years ago the sled dogs were fed huge amounts of fat because the whale blubber was what was there for the dogs. When sled dogs became competitive athletes man decided he would re-invent the wheel. Fed those dogs like humans with carbs and proteins over time the dogs went to squat. Through research and trials it was found the dogs performed better on a higher fat percentage in their feed.
Few bulldog people are in a climate where they can match the fat content of the sled dog folks. At the same time few bulldog people allow their dog to sleep outside in freezing to sub freezing temperatures while in competition. The fish is nutrient dense. It takes time for the gut to digest and assimilate fish. For the bulldog guy in the rural south this leads to running hot. For the sled dog guy in the great northern lands it means the dog will maintain body heat through the night. Then that 'slow churn' of the fish nutrients is also great for muscle recovery.
Chicken is far better digested and far better assimilated. Chicken backs and chicken necks do wonders. I try to max the amount of fat for each dog. They are all different. The dogs body and demeanor will tell a lot about how he needs to be worked but his daily dumps dictates his diet, if that makes sense. The fat content can be increased slowly over time til the stool gets loose. Back off. As the work increases the fat content can track with it. Some dogs can get as much as 50% of their carbs from straight chicken/beef fat. What works best is when it is in a fatty/soupy (broth) mixture.
The dog works off of fat and the proteins provided are mostly used for recovery. Two meals usually work best a fatty/soupy brothy meal 10-12 hours prior to work. A protein heavy supplemented meal right after work. Both dialed in for a certain weight on the dog.
Again, CYJ is spot on. I'm a carpet mill guy at heart but the table builds a different dog. Mine was a little small, just a hair short of 15', outdoors and a little too free but even missing those points I'm sold.
The car analogy always works best. No one builds a pro-mod or top fuel dragster and then uses pump gas for fuel. Dogs no different.
EWO
50% of their diet....night shifts can scramble the brain at times....
EWO
What is the temps where you live when working?
EWO
i would think a lot colder than your location
I am venturing a guess the difference in using fish is not in the dogs but in the location and the temperature.
Here we drop below freezing at night but even in the winter get well above during the day.
I would use fish if we did not have a heavy load the next morning.
EWO