The Lemm Keep

[CYJ]

Ditto S_B. A good soft running track and at least a 40 foot running arm on a swinging jenny, is very important. I did as D. Mayfield suggested. I tilled in a lot of Bermuda hay and saw dust. This provided a soft running track that was easy on the dogs foot pads.

To keep a dog that liked to run too hard and hit those four corners of the curve. Which could maybe sling the dog and cause it to loose it's footing. I piled up some extra saw dust into those four corners. Before the running began. Kept extra saw dust in those four corners of the circle. Could rake it back in as needed.

If the dog started out to fast. It would hit those thicker four parts of the track and bog down a little. After several turns and hitting those thicker places of saw dust, in those four main corners. Dog would settle down and fast dog trot with intermediate spurts of loping.

I gave a smaller cat mill that had a 28 foot running arm to Mr. Truett. He set it up and Mr. Gainey tried one of his dogs on it. They did not till the ground and build a soft running track. With this smaller running radius, they did not build a running bank on the corners. Results was they ran the pads right off the dog's feet in short order. Mill had been set up in sand. Yikes !!!

I did tell and show Mr. Truett the correct running track I was using and correct dog collar hook up. They used a pulling harness. Cheers

[S_B]

Yes CYJ sir, you are very correct. You have just given very valuable information to anyone wanting to learn to optimize conditioning a bulldog on a jenny.

I'm not willing to share further knowledge I have learned concerning the "track", but if one wanted to do their own research, that knowledge could be gained.

[EWO]

I have often thought this as well. I have seen the same dog conditioned by two different groups and one be better than the other, but I always wondere dif the third group would have gotten even better. Hard to say.

I used the jenny once for awhile. On my 11 acres I have two relatively flat spots as it mostly descends down to a creek. I used the biggest flat spot to build my house. I used the second flat spot for the jenny. In time I used the spot to build my shop. I liked it a lot. I was still in the learning phase but I could see the difference in the dogs. I liked the fact the dogs feet were on the ground as much as a comparison between treadmills and catmills, if that makes sense.

Jack, funny you mentioned the Curios mills. He lived about a couple of miles from here. I pass where he lived near every day in my work commute. That was a strange dude. He loved his dogs. He built great mills. Like most, he would shoot you a dog man curve every now and again, but he was a solid dude. EWO

Jack, I agree about the talent comment, and that goes for mill or jenny.

I personally don't think any person has ever put a dog in their absolute best shape. I think most of the conditioners are barely scratching the surface of what kind of shape a dog can really get into. I've had some dogs in better shape than others, but I don't think I've ever had a dog in it's absolute best shape.

[WHISPERS]

The Lemm keep is good for what its good for. Nobody does things exactly the way its told to them in these dogs. Its a good read to take from what you will and add to your own way of conditioning the same as the rest. I've used what I liked from it, tweaked it, added my strenghth to it and was successful. In saying that, I also must say that my mill is not free spinning, so in truth, I didnt actually go exactly by the keep in my cardio but used the same outline pretty much. I cant claim to b super knowledgeable in the dogs, but I AM eager to learn and do apply what I learn to the field in my trial n error approach, as it is just that for me. But in concern to the Lemm keep, its a good example of aerobic exorcise to aid in learning to shape ones hound. Me being from the city (or somethin like that) there's not many places you will find property large enough to put up a 40' jenny so the mill is what we have to work with. There IS an old dog man in township that has one for his horses tho. Id like to hear your thoughts on if I could use it, productively, on the dogs if allowed to use it, w/o doing more harm then good as I've never worked a jenny/catmill before.

Whispers

[CYJ]

Whispers, what we sometimes call a Jenny is really the Cat mill. Believe it was Carver that hung the name swinging jenny on the cat mill. Regardless the cat mill or swinging jenny is powered by the dog running on the ground after a live bait in a cage or more preferably a animal hide etc.

The Horse Jenny that most Horse persons use have over head arms to attaché the horse leads to. Apparatus is powered by a electric motor. Usually designed to walk more than one horse at a steady horse walking pace.

Your friend may be a right on person. But would not expose my dogs to maybe his friends. Met very few horse lovers that liked dog men that owned any type of sporting dogs. The Humane Society and Peta are always just one phone call away.

You can do better with that type of mill work out with a electric tread mill inside of a building. Cheers

[CYJ]

Oh man, I just wrote a in depth article on a cable set up that combines the workout of a weight pull, flirt pole and the spring pole with use of a weighted collar if one choses to. Lost my internet connection and lost the info.

So for those that have limited space, but have enough space to walk their dog. Here is the short version. Type materials etc. just ask or p.m. me. First put up a long cable run that is spread out into a long slack U shape. Have about four to five feet clearance overhead of the dog in the center of the cable length. For play action in the cable. If can be attached between two limber strong trees is a plus. Put rubber etc. guards around the cable ends to protect the Tree's from excessive rubbing.

The chain should have at least three swivels with the one near the dog, not so close it will be hitting the dog. The dog chain should go straight down to ground at center point of cable. Rest of chain length should be five to six more feet on the ground to allow the dog to pull away from the cable.

Get you a good deep sea fishing pole with butt harness to set the butt end in. Take several strong animal hides and sew them together and attaché fishing line to one end of the hide. You can even add some foam between the layers to give the hide a softer but firm grip for the dog.

Use a good quality pulling harness. Now you are ready to go dog fishing. LOL You can work the dog up and down the cable with dog also pulling out against the play in the overhead cable. Keep normal tension but do not snatch or pull very hard on the dog. You want it to keep it's teeth and head attached to it's body. LOL You can use a long dowel wood stick. That you can tap the dogs front legs and back legs and ribs. To learn the dog to move legs, hide the back end and twist from anything touching it there.

You can determine how much weight you want the chain to weigh depending on the size and over all strength of the dog. This adds the weight pulling to the exercise.

Work the dog up and down on the cable in intermediate work sessions and hand walking. Never to complete exhaustion and should be one part of the keep workout on just one day. This type workout will work the dog hard and probably should be done on it's last work day session.

If one has limited space, the first work days in that session can include a slat mill and round table. I would not combine mills, but use one day and the other the next day with the round table mill used second in the workout session. On these mills still work the dog in intermediate cycles and hand walking between. If you see that dog's tongue hanging all the way out of mouth, not recovering and back end legs dragging. You are doing to much to fast. Go slowly through a four week pre keep.

The round table can be run longer in intervals than the treadmill but best to stick with 30 minutes at a time, but not at the beginning. One hour on the round table for small dogs. hour and half for medium dogs. Up to two hours for big catch weight dogs. This is mostly steady dog trotting.

I liked a Monday through Wednesday with Thursday being a rest day. Friday-Saturday being work days and Sundays as a rest day. On rest days will not hurt to walk the dog and rub it down. Non of this is written in stone but just a guide line. Use common sense and go easy at the first and not rush things.

The best way to learn what works for you and how to slowly learn how to work a dog. The dog you are going to test pull for show dog gaminess. Put the said dog through a four week keep. Do enough of these, you will start getting the hang of it over time. Cheers

[CYJ]

I would like to add that the ground or track the dog will be working back and forth on should be on the soft side. The dog's pads could be hurt if pulling against this cable set up in hard ground or sand. Can soften it up with tilled in straw and saw dust. With added saw dust to boot.

On the overhead cable you can use old rear end car or truck bearings to slide up and down the cable. Put extra ones on the cable to replace a worn one. A good trolley type roller is great if it will not come off and get stuck on the cable. Cheers

[CYJ]

There is something else today's dog men should consider if at all possible. Particularly if it is a combined dog men group. The person that has the over all best knack for working a dog. Could have all the work equipment and hopefully enough land in the country to walk out a dog. That person should only have the show dog to be worked at that location period.

The future show dogs and younger dogs at one location. Brood dogs and Stud dogs and puppies some where else. All dog men should belong to a Sanctioned Dog show and weight pulling etc. events. Keep your ribbons and trophies near at hand. Will not hurt if one can have excess to some hog hunting. Get a valid hunting license and participate. Have your dog hog hunting vests on hand as well.

I know this is a lot of if ands and buts. But the way it is today, to have it all on one dog yard. To my way of thinking, you are setting a big bulls eye on your back. When some little thing goes wrong we all know who will be showing up. Cheers

[S_B]

Great posts CYJ!

[CYJ]

Thanks S_B. Went back and added a little more. Very hard to explain all those things without seeing it done with your own eyes. Ca. Jacks guide line's, on the times on the mills, in his book are a good reference. For most of what many wish to or not to believe. There are many ways to work a dog and not many so called great secrets. Only what will work for you with a lot of time and hard work included.

You do need a proper amount of anaerobic work under controlled stress. Doing nothing but Aerobic work will leave your dog short when the pushing and shoving of body weight starts. Why long distant runners are always running somewhere. LOL When something bad catches up with them, might be trouble in paradise. LOL