Has anyone here used a swim tank as part of a keep? If so how did you incorporate it into the process? I have a tank that I use for my 13 year old dog and I've been thinking about using it as part of the keep process.
Has anyone here used a swim tank as part of a keep? If so how did you incorporate it into the process? I have a tank that I use for my 13 year old dog and I've been thinking about using it as part of the keep process.
I had a buddy of mine use basically a swim only keep on a bitch and she looked really good in her show, winning impressively in a little over an hour. This bitch would do nothing. Not walk, not mill, not nothing.
We took a long piece of conduit, attached a snap ring and held her out it a pond. The dog sank like a rock, debated heavily between swimming and drowning, and at that very last minute she chose to swim. Same debate every day.
Once she was swimming he gradually increased. He started off at ten minutes, brought her out, and out her back for ten minutes. He added time to the ten minutes gradually and the number of sets increased in time. By the end of the keep she was doing 20 minute sets, pulled from the water, recovery time and then back in the water. By the end of the keep she was doing about 2 hours per work day.
Every dog is different. I am just about positive you will have to experiment with times and sets and then dial it in for each dog. I have always wanted to try one but never had a tank to give it a try. Best of luck. EWO
Some people may not agree but if this dog done so well in a show and was only swimming during the keep. Something or someone got lucky along the way. Either the dog was great or the hog was shit. I'm sorry but swimming isn't a great way to work a dog. It simply doesn't put the dog in the condition it needs to be in for that type of activity. Time and time again I have seen swimming worked into keeps but never seen it end well. Maybe it's just the ones I have seen. But if it's got to be part of the keep maybe a light day work out or warm up. Jmo
I was thinking more of cool down since the hand walking will be used to warm up and empty out.Originally Posted by widerange
Yeah I didn't think about that. A cool down would be best
She was in really good shape. Maybe she had some natural air that helped. She was a good dog but not a great dog. She went just about an hour the first time and 1:45 the second time. The first one she stopped, wanted to continue but could not. The second quit by being outlasted with more will and more work. Both times being worked in the water.
Granted, I am no swim keep advocate as I have never did one in a tank or in a controlled environment such as a tank. I have seen four personally. This bitch won two and she was in great shape. Ch. Caballo ( Garner's Dynomite) won three and his hardest days were in a deep creek swimming in the current.
Swimming may not be a great way to work a dog but is can be an effective way to work a dog. EWO
swimming is a great tool when used with a flirt pole
I've never seen a dog swam in a keep, though I do know of a man that did it once for a female much like EWO describes.
Widerange, just out of curiousity, how come swimming does NOT put the dog in the condition to win? Is it because the thought process of being in the water and being cooled down? Swimming isn't exactly something easily done for 2 hours, if not more, if done correctly. So while I've never done it, I certainly wouldn't discredit it without every trying it.
I can't say why it doesn't work only what I believe. Now this is a theory of mine so I'll try to explain the best I can. When a dog is in keep your training that dogs body for whatever is at the end of that keep. So if your train the dog to be under large amounts of pressure and stress. Swimming doesn't apply this type of work into a dog during it's keep. So yes 2hrs of swimming is hard. But let's take the amount of force( work) that it takes to swim for 2hrs,while it is hard, the dog only works a small amount for x amount of time to keep it's head above work while swimming. But in a show from the start force is applied on the dogs body in heavy amounts for x amount of time often shorter then 2hrs so the dog simply isn't worked for the show. Take strong man weightlifters, they lift a heavy weight for a short time. Do you think they walk into a gym and work out with small amounts of weights for longer reps? Or do they do heavy weights with few reps?
As from what I have done it works now that was never a 100%swim keep but it did consist of more swim days! Now as far as heavy weight lifters they lift more weight but less reps body building techniques less weight more reps! Reason being is you have a fast twitch and slow twitch muscle! I am a big believer in hitting every muscle on the hound most important part of swim is the fact that it works both fast/slow twitch muscle and it incorporates a more important muscle and that is stabilizing muscle's,these muscle keeps the hound from rolling to its left or right while swimming and keeping themselves upright! Now what I did to add power was bring them to a shallow water with a flirt and have them run thru the water don't know if any of you have ever tried to run thru water but the resistance force is incredible! As for the swim I like to use it for STRESS RECOVERY,and LAZY HOUNDS
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