FitDog Friday~Training

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This week was hunt test training training training. Since Gambler didn’t fair to well with last weekends hunt test we have been busy training him for his hunt test tomorrow. This means that Glory gets trained too. She doesn’t get to compete yet since she is just getting over her heat cycle and you can’t run in a hunt test if you are in heat so she gets to just train. We trained in our hay field that is quite tall so they got their exercise pushing through the cover.

Here are some of the pictures I took.

The gang has also been swimming to keep in shape. What has your gang been doing to keep in shape?

Please enjoy our FitDog Friday Blog Hop brought to you by SlimDoggy and our co-hosts Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love. Join the Hop or just enjoy the links below – lots of fun fitness tips and advice!

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FitDog Friday~Attended A Training Seminar

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This weeks FitDog exercise was attending a Bill Hillman retriever seminar and a couple of miscellaneous exercises. We were able to get our dog out that needed help and work it. I brought Glory and Gambler with me. Glory got to get out in front of the crowd and was helped with learning “swim by”. Gambler got out to just play. Saturday night Gambler got a Birthday duck so these are the pictures from then.

Here is a picture of Glory and I about to do “swim by”. These pictures were taken by: Sherie Korelitz Catledge

Group Chessie photo.

After the seminar we had a little water training session at our house on Sunday. Our new friend’s from 2browndawgs came and trained with us. Only Gambler got to train as the storm came up and cut our training session short. We still got some good exercise in this weekend.

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FitDog Friday~The Second Chance Fund

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Looking for a way to keep your dog fit during the weekend? Check out your local event’s that are dog friendly and go join them. Most Humane Society’s and Rescue groups have fund raisers during the spring and summer months that include walks for you and your pet. It is a way to raise money for their organization, it gives you and your pet something to do on the weekend and keeps you both fit. A win win situation for everyone involved.

This past weekend I joined The Second Chance Fund for their annual Doggie Dash. A 2 mile walk or run if you would like with your dog(s).

I took both Gambler and Glory.

Glory with her silly fish glasses on.

Gambler with his silly glasses on.

And we’re off.

So many people and their dogs.

Half way done.

The walking group.

Gambler wanted to play with all the other dogs at the walk. A fun event to meet new people and their dogs as well as doing something fit.

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FitDog Friday~Ducks and Pink Bumpers

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This weekend we did some land and water training, the dogs were getting fit in both venues. Today’s pictures were taken on our land training. We used ducks on the marks and then pink bumpers for the blinds.

Glory taking off.

When doesn’t line the mark she needs to run and hunt it up.

Got it.

Another mark and retrieve.

Head shot before the blind.

The blind and the pink bumper.

Gambler the power house.

Taking a pivot to get back on track.

Coming in.

For the most part when training and running marks the dogs do several sprints and then a long run-hunt may happen when they lose track of where the bird went. With blinds there may be several starts and stops with pivots to get their next cast. So they are working several muscles and doing several types of fitness when out training.

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FitDog Friday~Pheasants For Marks

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

First off to our host at FitDog Friday Blog Hop:

This past weekend we decided to use all our pheasants we had left in the pen. This time we didn’t let the dogs hunt’em up like they did all winter (which is what pheasant hunting is about). This time we set up a mock hunt test and used the pheasants as live flyers. Once again John was out in the field shooting a double with the pheasants, there was a blind set up also. I was handling the gang. All three dogs got to have some training.

Nellie was first:

Second was Glory:

Third was Gambler:

They all did very well. I was super happy with Gambler as he had his double then John shot a single which I let go as a poison bird (he was told no bird and wasn’t able to pick up that bird) and ran a blind, after the blind then he went back and picked up the mark.

Whatcha doing Gman?

You got a feather in your mouth.

We had a great training day. If the weather would just say nice and warm so we can continue getting some training in for the upcoming hunt tests.

Stop back tomorrow to find out what one of Norman’s daughters accomplished.

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Sand Spring Chesapeakes is joining the Pet Parade also this week!

Hosted by: Rascal and Rocco, Jan’s Funny Farm, Basil the Bionic Cat, Barking From The Bayou and Love Is Being Owned By A Husky.

Here is what Love Is Being Owned By A Husky (Jenna along with Melissa from Barking From The Bayou are the new co-hosts) says about the hop: So please feel free to link up and party with us!
Parade you fav pet photo’s , stories , ANYTHING you want! The only rule is . . . .
There are no rules!
And that’s the way we like it! Who needs rules at a party anyhow?
BUT it is always a good idea to link back to your hosts, and maybe even give them a follow!

Also, this hop consists mostly of kitties , there are a couple doggies that are involved, but the majority are kitties, so one of the reasons Melissa and are now co hosting is to let you all know that this hop is DOG FURIENDLY as well!

FitDog Friday~First Training Day Of Season

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This weekend we finally had our first training day of the season. It was still very cold out but we bundled up and braved the coldness and set up some actual hunt test marks. John was the gunner and I was the handler. He did a double from the same station, what we call a mom and pop. One bird gets thrown one way and the other bird gets thrown the other way to make it a double mark. After the marks were picked up there were two blind set up that the dogs had to get by being directed by my hand signals. Both dogs were super excited to finally be out training.

Glory was first:

We are working on Glory being steady and doing doubles with her. Since she will be running AKC Senior hunt tests and UKC Seasoned tests this year those are the things she needs to do as well as run one blind. She was so excited on the first live flyer she broke (she went and got the bird before I could send her and before the other bird was thrown). We repeated the series and she did much better without breaking. I ran two blinds with her and she did them very well. Now we know what needs work right off the bat.

Up next was Gambler:

Gambler did very well also for his first time out. He sat rock solid on the first mark, sat solid on the second mark then he couldn’t take it as I was taking too long to release him and he broke. I got him back right away and made him sit there and then let him go. He flew out there as fast as he could and flew back so he could go out and get the other bird. His blinds were very good also.

Last but not least Nellie’s turn:

Nellie is run just for fun and so she can get some exercise in. She still needs to mind her manners and do things the right way but we are a little more lax with her. She still has it for a old gal. Hopefully her extra pounds will come off a little easier this spring and summer during training season.

Now onto our Resolve To Move Your Mutt blog hop that we joined at the end of last year. We are finishing up on the first quarter of the year of the resolution.

Remember this picture I submitted?

Glory’s resolution was to keep exercising and stay fit with hunt test training. Well we haven’t done much hunt test training this winter as it has been super cold and had massive amounts of snow. She kept fit by just running in the snow. I think she is fit for taking the winter off.

Gambler’s resolution was to eat more and gain a couple of pounds and to stay fit. I did feed Gambler a bit more this winter but then he decided he didn’t want to eat some of his meals so this was challenging. She might of put on a pound but not much more than that. He is still very muscular and very fit.

Nellie’s resolution was to eat less, walk more, loose more weight and to be fit. Nellie and I have failed so far with her resolution. She did get out and exercise a little bit but the calories she burned were put back on by her disappearing acts of running off when outside to go potty and snack on anything she could find, so no weight loss this winter. We will try harder this next quarter.

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FitDog Friday~Pheasant Fitness

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Our FitDog fitness this week was 2 days of Pheasant Fitness. We still have some pheasants in our pens so we thought since it was a nice weekend we should put some pheasants out and let the dogs get in some pheasant hunting while staying fit. The dogs of course were so excited that they finally got to get out and do a little hunting. It’s been a long cold snowy winter here so not much hunting going on for the SS gang.

Nellie burning rubber to get to the marsh.

Coming out of the tall grass.

Taking a breather.

I think I smell a bird.

Glory’s turn. I think it is in here.

Mom it really is in here.

Told you!

Gambler had the most fitness as his bird got away.

Still has energy to jump into the grass.

Still going strong.

So happy to be out and about getting fit.

Since it is spring now, training season is right around the corner so keeping fit will be happening more often around here.

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FitDog Friday~Neck Strengthening Tools

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

This past Sunday the SS gang went on a walk/run around our property. We finally didn’t have freezing temps and the weather was somewhat nice, the snow is melting so I thought I better get out and get some snow pictures before it is all gone. After our walk I decided we came across three neck strengthening tools that I wasn’t even aware of.

The first neck strengthening tool is a ball. It really has a dual purpose, Gambler carries it the whole time we are out and about so he is strengthening his neck muscles when carrying it and when he puts it down and picks it up again more strengthening. It also promotes the game of chase as the other dogs want the ball too so he runs away with his ball and they chase after him to try and get the ball for him. All in all exercise for them all.

The second tool is sticks, the gang found tree limbs laying around so they thought they should pick them up and carry them around. If one dog picked one up the other dog thought they should have that stick too so then it was a game of tug o war with the stick working on not only strengthening the neck muscles but the whole upper body.

The third tool is firewood, on our way back to the house Glory just happened upon a piece of firewood that she carried from the deck to the pasture so now she found it again and decided she needed to carry it back to the house getting in some strengthening exercise as she goes.

So you can find stuff out in the environment to help out with your exercise program.

Nellie says phooie on exercise.

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FitDog Friday/K9 Kamp KampFire

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Today is K9 Kamp and I am joining our Kamp Kounselors/hosts for this event. Be sure to stop over to all of the fine host’s (kamp kounselors) and thank them for a great challenge Peggy’s Pet Place, Slimdoggy, and To Dog With Love.

You can see pictures from our first week of Kamp here. You can see pictures from our second week of Kamp here. The first week I used pink bumpers. The second week I used orange bumpers and then the third week I used dokken dummies, two ducks, a goose and a pheasant.The third week pictures will be in this post.

The Kamp khallenge was hide and seek. When the gang goes out hunting and I want them to search for a scent and flush up a bird I tell them to hunt’em up. That cue lets them know I want them to put there nose to the ground and search for a scent, it means they better be working and not just running amuck. I will also use this command if I have shoot something and we are in the area of the fall I will tell them to hunt’em up and they will search for the bird and bring it back to me. This khallenge was all done outside in the snow. I hid bumpers in the snow then took each dog (Gambler and Glory) out one at a time and told them to hunt’em up.

The first week: Gambler

Glory

Since the snow was so deep if the bumpers were under the snow the dogs had a hard time finding the bumpers. Rubber bumpers don’t have much smell when frozen or being placed in snow. They were so excited to finally get out and do something they ran around before they focused on a spot and then did a victory lap after they found it.

Second week: Gambler

Glory

The second week we had more snow and still freezing cold weather. The orange bumpers didn’t make the Khallenge any easier. They did pick up on maybe they should start with my boot tracks and go from there so they got the bumpers faster. you could see how fast they were running looking for their bumpers as when they got a wiff of it they put the breaks on and turned.

Third week: Gambler

Glory

Video of Gambler doing his khallenge.

Video of Glory doing her Khallenge.

The third week was just as deep of snow and just as cold. The dokkens were easier to find as some of them were so big they couldn’t get buried under the snow. Once again they were so excited to go do something when I said hunt’em up like in Gamblers video he took off in to no mans land just a running and I had to steer him to the spot. Glory was much smarter and ran right to the garden to hunt up her find. It was a fun khallenge and it got us out of the house and do something.

FitDog Friday

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

I am joining in on K9 Kamp this year. The challenge is going on right now and running for the next week. We at Sand Spring are in the second week of the Kamp challenge. The challenge is hide and seek with your pooches. I’ll be joining the Blog Hop on Feb, 21 2014 and sharing how our challenge went and signing up for a great give away the K9 Kamp Counselors are doing. Check it out! Be sure to stop over to all of the fine host’s (kamp counselors) and thank them for a great challenge Peggy’s Pet Place, Slimdoggy, and To Dog With Love.

Gambler and Glory are the only ones joining in on K9 Kamp since they are the one’s in hunt test training. Here are some pictures of the second week of the challenge. We finally had some decent weather where we could stand to be outside in it doing the challenge and getting some much needed exercise.

Miss Glory