For the majority of dog breeders, winter is the period that has to be waited out somehow. But this time of year provides ideal conditions for the musher sport. And if you found pleasure in summer trainings with the dog, don’t hang the dog harness on an imaginary nail: the training season begins! What should you change, so that the dog would manage it without any trouble?
Dogtrekking is a relatively young sport, which hundreds Czech sport cynologists and dog handlers-amateurs quickly fell in love with. The orientation race with around 100 km long routes marked by its intensity has its main season in spring and autumn. And while I and my dog fluff are happy that we can do it the so-called “buggy” variant (around 20 km) couple of times a year, the right dogtrekkers don’t idle even in the winter. Since the winter months are ideal to train endurance, strengthen the heart and the pulmonary capacity of their wards.
It is simple. For your dog to stay in shape throughout the year, it is important that he enjoys regular walks even in the winter. And winter has beneficial effects on his health if you handle your dog the right way. This applies to dogs that are used to regular load, but it applies even to city dogs and “couch” dogs. At the same time, one basic rule applies to all of them: to keep on moving. The stay outdoors doesn’t have to be long, but it should be all the more intensive. For a trained dog, it shouldn’t be a problem to walk 30 to 40 kilometres in the winter months, experiences sport cynologists say. So, what are you waiting for, let’s go on a hike!
Before you head out, it’s necessary to note, that in winter dogtrekking, the paws are strained even more than usual. And although a couple of shoes belongs to a year-long equipment of any dogtrekking couple, make sure not to forget them in the winter. Since footworn and scraped balls on the paws are the most frequent health issues, that you can encounter at dogtrekking. In winter, rather start training gradually. It’s not just about the physical condition, but the dog should also get used to the snow and ice and he should also “wear out” the balls. Even while wearing shoes, he will need some time to get used to the movement in a different terrain.
Apart from the paws, it suggests itself to dress also the “rest” of the dog. Again, it depends on the intensity of the movement. The dog should definitely not overheat during winter training. For a normal pace, you can dress the dog. It also depends on the type of hair and the height from the ground. I have encountered that some breeders of mainly Nordic draught dog breeds don’t dress their dogs even in hard frost. However, most racers do dress their dogs or they cover them with a blanket after they finish a race. Since if you left the muscles to get cold through, the regeneration might be slower and the dogs might be more susceptible to injuries. Which is what nobody wants before the spring racing season.
After training, you can give your dog a little warm milk with one egg yolk and a teaspoon of grape sugar. Some dogs have increased demands on the income of food in winter. Don’t let yourself be fooled. There is no need to increase the ration, but rather to select such food that has a higher energy value. Since the dog has a much larger energy expenditure to maintain body temperature (thermoregulation), which he needs to get back into the body. You won’t make any mistake with dietary supplements, which will boost immunity and the overall stamina of the animal.
As with other sports, the motto that I’ve borrowed from one of the top competitors in the Czech dogtrekking applies: “hurry slowly”. If you want to start this sport, surely it is better to try one of the shorter routes at first (the so-called mid). Use winter to train your physical condition and that of your dog, so that you could hop into it in the spring and maybe even join one of the races directly. And if you’d like to see the bravest ones in the Czech Republic in the meantime, come take a look at the only one Czech winter dogtrekking race called “Zimní sen” (Winter dream). It takes place in February 2018 in the beautiful Podkrkonoší, foothills of the Krkonoše mountains. Maybe we’ll be seeing us there :).
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