conditioning for success

There is never a way a picture can show a 'conditioned' dog. The buckskin dog looks skinny and untoned to me, but it is the picture and the contorted stance. A different pose will make a different opinion. Compare the same buckskin male to the black dog facing the camera. The first thing a person sees is ribs. Both are showing the same in the rib area. What makes the black dog look better is he has a full face, He is not drug down poor and has the 'sunken' look in his cheeks. The turn/pivot/pulling on the chain the buckskin dog's face can't be fully seen. So he "he looks skinny" and untoned, if that makes sense.


As Elias said conditioning is an art. I had a two month battle one here some time back that got out of hand on the very subject. Before we knew it someone's Mom was wearing combat boots.


Dogs look good. Lots of times it is the photography that makes a fit dog look not so fit. S

 

As odd as it is to say or more so to hear, it is very unhealthy for a dog to be in peak physical condition.


A dog must be worked to peak condition for a specific point in time, compete and then digress back to being a fit and healthy dog.


There is no future for a dog in peak physical condition. That is where the art is involved. Basically saying on the (just a date) 25th of October the dog will be in peak/perfect condition. Not the 23rd or 24th or the 26th. The art goes deeper as it is not only the 25th it is fine tuned to 9PM on the 25th.


Then couple that with finding the optimal weight to be in peak physical condition and being on that weight long enough to acclimate and then being able to perform before 'going over the other side of the peak' to the area called 'flat'.


Lots of dogs can perform 1-2 pounds above their optimal weight because they are superb athletes with incredible desire and drive. Another topic altogether, but most dogs who perform superbly do it in spite of their conditioner, not because of their conditioner. A dog only has one optimal weight. It is one number and can even be down to the 1/2 pound, but can perform really well a pound up or a pound down.


Most will tell newcomers to find what they think is the optimal weight and add 1. It is better to miss slightly too heavy than to miss light.


So back to the original post. The buckskin dog looks skinny. Looks like he missed light. In reality he may be on optimal weight in peak condition ready to own the world. The picture just does not show that. A better picture tells a different story. And even the best picture, from even a world class photographer won't tell the story. Only at 9PM on October 25th will tell that story.


Nice set of dogs. S

 

Exactly. Every dog is different and every dog requires differing amounts of work and differing approaches to conditioning. it is where the art comes into play, making that call, some times on the fly.


No matter the dog or the owner or the conditioner a picture will never be an indicator of conditioning. Conditioning can only be indicated from the start of competition to the end of the competition, and even plays a factor in recovery. So there is no picture that can indicate all that.


Don't get me wrong. I love a picture of a good looking dog as much as the next guy. I just have never been able to take much from one. They lie.


S

 

If you are calling my number from an unavailable number I can't answer. Please text. S