Now that most of the snow is gone here in Minnesota and warmer weather is on the way, harness training has ended for the 2013-2014 season. The dogs are acclimatized to colder conditions so they can easily overheat by pushing hard as they have easily done all winter. During the “off-season” we like to let the dogs be dogs with activities like hunting, swimming, playing, etc. To have FUN is the main goal. Do what works best for you, your training environment, and your current training skill set.

Activities

Our favorite activity is going to the beach for a swim. This can only be done on cooler days as we have to transport them in our trailer which can be too hot on a warm day.

Here is an older video of us playing on the shores of Lake Superior on a cloudy June day.

Free running (off leash) is another fun training exercise for keeping the cardio aspect maintained. I like to take smaller groups of 8-10 dogs at a time. For a quicker run we use the ATV and average 13-14 mph with a few stops near streams. The dogs are trained to stay close to the wheeler so I can control the speed dependent on weather. These runs are around an hour or less.

Long walks are done on foot anywhere from 1.5-3hrs letting the dogs play and hunt for critters. They really enjoy these longer walks.

Playing fetch with a tennis ball in the yard is another fun activity that we do. These hounds really want to please you and have a strong prey/sight drive. Here’s a link to a video of Raimo and Cuda playing fetch last summer.

Benefits

One of the hardest training aspects for any endurance activity is being consistent. It doesn’t help you very much to only train off season 1-2 days a week. It may even do more damage than it’s worth especially if you dogs are not conditioned. We start them out as pups and keep them moving as much as possible. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you can also easily over do it. The trick is to know when there’s not enough and the dogs can handle more -AND- know when enough is enough or the need to scale back a bit.

Majoring in Exercise Science (BAS) at the University of Minnesota Duluth, I applied the knowledge gained to my own training as an elite endurance athlete. The latest studies in conditioning canine athletes show that many, not all, of the same common denominators apply. Periodized and structured training is going to produce your best peak performance which can only really happen for about a week in our short season.

  • Increased VO2 max
  • Increased mitochondrial density
  • Strengthened bones, joints, and ligaments
  • Increased tolerance to lactic acid
  • Muscle memory

Mental training is so very important too. Dogs need a lot of mental stimulus too to stay healthy and off season training is a great way to switch their mindset and let them be dogs!