Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:21 pm Post subject: Stiffness after a days beating?
Is this pretty normal. After a full day of six drives, Gillie is often a bit stiff in the evening and the next day. It wears off with exercise but as he is only coming up for three I want to make sure it is nothing nasty brewing.
I would say that is entirely normal... especially if his day to day week from Mon - Fri isn't 2 - 3 hours a day of intensive exercise which most wouldn't be
To be fair, beaters dogs run a really decent distance more that any else of us, so i would give them Sunday and Monday to rest their bones before loosening them up with a decent walk on Tues
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
How long have you been doing it? Happy was quite stiff the next day when we first started about 4 seasons ago but has gradually got used to it but then also she gets a lot of exercise during the week on a normal day, more than most do anyway! Brogie gets a little stiff but once we go out for a walk on the sunday morning she loosens up and is fine.
Even the most healthy of individuals can feel stiff (not lame, but stiff) after resting when they have done hugely abnormal amounts of exertion. Human, canine, equine....
Dogs conditioned to the rigours of a PROPER days beating (so not on a longline or kept at heel etc) who go out 2 - 3 times a week have a better chance of maintaining absolute condition. Dogs, which make up a huge proportion of the seasons beating dogs who only get the chnace every 10 days - two weeks will feel it far more.
I am shocked you are shocked Heather and Feebarn. Go run a half marathon when the other 13 days a fortnight you maybe do a jog round the block, and see if your legs ache next day.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Di,
there are many reasons why a dog would be stiff the day following work . A healthy AND well prepared canine should not be stiff and if they are then something is not right
Just accepting that a dog will be stiff is simply NOT RIGHT, you need to give consideration to why it is stiff.
Is there a skeletal issue ?
Is there lack of preparation for the work your asking the dog to do ?
Has the dog been allowed to get cold ? and then asked to work ?
Is there a muscular injury ?
Are you asking the dog to do too much ?
Pre existing muscular injury that is being exacerbated ?
Dehydration?
Incorrect diet ?
To name but a few reasons .
Bld asked a good question as they obviously are concerned and it is good that they are taking notice that their dog is not coping with the demands of the day.
Oh come ON! The dog does not do that sort of exercise 13 days of 14. Then it is asked to do possibly some of the most taxing work a dog can do physcially. Noone is going to be able to TOTALLY prepare for that in the real world to the extent that *SOME* dogs might feel it a bit afterwards. We would all be walking neurotics if we took everything quoted on board here to heart and worried about it. This is 8 days a year we are talking about.
If i go to a SERIOUS exercise class once every two weeks I expect to feel stiff the next day even if i'm in half decent shape and look after myself the other 13 days. Its natural, its normal and its nothing to get in a flap about as long as a bit of loosening up throws it off within a short period. If it causes real disability then it is.
Its important to notice negative things about your dog, but its also important to be a realist!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Stiffness IS the result of MUSCLE DAMAGE ! ( not just the result of lactic acid build up as used to be thought ). If you over exercise your doing yourself no favours.
Too much exercise without adequate prep is not good.
As for preparing your dog , you need to 'manage' the amount of work your asking the dog to do if you cannot adequately prepare !
The one time that Pasco did become lame after a days working sent me into a tail spin of panic!
I wouldn't expect a young healthy dog to be stiff after any amount of exercise.
I have one with a dodgy leg and wouldn't expect him to be stiff after working. Let alone the 2 "healthy" ones.
If he is stiff, that indicates a problem. Whether that is he is unprepared, not fit or has some kind MSK deficiency I don't know. But I certainly couldn't agree that it is normal to see your dog stiff after a days beating!
If it were mine, I would be thinking something was wrong.
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