Gun Dogs Report to Training Camp

Like Pavlov's bell, the last week in July triggers football fans to salivate at the mouth. Hometown teams are yet again arriving at their respective training camps to gear up for another hard fought season. Rabid fans speculate that this is "the year" their team brings home the Super Bowl. Turn on the radio dial or flip the t.v. remote and sports talk show hosts are full of outlandish predictions believing wholeheartedly in their own swami like mysticism. Just like football players getting in game shape, all serious gun dogs and their owners must now check in for preseason conditioning drills. The summertime vacation is officially over. It won't be long before opening day and our four legged hunting partners must be ready to run the playbook from front to back! For most serious bird hunters it is about 10-12 weeks before before kickoff of the 2010 waterfowl and/or upland season. It is up to us as canine masters to stick to a routine schedule of physical fitness. Here a few things to keep in mind during the 2010 Gun Dog Training Camp...

• Make a tight schedule and stick to it! Not only will the increased physical activity help your dog become fit, it just might help you shed a couple unwanted pounds in the process. Remember, for every mile you walk a field this season, your dog will likely cover three times that if not more!


• Start transitioning your dog to a higher Protein/Fat percentage food. Remember 30/20% is about the average mix for a steadily working gun dog.


• In addition to scheduled daily workouts, mix it up a bit for your dog's personal enjoyment. Visit different training fields, run stadium stairs, strap on the roller blades, take a bike ride together, etc...whatever you come up with to variate the routine while still maximizing your dog's fitness regiment.


• Take it easy on the treats. Scale back the grain based "Scooby Snacks" and move to high protein sourced rewards such as dehydrated duck or chicken strips.


• Workout at daybreak or sunset. Your dog will most likely be hunting as the sun rises or sets. The time is now to get both your time clocks set and dialed in for maximum activity. These are the bewitching hours where animals are most active, including birds and your trusty bird dog. To further mention, dawn and dusk are the coolest part of the day in both temperature and experience!


• Take your dog for a preseason vet visit for a complete physical. Get him or her checked out thoroughly and ready rock n' roll come opening day! Blood tests, stool samples, and wellness check should be included during this visit. Just like pro athletes, it is always a good idea to get a clean bill of health before the season starts.


• Train and condition in fields with heavy cover. Get your dogs paw pads and under carriage toughened up now. Early season bird cover is not much different than summer field conditions. Briar's, thorns, nettles, etc are all present so get out there and mix it up in the rough stuff!


• If you have not already, train your dog to drink from a sport squirt bottle or hydration pack hose nozzle. It will help them rehydrate quickly and much easier to administer in the field.


• Get your dog on LIVE birds before the season opens. Even if it at a local preserve or just a few hobbled pigeons shot out on the back forty, this is critical piece of training camp. Live bird drills should always be a live fire! Leave the popper shells for field trailers! Pack the heat and drop those birds that your dog proudly found on his own.

Off-seasoning conditioning leads to in-season productivity! Feed them right and prepare them accordingly.

And finally...more for the sanity of the master than gun dog! Get all the honey do's out of the way NOW! Fix the deck, paint the bathroom, repair the fence or whatever it is. Bird hunting season is short and it is ALWAYS a good idea to have as much sweat equity built up as possible!

I hope all of you have a great 2010 Gun Dog Training Camp and more importantly looking forward to a productive season. God knows I am!

Best of luck out there. -Mark

Preventative Measures for Hip & Joint Health

Seeing an aging gun dog suffer through the pains of aching joints or hip dysplasia simply rips my heart to shreds. It's like watching an iconic, superstar ball player way past his prime attempting to eek out one last season in the big leagues. Their statistics have long dropped off but they continue on. They play in earnest for one last season in the spotlight but in the recesses of their mind realize the time to shine has come and gone.

There is no magic bullet, no wonder drug, and no snake oil science that can alter the course of deteriorating joints. Over time, cartilage that holds and lubricates the skeleton together are in a constant state of deterioration. However, there are a number of nutritional supplements we can supply to both ourselves and our dogs to help slow the negative process. For the sake of this post we are going to focus solely on what we can do to help or four legged friends knees and hips stay healthier longer!

When the topic of canine joint care arises it is always quickly followed by two words; Glucosamine and Chondroitin(G & C). According to the well respected website http://www.vetinfo.com/ "Glucosamine and chondroitin are normally found in the cartilage of living animals. In healthy animals, the body synthesizes glucosamine to keep the joints healthy. As your dog ages, his body's ability to create glucosamine diminishes, and osteoarthritis occurs. A glucosamine supplement for dogs can help your elderly dog's body maintain joint health. Glucosamine for dogs can help reduce your dog's pain and restore his freedom of movement. Unlike pain medications, glucosamine has few side effects, none of which are very severe. As a natural dog food supplement, glucosamine can soothe the symptoms of arthritis and hip dysplasia in dogs. Glucosamine supplements work to restore and regenerate your dog's damaged joints. They also have anti-inflammatory properties. Glucosamine for dogs can be used as a preventative measure in elderly dogs who are at high risk for arthritis. Glucosamine supplements for dogs can help treat the symptoms of dogs already suffering from arthritis. Within two weeks to thirty days, you should notice that your dog has become more lively and active. Some owners report a full recovery from symptoms of arthritis and hip dysplasia. You'll want to adjust your dog's daily dosage according to his weight and the severity of his symptoms. You'll want to administer about 750 mg of glucosamine per fifty pounds of body weight at a minimum; you can raise this dosage as necessary if your dog's symptoms are more severe. Look for a product made with glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine HCL. Avoid products made with 2KCL and NaCL. Liquid glucosamine is the easiest to administer. It can be difficult to encourage dogs to swallow pills; if they are mixed with food, they may become stuck in the teeth and lost. A liquid can be poured directly over food. Liquid glucosamine tastes good to most dogs. Vets recommend doubling the dosage of glucosamine during the first one or two weeks for maximum regenerative benefit."

In addition to vet prescriptions, pet retailers carry a wide variety of over the counter tablets, liquids, or powder forms of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. Obviously, the vet prescribed supplements are normally much stronger doses. Also, many premium brands of dog food have now added both G & C into their large breed dry food formulas. In fact, there are also a few companies that are offering tasty dog treats with high levels of both nutrients. One company in particular, Dogswell, offers a full line of treats called "Happy Hips". Although treats do not contain the daily levels adequate to match prescription or over the counter dedicated G & C supplements, they are a convenient way to maintain some form of additional G & C into your dog's daily diet. My pointer Dewey, is a HUGE fan of Dogwell's "Happy Hips Veggie Life treats. These are dried apples wrapped in chicken! Honestly, I ate one and thought they were very tasty! They are 100% natural and are made solely of Chicken Breast, Apple, Vitamin E Supplement, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, and Chondrotin Sulfate. Dogswell also makes their Happy Hip line in protein only dried duck or chicken strip treats. Click on the image to check out their website for more information and Dogswell's other great G & C based treats.

If you are the owner of any breed of working dog I strongly recommend adding some form of G & C to their diet immediately. Although it can't "turn back the clock" it can help slow the process down and/or help add comfort to your aging dog who is showing signs of chronic joint pain or hip dysplasia. It would also be a great idea to have your dog x-rayed by a knowledgeable vet to help head of an possible future issues!

As always, I urge any questions or comments about this post. Feel free to email me personally at northupland@yahoo.com or drop a comment in the below box.

Best of luck out there. -Mark

Pocket Guide for Dog Food Consumers

These days more and more gun dog owners are asking questions about proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and other dog food nutrients. It is reassuring to know people want straight answers and are serious about supplying their hunting partners with the best nutrition possible. It is a confusing retail world out there with hundreds of dog foods to choose from. It is also long overdue that I put together a sort of "cliff's notes" or pocket guide to better help the dog food consumer. I invite you to comment on this post at the end or email with your direct questions to northupland@yahoo.com I thank you all for taking the time to care about your dog's nutrition!

Proteins are the basic building blocks of life. Protein intake ensures cells, tissues, organs, enzymes, hormones and antibodies are digested for growth, maintenance, reproduction, repair and energy. Meat proteins such as chicken, lamb, turkey, beef, bison, venison, duck, and fish have complete amino acid profiles. That simple means they contain all of the amino acids your dog needs. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and are divided into essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are ones that cannot be manufactured by the body in sufficient quantities and must be supplied in the working dogs diet. Examples of essential amino acids are carnitine, arginine and lysine. Non-essential amino acids are ones that your dog can produce naturally in sufficient quantities. Protein levels for working gun dogs should be right around 30% give or take the amount of activity. That percentage can be found right on the bag in the guaranteed analysis. But buyer beware! An advertised  30% protein rating can be misleading. Some manufacturers use vegetable based protein gluten, a.k.a. "corn gluten" to boost the protein rating.  Because of vegetable gluten's composition it leads to an inherent lack of digestibility. Most of the "advertised" protein content will be eaten and excreted by your dog with very little nutritional protein absorption ever taking place.  

Fats are the most concentrated form of food energy for dogs. Fats provide your gun dog with more than twice the energy of proteins or carbohydrates! Fats are essential in the structure of cells and are needed for the production of some hormones. They are also required for absorption and utilization of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, and E. The correct balance of fats can be found in top rated healthy dog food. Importantly, fats supply fatty acids which dogs need for a multitude of reasons—from helping to provide healthier skin and coat to reducing inflammation in joints. Dogs can produce some of the fatty acids they need, but not all of them so these "essential" fatty acids must be supplied by their diet. Essential fatty acids are divided into two groups—Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Ingredients like chicken fat and sunflower oil are great sources of Omega-6 fatty acids while flax seed, herring oil and salmon oil are key sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Fats should range around 20% and like Protein, can be found right on the guaranteed analysis portion normally located on the back or side of the bag. Again, like protein, this can be a higher or lower percentage given your dogs needs. It all depends on what you feel your dog must intake given their active level. The base range for a highly active sporting breed is around a 30% Protein/20% Fat mix diet so use that as your base line in judgement.

Carbohydrates are another source of energy for dogs. Unlike human marathon runners who scarf down plates of pasta before a big race, dogs rely on carb's as only a minor source of "boost" energy. Think of your dogs gas tank burning like this; fat first, protein second(unused protein gets stored as fat so the cycle continues). Carb's role in a dog's metabolism is to covert it to Glucose and pack a quick, immediate energy source that is very rapidly burned off. Whole grains such as, brown rice, barley and oats, are all low-fat sources of highly-digestible complex carbohydrates. Whole grains are also a rich source of dietary fiber which is crucial for healthy intestinal function. Whole grains are also helpful with the common problems of constipation in dogs, which can be caused by a diet that is lacking in fiber. Notice how we did not mention whole corn, wheat or soy? These are all low grade grains and contribute as only a minor source of glucose conversion.

At 8 weeks old, Dempsey, was started on a super premium diet. He will be a future bird hunting athlete for many years to come!

Vitamin A helps promote healthy bones, teeth, coat, skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Vitamin A is important to the immune system and has been known to help ward off or fight respiratory infections

Vitamin B12 is necessary for proper growth and used to treat some types of nerve damage and pernicious anemia. B12 is also helpful in the recovery process our canine athletes endure during times of hunting or sporting related exercise.

Vitamin C is the world's most potent antioxidant immune booster. It is known to help prevent bacterial, viral and degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, auto immune disease and cancer. Vitamin C is water soluble and can lose potency when exposed to high temperatures. A favorite dog treats is baby carrots. I highly suggest trying them as a low cost/ great source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium, and Calcium for your own dog(s). I would further suggest buying the organic/no preservative version as they are free of pesticides.

Vitamin D promotes skin, bone, connective tissue and heart health. It is necessary for the proper absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus. Just like your mother always said...drink your milk for strong bones...a strong supply of the Big "D" is an essential for your working gun dog.

Vitamin E is another valuable antioxidant that helps improve circulation and cardiac output.

Mixed Tocopherols are a natural preservative made from Vitamin E and found in all premium foods. Tocopherols are a good thing to see on an ingredient list. Watch out for harmful synthetic preservatives such as BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin, or propylene glycol that provide no nutritional value and have been associated with possible toxic side effects. FYI, synthetic preservative are used by low grade dog food companies because they are cheap!

Ingredients to look for...
There are not many dog food companies who add true Probiotics(healthy bacteria cultures to aid in digestion) Think of it like Actevia yogurt for dogs(you know the Jaime Lee Curtis commercials!) There are a few companies out there that add Probiotic cultures so when researching look for ingredients like Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bifidobacterium Thermophilum, Bifidobacterium Longum and Enterococcus Faecium. Each of these are active dehydrated cultures added after processing. They are activated on ingesting the food and help to maintain normal bacteria balance in the lower intestine. They aid in digestion and reduce the occurrence of diarrhea, contributing to colon and rectum health. The dog food companies who add active bacteria cultures for healthy digestion are the companies who truly separate themselves from the pack. Rest assured, their first concern is your dogs health, not their profit margin!

Many manufactures now add Prebiotics. Prebiotics are, in layman's terms, health food to help boost naturally preexisting Probiotic cultures already active in your dog's digestive system. Natural prebiotics are complex carbohydrates added to the ingredients of the food during the manufacturing process. The food is then eaten by your dog releasing the prebiotics or their technical term Fructo Oligo Sacharides(FOS). Finding a food with either(pre or probiotics) is a step in the right direction to a healthy dog! Please note, both Probiotic and Prebiotic ingredients are very low in actual volume so on the foods ingredient they are normally found towards the bottom.

It would be also helpful to look for foods that include high levels of potent Antioxidants such as cranberries and blueberries. Why? Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. The canine’s body’ immune system cells purposefully create them to neutralize and help ward off viruses and bacteria. Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals. Normally, the canine body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur over time to your dog's health and well being.

When shopping for a new dog food keep these helpful hints in mind...

• The top 10 ingredients usually comprise 80% or more of a dry pet food’s entire formula and give you a great perspective of its ingredient quality.
• All pet foods must list the ingredients present in their food, in order of weight. But understand, moisture content can lessen the volume in the ingredients. FYI. Ingredients are listed as "before cooking" weights and high moisture proteins can "shrink" greatly during the kibble cooking process.
• Whole meat protein based "meals"(previously ground dehydrated meat before cooking) are 300% more potent as a protein source than a pure meat source!
• Super premium pet foods have whole chicken, duck, venison, bison, lamb, turkey, beef, fish or other known quality meat protein sources in whole form or meal form as the first ingredient and a combination of at least 2-3 meat protein sources in the top 5 ingredients.
• "Animal By-Product" is by ingredient classification: "Animal by-products are ground, rendered, and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines (and a small amount of feathers in the case of chicken) It is also known that the quality of animal by-products is very inconsistent between batches(sometimes more beaks and feats than quality organ meat etc). If you do choose a food that contains any "by-products" at minimum make sure they are a "named" protein. Aka, "Chicken" by-product etc. A compnay that just says "meat" by-product is probably hiding something even more disgusting than I would like to think about!
• If you pick up a bag of dog food and the A#1 very first ingredient is a grain source the red flags and sirens should go off in your head! I advise dropping the bag where your stand and moving on quickly!
• Some pet food brands list their ingredients in several different ways so that the ones of lower quality appear farther down the ingredient list. For example, a product list could contain chicken, ground corn, corn gluten, ground wheat and corn bran. And, if you were to group all of the corn ingredients as one, they would probably far out-weigh the amount of chicken in that food. This is a manufacturer's trick and a nonregulated loop hole when listing ingedient evidence!

Starting your new puppy out with a super premium food will not only prove it's worth to his or her energy in the field but in the overall health of their lives. It is never to late to switch your dog, regardless of age, to a food with premium ingredients. Remember, as humans we have the luxury of choosing our own diets. Your trusty four legged athlete does not! Feeding them right will prolong your time in the field as well as their life as your best friend.

Best of luck out there. -Mark