Winter Training for Disc Dogs
Aah, there is a nip in the air these days. The leaves are going and winter is around the corner. What does that mean for your disc loving doggie? Well, absolutely nothing! It does seem unappealing to step out with multiple layers of clothing to play a game of toss and fetch- not to mention tossing a disc with gloves on. In addition, when your doggie gets the disc back with a generous dollop of slobber, you can be sure that the wet disc will pick up a pound of snow on the next retrieve and you will spent a minute or two dusting it off and making the disc airworthy again! So, why train at all in winter? One thing about disc dogs- well, they don’t care that it is winter. The fact that it is twenty degrees below freezing is of little concern to them. All they care about is getting out and playing. Chances are that they will play harder than what they did in summer or fall, given that it takes a lot less time to cool off. Is it then worth it to train in the cold and snow???
Reasons to train in winter:
1. Disc dogging is still the best aerobic exercise that your canine can get. It is the maximum exercise per unit time.
2. Snow, slush and mud do not hamper your pooch’s desire to catch and retrieve and they will continue to enjoy the sport.
3. Winter allows you the benefit of donning several layers of clothes- this means plenty of protection for you as a handler trying to get a freestyle routine going- Keep in mind that training for freestyle involving a brand new handler and dog has some very physical moments!
4. Forces the human to get out and get some exercise!
5. The time available during winter can be used well to train for competitions in spring, summer and fall.
Precautions:
1. Use a winter specific disc that stays supple in temperatures well below freezing. The normal competition discs from Wham-O and Hyperflite become very brittle and break easily. In addition, the rough edges generated by these brittle discs during play, can cut your dog’s mouth.
2. Hydration is essential for your dog. Your dog will dehydrate after vigorous activity, primarily through vapor loss while panting and also as a result of getting rid of metabolic wastes through urination. Always carry water, even if there is snow around. Fresh snow is generally safe. Snow that has been around for several days, with a lot of animal traffic is good cold storage for parasites and bacteria. I carry water with me just to avoid visits to the vet for a disturbed gut.
3. Shoes for your pooch: I do not use shoes for Aryan. This does not mean that you should or should not use weatherproof shoes for your dog. If your dog is cold and keeps licking their paws, you should get them shoes. I recommend shoes from mutt-luks- They are pretty hardy. Also, it is quite a treat to watch your dog’s reaction the first time they have shoes on- They act like they are walking on quite the different planet!
4. Time limit: Keep in mind that your dog stays warm only as long as they are playing and they will get cold once play stops. So, get your dog out for 30-40 minutes (less or more, depending on the dog’s energy levels), play and get back. This is another reason why larger group practices are not recommended in winter as your dog is spending more ‘inactive’ time.
So get out and play this winter, because as we all know, a tired puppy is a good puppy. While I do recommend that large practice groups be avoided in winter due to wait times to run your dog, do connect with one or two people to practice with occasionally. This makes practice more fun and then you can get critiques and suggestions on your performance. Last winter was the first one for Aryan and me training as a disc dog team. We practiced a lot with Angelo and Stanley and both teams benefited a lot from the mock competitions, suggestions and comments that we shared. I hope we all have a lot of fun playing disc with our dogs this winter!
~Krishnan