Transitioning to a New Dog Food

By Steve Ries

As we talk to people about Native® Performance Dog Food, one of the questions we are often asked is how to safely switch your dog to a new food. This is a really good question because of the nature of a high performance food. Since performance foods are very nutrient dense, they do not feed quite the same as many of the traditional products on the market. Performance foods are generally higher in calories and do not contain many of the “filler” type ingredients like corn, wheat, soy and by-products. They are formulated to enhance the performance of a very active dog, but they leave fewer margins for error with regard to feeding quantity. The following are a few important points to keep in mind when considering a switch to a performance food.

Change Should Be Gradual
Because dogs are consistently fed the same diet, it can be hard on their digestive system to change foods too suddenly. When you make a change to your dog's diet, you should do it gradually by mixing progressively smaller quantities of the current food with larger quantities of the new food. We generally recommend mixing about 20% of the new food with 80% of the old food for the first three days and increasing that by an additional 20% every 3 days after that. This type of schedule has you feeding 100% of the new food by day thirteen and will generally allow your dog's system to adjust to the new diet without indigestion. You’ll want to make sure you have enough of your old food on hand to last through the transition, so be sure you have six full days of the old food on hand.

Don’t Overfeed
Many dogs have large appetites and will eat as much food as you give them, so you need to be careful not to over feed. Obesity, particularly at a young age, can cause serious health issues later in life. We recommend a performance food because your dog will be healthier and perform better, but these foods do have higher calories, so you’ll want to limit feed. While all foods have feeding guidelines on the package, these are really just a starting point. The best way to determine how much food your dog needs is to keep a close eye on body condition. If he or she looks too thin, feed him a little more. If he or she looks like they are carrying too much weight, scale them back a little bit at a time. Your dog may act hungry, but their body condition will tell you different.

Wait for the Payoff
One final thing to keep in mind is that it usually takes anywhere from four to eight weeks to really see the impact of a new food in your dog. Normal signs of improvement like smaller, firmer stools should happen pretty quickly, yet the improvements in skin, coat and endurance take a little longer. You’ll want to give your new food at least a couple of months to see the full effects, however, they’ll be worth it when you and your dog hit the field.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

Initial Bonding with Your New Puppy

By Jason Givens

Puppies Need Structure
The first few weeks you spend with your new puppy can be the hardest. He’s been taken away from his siblings and familiar surroundings and is now surrounded by new people, new smells, and a new routine. Dogs, especially puppies, have a need for routine. They like knowing what’s coming next. It’s your job to set up a consistent and predictable schedule to get your pup in his comfort zone. Then you can start to teach him the rules of his new home.

Before you start teaching the rules, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. Puppies don’t know English. They’ll learn that single words indicate a desired action but they don’t really know what the words mean.
2. Puppies like to make noise when they want something. They don’t really have any other way of getting your attention.
3. Puppies like to chew on things. This is just part of their instinct and they don’t mean any harm.
4. Puppies do not understand they have to potty outside. They’re not being bad if they go inside the house––they just don’t know any better.

Knowing these rules in advance should help you stay patient with your pup. It should also have you better prepared to deal with these situations when they arise.

Keep It Simple and Consistent
When initially bonding with your puppy, one main thing to remember is to keep things simple and to be consistent. If you’re going to teach a command, make it a single word (preferably one syllable), and say it the same way all the time. For example, if you want your pup to come to you, a short word like “here” is perfect. Say “here” every time. Don’t say “over here” or “come here” or “here boy”. Just say “here”. Say the same word every time and make sure the rest of the family does too. Your pup will learn faster and it will be more firmly reinforced if your word choice is consistent.

Be the Pack Leader
To close, I’ll just remind you that dogs are pack animals and your pup will be looking for a leader in his pack. If he learns you are the leader, he will learn to follow. He’ll follow a lot more readily if you make it fun for him and don’t work him too hard or too long. If you keep it fun, keep it simple and stay consistent, your pup will be following your lead reliably in no time.

To learn more about Jason Givens and his training methods, visit www.lighthouselkennels.com.

Feeding and Hydration Management Considerations for Your Canine Athlete

By Jason Givens

The following are several management practices and tools to consider when maximizing your dog’s conditioning and genetic programs to reach optimum performance levels.

Reaching the winners circle involves a good deal of time, effort and talent. Based on my learning from successful competitors and bird hunting enthusiasts from many different venues of canine performance events, several things are consistent:

• Begin with quality genetics with selection traits focused on the game they enjoy most
• Feed a quality dog food which provides maximum performance potential and quick recovery
• Gain a sound understanding of the importance of quality and quantity of hydration needed to succeed
• There are no shortcuts to be at the top of your game year after year!

Our canine athletes are made up of 80% water. To put that into perspective, a 50 lb. animal has 5 gallons of water in his body. Every day a dog loses hydration through urine, feces, breathing and sweat. The amount lost varies based on environment, exercise and diet. A dog can lose 6% of its body fluids (6 cups) before it will stop to drink. If a dog loses 10% (8 cups) of its body fluids, it could become fatal.

Because of that, water is the single most important nutrient in terms of survivability. Dogs can survive for weeks without food, using their own body fat and muscle for energy production. Yet water is vital for many important body parts and functions––including removing toxins from the body. Younger and leaner animals have higher water content than older dogs or less desirable body conditions.

It is crucial to our dogs’ performance that we understand the volume of water consumption and use when managing canine performance animals.

• Respiration water loss = 23% in inactive dog while increases to 40% with exercise.
• Feces water loss = 7% in inactive dog while decreases to 5% with exercise. (stress stools 80-90% water loss)
• Urine water loss = 70% in inactive dog while decreases to 55% with exercise.

*Normal feces in chart above are calculated from normal stool. Stress stools created from exercise induced stress without empty digestive track can create 80-90% water loss in stool percent. Prevention of feeding animals 10-12 hours prior to exercise will support a sound hydration plan.

Signs of Dehydration

There are three important signs to check on to assure your dog is not lacking water:

• Beginning Signs – Visibly tired, slowed pace/less animation, act more “warm”, excessive panting etc.
• Intermediate Signs – Skin will become less elastic if you pinch the skin on their back, it will be slow to return to normal shape; Slow gum capillary refill- if you press firmly on their gums and release, the time it takes for the gum to refill with color will be slow; Gums and tongue become darker in color, Rectal temperature remains > 105° F
• Final Signs – Weak in the hind end and wobbly and unsteady on feet

Dehydration can come from unexpected places as well. Cold temperatures can increase respiratory losses by 10-20 times. With each breath, dogs inhale very dry air, but exhale about 6% water. The air temperature results in a difference of 2-4 quarts of water per day.

A general rule of water consumption: Water consumed per day should = 2.5 – 3 cups per cup of dry dog food consumed. Force-feeding water with dry food is a practice used by many performance handlers to achieve their hydration needs. It’s also important to always use a common source of water. Change of water source is no different than food source and affects the body with variable results.

Hyper-hydration with a good protein and electrolyte supplement prior to exercise is a good practice in managing the levels of body fluids.

Nutrition Program

Dry dog food should be viewed as an essential tool to provide proper growth and development, longevity, healthy, stamina, endurance and recovery during training and conditioning programs. Dog food provides the following nutrients needed to reach the goals listed above:

• Protein – Amino acids to build, repair and replace body proteins
• Carbohydrates – Energy source and body maintenance
• Fats – Energy, coats, structural functions and nervous system
• Vitamins – Growing, reproductive and immune system for all growth and life stages
• Minerals – Micro and macro forms

The term “you are what you eat” also applies to our canine performance animals! Different foods offer proteins from meats vs. grains, differing levels of ingredient digestibility, and different ways of reacting in the body. The feeding management practice we chose to provide can affect the results as much as the quality of food we select.

To maximize the metabolism and body fat composition or muscle structure, a consistent number of feedings per day must be established to help train the body to burn and not store nutrients. Two feedings per day is recommended. Food can be served post exercise with a 4 hour time period before the second feeding. Feeding post exercise – once the body is cooled down and rested – will support rebuilding of muscle tissue used during exercise while offering benefits to recovery. While spreading out the feedings is most beneficial, it is not always available. (For Example: Feeding post exercise and before bed is better than feeding once per day. It is also better than feeding pre exercise (stress stools/dehydration) and again later in the day.)

Dog foods are nothing more than a tool formulated for a large market share of the dog population. Finding the tool that works best with your program will often include supplementation of hydration and recovery products.

Best wishes to a successful season in pleasure, testing or trialing your canine athletes and companion animals.

To learn more about Jason Givens and his training methods, visit www.lighthousekennels.com

Steady or Not?

By Steve Ries

There is a long history of good arguments within all upland hunting breeds whether or not training to steadiness is important to their wild bird hunting situations. Some will argue the importance of being right behind the bird, as the natural survival instinct takes flight and success of one sharp shooter’s skill meet together. Others will argue the safety of their well-trained hunting companion is far more important than the risks of hunting with others in excitable moments during the hunt.

First of all, let’s have a better understanding of what “steady” really means as a training level.

Having a steady dog simply means a dog that will stand still, or sit at the flush, or shot of the game pursued. To pointing breeds, this is usually an inherited trait selected in breeding programs of importance and natural to the breed.

To the retrievers and flushers, steady simply means to sit still on command or cue developed in a training program. This trait is a training command, which is not inherited or natural as their instincts tell them to move the game from its next position.

Steadiness in hunting breeds can be developed with combining natural instincts and artificial situations of birds in launchers or planted birds used to create associations of distractions with commands already in place.

We first must teach a dog to stand still or sit and not move until we invite them to do so. Adding distraction of birds to this training will entice the movement from this command and allow us to train or re-enforce the commands used to steady them back up.

As we build an understanding of each command, we can further our levels of steadiness like a foundation on a building. First, you want a solid foundation to build from and cannot move forward with the rest of the training until we complete each level to support the next.

Steady to flush means a dog will stand still or sit until the bird is moved from its nesting position. The point or sit is released at the flush if this is the level or cue built into your training program and will give chase immediately with the flush.

More hunters are steadying their dogs through the flush until the shot to avoid any risk placed in their hunting companions. These versatile breeds will stay focused on the flight of the bird and released at the shot to narrow the distance from the harvested game and make a complete retrieve.

Regardless of your side of these beliefs, we all enjoy a well-trained hunting companion that will create a safe situation during an intense moment of the hunt.

Be safe and enjoy the great outdoors.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

What’s in a Guarantee?

By Steve Ries

Remember when a handshake and a person’s word was all it took to seal the deal? A person’s promise was a bond; integrity was not a commodity, but part of a common set of values. I’m not saying integrity no longer exists, but in today’s world, the expectation is to provide written guarantees to clarify who is responsible for what in case one party or another is not satisfied.

A Better Program Equals Better Odds
When it comes to breeding performance hunting companions, we are dealing with a variety of genetic traits and environmental factors. These factors, when combined with ownership expectations and changing goals, can occasionally produce results that are impossible to predict. This doesn’t mean we refuse to accept responsibility for our dogs––things happen that we couldn’t predict and couldn’t control. It does mean, though, that we need a good understanding of the people with whom we are doing business and try to ensure they have reasonable expectations.

If I were to tell you we have never had an issue with a dog, whether health or behavior related, I would not be giving an honest or realistic assessment. I can say with absolute confidence, however, that we follow a disciplined breeding and training regimen that is rigorously maintained to produce the most desirable traits. These traits include a number of factors among which overall health, hunting ability, and social behavior are given highest priority.

Owning Pups Doesn’t Make You a Breeder
Most kennels today offer some type of guarantee to provide a degree of confidence to prospective dog owners. The real guarantee, though, is the breeder himself. Have you ever heard the phrase: “I have not heard of this before” or “This is the first time we have ever had this happen”? A professional breeder with years of experience shouldn’t be able to utter these words honestly very often so it is understandably frustrating when they do.

When a person purchases a puppy from a breeder to get both the breed and the specific dog that best meets their needs, they expect a long term companion who will help them achieve the goals they had in mind when they began their search. When they learn after 2-3 years of time and expense for purchase, training and vaccination that their canine family member has a genetic issue that will require surgery, medication or worse, they are understandably upset.

I truly believe that many breeders do their best to provide a quality pup for purchase. They would not knowingly breed or sell an unhealthy animal with faulty genetic traits. The key point here is that they wouldn’t do it “knowingly”. In our experience it is most often a lack of knowledge and experience rather than a lack of integrity that is to blame when faulty genetics are reproduced. Unfortunately, this often results in animals that do no good for either the breed or the mislead owners.

Who Is Responsible For The Guarantee?
Much like buying a vehicle, you should think long term when shopping for a new pup. Sure you look for speed or style or comfort, but most importantly you look for a brand you trust and believe will provide long term value. Making an impulse purchase of an unknown brand because it’s attractive carries a much greater risk that you won’t be satisfied long term.

The same rules apply to shopping for a household or hunting companion. Don’t increase your risks by purchasing a “cute” pup from some fast talking owners of a litter (notice I did not use “breeders”) with little history or experience in doing business with the breed. This is a 10-15 year commitment we are talking about and it is worth your time, effort and money to do your research and find the best long term match for you.

In all fairness, even the most experienced breeders with the finest reputations can experience anomalies when recessive genes come together to create an unexpected and undesirable traits. The difference is that the reputable breeder will learn from this and take steps to eliminate this risk from future combinations. In all likelihood, because the breeder is reputable and experienced, he probably already has prevented many of these unforeseen combinations through years of selective breeding.

So who is responsible for the guarantee? The answer is both parties. A true guarantee comes from a combination of a reputable breeder and an informed consumer that has done their homework in identifying the desired breed and traits for them, as well as the right breeder.

Keep in mind that trait selection doesn’t only work for the dogs. If enough of us only buy from reputable breeders with the long term interest of both us and the breed in mind, pretty soon the less reputable breeders won’t have any customers. The only ones remaining will be those that are interested not only in the sale, but in a long term relationship with satisfied customers who will share their experience with others. The only real guarantee is choosing the right kind of breeder with integrity and years of hard won experience.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

The Last Hunt

By Steve Ries

Too often gun dog owners take for granted their teammates and do not realize how great they truly were until after they have passed. I own numerous dogs and have had the pleasure to hunt with dozens of fine hunting hounds. With that said, I always knew my first dog Lily, was something special.

The Greatest Gift
I got Lily as a wedding present from my mother and father-in-law. She was a chocolate bundle of joy and the first dog that was wholly mine. I was determined to train her myself to not only hunt, but run competition. Hunting was natural to her, but the competition was well… something she ran me in. Trainers would refer to her as a “whole lotta dog”. This was basically a nice way to tell me I was in over my head. I still decided I was going to train my girl and learn with her the art of the retrieving sports. We worked plenty and she became a great upland hunter for grouse and pheasants. Many a time came along where I was ridiculed for my brown dog being inferior because of her color––nothing would be said and we would head to the field. After the hunt, (and after she hunted the other dogs off the field in embarrassment), I would receive the same compliment: Not bad for a chocolate.

Lily eventually led me to the Labrador retriever breeding world. I decided to work on producing my own kennel and line of labs. With the strength of puppies from Lily the groundwork was laid for my kennel, training program, and eventual foray into television. With all of the above said, I will still always remember our last hunt.

“Just Me and You, Boss”
It was December and I had 5 dogs at our cabin. Grouse season was still open and I decided to take the dogs out. Slowing in her old age, Lily would struggle to keep up with the young dogs. Even at 11 years old, she still would manage to put up her share of birds. As I got my shotgun and coat I let Lily out of the cabin. I was walking to the kennel to get a couple of other dogs when she gave me that look. The look said, “Let’s go out together, just me and you, boss.” I had gotten the look other times, but for some reason took her up on it that day.

We went out in the woods and put up 12 grouse. I shot like usual and we got only one. It didn’t matter though. I could see how much it meant to my old girl that it was just the two of us. She would flush birds, look after I shot and run back to me. Once at my feet, she would drop on her back and perform the “Victory Roll” that she had become famous for with friends and clients. The truth was neither of us cared if we got a bird; it was just she and I, as a team. I did take her out to a few game farm hunts later in the year, but that was truly our last hunt.

Life Lessons
It is said that you only get one great dog in your life. I am sure that I will, and already do, have dogs with immense talent, shown by their titles. But ability and titles are not what make a hunting dog great. I know I will never again have the same bond with another dog that Lily and I had. She was my first and once-in-a-lifetime all at once.

My Dillers taught me more about dogs, training, life, and now death than any other animal ever will. She passed with a massive infection––by the time she saw a vet it was too late. To her last day, she never showed a sign of illness. I think she was just focusing on the hunting season that was only a month away. Twelve years is a good life for a Lab, especially as they were all quality years. That still doesn’t make the thought of not having her in the field, riding shotgun in the truck, or sitting on my lap on the couch any easier.

Tomorrow dawns a new day and I’ll pick myself up. I will work with my dogs and hunting season will be packed with adventures. I just won’t enjoy them quite as much as I used to.

Thank you for the great memories girl. Now rest easy, find a nice tree to curl up under, and please wait for me. I’ll be along in a bit and we will hit the field. I promise to shoot straight this time and it will be just the two of us. I promise.

To learn more about Steve Ries and his training methods, visit www.topgungsps.com.

The 3 Types of Upland Sporting Dogs

By Steve Ries

An Extension Of You

There are many sporting breeds for upland bird hunting and everyone has a personal preference. In my experience, many types and breeds of dogs can be effective hunters. Most sporting breeds produce well rounded companions with the genetics to excel while hunting in the field or on the lake. A good bird dog, regardless of breed, will give you a longer reach and the ability to find, point or flush and retrieve more birds than you could on your own. The shooting part, though, is up to you.

Upland Types

There are three general categories sporting dogs used for upland bird hunting: Flushing, Pointing and Retrieving. Each type has its own strengths and characteristics in addition to variations among the breeds within each type. The following is a general overview of what you can expect from a hunting companion of each type. Keep in mind that these are general statements and you may see significant differences not just among different breeds, but also between dogs of the same breed.

Pointing Breeds

As a breeder and trainer of pointing dogs for many years I’m a little biased. Pointing dogs fit my hunting style best but I have enjoyed hunting with Flushers and Retrievers as well.

• Hunting Strengths – Pointing breeds are often somewhat smaller and leaner than retrievers and capable of covering a lot of ground due to tremendous athleticism. Some breeds have less speed but still exhibit great endurance. They will generally hunt within gun range and, upon finding a bird, they will lock on point and give you time to approach for a comfortable shot. Most pointing breeds will naturally retrieve to hand.
• Common Breeds – Brittany, English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer, German Wirehaired Pointer and Pointer (English).

Retrieving Breeds

Retrievers include the most popular registered breed (Labrador Retriever) according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). This is generally considered to be a result of the intelligence and social nature of the breed.

• Hunting Strengths – Retrieving breeds are known for their versatility and their ability to withstand extreme cold be it snow, ice or water. They generally have a more rugged build, but maintain good speed and agility. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush upland birds and should stay within comfortable gun range. As you can tell from the name, they are enthusiastic retrievers of upland birds and they love the water.
• Common Breeds – Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever.

Flushing Breeds

Flushers also include some breeds that are very popular as house companions due to their size, appearance and disposition. For the most part, Spaniels populate the flushing category.

• Hunting Strengths – Flushing breeds are generally smaller in stature than many pointing and retrieving counterparts. They will quarter in front of the hunter to flush birds and should also stay within comfortable gun range. Like Retrievers, they are very comfortable in water and have coats that are well suited to extreme cold. Flushers will naturally retrieve to hand and are well known for their stamina.
• Common Breeds – Boykin Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel.

Many Good Choices

The thing to remember is that the best bird dog is the one that fits your hunting style. Research breeds and find one with the traits and qualities you desire. Training and hunting with an instinctive hunting companion can provide many years of outdoor enjoyment. If you don’t have the time or experience to train him, we encourage you to work with a professional to bring out the natural gifts of whatever breed you choose.

For more information on specific sporting breeds, visit the Bird Dog Bonanza at www.quailforever.org.