Clean Run Magazine - April 2007 - 20

Trainer’s Forum By Brenna Fender I live in an area with all kinds of inclement weather. Can you give me tips for trialing in extreme conditions like heat, cold, and rain? Elise Paffrath Running in the elements is part of the sport of agility, so coping with inclement weather while out on course is something that you and your dog should train for. S o m e dogs are relatively unaffected by all extremes of weather, while others take strong exception to running in the rain or are greatly affected by heat and sun. I believe that a component of preparing your dog for performance in agility should involve working in various temperatures and weather conditions. The worst time to ﬁnd out that your dog doesn’t like the heat, mud, rain, wind, or thunder is when you’re on the start line or in the middle of a much anticipated run. I’ll never forget my maiden trial with my mixed breed, Scout. I chose Fryeburg, Maine’s midsummer USDAA trial as her debut simply because it was such a great event. Our ﬁrst of two runs was early in the day and she tooled around the Novice course with great gusto. About 7 hours later at 3 p.m. in the blistering 95° August sun we had our second run of the day. Scout did three jumps Elise’s shelter-adopted dogs, Breeze, Scout, and Spryte, have earned top titles and competed in many agility Championships. In 2004, Scout and Spryte were USDAA Grand Prix World Championship ﬁnalists, and in 2005, Spryte achieved LAA-Bronze and ranked #2, #3, and #7, respectively, in Jumpers, Gamblers, and Tournament Top Ten. Elise puts on trials, teaches, and writes about agility in Guilford, Vermont. and ran under the A-frame to seek shade. I was shocked since she’d always been a willing worker. I soon realized that we had never run agility in the midday heat. Not only was it her first competition, but I was also asking her to work under conditions she had never experienced. Because I hadn’t exposed her to it, I had no idea before the trial that she was particularly intolerant to heat. Most of us take classes in the evenings or practice with our dogs before or after our work day, so many dogs may have © CLEAN RUN Bonnie Calhoun McDonald Bonnie judges AKC, USDAA, and UKC agility, WWKC obedience, and WWKC rally. She owns and is the chief trainer at Bonjon Training School LLC, operating in Tampa, Florida, since 1992. Bonnie has earned MACHs, UDs, HXs, Schutzhund titles, and more with GSDs, Mals, and Shelties. Visit Bonnie’s website at www.BonjonTrainingSchool.com First I must point out that there are sometimes safety issues to consider when running in less than optimum conditions. Ultimately, you must decide if you should run or scratch based on the best choice for your team. Injuries to you or your dog can occur anytime but are more apt to occur when the footing and/or obstacle surfaces are slick. Also, your warm-up is important anytime but especially critical with temperature extremes. Occasionally I have a student whose dog is never outside long enough to acclimate to Florida’s high heat and humidity. If you and your dog live in climate-controlled comfort with only brief journeys outside, your dog will have difﬁculty giving his best on a hot agility weekend. I advise my “winter students” to acclimate by walking in the evening with their dog to build up stamina. It is helpful if the dog spends more time outside than is needed just to relieve 20 Have the right gear for you and your dog. himself. Hydration is also extremely important and energy formulas for dogs can help as well. Muscles cannot work properly if the body doesn’t have adequate hydration. For high heat and humidity, I suggest the following: • Acclimate both you and the dog over time. • Stay out of direct sun (people should wear sunscreen). Use reﬂective and/or SPF tarps to cover your tent or crates. • Stay hydrated. Use energy-enhancing solutions with caution. Water is best but must be consumed regularly. • Watch body temperatures. Use a cooling mat in your dog’s crate or a cooling vest to lower his body temperature or for a quick cooldown. Battery-operated fans are good, too. • Have a warm-up routine and stick to it regardless of the temperature. Just because Clean Run | April 07

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Clean Run Magazine - April 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - April 2007