# Misc. Training for off-season



## duketter (Nov 24, 2004)

I am curious what some of you do for training (obedience, hunting, etc.) in the off-season. I hear comments all the time to do obedience training for 15 minutes a day. Do you still do this for dogs no matter their age? I know this even burns off energy for them, but you can only make them sit, stay, lay, shake so many times in a training period. 15 minutes seems like a long time if they already know the commands or maybe I am wrong?

How about for hunting, any training things you do around the house or in the backyard? I understand I can take him out to a wildlife refuge and train but how about in the house or backyard?

I am just trying to find some ideas on what I can do with my dog daily for training. What tricks do you have your dogs do? Mine can sit, stay, lay, shake, come, find it(hide treat), fetch, pillow, kennel). Any others you recommend? I enjoy teaching him new tricks.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I let mine guard my couch in the off season, they are reall getting good at it but sometimes they get a little confused and decide to guard the beds instead :lol:


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

I took mine over to the vet for some shots yesterday and was embarrassed at what brats they had become in just a couple of months. I guess it's time to do some obedience tune ups in the evening. My wife calls them the vacuum cleaners, since nothing hits the floor for more than a second without it being vac'd up by one of the girls. It's really too damn cold to walk outside. I think I'll see if they'll run on the treadmill. That might use up some of the piss and vinegar. Burl


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## 4CurlRedleg (Aug 31, 2003)

I work on O-T pretty much daily and when it isn't to crappy out I'll toss the bumpers. Obedience is a must IMO, daily is my rule of thumb.

They are like teenagers without reins, they become sloppy and unruly!


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

I have a 2.5yr old springer and if I don't try and do something to keep her occupied or burn some energy off, she finds something herself and that something usually gets ME in trouble with the wife. Latest trick, when I come home and if she's out of her kennel, she runs and gets my slippers for me, going to work on the beer next :beer:


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## Smitty_mn (Nov 2, 2005)

still do a lot of training in the winter!! Do blind work, ob, even walking singles. On the weekend the retriever club gets together and trains. Hell we even run informals in the wiinter.. Hopefully this sunday down in St. Cloud!


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## CDK (Aug 1, 2005)

I do alot of training in the winter I think having snow sometimes helps a young dog with casting drills because you can cut trails to your 1st 2nd and 3rd base piles. Besides for water work I dont think there are many concepts that can't be taught in the winter, you just have to be a little more hardy.


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## Ranger_Compact (Nov 2, 2005)

Burly1 said:


> I think I'll see if they'll run on the treadmill.


Ha! The first time I ran on our new treadmill, my brown-eyed girl, Wilma Jean, freaked out and tried to rescue me from the horrid monster! As I was running, she would nip at my feet and pant legs and try to pull me off of it, without getting too close, because it scared her. She's such a cutie, always watching out for her momma! She looks innocent and friendly at only three years old, but if someone just pretends to hit me, she attacks them with a lot of power and sharp teeth and one harsh sounding growl.


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## thunderhead (Dec 22, 2005)

You could do some checking to locate a dog club near you. Many of them will have training days. If you get involved with running hunt tests for your dog, that wil give you a goal to train for, and will keep the dog active in the field during the off season. It will also give you more experience as a trainer, and the dog will be more fine tuned going into the next hunting season.


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## honkbuster3 (Jan 11, 2006)

I train my dogs for 20 min. in the morning and 20 minutes in the night. It gets the energy out of them. I use the dead fowl trainers in my back yard . I just throw it out and do some exercises that I know helps for hunting. I don't do much training in the on seson,,, I HUNT!!! Dogs take time and commitment. I have been traing my dog on this schedule for 8 years GOOD LUCK :beer:


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