Changing of the collar

Every year I've gone through the same ritual with collars before hunting season...getting a new one.  From the start I have been getting an orange dayglo collar similar to the following picture.

Don't get me wrong, this is a great collar, and very durable.  The one problem I have with it though is that it's not so orange anymore after a year, it's more of a light pinkish color.  It's cheap enough that it hasn't been a big deal just replacing it every year.  But this year one of my favorite websites for ordering upland gear was having a sale on them, and the collar came with a free engraved nameplate that was riveted to the collar.  One less thing dangling and clanking around on her collar...sold!

I went with a different type of collar this time.  It's called a Leather Feel collar.  It feels like leather, but it's made out of nylon, so it is durable...and most importantly, it is not supposed to fade.  Check back in a year, and I'll give you the skinny on how it's held up.

Here's my proud pooch with her new jewelry on.  You'd think she just got herself a new prom dress with that look!

So it begins...

I'd love to say I'm one of those hunters that keeps their pooch conditioned all year long, but unfortunately that isn't the case.  Luckily my Viszla is somewhat high strung so she manages to stay slim and trim on her own.  She did seem to fill out a little bit more then usual this winter which is something that just comes with age anyways, whether it be dogs...or their masters!  Kati is my first hunting dog so I've been kind of learning on my own as I go.  I'd have to say though that bird hunting is definitely a passion of mine now.  I love watching my dog work in the field, you just never know what might happen while you're out there, but one thing is for certain, both you and your pooch need to be in shape!  Bird hunting is all about covering ground, horizontal and vertical.

Due to logistics I can't get out in the field or really away from the house with Kati during the week, but I won't let that restrict training.  I just have to make use of what I have which is about a 40 yard stretch of yard...sounds like sprints to me.

We just started this week, and I usually have to wait till about 9pm at night just so it's a little cooler out.  I have her run 25 sprints which amounts to roughly a mile, and we get it done in about 10 minutes of just playing catch with the ball.  She enjoys it, and I enjoy it so it's a win win.  I think catching the ball helps with her reflexes too, she anticipates where the ball will go when it bounces off the fence, truly amazing to watch.  Between the heat and the cardio work it usually wipes her out pretty good, but we're only just beginning so it's understandable for sure.

 

I will definitely ease her into it as conditioning should be done, but my hopes are to get her a lot more conditioned then I have in the past before hunting season.  The cheat grass is a nightmare out there right now, and the wild birds need their space.  I look forward to getting her out in the field next month though so she is acclimated to what she needs to be doing before the season starts.  In the past I have usually spent the first few weeks of hunting season doing this which is really my own fault, and I attribute it to many personal matters that have plagued me the past few seasons.  But things have changed now and I actually have the time and resources to devote to the passion I have come to love...upland game hunting.