Autumn training with our huskies
In mid-August / early September we start with training again. We need cool temperatures (below 10 degrees) and low humidity so that we can begin. To avoid overheating our dogs, we make sure not to start training too early.
Over the summer we maintain our huskies’ basic fitness levels by incorporating short sessions of conditioning and strength training. We use our small lake right behind the farm, but also our forest where you can run freely and cross-country either in the morning or in the evening.
This cross-country over stones, lying tree trunks and over hills, uphill and downhill, contributes enormously to the training of our huskies in unusual movement sequences outside of the dog team training.
Otherwise they relax in the shade in summer, enjoy the peace and quiet and have enough fresh water available (at least twice a day).
We don’t change the dog food in summer, only the amount is adjusted.
When our dogs work in a team, the temperature in their bodies naturally rises. Unlike us humans, dogs cannot regulate their body temperature by sweating. In order for dogs to cool off, they have to pant. They do have sweat glands (e.g. paw pads), but these are used to release scent secretions.
To ensure that our dogs do not overheat during autumn training, we also pay close attention to the relationship between temperature and humidity. If this is too high, we do not train on these days because the dogs are not able to regulate their body heat sufficiently.
The higher the humidity level, the less the dogs have to regulate their increased body heat. Especially in the forest, where we train the most, the humidity is higher and the dog’s cooling function is less effective because the air is saturated and cannot absorb any more moisture.
Another support we give you during autumn training is that we give the dogs water over several small breaks. By panting, the dog’s body loses a lot of water, which can amount to about 1 liter in an hour. So that not too much water gets into the stomach at once and maybe causes a stomach ache, we divide it into several smaller break units.
Depending on the age, we have different training sessions and opportunities to train with the dogs.
Very important! The fun is always with us