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Post by Tom Meulman on Sept 30, 2015 20:13:20 GMT 10
Hi Rob,
Difficult question to answer as improvement in performances certainly do not depend on body weight but on fitness.
Then of course you need to be extremely careful with weight loss, rapid weight loss as shown on the scales can also indicate fluid loss and dehydration. So while lean muscle tissue functions more efficiently and weight reduction should therefore improve athletic performances, it has to be balanced to maintain good health.
Unless the greyhound is grossly overweight, weight loss is best achieved by a carefully graduated workload rather than just diet alone.
One kilogram per week weight loss for the first two weeks, and then 1/2 kg per week for the next two weeks on a grossly overweight greyhound, and a speed improvement of a couple of lengths a week for the first two weeks and one length a week for the next two weeks would make me a very happy trainer. Lol
Cheers, Tom
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Post by Guest on Sept 30, 2015 22:07:37 GMT 10
Hi Tom,
Are you able to help me with feed in regards to the below??
If my dog is racing at 11pm at night what portion of his dinner should i feed in the morning? If my dog is racing/trialing around 2pm during the day what should the morning portion be? If my dog is trialling in the morning say 8-9am what should its portion be the night before?
The normal amount I feed my greyhound is 180gm kibble and 650gm meat, he weighs about 31kg
Thanks
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 1, 2015 13:22:05 GMT 10
Hi Guest,
Instead of throwing the whole digestive system out of whack by feeding various amounts of food at different times during the day, and having to calculate just when and what should be fed. It is much easier and just as effective to take the whole amount of food the dog is fed each day, devide it in half, and feed half morning and night.
This takes care of most scenarios except for early morning trials when the morning feed would be withheld until at least one hour after the run.
This also does away with giving a greyhound a huge meal every evening, the problems this can cause to the digestive system, and there is no doubt in my mind that a smaller meal is digested a little slower and that this improves the nutrient yield of the feed.
Keep in mind that it takes most greyhounds up to 14 days for their system to settle into this routine.
Cheers, Tom
PS. What I forgot to mention is that both morning and evening portion of the daily food intake should be balanced in regard to protein/carbs/fat and other substances such as calcium etc.
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Post by Rob on Oct 21, 2015 13:39:02 GMT 10
This may seem like a silly, question but do I need to trial a dog at a new track before racing it there, Does the dog need to see the track first? Regards Rob
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 21, 2015 18:57:29 GMT 10
Hi Rob.
Again that can depend on the dog, but in most instances the answer is yes because most greyhounds do improve on their second and third look at a track.
There are exceptions of course as I remember having one greyhound that went super at each track first up and second time on a track would vertically stop chasing. The same dog also went much harder when there were other greyhounds to compete against and would run shockingly slow if it was a solo trial.
The best results I have had out of greyhounds on a metropolitan racetrack were those dogs that trialled at that track as youngsters, were taken away from there to win their country races, and then when they got back to the track they learned to run at as pups for a race would just about grow an extra leg as they say in the classics, and would go brilliantly.
The lesson I learned there was to drive the extra distance and prepare my youngsters by trialling at city venues instead of at the country track close to home.
Cheers, Tom
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Post by Rob on Oct 28, 2015 14:36:29 GMT 10
Thanks for help Tom It`s nice to know I can ask a professional when I need advice in training first two greyhounds,
Do you think it`s ok to put my dogs in a four dog trail, not having trialled with another dog before. because im struggling to find someone to put my dogs with, not knowing many trainers
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 29, 2015 18:05:47 GMT 10
Hi Rob,
Trialling against other greyhounds first up for a pup that has never competed against other greyhounds is always difficult to organise in such a way as not to break the pups heart, and you certainly do not trial against other greyhounds until such time your pup is running fast enough solo to actually win a trial at that track. The other problem is that it is far too easy in those first five or so trials against other dogs to create a habit that running behind other dogs is OK and this is what I'm supposed to do. When in fact you need to instill the habit of getting into the catching pen first. Because the will to compete and beat the other dogs to the lure or the catching pen is not something that is necessarily an automatic response with each and every dog. So at the very least for the first three trials against other dogs you need to try and organise either other first timers to run against or very very slow race dogs and give your pup every chance to get there first.
If you as a trainer have treated your greyhounds appropriately they will certainly love you, be happy to see you, and will genuinely try to do whatever will make you give them a hug or a pet. As a trainer you can also use this bond in such a way as to get across to your greyhound that running in a certain way when running with other greyhounds will make you happy by ensuring that you make a huge fuss over the dog as soon as you get back to the catching pen and the dog if it has got to the line first or at least gave a good account. However if the dog ran ordinary or did not really try all that hard you say nothing and simply just put the lead back on the dog and totally ignore it in every other way except for providing the appropriate post race care,
You would be supprised just how quickly they wake up and start trying harder when competing against other greyhounds knowing that it will make you happy and that you will make a fuss over them as a result.
Cheers, Tom
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Post by Rob on Oct 30, 2015 13:33:27 GMT 10
Thanks Tom
My dogs have had 8 solo trials each, there times are ok so looking at some times ran by the local dogs here I think they would be competitive in a 4 dog trail( can`t say if they would win or not) also is there any risk of injury going from solo trial to a four dog trial?
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Post by rob on Oct 30, 2015 18:57:48 GMT 10
hi tom can you please help me with a couple of questions.can you please tell me what pre race injections you would use to give your dog that extra strenghth at the end of a 500 metre race and if used would it affect the dogs performance early and visa versa what pre race injections would you use for a 500 metre dog to perform better early and would this affect the dogs strength at the end of a race.thank you
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Post by Tom Meulman on Oct 31, 2015 2:52:42 GMT 10
Hi Rob,
Sorry mate no such thing. At least not something that doesn't cause a positive swab.
In regard to injury risks when stepping up to field trials, yes there is an increased risk but it is minimal and something that every trainer has to deal with.
Cheers, Tom
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Post by Rob on Oct 31, 2015 9:11:59 GMT 10
Hi Tom
Just letting you know the last two questions were from different guests with the same name.
Thanks for answering my questions on 4 dog trials
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Post by Tom Meulman on Nov 1, 2015 11:29:13 GMT 10
Hi Tom Just letting you know the last two questions were from different guests with the same name. Thanks for answering my questions on 4 dog trials Lol.......... At least I got the name right. Thanks for the heads up. Cheers, Tom
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Post by Rob on Mar 16, 2016 12:41:37 GMT 10
Hi Tom,
I have a Dog that's just turned 2yo, He`s had about 6 starts for a second and a third. He had 6 weeks off with a toe injury which is all good now, but his first trial back he failed to chase, He chased early but with about 50 mitres to go he just stopped turned around and came back to the starting boxes. Iv`e had him checked since and he has no injuries so why would he all of a sudden do this when I haven`t had a problem in the past with him doing this?
And can you help me get him back on track or am I wasting me time trying?
Regards Rob
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Post by Tom Meulman on Mar 16, 2016 17:06:40 GMT 10
Hi Tom,
I have a Dog that's just turned 2yo, He`s had about 6 starts for a second and a third. He had 6 weeks off with a toe injury which is all good now, but his first trial back he failed to chase, He chased early but with about 50 mitres to go he just stopped turned around and came back to the starting boxes. Iv`e had him checked since and he has no injuries so why would he all of a sudden do this when I haven`t had a problem in the past with him doing this?
And can you help me get him back on track or am I wasting me time trying?
Regards Rob Hi Rob, There is a real chance that this greyhound may have more ability than he has shown to date having run a second and a third. Simply because if the greyhound had been chasing as hard as he was able to in the first place he would not be non-chasing now. Time to start breaking this greyhound in all over again, and to do everything possible to get him chasing genuinely. Cheers, Tom
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