Getting my boys into shape!!

[xxxshellyxxx]

Sorry if this isnt in the right section didnt know where to put it.

Can anyone give us any advice on what we could do to get our 2 eldest boys into better shape?

Stanlie is quite chuncky has no problems putting weight on, where as diesel dosnt put weight on easily.
What kinda things can we do to get them into better shape?

Aslo does anyone have any ideas how we could get diesel to put some weight on he eats the same as stanlie but he just wont put weight on they are on wainwrights and tripe!!

Stanlie


Diesel

[dog]

Both their weights look fine to me, I wouldn't put any more on Diesel, in fact I would take a little off but that's just a personal preference, they're a healthy weight. Wainwrights is a good food with plenty of fat and protien so I wouldn't be concerned about that unless their digestion is not 100%.

How old are they?

What are you doing with them at the moment?

[dog]

BTW Stanlie is a nicely put together dog, need a better pic of Diesel to make a judgement.

[xxxshellyxxx]

Thanks for the reply, will see if i can find another pic of diesel if not will take one.

Stanlie is 22months old and diesel 21months old.

At the moment we take them for 2 - 3 walks a day and stan when in the woods likes to grab on to branches and hang or just play tug but diesel aint as interested.

[dog]

I would suggest you try to make their walk as active as possible. It's difficult with more than one dog as I don't know whether there are chances of a falling out over balls and stuff but a ball launcher is a very simple and easy way to get them going.

I take a tug toy on a rope with a spring attached to the park with me and attach it to a tree. I find that Sonny hangs off of that with much more enthusiasm than he does with tree branches, it might help Diesel get into it too.

Biking is brilliant, if you can get them to run with you but alot depends on how much control you have over them as it can be a bit tricky with two dogs.

At the moment I'm doing most of my work with them at night or early in the morning as it's to hot to really push them.

[xxxshellyxxx]

No they all get along fine, we have a rope toy that has a ball on the end that we sometimes take and throw on the field on our walks.

When i lived in norwich i used to take stan for bike rides and he loved it stan n die are both good walking besides bikes on leads, we really need to get a bike as we dont have one so we cant do that, my oh does have a pit bike which diesel absolutely loves running around after him and dosnt get in the way.

What kind of spring?? dont supose you could show me a picture so i know exactly how to make one??

Yeah i agree it is too hot we took them all for a walk earlier and all 3 were absolutely nakered after there walk and we were only out for about 20mins.

[dog]

I use a spring off a gate but basically all you need is a farly strong spring. Most people use the ones they use on garage doors because they have two rings at the end so you can attach a rope/tug toy. You'll be surprised how much that little bit of give makes it more fun for them and the tugging gives their torso a real workout that it's hard to get in any other way.

You might be able to use a short section of strong (8-10mm) bungee rope (maybe 5-6") but make sure it's doubled up so that it's strong enough. I used this with Sonny but it broke after a while, he is 60lbs though. It should last pretty well with your two.

[xxxshellyxxx]

ok thanks will have to have a look and see what i can do thanks for the help, muchly appriciated.

[dog]

No worries, I'm sure other people will have ideas but I think most people accept that biking is just about the best exercise you can do with them, it gets them in really good shape both in terms of muscle and cardio fitness.

[anton]

here i go with the blunt dutchman act again, put it on cultural difference.
Stanlie looks a fair bit overweight to me. How much does he weigh?
Owen had some good suggetsions as far as exercising goes. Now that the weather is getting hotter it might be a good idea to go for nice long swims. Great Cardio and very easy on all the vulnerable bodyparts because its all friction and no impact.
Btw, saw the vid of the haning from a toy. Nice work out, but it works better if the feet are touching the ground, also it can cause serious injuries if they fall off the wrong way (wouldnt be the first dog to break its back like that).

Can't really tell the other dogs shape from the picture.

[anton]

check this dog:
s-a-c-s.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=mempics&action=display&thread=1796

[xxxshellyxxx]

Thanks for the reply anton, stanlie weighs about 20kg think thats about 3stone and hes around 18inchs tall. I too think hes a little over weight
Swimming wouldnt hapen they both hate the water we have tried and falied
Didnt know it works better if feet touch the ground. will make sure he does in future.

That dog looks very nice and in really good shape.

[anton]

then i agree with owen, lots of long walks. couple hours a day. with a bit jogging, cycling, running in the mix.

[eliza]

And maybe other food. Depends on what you can get and if your dogs having problems or not with food. A dog in shape is a combination of feeding and conditioning. Some dogs need more and some dogs need less

[fien]

forget the weight why would you keep two males staffords together as you are asking for trouble when they mature are they kept together when your not there???

[openallhours27]

Jun 6, 2010 19:16:49 GMT fien said:

forget the weight why would you keep two males staffords together as you are asking for trouble when they mature are they kept together when your not there???

I was concerned when i read that too. They are both still young but my worries would be what will happen when they reach 2 onwards.
Ive heard it happen so many times. Personally i would never ever have 2 males together.

They are both gorgeous by the way.

Retreiving a ball works for us re exercise.

[xxxshellyxxx]

We have 3 males and we know people who have 2 staffords together that get along fine with no problems.
stanlie has been nutered and diesel is soon to be aswel, they all get on fine we have never had any problems and they are practicly 2 now the eldest boys.
No when we are not there they are not left together zeus and diesel are left in a crate and stan is out as he can be trusted.
They all sleep together on there bed curled up with my cat aswel.

I dont believe i was asking advice about having males together anyway!!!

[qred]

Ha ha


Shelly this time I say nothing... ;D

[anton]

No? This time nothing about "rudeness"?

[anton]

psst shelly, you missed a comment bout food. What were you feeding them again? (and how much).

[qred]

I am also interested in the food. I have tried many different types of food for my boy......

[xxxshellyxxx]

oops sorry, they are on wainwrights and they get 1 and a half scoops, and they also get sardines in sunflower oil and fresh tripe a few times a week aswel.

[anton]

whats a scoop?

[Shakka-Staffs]

Too add weight try coconut oil in thier food. But a good starting point would be to weigh all food then you have somewhere to work from. I feed my dogs different amounts based on what they need if your feeding all dogs say 1 scoop as you say the lighter dog may need 2 scoops by wieghing the food you will get it right and you will know how much each seperate dog needs. Just because it says a dog of such a weight should have x amonut on the packet, doesnt mean it will be enough for them or vice versa it is only a recomendation.
You want a bit more muscle and less fat then start walking further You cannot beat an 6 mile walk if you can make sense of what i just said fairplay coz im a little lost myself lol
Anyway looking at stanley i would reduce his food by 50 gr or walk him more and see what happens. Diesel we do need a side view of.

[fien]

Jun 7, 2010 12:44:02 GMT xxxshellyxxx said:

We have 3 males and we know people who have 2 staffords together that get along fine with no problems.
stanlie has been nutered and diesel is soon to be aswel, they all get on fine we have never had any problems and they are practicly 2 now the eldest boys.
No when we are not there they are not left together zeus and diesel are left in a crate and stan is out as he can be trusted.
They all sleep together on there bed curled up with my cat aswel.

I dont believe i was asking advice about having males together anyway!!!

you maybe not been asking my advice but nobody in there right mind would keep male staffords together and another male in the mix being neutured wont stop them having a dig reference dog fighting from your earlier post you maybe seeing it first hand

seen it too many times people keeping them together one gets the hump as they still aint mature and one ends up getting rehomed you have been warned first bit of advice I was told when i got into these dogs

[openallhours27]

A little off topic but a watched a young lad around here a couple of months back now, he first got a pup (male) and when this dog was about 9 months he got another male pup. We spoke to him about it as he used to exercise them together with a football.

1 afternoon his 2 boys had a big fight over the ball in our football pitch, the young boy wasnt able to seperate it, i shouted out the window to tell him to tie one dog to the fence as this 1 dog kept going back for more, he eventually did manage to get them apart and was visabily shaken.

Next time i saw him he only had 1 dog, he told me he had to rehome the other as once they had had 1 fight there was just no stopping them.

I do think if you have the same sexes together you have to be prepared that 1 day they may have to live seperatly from each other.

Hey on the other hand, there are people out there that manage it im sure.

[xxxshellyxxx]

Thanks shakka-staffs will do that and see how we go will try get a pic of him side view tomorrow.

Fien-Once again i didnt ask for advice on keeping males together, if anything did happen then we will deal with it im not saying no more on the matter as this is nothing to do with what i have asked.

[fien]

Jun 7, 2010 21:36:11 GMT xxxshellyxxx said:

Thanks shakka-staffs will do that and see how we go will try get a pic of him side view tomorrow.

Fien-Once again i didnt ask for advice on keeping males together, if anything did happen then we will deal with it im not saying no more on the matter as this is nothing to do with what i have asked.

It has a lot to do with it as you are obviously looking to condition your dogs and this does make them more lively and increases the chance of them kicking off,hope you have a break stick to deal with it, in an emergency the finger up the bum works every time ;D,

[eliza]

Can you please tell us (anton and i) what a scoop is? We are not from england

[anton]

We come from the land of "meten is weten "