Feeding for Competition - Page 1

Okay so general question to the company assembled.

Most everybody has seen the odd picture of my little girl at this point.  This is my female's dam

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/pedigree/478582.html

I'm posting this because as you can see, she was a small bitch as well and my girl takes after her dam.  She's coming up on 2 years old, tends to carry and look good at a weight of 59-61lbs, is fed TOTW kibble mixed with Orijen large breed puppy kibble for added carbs and salmon oil for some added coat goodness.

Currently I work her in all three phases of Schutzhund at least 2 a week and she has open access to a 1/3 acre of a backyard to run around to her heart's content and she's at about 59-61lbs but we're in sort of a 'slow' period.

My question is this.  When I really start ramping up our work schedule while getting ready for a trial or such, her weight tends to fluxtuate, as you would expect because she's burning more calories.  So, how would (or how do you with your own competition dogs) adjust the feeding schedule to accomadate this extra burn

More protein?

More carbs?

Suppliments?

Simply increase the intake of the current food combination?

I know every dog is different but I'm trying to get an idea of a starting point to do further research.

And before anyone suggests RAW.  I respect that a lot of people feel very strongly about the RAW diet on this board and have had good results with it.  I gave it a shot, seeing how people raved about it and my girl ended up looking like an anorexic supermodel.  She didn't throw up or have loose stools, she just didn't hold her weight so, no RAW for my girl except as a treat now and again.

You do not need to change anything, If she is well on what you are feeding her that is good enough, Any competition is not going to take any more out of her than the training you are doing now,

And how come you say her weight keeps fluxtuating, You are not continually weighing the Dog are you

You do not need to bother yourself doing that, if you keep on that way you will become paranoid over her weight

If she acts okay, looks okay, works okay then leave the dog alone,If you want to just run your hand and feel her ribs you should feel an outline of them if you cannot then she is too heavy , but i do not think your dog is that

Nothing special needs to be done with her regards feeding you seem to be doing okay, just relax, train the dog and do not keep weighing it

Steve

I will second that. looks good acts good stop checking :)

She needs to be on the Michael Phelps diet. 

Hi Steve,

I'm going to try to get a side on standing picture of her to help illustrate her size but in the meantime, it's not that I'm obsessively weighing her -she'd look at me funny if I did. :D- it's that she's so petite and has such a short coat that even a pound off her is noticiable, if that makes sense?

RLHAR, I find this to be very typical for females, my females usually do not pick up the weight till little bit after 2 years. My last female it took her 2.5 before she start looking normal, and some people still think she is on a light side.

try adding fat. leave the protein and carbs the same and add some fat. a lot of people forget that fat can be an excellent source of energy. I have read that some iditarod competitors will increase the dogs fat consumption by 50% or something like that while in training and racing.

Don

You can see his Ribs, you do not need to feel fior  them

Steve

Never heard of anyone over here in Belgium changing the dogs diet before a competition or trial. I do not see the point of it

If you are doing a SCHh competition you have the three phases which on average take around 10 minutes per phase

So thirty minutes work spread out over the day, does not need to have the diet changed in any way

I will bring this up with my helper tonight at the training club. but i know what will happen before i ask,

He will not say anything to me, but just give me a Wry Smile

And that alone tells me that he will think that i have lost a screw in my head,

I expect i will feel a Twit, but i will smooth it over by asking him to buy me a Pincher, ' Beer'

Steve

Beer!!!  It makes the world a happy place.  Especially Belgium beers, I'm beginning to enjoy them much better than German when I can get my hands on them over here in the US of A!

I do agree that changing up the diet of any competing animal right before a trial (or horse show which is my background) is not good.  I was thinking more along the lines of a gradual increase over the next few months as I get ready for May.

I think she just likes to see me fret.

Seriously, it's just that she's so petite and short coated that even if she fluctuates a pound you can see it on her.