Preparing for the AD

During the AD test, the dog trots next to the handler, who is riding on a bicycle, for a total of 12.5 miles (20 KM) at a pace of 7.7 to 9.5
MPH (12-15 KMPH). The test contains a 15 minute rest period at the 5 mile (8 KM) mark and another 15 minute break when the dog has completed
9.4 miles (15 KM). During the rest periods, the judge checks the dog for tender or worn pads, overall fatigue or poor condition. The judge dismisses any dog that is not fit to continue. After completing the full distance, there is a 20 minute rest period followed by a short obedience routine.

Before You Begin

Before you begin any exercise program, you do a thorough assessment of your overall fitness level before you head out for that first training session. The same applies to your dog. Take a good look at your dog and make an honest assessment of its condition. Use the following criteria to help you determine when or if you should begin such a conditioning program with your dog: overall health weight level of physical conditioning age physical structure

Health

Does your dog have an illness or injury that might interfere with its training? For example, if your dog is recovering from a virus or a strained muscle, wait until it has completely recovered before beginning. Starting a conditioning program when your dog is not at its best, will ultimately set the dog’s conditioning back and can lead to further illness or injury.

Dogs with permanent or chronic physical limitations such as hip or elbow dysplasia should not, in our opinion, be subjected to the stress
of training for the AD. A moderate exercise program is, however, vital to managing the effects of hip dysplasia.

Before beginning any vigorous exercise program with your dog, we recommend having your veterinarian evaluate your dog’s health.

Weight

Is your dog at its optimum weight? A dog carrying 5 or more extra pounds needs to start slowly on a conditioning program. Excess weight

puts additional strain on joints and ligaments. If you aren’t sure whether your dog is overweight, have a veterinarian or a friend whose dogs are in impressive physical condition check for you. Generally, you want to be able to see and feel the last two ribs. Put both thumbs on either side of the spine and swing your fingers along the dog’s side feeling for the ribs. You should be able to feel the ribs easily. Use your fingers to grab the fur and fat along the shoulders, neck and hind quarters. Excess fat is readily felt.

Fitness Level

How much regular exercise does your dog currently get? A dog that
spends most of its time in the kennel with time out only for Schutzhund
training or to watch TV, needs to slowly build its physical condition.
On the other hand, if your dog is already in an active conditioning
program, make note of the average time, distance and intensity of this
exercise. You may find you can start at week 2 or 3 of the program.
Age

While the minimum age to enter the AD is 16 months, we recommend
waiting until 18 months or two years before starting intensive
conditioning. Slow maturing dogs, for example, are often at an awkward
physical growth stage at 16 months and high mileage can be damaging to
joints and tendons at this stage.

Conversely, dogs older than 5 years of age take longer to get fit and
to recover from the physical stress of conditioning. Older dogs are
also more prone to developing overuse injuries. Allow the older dog more
time to prepare for the AD and more time to recover between
conditioning runs.
Physical structure

What are the weak points in your dog’s conformation? The dog’s
physical structure must absorb the repetitive pounding of running. The
amount of angulation a dog has determines how effectively its structure
handles this stress. Think of the dog’s shoulders and hindquarters as
shock absorbers. For example, a dog with straighter shoulders and rear
quarters will not absorb the pounding as efficiently as a dog with more
angulation. In general, any structural fault that interferes with a
dog’s overall efficiency of movement exposes the joints, muscles and
tendons to additional stress. As a consequence, these areas are more
vulnerable to injury. Again, allow a dog with structural faults more
time to prepare for the AD and be alert for signs of overuse injuries.
Also, consider occasionally substituting an alternative exercise like
swimming for these dogs.
Designing Your Training Plan

It is extremely important that you not overtrain the dog, especially
in the beginning. Training too hard risks injuring or souring the dog.
Plan to run your dog two or three times a week. We suggest running older
dogs or those with structural weaknesses only two times a week.

We have organized our program into 3 day “weeks”. Each week consists
of 2 basic conditioning runs and one long run. The base conditioning
runs build an aerobic foundation. The long runs enhance the dog’s
overall endurance. Both types of runs are needed to achieve the desired
level of fitness. Running once a week for 60 minutes will not produce
the same benefits as running three times a week for 20 minutes. It is
more important to get 3 runs in per week than it is to go for maximum
mileage once a week.

At the beginning of the program, the base runs are approximately 80%
of the distance of the long runs. As the long runs increase, the base
runs gradually become 40-60% of the distance of the long runs. The order
in which you organize your runs (base/base/long or base/long/base) is
not important. However, do not attempt two long runs in a row.

Rest is as important to this conditioning program as is the actual
training. Your dog’s body uses these rest days to process muscle waste
products and stockpile energy for the next session. We recommend
allowing at least 1 day of rest between runs. Allow 2 days of rest after
a long run from Week 4 onward. However, this doesn’t mean your dog must
sit in its kennel on rest days. Consider “active” rest days for your
dog. Active rest includes a walk in the woods, formal training,
assisting with chores around the house, or a dip in the local swimming
hole. Essentially any activity except running training is acceptable.

Dogs that are capable of trotting 20 minutes or 2-3 miles with
moderate effort at the start of the program should be prepared for the
AD within 6-8 weeks. Dogs starting with little or no conditioning base
take 3-6 weeks longer.
TABLE 1: Typical Training Program

Base Run – 2 per week Long Run – 1 per week
Week 1     20min     2.0 to 2.5 miles     Long Run 25min     2.5-3.5 miles
Week 2     25min     2.5 to 3.5 miles     Long Run 30 min     3.0-4.0 miles
Week 3     25/30 min     2.5 to 3.5 miles     Long Run 40 min     4.5-6.0 miles
Week 4     30 min     3.0 to 4.0 miles     Long Run 50 min     5.5-7.0 miles
Week 5     30/35 min     3.0 to 4.5 miles     Long Run 60 min     6.5-7.5 miles
Week 6     30/40 min     3.0 to 6.0 miles     Long Run 70 min     7.0-8.0+ miles

We consider a dog prepared for an AD when it is comfortably running
30-40 minutes (4-5 miles) for base runs and successfully completes a run
of 8 miles (70-80 minutes). We have not found it necessary to have the
dog run longer than 8 miles in one run.

If you complete the program and still have time to spare, maintain at
week 6 until the AD arrives. You can shorten the long run to 50-60
minutes. It is more important to continue to consistently run 3 times a
week than it is to progressively lengthen the maximum distance beyond 8
miles. If your dog finishes the program well before the AD and has been
training for more than 10 weeks, we recommend tapering your training the
week before the test by running your dog 2-3 times that week for only
25-40 minutes.
Training Your Dog
Before and After Conditioning

We recommend running your dog on an empty or nearly empty stomach to
avoid gastrointestinal discomfort. Allow 3-4 hours after a meal before
training. If your dog has just finished drinking a large amount of
water, wait 1-2 hours before training.

Warming up your dog before a run prepares its muscles for the task
ahead. Cooling down after runs reduces stiffness and keeps the muscles
relaxed. Warm the dog up with a brisk 5-10 minute walk or slow trot.
After completing a training run, make sure your dog is cooled down
before putting it in the kennel. Again, walk the dog for at least 5-10
minutes.

After the dog has cooled down, you can offer it water. The water
should be lukewarm, not cold. Allow the dog to drink approximately 1-1½
cups of water. Wait several minutes before offering more. Also, wait for
at least an hour after training before feeding the dog.
Equipment

We recommend using a mountain or city style bicycle to exercise your
dog rather than a traditional touring or racing bicycle. The mountain
bikes have more stability and wider tires to safely handle a variety of
road conditions. We use a Springer attachment for our bicycles. The
Springer attaches directly to the bicycle frame and has a clip to which
you attach the dog’s collar or harness. The Springer allows you to keep
both hands on the handlebars and helps prevent the dog from tipping the
bike over. We do not recommend having the dog trot alongside a car.

For your safety, always wear an AST approved bicycle helmet. Even the
steadiest dog can suddenly jerk a bike around causing you to fall. We
also advise hunter orange reflective gear for both you and your dog.

We have found that a “Super Soaker” water cannon filled with water is
a good deterrent against loose, territorial dogs you may encounter
during your rides.
Training Tips

The most important training tip is to always use common sense when
training. Although it is helpful to have a program to guide training,
remember that it is just that, a guide. When deciding what workout to do
on a given day, be flexible and take the weather and your dog’s
adjustment to the new physical demands into account. For example, if the
weather suddenly becomes much warmer, consider skipping training or
substituting a shorter run. Reschedule the long run for a cooler day.
Monitor how your dog responds to the training. If the dog lags during
runs, flops down immediately afterwards or shows post run soreness,
stiffness or fatigue, go back one or two weeks in the program. The goal
is not to push the dog on every run, but rather to gradually build a
consistent conditioning foundation.

As the mileage increases, so may your dog’s caloric requirements. Adjust the amount or type of food accordingly.

Experiment by running your dog at different speeds to find what is
comfortable. The goal is to have the dog moving at an efficient, ground
covering trot. To maintain this pace, we find that on a flat road, we
need to pedal lightly but steadily. Do not increase the speed so much
that the dog begins to canter or gallop. You want to keep the dog
trotting at a brisk pace. At a trot, a dog’s legs move in diagonal
pairs. At the less efficient pace gait, the legs on the same side (i.e.
left front/left rear and right front/right rear) move together. If your
dog is pacing, you may be going too slow. Move faster and see if the dog
switches to a trot. Also, dogs that are tired will sometimes slow down
and pace. In particular, dogs with structural faults have to work harder
in general to stay at a trot. These dogs may tire at the end of runs
and fall into the less efficient pacing gait.

In training, you may occasionally substitute an alternate aerobic
exercise, such as swimming, for running. However, to properly prepare
for the AD, a dog must build up its trotting muscles so most
conditioning should be at this gait.

During the runs, try to find different surfaces to run on such as
pavement, grass, sand and dirt. The variety will help toughen your dog’s
pads and prepare it for whatever the AD might bring.

To keep the runs interesting for you and your dog, choose different
routes and occasionally change the pace both faster and slower.

Finally, try running with at least one other dog and handler team
prior to the AD test so you and your dog can become accustomed to having
another dog around. Your dog may become competitive and try to run too
fast or it may be too focused on the other dog. Now is the time to work
out these problems instead wasting your dog’s energy on the morning of
the test.
Running the AD

If you have been working your dog in a program similar to the one we
outline, your dog should easily finish the AD without showing much, if
any, fatigue.

Conserve your dog’s energy and maintain an even pace throughout the
test. At the start, resist the urge to bolt out to the head of the pack.
You’ll catch up to those dogs when they tire down the road. Also,
remember to keep a respectful distance from the other participants.
Nerves and excitement may have handlers and dogs on edge.

The AD can be held on different types of surfaces such as running
tracks, horse tracks, dirt roads, and grass fields. Most, however, are
held on local roadways. Watch for obstacles, holes and glass in the road
at all times for your and your dog’s safety.

Often a dog must stop to relieve itself at some point during the
test. There is no penalty for this. When the dog finishes, gradually
catch up to the rest of the dogs. Don’t allow your dog to sprint back to
the pack.

At each of the rest breaks, walk your dog around to keep its muscles
loose. On warm, sunny days, keep your dog in the shade as much as
possible. Offer rationed amounts of room temperature water. Once your
dog has recovered his breath, you can allow it to sit or lie down. A few
minutes before restarting, walk your dog around to limber up. Have your
dog ready for the judge’s examination. The type of examination is at
the judge’s discretion, but most judges check at least the dog’s pads
for tenderness or cuts. Practice examining your dog if it is not
accustomed to being handled in this way.

After the endurance portion of the test is completed, the judge
directs you and your dog in the obedience routine. The routine is
dictated by the judge but most require at least on-lead heeling and a
basic recall to demonstrate your dog’s mental and physical fitness. Here
the judge focuses more on the dog’s willingness and energy levels than
on the absolute precision and correctness of the exercises.
Conclusion

As a result of the conditioning training, you should notice that your
dog is now capable of working harder and for longer periods of time.
The hold and guard bark is fuller and stronger. The dog completes long
tracks more easily.

Don’t lose these benefits. Continue a conditioning program with your
dog not only to enhance performance but furthermore to prevent nagging
injuries that can keep you out of competition. Incorporating a
conditioning program into your overall training allows your dog to meet
and thrive on the demands of working dog sports.