Peggy & Xena during winter training

After the holidays the weather in Wisconsin as well as many other northern and Midwestern areas of the country become dark and cold. Days are short and the temps drop drastically. People that work day shift don’t have a lot of time to get out with their dog. But after ole Gunner the hunting machine gets food scraps off the floor from Thanksgiving through Christmas and gets basically no exercise, its time to condition and train.

Winter is perfect for conditioning. The snow in the Midwest can create a great workout. Retrievers that pound through the snow all winter can be in great shape come the start of our local hunt tests or field trials.

Building distance in your dog is easy in the winter because of the lack of cover. He can also see you farther in winter so he is more confident in running long blind retrieves.

A lot of training groups break up during winter and don’t start up again until March or April. There are still plenty of drills we can work on with minimal help or by ourselves.

When we train by ourselves we tend to get sloppy. Always try and keep a high standard and stay consistent. Even though you might be doing yard work such as handling drills or confidence blinds which at times tend to be monotonous and boring, don’t let your guard down. Keep the dog heeling properly and keep the dog obedient.

Be aware of hidden dangers beneath the snow. An icy top layer of snow can cut a dog's paws. Always inspect your dog before putting them away. If their pad starts bleeding discontinue training and decide whether or not he needs medical attention or medication like "new skin" or not. They do make booties for dogs that are injured or trained on littered grounds with lots of debris. Most times they just need a few days of self heeling before they get another training session. House dogs tend to have a more tender paw. So be careful.

Don’t forget water. Just because its cold doesn’t mean they aren’t going to get thirsty. Cold dry weather creates dehydration. Some dogs will eat lots of snow yet wont drink cold water. Others will. Keep an eye on their urine. If it’s dark yellow or barely coming out, its time for a drink. The extra effort in running in deep snow warrants an extra snack at times. Purina protein bars are a good choice if you plan on a long training day. A few dog treats will also help if you have to short of arms to purchase the protein bars.

If you have a puppy there are lots of things to do with him. Obedience training like sit, stay, heel and come should be solid. Even older dogs should get a winter refresher on the obedience drills. End all obedience training with fun bumpers. These are retrieves that are tossed out just for fun. Just wing them out yelling "ok, ok" or "good, good", letting the dog know that he has done good today.

If your dog doesn’t know how to do blind retrieves (retrieves he makes that he didn’t see fall) than do yard work like "baseball or the "double-t drill". These are simply handling drills teaching the dog to take hand signals. Buy a good retriever training book and learn these drills. It’s invaluable to a duck hunter for his dog to learn "blinds".

With older more experienced dogs I like to do multiple cold blinds (blinds the dog has never run) along with some permanent blinds (blinds the dog runs time and time again to develop confidence and skill) often during winter. That is, I’ll set out three or four blinds and run the dog on them. I’ll set them up in similar locations two or three times a session working on the same thing during the training session. For example, one day I’ll set up nine different blinds in three different locations all running up hill. The next time out I’ll set them up all running down hill. Each time out I’ll work on different types of cover. One thing though, don’t run your dog down trails in the snow. We don’t want the dog turning into a trail runner.

Of course you should still work on marking (retrieves a dog makes that he sees fall) and all the other skills you have taught him. If you don’t have automatic wingers (a device that throws a dummy or bird for you) get the kids out or recruit some neighbor kids or friends to help. Retrievers love retrieving marks.

Shooting flyers (birds you throw up and shoot or someone else throws them and shoots them) for your dog is a great idea during the boring days of winter and occasionally planting pheasants, chukars or quail for him is also fun for you as well.

Even taking them for walks at the public hunting grounds will burn some calories. The main thing is to get out there. Dress warm bring a lunch and who knows maybe you’ll drop a pound or two trudging threw some of that snow.

Bob & Zoey during winter training

Rick & Xena during winter training

Rick running Xena on a blind in the first field trial of the year.