Gradually extend the duration of the dog's exercise programs as stamina increases and as long as he's having fun.

The owner simply shelved this fine animal during the long off-season like a shotgun in a cabinet, ignored until next year's hunting season, a sad but all too common scenario.

Swimming is wonderful for conditioning all the muscle groups and increasing cardio-vascular fitness. Using water as part of any exercise program is also wise because of its additional cooling benefits.

And encouragement is important.

"Lean on desire," West advises. Push the dog to want to hunt while keeping it fun and of course, rewarding him with praise.

To increase the dog's endurance and toughen his pads, run him on all types of soils and terrain.

Free running is especially good for increasing stamina. Take long walks off the leash, but add some leash training during which the dog will pull against the restraint and strengthen those rear-leg muscles.

Protect your dog from over-exertion. With proper food and ample fresh water, dogs progress rapidly toward fitness, but hunting breeds possess exceptional exuberance and desire. They will give you everything they've got and may injure themselves in the process, so be careful.

SENSIBLE EATING
Do not feed a dog prior to exercising or hunting. A full stomach can stress the animal and cause irritation to the digestive tract.

The dog's nutritional needs will increase as fitness returns, and a hardworking dog requires larger amounts of food and more fats in his diet. When working in cold weather, a dog's caloric needs may double.

A note of caution: Any dog will continue to want large, high-fat meals after the season closes, but it's wise to gradually reduce food amounts in post-season months.

Dr. West suggests that hunting dogs should be fed once a day in the late afternoon or evening, but not within 12 hours of hard work. In fact, it's wise to avoid giving any food within one or two hours of hunting. Carrying a load of food while hunting irritates the digestive tract and will cause the dog to force evacuation for relief. You may notice mucus or blood in the stool. A properly fed dog will quickly evacuate and then hunt with ease and energy.

Some trainers provide small, high-calorie snacks before and periodically during hunting to maintain their hardworking dogs' blood-sugar levels. To avert hypoglycemic (low blood-sugar) emergencies in hunting dogs, some trainers provide them with periodic snacks in a high-calorie paste form. Dogs suffering from hypoglycemia may stagger, appear disoriented and may even suffer seizures. Providing a small amount of corn syrup is a simple, effective treatment for hypoglycemic reactions.

For exceptionally overweight dogs, six to eight weeks of pre-season conditioning may not be enough. Obese dogs require several months of gradual reconditioning.

Most professional dog trainers agree that there's no quick fix for seriously obese dogs and note that obesity is a precursor to many conditions that affect and injure sporting dogs such as diabetes, anal gland disease, cardiovascular overload, osteoarthritis and respiratory function problems as well as leg, joint and foot stress.

Reducing a dog's caloric intake may be as simple as eliminating daily table scraps and special treats.

Diet reductions should be gradual along with the expansion of an exercise program.