Getting an old dog fit

August 5th, 2024No CommentsBlog
Bruce is ten and half years old this summer. I had intended to retire him after the World Sheepdog Trial last year but when I had him out working in April, I decided that he still seemed very active and up for it. So I decided to give him one more National.
The Irish National Sheepdog Trial is held on the 22nd of August this year. I have been travelling alot this summer and really only have about three and half weeks to get Bruce fit to compete. If I am to be realistic, this is not enough time to get him fit and ready to be competitive for a National. So I want to make the most of the time that we have to prepare.

I called Barry (Bear) Siragusa for advice. Barry is a former sled dog trainer and competitor. He is from Maine and competed in the US for years before moving with his wife and new life in Norway. He brought his Alaskan Huskies with him to Norway and raced there until recently when he wound down his racedog passion. Barry decided to wind down his racing due to a back injury he sustained in a work accident. He transitioned into hunting dogs after that, mostly hounds. More recently he acquired a couple of Border Collies and begun training those too. Barry hosts a podcast called the Hunting Hound Podcast and he is also a freelance writer publishing articles on working dogs in canine magazines and publications

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