race Training : 101 by Don Papin

a pole to swing it around will get an interest up in going

for the lure. I do this but only with one pup at a time as
they will eventually go to the other dog if you do more
than one.

Remember nothing in racing or training is in concrete and

Training 101 for Whippet Watch will deal mostly with Having a permanent track gives us an advantage in train- everything I say is a generality. There have been some dogs,
training Whippets that come to our ranch. I will be happy to ing when the pups are young. I put them in out door like Amplifax, who was winning meets at nine months and
answer questions in these articles, so if you would like to kennel boxes that are located near the starting box. This just kept on winning. I do not attribute this to training. He
ask something I will try to answer any questions in the next gives the pups time away from people where the only was one exceptional dog when it comes to straight racing.
issue. The best way to do this is to email me the question at: thing that is happening is the loading and running of races Every dog that comes here is a challenge to us. If I cannot
windyglens@aol .com. and training dogs. They can see and hear all the noise the get a dog to do what I want, that is give me 100% on the
boxes make and see the other dogs run. The holding boxes track, they are smarter than I am. I enjoy running the meet
This dog thing started for me as a child in Hibbing, are a bank of six that came from Flagler Greyhound track winning dog as much as anyone but I am fortunate enough
Minn. My sister had asthma, and I was not allowed to in Florida. They are big enough for greyhounds to stand to realize when the kids are giving me 100%. I am just as
have a dog. Several times over the years my sister’s up in and move around. The same thing can be accom- ticked with a dog that gets last as long as he is giving his
asthma would get worse and my folks would go looking plished with a regular Vari Kennel. The kennel crate can best. Sally and I work as a team on trying to read these guys.
for the cause. It always turned out to be the puppy I had be set out of the way, off to the side, a ways in front of the Some times I come to a cross road where I think the dog
hidden down in the basement. It was easy to do since I starting box and the pup left there for a while to observe. should be a certain level, and it is great to have a partner with
had the honor of being the oldest and therefore the This prevents the dog from having human interference for savvy and dog sense to work with.
furnace tender. short periods.
I relate dog racing to going to the Olympics. Imagine
Training is a challenge to me. I love working with dogs and Toenails are a real important aspect of puppy training. I do
the officials announce that today all the events have
have never met a bad dog. You can always tell what is on the nails about every 10 days to two weeks and they learn
been canceled except for the 100 yard dash and every-
their mind by reading the eyes. A dog will never lie, or stab this from when they are babies. If the nails are too long,
one will have to compete in the 100 yard dash! Of
you in the back, and they always want to please, the trick is the dogs can injure the bones and ligaments in their feet
course the 100 yard dash guys are going to kick butt, it
to be able to let them know what is expected and reward when they run, and if the nails interfere they will not give
means nothing more than that, they are just the better
when a good job is done. It does not need to be a physical you 100%. I have some folks that I do nails for the day of
sprinters. I have been very fortunate in my life to have
treat just a word will do the trick. Everything that is done the meet, which is not good, but it is better than nothing.
some great dogs. I have also been fortunate to have
with a dog at our ranch is part of their training. When this is done there is no doubt who is in charge, some of the best Oval, open field, and lure coursing
Socialization is one of the most important things for a pup. when it comes to nails anyway. dogs like Blur who was one of the top oval dogs for
It is heart breaking to see a young dog that is scared to years. An excellent dog in the field CC and CM also an
death of everything except the owners yard. Getting the There are many opinions on the function of Dew Claws, LCM in lure coursing yet he never got so much as one
dog to respect you and listen is very important. Very oftenand I believe the only thing dew claws are good for is a point in straight racing. He just did not cotton to it like
you will see folks talking to the dog and the dogs just will
down payment on the vet’s Porsche. I have seen dew claw he did the events that had more than a sprint to the
not listen. Most of these the folks are not talking to the injuries that could have been avoided and I do not believe finish. I do not endorse one type of event over another.
dog they are talking at them. they are there to use as a stopping or turning device for the Not all dogs will win straight race meets and not all can
animal. In the early years I did my own dew claws, unfor- will an open field hunt. As long as you and your dog are
Playing with the youngsters and letting others play with tunately I did a terrible job and some grew back. The enjoying what you do, have at it. They will let you
them does a world of good. I let my pups run together, and southern California folks started calling me dew claw know when they do not enjoy it any more.
with adults, from the time they can stand up. I never did Don. I have a vet that does a great job and a year ago he
subscribe to the philosophy that playing leads to bumping. was not available so I did it myself and guess what? I do I have not written so much since my last letter to the IRS
Playing and running builds the muscle. I can get a pups not do any better now than I did then. Racing Greyhounds and I hope this more productive. In the next segment I will
head on right and get 100% from them, but their ability do not remove the dew claws but they run on a sand track get into working young dogs and the steps we take to
will be only as good as the body will allow. Good muscle and only once every five days or so. The worse injuries I training from never seeing a lure to first race.
can always be tuned up but they will not put on new have seen have been open field coursing where they can
muscle as an adult. get ripped off very easy, then you have bone problems. – Don

Just running in a small yard or a little jog is fine, but to I like to give pups a short sprint, from 25 to 100 yards Don and Sally Papin live in Anderson, CA on
develop a real racing muscle the dog has to run. There is a depending on age and interest. I go much slower with train- their Ranch which is set up to train and race
fine line as to how much to do without endangering the ing pups than most folks for a couple reasons. I don’t think sighthounds. Don is a past president of the
pups because the growing bones and joints can only take most puppies are mentally ready at seven or eight months to Southern California Whippet Association,
so much. I am fortunate to have miles of land behind the be expected to learn the game completely. At that age it National Open Field Coursing Association and
ranch that allow me to free run the dogs. We do a seven should be a fun game, not getting serious for national is the current National Director of the Large
mile runs to the creek and back over some rough terrain competition. More important the body is not ready for push- Gazehound Racing Association. He is the
that really builds muscle and feet that hold up very well. I ing to the limits as is expected of the adults and they can founder of the Rapid Transit Greyhound club
turn half a dozen or so, loose and jump on the quad, in the hurt themselves which in turn can lead to a lack of interest. and a licensed judge for ASFA, AKC lure
old days I used to run with them, now I ride. I am sure Some folks use the fish pole method to teach keenness on coursing, NOFCA, NACA, TCC, and currently
many owners would be shocked to see the ground their the lure which is good also especially when training tracks host race meets for CWA, NAWRA, WRA,
youngsters run over and do not get injuries. are not available. Putting a fur or rag on a string and using NOTRA and LGRA. 1

37 • the Whippet Watch • November~December 2001