Thanks Jack for the info. Nut it is not a bad idea to do breaks off the various mills with hand walking. To watch how the dog recovers and note it's muscle strength. The first area of the body to weaken the fastest is the same as on a all types of full contact human fighting. It is the legs and on a dog it will be the back end. Dog is not moving naturally and starts dragging or not picking up the back legs normally. You are doing to much at the start or to much period.

For as baiting a dog if one has to. Best done early in the workout and minimally. When I used a rabbit in a cage set up in front of my Round table. Soon as the dog started running extra hard. I would cover the rabbit. Over time I seldom used the rabbit, as I wanted the dog to work at a normal steady pace on the Table are the Cat Mill. JMHO

It is best to learn how to pre keep dogs before jumping all the way into a full 60 day keep. If one is using a Carpet mill go by the Colby keep, if you are using a slat mill go by the Armitage method or Mr. Lemms. The Armitage slat mills or most mills of that day, may have had more drag. Study the keeps recommended in Ca. Jack's books.

I feel like the basic way to best feed a dog has pretty well been solved with good recommendations like in Ca. Jack's book that will take out a lot of extra work and headaches at feeding time.

To be on the safe side using any one's written keep. Do just half the times recommended as guide lines in a pre keep. A Cat Mill is another animal all to it's self and working one off a cable like I mentioned or just a flirt pole has a different approach.

Some of the best dog conditioners that had good natural talent got better by going and spending time with other known successful dog conditioners. Even J. Crenshaw has pictures of him self visiting with Don Mayfield and others. V. Jackson learned from D. Mayfield and the Florida combine dog men. Still he had to adjust all that he learned to his lifestyle, type of equipment he could use or not use. The time available to work a dog and even the basic type yearly weather we were living in.

Don Divine raised and raced thoroughbred Horses and competed in dog pulling events. Told a group of us one time. That it was easier getting a Horse ready for a Race than getting a dog ready for it's dog pulling event. Cheers