Wow I leave the puter for 8 measly hour and I am inundated with many wonderful replies. Thank you to all who have replied and for the wonderful suggestions. I'm going to try to respond to everyone but knowing me I will leave out one or two and have to send a response to the response.

Schnauzergirl: Owww poor puppy. If I do decide to try it, the dog would most assuredly be behind the truck not beside it.

Ikor: Thank you so much for all the positive information on road work. You provided much needed information on the topic.

VanCamp: Geez that almost bordered on brutal but since you don't know me or that much about me I'm not taking offense <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> Just to give you a smidgen of a background on me. I work with all 7 of GSD's on a daily basis and for work I get to teach/coach highschool P.E. for 3 hours a day and yes I do whatever I ask the kids to do. So maybe if I was looking for a slight shortcut to better my dog maybe I could get a little slack. And after all I was only asking about the street training. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> And no I'm not over 60 I'm not yet 30 tho' I can see the top of the hill.
The nearest park is 15 miles away and I'm sorry but I don't me nor the dog could the make that bike ride one way.

Brad Gargis: I think we're thinking alike on this one. I really like the swimming idea (Rebel loves the water) and I think I know of a good lake to do it if I can find a sparsely populated time to do it. And we're working up our time on the ball retrieve thing. But again it's waiting till it's cool enough and that the neighbor's heathens are off the dang 4 wheelers (they've tried to play chase on the 4 wheelers with my dogs before. Needless to say I was <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> ) I know make sure the kids are away before we go out to play and the Rebel get plenty of private time to tinkle on the tires.

Tiggy2 : no problem The humid heat is a definite factor around here. Although I'm not real sure of the celsius/Fahrenheit conversion. I'm assuming 15 degrees is around 70 F? It was 86 here yesterday. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Milt: It sounds like you and Fido get a great workout. I wish I had the time and the energy to train like that daily, but alas some have all the luck!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Once again Thank you all for the wonderful information that you have provided this amateur handler and I will keep you all updated as things progress.
Hugs and puppy kisses to all!!!!!
Renee
Renee396@aol.com

This is just a thought but if your dog is chasing you behind a truck isn't it going to be breathing in a bunch of crap? Like dirt, rocks, carbon monoxide?

I personally try to include conditioning with my training... When I get done with a building search I don't want to put the dog stright back in the car. I will instead walk the dog with alot of priase. If my dog normally would have to conduct a 1/4 mile track, I would walk him 1/2 mile. That way he would be used to twice the distance he is used to tracking. Of course, if you were only doing building searches during that training session, don't over work the dog.

Because the issue of heat / humidity / dehydration is near and dear to my heart and I have done a good deal of research, I thought I would pass along a link to Dr. Robert Gillette's first issue of "The Athletic and Working Dog Newsletter" in which is the first part of an article by him...one of the most knowledgable vets in the world in canine sports medicine. The article gives some excellent basic information, and somewhat disproves other information I have gotten on the question of whether or not the dog can be "acclimated" to heat and humidity. Apparently, temperatures of as much as 108F are not unheard of in working dogs such as greyhounds, yet the well conditioned dog can still perform, as well as recover just fine. (I have been told that bodily functions will begin to shut down at around 108F by other vets and have seen it in literature, but they have little experience with the canine athlete...so a couch potatoe may well give up the ghost at this temp.)

Dr. Gillette's entire site, as well as the Auburn University Canine Sports Medicine Program (which he heads) is a great source of information based upon scientific fact rather than old wives tales. Go there every so often and look around, you'll be glad you did.

LEO's out there must remember that they, too, are affected by heat and humidity as well as dehydration, especially on long, hot tracks or searches while wearing boots, vest, gunbelt, etc. etc. and that they may be just as succeptible to heat exhaustion/heat stroke as their dog...not to mention the effects of dehydration. The new hydration systems are good things to have for some tasks and don't take up much room.

http://www.sportsvet.com/11Nwsltr.PDF

I live in Orlando. A couple of times a week, during the evening, I take my dog to a large grass field and hit a tennis ball with a tennis racquet about gazillion times. It seems to keep him in pretty good shape, along with a decent diet. And he loves it. Plus it keeps him from bouncing off the walls later on. He too is a high drive dog. But I wouldn't have it any other way. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Be careful about swimming your dogs in a often fished lake. My JRT came out of the water with a bass plug in his shoulder. Before I got to him, he grabbed it and it went through his lip. After I got it out, he acted like it never happened, but my dogs haven't been in that lake since.

I live in a very urban area, city streets, etc. I drive my dogs. They handle like horses, we do about three miles in 30 minutes. I don't have to leave the house to head for a park. I can do three at a time. I have pictures at my site if anyone is interested in what it looks like:

http://www.driversalacart.com

I go in the evening, when the sun is going down. I don't like to drive unless it's 65 degrees or less with no sun. My rotts are 9, 5, and 3. All have been driving dogs all of their lives. Susan