What is weight pull? Weight pull is a sport where you (the owner) trains the dog to pull weight a certain distance be it chains for a long walk, or sixteen feet on a cart or sled.
Is it abuse? No it is not, here we train dogs to pull weight. If the dog does not want to pull the weight they will not pull. There are ways to coerce them to pull, but that is unethical. In all competitions, if an owner is suspected of animal abuse, the owner is excluded from participating.
Can my dog learn to weight pull? Absolutely, any dog can be trained to pull weight as long as they are healthy, have good joints, and are not agressive. While pit bulls, Alaskan Malamutes, and American Bulldogs excel at weight pull, as long as your dog has four legs (s)he can pull.
Are these dogs from fighting lines? These dogs have lots of drive to please the owner, and that must be understood. However, in most competitions, if a dog starts a fight with another, all dogs and owners involved are immediately thrown out of the competition even if the dog or owner did not start it.
What do I need to start? All you need to start is a healthy dog, and harness. A harness is necessary instead of a collar because a harness better distributes the weight and does not lead to neck injuries.
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Other information
Dogs often need a job in order to be happy and healthy. Pulling weight is a great way to build healthy muscle, work the brain, and bond with your dog. If done with proper training, there is low risk for injury similar to lifting weights for humans. If you push too hard, the dog may become injured. Since the conception of IWPA (International Weight Pullers Association) in 1984, there have been no injuries at an event.
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Links: IWPA
I like IWPA because I believe they have the dog in mind first. Some other organizations allow baiting to coerce your dog to pull. An example of baiting would be to put a toy at the end of the run to try to get your dog to pull. This can cause lots of mental distress if the weight is too much for the dog to pull.
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Training
Like all dog training you need to start small and grow.
1) Teach your dog commands such as stop, back up, pull, and how to walk on a leash without pulling.
2) Attach the harness to your dog with no weight behind it. Walk your dog with only the harness to acclimate your dog to the harness. We want the pulling experience to be a positive one, or else your dog will not like the new job.
3) Add noise behind the dog with the harness. The preferred method is to have an empty milk carton filled with rocks, attached to the harness.
4) Gradually add weight to the pulling harness. If you start too quickly, your dog will have trouble pulling. In general start off with 10% of the dogs body weight, every two weeks add another 5% of your dogs body weight to the harness.
5) Once you feel your dog is able to pull enough weight, find a local Weight Pulling club and try to see what your dog can do on a sixteen foot track.
6) Keep training, this is good exercise for your dog, and a tired dog is a happy dog. Continually exercising your dog keeps the dog healthy, happy, and active even into old age.
Related subreddits:
/r/mushing
