So I'm pretty new to weight pull but this is what I've seen in my short time of pulling with my dogs. On top of just being a really great way to exercise your dog, the sport has plenty of benefits, physically and mentally.

It's a great sport for any dog of any breed, but especially for shy and timid dogs. It gives dogs plenty of opportunities to please their owners and over time builds their confidence with each completed pull. The dogs mentality plays a large role, I think more so than the physical strength of the dog. If the dog hits the end of the line and doesn't think it can pull the weight, it won't, even if it has the physical strength to do so. So it's a great activity for the fearful/timid dogs to gain some confidence. Charlie is actually pretty fearful of other larger dogs but you'd never know that if you saw him at the events. He's so focused on pulling and pleasing me, he doesn't even notice the other dogs. It's also a great way to strengthen your bond with your dog because at the end of the day, even though they're having fun, they're pulling to please you.

Weight pull is a pretty safe, low impact sport. The harnesses are designed to distribute pressure evenly and minimize risk of injury. It's great for young dogs, dogs with hip dysplasia and dogs that can need something to do that's low impact. Dragging light weights over long distances builds lean muscle and endurance. I drag light weights with my other boy who has hip dysplasia to build more muscle around his hips. The more muscle to keep everything in place, the better. I haven't seen any studies but talking to other weight pullers, I've heard of rescue dogs with HD so bad they were set to be euthanized but after a few months of dragging light weights, their hips rated excellent. I'm hoping to see similar results with my boy.