Post by southern-staffords on May 25, 2008 12:16:39 GMT
INTRODUCTION
One of the newest most fun and exciting activities and competitions to participate in with your dog is weight pulling. A previous article by Mark Landers, that we have pulled heavily on, put together the basic principles that will take any dog with a fair amount of drive and working ability and TEACH them to pull... and more importantly to HAVE FUN pulling.
This big boy loves to pull and is jumping in excitement
HOLLY
Holly Lowery is one of the premier weight pullers in the UKC today. She has the first UKC United Weight Pull Champion named "Cajun" who is also the holder of several UKC weight pull records. Holly has completed UWPCH on several more dogs showing that she has a solid grasp on the principals of training. Coming soon is the "How I cooked up Cajun" from Holly which will be dedicated to UKC's first UWPCH dog.
MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of this collection of pages is to give basic advice that can be used to take a dog, whether puppy or adult, and train them to pull weights competitively.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
· What am I going to need to train my dog to weight pull?
· What are the rules of a weight pull?
· Puppies and pulling
· WEIGHT PULL TRAINING
o THE FIRST STEP: INTRODUCING DOG TO HARNESS
o THE SECOND STEP: TEACHING THE DOG THE PULL COMMAND
o THE THIRD STEP: ADDING A VARIETY OF LIGHT WEIGHTS
o THE FORTH STEP: DRAG WEIGHTING
o THE FIFTH STEP: socialization
o THE SIXTH STEP: CART TRAINING
· QUESTIONS ABOUT WEIGHT PULLING
o WHAT WEIGHT INCREASES AND WEIGHT INCREMENT SHOULD I USE?
o HOW MANY REPS OR PULLS DURING A WORKOUT?
o HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE DOG WORK OUT?
o SHOULD WE STILL USE DRAG WEIGHTS SINCE WE HAVE A CART?
o CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD WORKOUT ON A CART?
o WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT PULL HARNESSES?
o WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT CARTS?
o Where can we get a REALLY GOOD DRAG SLED?
o WHERE CAN WE FIND INFORMATION ON WEIGHT PULL EVENTS IN MY AREA?
o what type of weight pulls are there?
o WHAT IS THE MAIN RULE OF WEIGHT PULL TRAINING?
o WHAT IS THE MAIN GOAL OF WEIGHT PULLING WITH YOUR PIT BULL?
Click the following links to see a couple weight pull videos (Best viewed with Internet Explorer 6.0)
FIRST MISTAKE TO AVOID:
DO NOT USE any kind of bait to incite a dog to pull.
NEVER NEVER use hides, toys, other dogs, squeakers or any other object in order to stimulate the dogs prey drive in order to get them to pull.
Not only is baiting against the rules but relying on your dogs prey instincts could lead to problems down the road. One of the major problems that occurs is that the dog very soon realizes they would rather quit than go for the bait. The other even more dangerous problem is that dogs trained for bait too often end up nipping (in frustration or excitement) in the chute when they cannot pull the weight and cannot get the bait. Holly says "When the weight gets heavy, the bait no longer is that important to the dog and gives him or her the opportunity to quit. It may also lead to nipping in the chute. I have seen many dogs bite their owner in excitement of trying to get the bait
OUCH! I think he missed the bait on that last pull.
INSTEAD: TEACH YOUR DOG TO PULL USING PRAISE AND REWARD.
What am I going to need to train my dog to weight pull?
1. A lot of time and patience (oops there goes half the competitors )
Pull muth'r f' er or die
2. A sound and healthy dog of any age (oh no I have to get health tests and do OFA? )
Yes nurse they didn't know "Old Ben" here had dysplasic elbows
3. A specially designed weight pull harness ( NOT the typical moron walking around the block with their out of control pit bull type harness you buy at pTZmart).
I got the toughest dog around, why do all my neighbors hate me?
4. Object of steadily increasing weight that the dog can safely pull: 1) milk jug containing rocks; 2) tire; 3) drag sled; and 4) some type of wheeled cart (requires 2 people),
OK Fido I know this is your first day but we are gonna pull and pull hard
NOTE: Do not EVER use grandma in her wheelchair or your little brother on his skateboard as a weight without grandmas or your parents express written permission.
AHHHH OH NO HELP
A DOG THAT WON'T EVEN WALK ON A LEASH OR COME TO YOU WHEN CALL, OR ACT CIVIL IN PUBLIC NEEDS SOME BASIC OBEDIENCE WORK. THERE ARE SCORES OF BOOKS AND PLENTY OF REPUTABLE OBEDIENCE CLASSES IN YOUR AREA. CHECK THE YELLOW PAGES.
YOU pull...NO YOU pull....no YOU pull
The series of pictures above show a handler hooking her dog up to the cart. Positioning herself in front of the dog and calling the dog using her pull command "work, work, work". The judge seen in the background times the pull and ensures the handler and dog follow all the rules which are designed to make the competition fair and prevent injury to the dog.
WHERE DO I GET THE EQUIPMENT?
At the end of this page we have a list of links that will take you to those who have the equipment.
What are the rules of a weight pull?
THE RULES FOR THE WEIGHT PULLING ARE SIMPLE. THE DOGS MUST PULL THE CART OR SNOW SLED, 16 FEET IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS, NO FOULS. HANDLERS MUST STAND either behind the carts front wheel or in front of the dog without touching the dog. THE HANDLER CAN ENCOURAGE (yell, scream, chant, sing mantras, speak incantations, pray, dance, act insane etc) but cannot BAIT the dog. In other words nothing can be in the hands of the handler, not even a leash!!!!
BLUBIDOO PULLEE WOOO HEYDIDIDOO PULLEE WHOOHOO
You can try singing and dancing or acting crazy to get your dog to pull, but the best advice is to learn HERE how to train your dogs to pull weight on a command and let your dogs have fun learning to pull.
Holly says "although this is seldom seen, there is another method of pulling called "driving" this technique is where the owner stands behind the cart or slightly behind the dog and gives the command to "hike". (pull...or work). this method is used mainly by Northern breeds, but I have seen several APBTS trained to pull this way."
You as the teacher must be patient and reassuring to your pupil. The dog you are working with may be a natural. But...if you ask too much too soon, you may ruin your dog.
An actual list of the UKC weight pull rules and regulations can be found BY CLICKING THE UKC BANNER OR AT THIS URL:
ukcdogs.com/dogevents/rules/w-index.shtml
WEIGHT PULL TRAINING
YOU pull...NO YOU pull....no YOU pull
PUPPIES!!!!
Well first of all young pups should not be pulling weights!!! There are various opinions but we do not have our dogs pulling until they are 18 months old.. Even then we build them up slowly over 6 months. At 2 yrs old we will start pulling heavy weight. By this time growth plates are fully formed, tendons are strong, muscles are well developed and the dog should be mentally mature enough to give you their all. At this point the dog should also be well trained and socialized around people, other dogs, and strange places.
What we do with puppies. They get introduced to harnesses, they are taught recall (e.g. here boy come!!). They are given love so that when they do pull they will do anything for us ... and have fun doing it!!. They are socialized around people and other dogs as much as possible so that we can take them anywhere and be proud of our well-behaved companion and their strength.
Should you buy a pulling harness for a puppy? NO just buy a regular walking harness and get them used to putting it on and taking it off. When they are old enough to pull then you should buy a decent pulling harness. Because pulling harnesses are not adjustable, they are crafted to the exact size of each dog, if you buy your puppy a harness you will need to replace it every couple months as they grow and fill out. By 18 months the dog should have most of their size and width and buying a harness will be a lasting investment.
THE FIRST STEP: INTRODUCING DOG TO HARNESS
Dog meet harness.. Harness meet dog
Actually the first step is to STOP!!!!
Start by getting your dog to the vet for a check-up! Even a dog that acts healthy can have hidden bone, joint, heart or lung problems. Before you spend $100 on a competition weight pull harness, spend $100 to find out if your dog should be pulling. The primary and most important health checks that would be important for most working events are
1. Heart function
2. Hip, elbow, shoulder, patella x-rays looking for dysplasia (e.g. OFA, Penn-HIP)
MY DOG HAD A GREAT CHECK-UP... What's next?
You are going to gradually build your pup up over a many many months to pulling heavy weights. Don't start heavy! DON'T EVEN START WITH WEIGHTS AT ALL!!!!!!
no weights at first ... at all!
OK the very first thing seems relatively simple but it the most important. We as humans tend to rush things especially these days when everything we want is so easy to get. It is not that way with training muscles or dogs or the dog's muscles. The dog must develop a technique when they pull... This technique will be far superior if "this technique" is developed correctly. TO BUILD THE BEST YOU HAVE TO GO SLOW!!
Get yourself a weight pull harness: If your dog is a puppy and will be growing ... uh oh your gonna have to buy 2-3 different sizes as your dog grows. If your dog is older and has reached their full size you can purchase a professional harness. WHERE? See the links at the end of this article!
Thus, the very first step is to introduce your dog to the harness. E.g. The first day let the dog smell the harness let them see it as a play toy and something that when you get it out it means one thing.... FUN FUN FUN.. Show the dog the harness, praise them for smelling it, give them a treat and put the harness down. Pick it up and get them excited using praise and playful words. SHow them how excited you are about everything they do that is correct. If they smell the harness that is good praise them "good boy/girl".
THIS IS HOW TO INTRODUCE A DOG TO THINGS. LET THEM GO AT THEIR OWN PACE.
DO NOT GRAB YOUR HARNESS OUT OF THE MAIL AND FORCE IT ONTO YOUR DOGS NECK, TERRIFYING THEM WITH THIS CRAZY LOOKING, STRANGE SMELLING, THING.
COME HERE DOGGY DOGGY DOGGY! THIS WONT HURT A BIT!!
If you dog has never worn a harness, then the first day just let them smell it, then you carry it around while you play and show them how exciting the harness is. The next day pet them with it if they allow for it and then YOU carry it around while you play with your dog always showing them how good and exciting harness time is. The next day you may go ahead and TRY to put it on being very comforting and reassuring to your dog. When they get it on show them how excited you are that they have the harness on.
If your dog has worn a harness before ... great... go ahead and put it on. BUT DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE. just let them wear the harness and play with them and let them know that when they see the harness it is FUN FUN FUN time.
Get em used to the harness!!!
DO NOT USE WEIGHTS YET: SLOW THE F DOWN
Start out by putting the dog in the harness for short periods of time, say 15-30 minutes. Play with the dog while he is in the harness. Make him feel that pulling time is fun time. Walk him at your side, back and forth across your yard. At the end of certain distances, 20-30 feet, stop and praise your dog showing them how exciting it was for you that they walked in the harness (YOU GET MY MEANING?). Do this 10 times a day for about a week. THIS IS YOUR FIRST DOWN AND BACKS
THE SECOND STEP: TEACHING THE DOG THE PULL COMMAND
THE PULL COMMAND:
Take the dog on a 1 or 2 mile walk in a safe friendly location. Let him wander a little on a long lead, then call him back to you by patting your leg and introduce a word (eg "work", "pull", or "peanut butter"). It doesn't matter what word you use. This will be the word that you want the dog to respond to. Whatever word you use, stick with it. Don't change commands. It will only confuse the dog, and be less likely to imprint in the dogs head. You are going to use this word hundreds of times, until it becomes second nature to the dog. As your dog moves forward with you, pat your leg repeating the command. Then without stopping your walk, praise the dog. Do this several times, stopping and starting. If you are in an area where the leash must be on, that's fine. Just remember that each time you stop, you start up again with your command.
Remember, your dog is in a harness, but still no weight is being used. We are just getting him use to starting and stopping with the harness on.
REWARD WITH FOOD BUT DO NOT BAIT: You can use food to reward (only when the dog does something worth rewarding) DO NOT use food to entice the dog forward. IN other words do not hold the food out in front of the dog and give the command to pull. Give the command and if the dog responds with the appropriate behavior you pull out a treat and give it to the dog. This is reward NOT BAIT!!! Eventually after your training is well underway and your dog enjoys pulling you will wean them off of treats as reward and rely on their desire to please you and their desire to have fun pulling.
DOWN AND BACKS: With your dog in a harness stand with your dog by your side take a step forward giving the command "work", walk 20-30 feet stop, praise him (good work) then pull out and give him a piece of food (reward). Turn and go back in the direction you came 20-30 feet stop, praise, and reward.
THE THIRD STEP: ADDING A VARIETY OF LIGHT WEIGHTS
INTRODUCING A LIGHT WEIGHT
After your dog responds with joy and enthusiasm to your command during your walks and hopefully gets excited when its time to put on the harness. Then it's time to go back to the yard and put some weight on. A good time to do this is right before feeding time. Use food to help the pup understand he's done something good REWARD NOT BAIT. This also insures solid imprinting. Simply act like you have all week. Put the harness on and play for a little bit. Go out to your yard all the time being happy and positive. Everything should be done in small steps, with the end goal being a dog that enjoys pulling. The first thing you should use with any dog of any size is something that adds just a little bit of weight in relation to the size of the dog.
A 1-5 pound metal barbell weight tied to a nylon cable is a good first light resistance that doesn't make to much noise. Note: after you have gotten your dog to pull a plain metal weight use different (very light objects) to introduce your dog to various sounds arising from the things being dragged behind them. One good noisy drag weight is a milk jug partially filled with rocks. The milk jug makes quite a bit of noisy distraction, weighs about 5 lbs when filled partially with rocks and is a bright white color all of which add diversity and potential distraction to the learning experience.
There is a good chance that if your dog has had fun during your last week of work, he'll run to you like there is nothing on it. You do not want to scare him at this point. It is critical that you go very easy the next month or so. Attach the light weight to the harness, keeping your dog at your side. Give your command and move forward slowly. At the same time patting your leg. Just the way you did the week prior. It is normal for your pup to look behind him, or to speed up a little. When you reach the end of your down and back pull out a reward and immediately give it to the dog saying "GOOD WORK ....GOOD WORK".
dog getting used to pulling by dragging a milk jug with rocks
Reassure your dog at all times when training whether novice or pro and use your command consistently. Do not use your command like you are mad but more like it is a happy command and a reward is in store. As your dog matures so will your voice inflexions. You want your voice to convince the dog that "work" is a good thing to do and makes you very happy!
DOWN AND BACKS AGAIN: Walk 20-30 feet with your dog stop, praise him then pull out and give him a piece of food. Turn and go back in the direction you came 20-30 feet stop, praise, and reward. If the pup does not move with the light weight on he may not be ready and you might need to go back to command training for another week. You can attempt to use a leash on the collar and give him a light tug with a bright cheerful command. "work, good boy work." in a happy voice, don't get upset if the dog acts scared or tries to pull away. Just take it slow and reassure him that everything is ok. Take a step back and begin Down and Backs again without a weight.
Never get mad at the dog!
I MUST REEMPHASIZE, THIS IS A KEY TIME IN YOUR PULL DOG TRAINING. YOU MUST DO EVERYTHING IN A SYSTEMATIC, STEP BY STEP SLOW PROCESS. ALWAYS KEEPING PATIENT. IF YOU FORCE YOUR DOG NOW, YOU MIGHT END UP WITH A DOG THAT WILL PULL, BUT TOTALLY OUT OF FEAR. WHAT YOU WANT IS A DOG THAT IS EAGER AND HAPPY TO GET IN THAT HARNESS AND PULL.
WOOHOO AFTER 2 yrs of steady training now I TUG 2 TON
IF YOUR FIRST WEEK OF NO WEIGHT HARNESS WALKING HAS GONE WELL, YOUR DOG WILL PROBABLY PULL THE LIGHT DRAG WEIGHT EASILY.
RED FLAG: BIG NO NO: A TYPICAL BIG HUMAN MISTAKE WILL BE TO ADD MORE WEIGHT. I CAN HERE YOU NOW SAYING:
"COME ON!!! DUDE, HE DID THAT EASY....LET'S SEE WHAT HE REALLY CAN DO!!!"
UGH this is no fun I quit
Don't be dumb. Do not add weight especially with a young pup.
Puppies are still growing and maturing and heavy weight pulling can alter the way their bones and joints mature in a negative way.
This image shows a PRETTY PRETTY dog that also has bowed front legs, loose elbows, flat pasterns, and turned out feet. This could be the result of heavy weight pulling as a young pup or of being put on a chain as a pup. What ever the case we do not suggest using any weight that will make a puppy struggle (dig) to move it.... nor do we suggest using chain tie-outs for young dogs!
The whole idea here is that... if you slowly build your dog up in weight he will never learn to quit with a weight he can physically pull.
OK BACK TO HARNESS INTRODUCTION: Don't do any more than about 10 or so back and fourths across the yard. Remember, always use the SAME COMMAND word (e.g. "WORK"). When you come to the stop (20-30 ft.), give the dog excited praise and maybe a treat, REMEMBER: do not coax them with the treat by holding it in front of them while they pull. It is something that they get *and see* only after they are done.
Always use bright cheerful happy verbal praise. The early training treats encourage the behavior and imprint the command in the dog. Later, you must wean the pup or dog off treats as rewards. Again to reemphasize the point: DO NOT use the food as bait by holding it in front of the dog to get them to pull. USE FOOD ONLY as a reward after a job well done.
Again, do this PULLING SOMETHING LIGHT INTRODUCTORY PHASE for a week or so at feeding time. Never more than doubling the weight you started with. Go slow. Be patient. Make it fun play time. Do not use a weight that is at all heavy.
At the end of your training sessions wait 15 minutes and feed the dog his normal meal. Feeding too soon after a workout can cause problems. Waiting too long after a workout can result in muscles going into catabolic (eating themselves) states. You will be astounded how quick the progress is. After the first week of back and fourths, the light drag weights should not be that noticeable to your dog or your pup. But do not let this rush you too fast to continue onward ESPECIALLY WITH A PUPPY!!!!! Take time to build your dog up.
CONFORMATION PEOPLE
and general advice
NOTE: There is considerable controversy over the effects of weight pulling on the conformation of young puppies. If you are starting with a young pup (< 10 months) extremely light weights such that the dog is not at all struggling hard nose to the ground (digging) to pull should have no effect on conformational development. Our advice is that if you plan to show your dog in conformation NEVER "go heavy" with a puppy (< 12 months). Here is an example schedule for a puppy that will be shown in conformation and later as an adult (>16 months) will compete successfully in weight pulling
THE FORTH STEP: DRAG WEIGHTING
DRAG WEIGHTING
OK YOU IMPATIENT BULLY BREED OWNER: I bet you spent one day on the harness introduction and maybe 2 days on light weight introductions and down and backs. YOU FOOL! It takes time to convince your dog that this harness and dragging thing is FUN! It takes time to get the dog to associate the harness with FUN TIME!!! By skipping ahead in your systematic training ... your dog is now working instead of doing something they have learned to enjoy.
If your dog gets excited when you pull out that harness and even more excited when it is finally on then you are ready to start SLOWLY into step 4.. Drag weighting.
Drag weighting is a great way to get your dog into pulling competitive shape and keep them there. It has many benefits because, unlike cart pulling, you can do it with just you and your dog. You can use it as a building or conditioning exercise. For conditioning purposes drag weighting means you hook up a light weight (MORE LIGHT WEIGHTS???) and take your dog for a weight pull walk. Again and again let it be said:::: in the beginning:::: do everything step by step in small increments:::: especially the amount of weight for dragging. Start out in your yard and attach a weight (just like you did with the introduction to light weights). This time you stick with your drag sled or tire. Build your dog up to a moderate weight by doing down and backs in the back yard with your drag sled.
THE DRAGGING WEIGHT:
YOU CAN USE A TIRE WITH ROCKS IN IT, THE TOP OF A PLASTIC DOG CRATE, A PLASTIC SNOW SLED, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED DOG SLED, OR EVEN OLD TIME WINDOW WEIGHTS ATTACHED TO A TOW CHAIN.
Dog pulling a tire
Drag Sled sold by Winmor Kennels (see below for link)
After your dog is getting pretty good at dragging in the yard it is now time to begin the real drag conditioning and training. Now you will begin 0.5 to 1 mile walks with your dog drag pulling. This is the best conditioning a dog can get for weight pull training which increases strength but more importantly increases cardiovascular endurance. Aerobic conditioning means when the competition keeps going your dog will keep pulling and at the end of the day it is usually the best conditioned dog that still has enough wind left to pull that last poundage. A couple of warnings here. DO NOT OVER WORK YOUR DOG!! DO NOT OVER TRAIN!! DO NOT DRAG ON CEMENT OR PAVEMENT, FIND AN UNUSED FIELD OR LOT. DRAGGING TEARS UP GRASS AND OTHER SURFACES SO CHOOSE YOUR DRAG TRACKS CAREFULLY. IF you cannot find a place to drag weight where you are not destroying public or someone else's property then you should consider cart training with a training cart (see below). Note: the principles of cart training are the same but you MUST have 2 people at all times when cart training.
ON YOUR WALKS, YOU SHOULD BE USING A VERY LIGHT WEIGHT NOT EVEN HALF OF WHAT YOU USED ON YOUR DOWN AND BACKS. IF YOU HAVE DOUBLED YOUR WEIGHT ON YOUR BACK AND FOURTHS, GO BACK DOWN TO YOUR BEGINNING WEIGHT FOR YOU WALKS. YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR DOG KEEP UP WITH YOU. Puppies should make the 1/2 mile mark pretty easy and certainly without digging. DON'T GO MORE THAN 1/2 MILE YOUR FIRST FEW WALKS, AND MAKE SURE IT'S NOT TOO HOT OUT. ALWAYS PROVIDE GOOD BOTTLED WATER FOR YOUR DOG. YOU CAN ALSO DO YOUR BACK AND FOURTHS ON YOUR WALK, ALWAYS USING YOUR COMMAND. YOU CAN ALSO PLAY A GAME OF SIT AND STAY. BACK AWAY 20 FEET, GIVE THE COMMAND TO PULL TO YOU, AND GIVE HIM A TREAT WHEN HE COMES TO YOU.
Again as with all training of dogs, take it slow, keep it fun, don't be impatient or try too much too soon. The guy that takes his time and trains his dog the best WAY will be the one that GETS THE NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL. Dogs can drag every other day for inexperienced and when you graduate to carts and big weights (after slowly training and conditioning the dog) you can alternate drag distance with cart pulling.
Drag conditioning: The goal is to have a weight that your dog can pull continuously for 1/2 to 1 mile. Toward the end of this distance the advanced dog should be digging. However, dogs new to the walk should make it fairly easily, puppies should make it very easy. Watch for the point of fatigue and stop the dog before this point is reached. IF your dog stops during this period lower the weight and continue on for about 20-30 feet then stop. You should be using your command word consistently during the drag weight session and have water for your worker at the end of his workout. Supply water in a modest amount do not let your tired dog over indulge.
From drag conditioning you can progress to drag building or to cart pulling.
Drag Building: Here you do 20 feet down and backs with your drag weight. This building program is similar to the principle described below for cart pulling. You want to do set reps of set weight percentages off your dogs max drag weight (the maximum weight your dog can pull successfully e.g. start with 70% of the max for 4 reps etc. SEE BELOW). Unlike conditioning here you are going to continue adding weights. Again see below for the example weight pulling workout for carts and adapt it to your drag weights
THE FIFTH STEP: socialization
SOCIALIZATION
GOOD SOCIALIZATION MEANS TWO THINGS IN THIS CASE..
1) SOCIAL IZ ATION OK WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE DOG HERE!!! THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND IS STEP #1 !!! THIS is actually something that starts even before weight pull training and is the single most important thing you can do for your dog and the entire breed. Your dog cannot be seen as a vicious monster that wants to kill other dogs or other humans. You dog should be seen as a happy, healthy, safe member of society (THIS IS HOW YOU CAN SAVE THE BREED). This goes back to obedience training, socializing your dog around other people and other dogs in many different environments all the time. Even a "gamebred dog" can be socialized. Many of the greatest "game dogs" in the history of our breed were perfectly acceptable, social, and safe members of society (e.g. CH Virgil ROM).
REMEMBER!!!
YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR BIG BULL DOG- FUTURE MEDAL HOLDING- GOD OF WEIGHT PULLING
LOOKING STUPID IN PUBLIC WHILE TRYING TO BITE THE HEADS OFF OF CHIHUAHUAS
Please note: there are Chihuahuas, Beagles, Poodles, and every other type and breed of dog out there competing in weight pull and WE MUST represent our breed as good honest, safe, hard working companion dogs not as the monsters that people hear about in the papers. If your dog is NOT under control at all times and NOT socialized and obedience trained, it IS a nail in the coffin of our breed and on top of THAT you will also be excused from the weight pull competition and forfeit your entry fees.
2) SOCIALIZATION as it relates to your pull dog training: The dog that has spent several months pulling in his yard or his own turf, with no distractions, looks great. But!!! Take him in front of a hundred people and a bunch of strange dogs and you may think all your hours of training have been a waste of time! Thus it is important to have your dog pulling in different environments.
The key here is again, small steps. Try going to your neighborhood park. Somewhere that has a natural surface (grass, dirt). Practice your back and fourths (do not do drag weights in a park and tear up the grass or turf). Make sure there is not too muck excitement at first. A park is good on a weekday, when there is not much going on. At this time you should be able to correct any major problems that your dog might be having. Again, take it slow and easy. Use a cart with lighter loads than you would in your yard. This will help build your dog's confidence in the new environment.
WARNING: Keep your leash on the dog in public especially if laws indicate you must!
WARNING!! Do not drag in areas where you are damaging public property, destroying landscaping, or making a nuisance.
WARNING!! Always represent yourself as a good citizen with a canine good citizen.
WARNING: IF people do not understand what you are doing with your dog then try explaining calmly and civilly what you are doing and why. Let them know this is your buddy and he is doing what he enjoys ... just like a body builder like Arnold Sshuartzhisname does.
"I'll be back!"
WORDS OF WISDOM: WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND
AGAIN>>>>PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC TEND TO BE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THINGS, ESPECIALLY ANIMALS. IF THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A DOG WEIGHT PULL, THEY MAY THINK YOU ARE "KILLING" YOUR POOR DOG OR TRAINING FOR FIGHTING OR SOMETHING WORSE. YES!!! THESE ARE PROBABLY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEIR DOGS CHAINED IN THE BACKYARD. EXCEPT TO FEED THEM AND KICK THEM OUT OF THE LAWNMOWER'S PATH, THEY DO NOTHING WITH THEM. DO NOT CHALLENGE THEM. PATIENCE AND COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY HERE. JUST EXPLAIN WHAT YOU AND YOUR DOG ARE TRAINING FOR. YOU WILL PROBABLY STILL GET SOME NEGATIVE REACTIONS. BUT, AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT DRAGGING YOUR DOG AROUND BY HIS NECK, AND YOU HAVE TRAINED YOUR DOG TO LIKE PULLING. THE PERSON WITH AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE WILL SEE THAT THE DOG IS 'DOING SOMETHING OF IT'S OWN FREE WILL, AND HAVING FUN!
in example
STORY BY THE OWNERS OF THE #2 SHOW DOG FOR 2002 AKC CH UKC NTL GRCH GRCH SHADYTOWN GEMINI NEO D SHARK TT CGC
Ok Today (sat) Eddie and I took Neo for his 1st walk pulling a milk jug with some rocks in it (photo above). We walked to the end of our street (about 6 houses) and to the school at the end of the street. We where there about 5 minutes just walking Neo and a cop pulls up. He asked what we are doing and we told him training for weight pulls.
He asks where do they do this?? I told him that UKC, UNITED KENNEL CLUB just started doing this and we are training for it. And ADBA has been doing weight pulls for yrs. We also told him we were trying go get the dog used to the noise of the weight cart which is why he had the milk jug attached.
He tells us that he got SOME calls saying we are being inhumane and making our dog pull stuff.
He didn't seem to think we had done anything wrong and let us go. Didn't say we can't do it anymore either.
I can image what will happen when we start to pull tires ... I think we will go to another location for that training.
THE SIXTH STEP: CART TRAINING
STEP SIX
CART TRAINING
THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IS A CART!
THE CART
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A CHILDS RED WAGON OR A PROFESSIONAL GARDEN CART MIGHT DO FOR TRAINING A YOUNG DOG OR FOR DOING CONDITIONING! Here is a cart that is a step above these:
This one has a 1000 lbs capacity at a cost of about $130. Note regular kids wagons may look like this one but their capacity is only about 250 lbs.
SEE OUR CART LINK BELOW TO HAVE THE WAGON ABOVE SHIPPED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR!
MATRIX: We condition our show dogs with this type of cart. AFTER TRAINING THE DOG TO PULL AND ENJOY IT!!! We go to the park (keeping the dog on a loose lead) Diana will get into the cart (for our big dogs) or we will put a couple 10 lb plates (for small dogs) and we will walk up and down hills of different gradients. If there are kids around we will offer to give them a ride (one kid at a time for smaller dogs, up to 5 kids for big boy there). We do require payment from the kids however, which is usually a picture of the kids with the dog pulling "PR" and pets for the dog after the ride "love". When training up and down hills The steeper the hill the harder to pull. The changing resistance of going up and down different angled hills is good for developing slow and fast twitch muscles for a balanced musculature. (We alternate this pulling with other conditioning e.g. chasing tennis balls, long walks without weight, flirt pole etc. for of a more aerobic exercise.) REMEMBER!!!!!! Diana when she is in the cart uses her feet as brakes to keep the cart from running into the dog from behind. If we have weights or kids in the car Diana walks behind with a tow rope (see above). REMEMBER: Hitting a dog with a cart is the fastest way to ruin a good working dog.
IF YOU ARE SERIOUS AND PLAN A FUTURE IN WEIGHT PULLING, YOU NEED TO INVEST IN A DECENT CART TRACK OR RAIL SYSTEM FOR YOUR YARD.
The above cart ships as is (without a deck, which will save on shipping costs), you add a deck and the RATED capacity is 4000 lbs.
SEE OUR CART LINK BELOW TO HAVE THIS CART SHIPPED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR.
NOTE: PULL HOOKS ON BOTH ENDS AND CAN BE ADDED, SO IT CAN PULL IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE WHEELS CAN ALSO HAVE A GUIDE PIN ADDED THAT ALLOWS THEM TO LOCK INTO A STRAIGHT LINE. NYLON STRAPS OR YOUR ATTACHMENTS TO THE CART, YOUR TRAILERS, SHOULD BE 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 FEET LONG.
Competition carts require the above modifications!
CART WEIGHTS
ANYTHING FROM BRICKS, TO SAND BAGS, TO OLYMPIC WEIGHTS, TO TRACTOR WEIGHTS etc.
PULLING SURFACE
WE SUGGEST A VERY SHORT-SHAG SHAG CARPET about 10' feet wide x 30' feet long.
THE DISTANCE YOU NEED TO PULL IN COMPETITION IS 16 FEET, BUT IN TRAINING WE SUGGEST HAVING YOUR DOG PULL THE CART 20 FEET AT LEAST.
Just roll your carpet out over cement or other hard flat smooth surface, align your cart on one end with your reliable steward (see below) manning the tail rope and get busy training using the same slow, step by step, systematic training approach you have learned all about already.
REMEMBER: INTRODUCE SLOWLY EACH NEW THING, WORK SYSTEMATICALLY, BUILD UP VERY SLOWLY, AND HAVE TONS OF FUN.
STEP A: GETTING USED TO CARPET
Take as much as a week to introduce a puppy to carpet. Remember, take everything slowly, step by step, and systematically. Those who do will be those who dominate with their superiorly trained dog.
After several days of down and backs on the carpet with light drag weights it is time to hook up the cart.
HOW BOUT A FEW MORE WARNINGS BEFORE GETTING STARTED?
MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT CART TRAINING: You absolutely must have a second person assisting you with cart pulling. This person is the cart steward. This is the person that will be behind the cart and serve as the brakes. WHY??
BECAUSE THE LAST THING YOU NEED is for the cart to smash into the back of your dog freaking him out.. or worse yet.. seriously injuring him! Make sure you trust your steward with your dogs career and that this trustworthy person is paying attention during the pulls and is strong enough to halt the cart when the weight is increasing. Momentum is a dangerous thing!
CONVERSELY: Make sure your steward is also ready to help the dog get the cart moving with the weight if need be so that the dog never fails to pull a weight.
NEVER LET YOUR DOG FAIL A PULL: One of the main things to remember is never to let your dog fail to pull a weight (they can learn to pull or they can learn to fail). A dog can learn to fail in a systematic fashion just like they learn to pull. The also applies in competition. IF you are about to pull a MAX weight for your dog get ready to signal the cart stewards, if your dog cannot budge the poundage. Also never let the dog see you (the handler) "save them" when they are failing at a pull. Always signal to the steward and continue to command the dog to pull. The dog must always trust in his own ability to pull when you say "work good boy work".
STEP B: GETTING FAMILIAR WITH A CART WITH YOU BY HIS SIDE
OK so you are about to hook up the dog to the cart. After reading everything above you already know what to do here. There are a few new things added (such as the required steward) but just like always the first thing you will do is let your dog become familiar with the cart.
Put a leash on the dog and stand with him at your side while your steward hooks up the cart. The dog may turn to see what his other buddy is doing but tell him in a calm tone to "steady". Then with him by your side on leash.. walk forward giving him the command to pull (Do this only after your steward is in place behind the cart with the tow rope in hand). The dog may turn to see what he is pulling now .. but reassure him, control him gently with the leash, and give him lots of praise as he pulls this BIG new device down the NOW familiar carpet. After the successful pull, take a treat out of your pocket and reward him. If your training has been slow and systematic then the cart should not even have phased your weight pull dog. Even with success do not rush or load heavy weight. You want your dog to imprint that the cart is very easy to pull. Over several weeks of constant training you can slowly build up the resistance.
After a few days you can remove the leash but stay next to the dog for a while then gradually you can work on getting in front of your Champion weight puller.
THE CART PULLS DIFFERENTLY THAN THE DRAG WEIGHTS, SO IF YOUR DOG'S STYLE APPEARS TO REGRESS SOME, DON'T WORRY. BY KEEPING THE WEIGHT LIGHT, HE SHOULD PULL THE CART LIKE A CHAMP AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME. GO NO MORE THAN 10-15 PULLS THE FIRST FEW DAYS... ALWAYS KEEP IT FUN. A LOT OF PRAISE AND TREATS. MAKE SURE HE PULLS THE CART 20 FEET EACH TIME. IF HE CAN PULL THE CART IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, EVEN BETTER.
At about this time, it is time to start weaning the dog off of treats. Do this like everything else!! slowly. Start by rewarding "most" of the pulls, then the next week every other pull, then the next week every third pull. Then use treats sporadically once or twice per workout.
SLING SHOT STARTS: JUST SAY NO!
One important thing to remember whether drag weight, milk jug, tire, sled, or cart is that you should never use a sling shot start. You should always start the pull with the attachments and tow line tight. You want the dog to learn to lean in and use muscle and raw power to get the cart moving. You do not want them to rely on bouncing, sling shot starts.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WEIGHT PULLING
WHAT WEIGHT INCREASES AND WEIGHT INCREMENT SHOULD I USE?
AS FAR AS WEIGHT INCREMENTS GO, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW EASY YOUR DOG PULLS THE EMPTY CART. IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO GO EASY WITH THE WEIGHT.
HOW MANY REPS OR PULLS DURING A BEGINNERS WORKOUT?
THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF CART TRAINING YOU CAN PULL EVERY DAY, 10-15 PULLS. JUST LETTING YOUR DOG GET THE FEEL OF IT.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE BEGINNER DOG WORK OUT?
ONCE THE DOG IS PULLING THE CART, A SCHEDULE OF ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK ALTERNATING WITH LONGER DRAG PULLING AND AEROBIC ACTIVITY (CHASING BALL, LONG WALKS WITHOUT WEIGHT, FLIRT POLE ETC) IS ADVISABLE. INCREASE WEIGHT IN SMALL INCREMENTS. SAY YOUR DOG PULLS THE CART WITH GREAT EASE, ADD 140 LBS AND LET HIM PULL IT TWICE. READ YOUR DOG'S EFFORT. EASY, HARD? GO UP LIKE THIS 4 OR 5 TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR DOG'S PERSONAL BEST AND DON'T EXCEED IT EXCEPT BY A SMALL AMOUNT THEN WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT HEAVY DAY.
SHOULD WE STILL USE DRAG WEIGHTS SINCE WE HAVE A CART?
YOU SHOULD STILL BE WORKING YOUR DOG ON HIS DRAG WEIGHTS AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES A WEEK, ALTERNATING WITH CART PULLING. DRAG AT LEAST 1/2 TO 1 MILE. ADD A BIT OF WEIGHT BUT DO NOT TO EXCEED OVER 25% OF THE DOG'S BODY WEIGHT OR A WEIGHT WHERE THE DOG STRUGGLES MASSIVELY TOWARD THE END OF THE WALK.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD WORKOUT ON A CART FOR A MORE EXPERIENCED DOG?
50% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 30 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS
70% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 60 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS
80% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 2 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS
85-90% OF MAX 2 TIMES 2-3 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS
NEVER PULL A MAXIMUM LOAD MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH. A COOL DOWN OF 4-6 PULL, 50% OF MAX CAN BE USED. Once a month if you train according to the above schedule you can typically do a max out. A max out is a % over the previous max. Make sure your dog is pulling well that day before attempting a max out.
WHAT IS A GOOD WORKOUT SCHEDULE FOR AN EXPERIENCED DOG TRAINING FOR COMPETITION?
Holly says." I feel a little "iffy" about a set workout schedule as a rule of thumb to follow...since every dog develops and adjusts differently a given schedule the following examples may not be the exact schedules for all dogs to use... "
Here Holly indicates that you must get a good "feel" for how well your dog recovers. There are many different examples of workout schedules.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO RECOGNIZE IS that If a dog isn't given enough "recovery" or "off time" just like human athletes... they will be at great risk to fatigue...burn out...and even injury.
Holly indicates that :"I train using "more or less" schedule A below...and I am by no means saying my way is the best way.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE A
Day 1 Moderate drag weight
Day 2 Cart Practice
Day 3 Rest
Day 4 endurance training (eg swimming, tread mill, chasing tennis ball in the park flirt pole etc.)
Day 5 Rest
Day 6 Heavy Weight day - A little drag weight then the cart or sled for a couple heavy reps
Day 7 rest then repeat
Depending on how hard the dog works...sometimes I switch up my training days and give a third day of rest.....
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE B IS MUCH MORE GRUELING
Week 1 Day 1 Drag weight 1/2 mile heavy weight
Day 2 Cart pull medium heavy up to 85% max
Day 3 Drag weight 1 mile light weight
Day 4 aerobic activity
Day 5 Drag weight 1/2 mile medium weight
Day 6 Cart pull Medium up to 80% max
Day 7 REST
Week 2 Day 1 Drag weight light 1 mile
Day 2 Cart pull heavy up to 90%
Day 3 Drag weight medium 1/2 mile
Day 4 Cart pull medium 80% max
Day 5 aerobic activity
Day 6 Cart pull medium light 75% max
Day 7 Rest
Week 3 Day 1 Drag weight heavy 1/2 mile
Day 2 Cart pull medium heavy 85%
Day 3 Drag weight medium 1/2 mile
Day 4 cart pull heavy 90%
Day 5 aerobic activity
Day 6 Cart pull light heavy 75%
Day 7 REST
Week 4 Day 1 Drag weight light 1 mile
Day 2 Cart pull medium 80%
Day 3 Drag weight heavy 1/2 mile
Day 4 Cart pull medium light 75%
Day 5 rest
Day 6 MAX OUT 100% + carefully chosen added poundage
Day 7 Rest and repeat
NOTE: THIS IS A 6 DAY ON 1 DAY OFF SCHEDULE.
ANOTHER POPULAR SCHEDULE IS 3 DAYS ON ONE OFF.
LIKE HOLLY SUGGESTS, YOU MUST JUDGE BY YOUR DOGS PROGRESS AND HOW EAGER THEY ARE TO WORK IF ONE SCHEDULE OR ANOTHER WORKS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR DOG. IF YOUR DOGS MUSCLES ARE BECOMING FLAT OR THEY ARE NOT EAGER TO GET TO WORK, IT IS USUALLY BECAUSE OF TOOOOO MUCH WORK. AT THAT POINT BEGIN INCORPORATING MORE REST
WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT PULL HARNESSES?
we HIGHLY recommend the following 3 harness makers!
www.harnessesbycarol.com
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
OR
www.itsmysite.com/cdpits
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
If you want your link on this page let us know
WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT CARTS?
We here at apbtconformation are please to provide a source for training carts at very reasonable prices. From beginners and small dogs, to those massive weight pull TITANS we offer the following website. Click on the Northern Tool Logo and check out their site using keyword : wagon. You get their same everyday low price and we earn a 5% commission from them which helps pay for this website. Click below to go to the Northern Tool website.
to make a competition cart:
The rules state that the cart must be able to carry a load "in excess of 4,000lbs safely" Also the tires must hold air and be no smaller than 8 inches in diameter and no larger than 18 inches. The rules also state that you have to have either a "repair kit" or "spare tire" on hand.. Its much easier to just have the spare tire.
Keep in mind the narrower carts pull harder. And most of the carts out there are running 4 feet wide. This for one lets you use a full sheet of plywood, only needing to cut it down to length. As far as length goes, the more space on the deck you have to "spread out" the weight, the easier it is to pull. This way you get higher weights out of the cart. In building the cart also think about how you will transport it to and from the events . Most cart have the wheels on the "outside" of the cart. A few of them have them underneath them as well.
Northern Tools company offers a complete axel (minus the hubs and wheels) but this is more costly. IF you can get thick walled tube steel, you make your own axels for less using their "stub axels"
.
TIRES: (you need 4 for the cart and 1 spare)
4 lug is #12112-b974 rated 590#s ...cost $21.99 each
5 lug is #12111-b974
OR
4 lug is #12110-b974 rated 745#s..cost $24.99 each
5 lug is #12111-b974
STUB AXELS ( these are sold in pairs, so you will need to order 2 pairs.they include the 2 spindles, 2 nuts, and 2 cotter pins)
#1246W is the 1 1/4 inch round end and rated for 1,000# each. Cost per pair is $14.99 (side note.... these have been used on many IWPA carts and have seen over 4,000#'s on many of them on these stub axels. and the tires above rated at 590#'s with no problems)
Or you can order the larger ones
#12414W which are 1 3/4 inch and are rated at 1750#..cost is $22.99 per pair.
HUBS (according to note in catalog these are also sold in pairs)
if you are using the stub axel 1246W (1,000# rating) you need to order this one:
#1241-b974 rated at 2,000#s for $37.99
And if you are using the stub axel 12414W (1750# rating) you need:
#12415-b974 rated at 3,500#s for $48.99
The steel for the frame you will have to come up with. 2 different types you may want to consider are angel iron and the other is tube type. Most carts are 4 foot wide and 5 to 8 foot in length. Make sure you have ample support. Most often you set the wheels (and axel) about 1 1/2 feet to 2 feet back from the ends of the cart deck on both ends. You will want to have a support bracket above the axels on the main frame and then have at least one more in the middle of the frame. (EXAMPLE: if your cart is 6 feet in length, and you set the axels 1.5 feet back from the ends, you will also want to have another support at the midway point, of 3 feet from the ends.
If possible leave just a little lip on the top of the cart deck to keep things from slipping. Most carts when finished are running around 250 to 300 #'s total weight. You will also need a lighter one (no heavier than 75#'s) for the smaller class dogs. The wheel requirements are the same. Most often little wheels (8 to 10 inches) will be used on these carts. These smaller carts can be made out of wood (frame and deck) and only need to hold up to the weight of the larger cart. You then switch to the larger cart when you reach that weight.
For weight you can use bags of dog food. (permitting donation is large enough) Cement blocks, bags of rock salt are also good.. Just keep in mind to keep some lighter weights around for the under 30# class dogs. So if you use 40# bags of salt, you could use 20# bags or 20# bricks to make a smaller increment for the lighter classes.
if you want your link on this page let us know!
Where can we get a REALLY GOOD DRAG SLED?
We recommend www.winmorkennel.com training sleds good for any surface.
PPPPPLEASE!!! TELL THEM APBTCONFORMATION.com SENT YA!!!
WHERE CAN WE FIND INFORMATION ON WEIGHT PULL EVENTS IN MY AREA?
WOW YOU ARE READY TO GET OUT THERE AND PULL?
CHECK OUT OUR MESSAGE BOARDS! WEIGHT PULLERS POST EVENTS THERE:
ITS ABOUT TIME! CANT WAIT TO SEE YA! COME JOIN THE PARTY AND THE DOG COMMUNITY!
APBTCONFORMATION SUGGESTS THE UKC BUT ALSO CHECK OUT THE IWPA AND ADBA FOR EVENTS.
WWW.UKCDOGS.COM
THE UNITED KENNEL CLUB IS AN ALL BREED AND MIXED BREED CLUB. SEE THEIR EVENTS LISTINGS
WWW.IWPA.NET
THE IWPA IS AN ALL BREED AND MIXED BREED WEIGHT PULL ORGANIZATION: SEE THEIR EVENT LISTINGS
MEMBERS.AOL.COM/BSTOFSHW/
THE ADBA IS A AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER SPECIFIC ASSOCIATION. SEE THEIR SHOW LISTINGS
what type of weight pulls are there?
There are several types of weight pulls.
There are rail pulls
Here you see a steel rail wheeled cart loaded with iron bars that runs on the metal rails on either side of the carpet here. In rail pulls the weights pulled by dogs tend to be much greater than on other tracks.
There are wheel pulls
Here the dogs pull a wheeled cart. The weights pulled here are typically not as great as those on a rail system.
There are snow pulls
Here the dogs pull a sled on a snow track. The sled has no wheels so it is a drag type pull event. The weights are typically not as great as that pulled on other tracks.
One of the newest most fun and exciting activities and competitions to participate in with your dog is weight pulling. A previous article by Mark Landers, that we have pulled heavily on, put together the basic principles that will take any dog with a fair amount of drive and working ability and TEACH them to pull... and more importantly to HAVE FUN pulling.
This big boy loves to pull and is jumping in excitement
HOLLY
Holly Lowery is one of the premier weight pullers in the UKC today. She has the first UKC United Weight Pull Champion named "Cajun" who is also the holder of several UKC weight pull records. Holly has completed UWPCH on several more dogs showing that she has a solid grasp on the principals of training. Coming soon is the "How I cooked up Cajun" from Holly which will be dedicated to UKC's first UWPCH dog.
MISSION STATEMENT
The goal of this collection of pages is to give basic advice that can be used to take a dog, whether puppy or adult, and train them to pull weights competitively.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
· What am I going to need to train my dog to weight pull?
· What are the rules of a weight pull?
· Puppies and pulling
· WEIGHT PULL TRAINING
o THE FIRST STEP: INTRODUCING DOG TO HARNESS
o THE SECOND STEP: TEACHING THE DOG THE PULL COMMAND
o THE THIRD STEP: ADDING A VARIETY OF LIGHT WEIGHTS
o THE FORTH STEP: DRAG WEIGHTING
o THE FIFTH STEP: socialization
o THE SIXTH STEP: CART TRAINING
· QUESTIONS ABOUT WEIGHT PULLING
o WHAT WEIGHT INCREASES AND WEIGHT INCREMENT SHOULD I USE?
o HOW MANY REPS OR PULLS DURING A WORKOUT?
o HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE DOG WORK OUT?
o SHOULD WE STILL USE DRAG WEIGHTS SINCE WE HAVE A CART?
o CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD WORKOUT ON A CART?
o WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT PULL HARNESSES?
o WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT CARTS?
o Where can we get a REALLY GOOD DRAG SLED?
o WHERE CAN WE FIND INFORMATION ON WEIGHT PULL EVENTS IN MY AREA?
o what type of weight pulls are there?
o WHAT IS THE MAIN RULE OF WEIGHT PULL TRAINING?
o WHAT IS THE MAIN GOAL OF WEIGHT PULLING WITH YOUR PIT BULL?
Click the following links to see a couple weight pull videos (Best viewed with Internet Explorer 6.0)
FIRST MISTAKE TO AVOID:
DO NOT USE any kind of bait to incite a dog to pull.
NEVER NEVER use hides, toys, other dogs, squeakers or any other object in order to stimulate the dogs prey drive in order to get them to pull.
Not only is baiting against the rules but relying on your dogs prey instincts could lead to problems down the road. One of the major problems that occurs is that the dog very soon realizes they would rather quit than go for the bait. The other even more dangerous problem is that dogs trained for bait too often end up nipping (in frustration or excitement) in the chute when they cannot pull the weight and cannot get the bait. Holly says "When the weight gets heavy, the bait no longer is that important to the dog and gives him or her the opportunity to quit. It may also lead to nipping in the chute. I have seen many dogs bite their owner in excitement of trying to get the bait
OUCH! I think he missed the bait on that last pull.
INSTEAD: TEACH YOUR DOG TO PULL USING PRAISE AND REWARD.
What am I going to need to train my dog to weight pull?
1. A lot of time and patience (oops there goes half the competitors )
Pull muth'r f' er or die
2. A sound and healthy dog of any age (oh no I have to get health tests and do OFA? )
Yes nurse they didn't know "Old Ben" here had dysplasic elbows
3. A specially designed weight pull harness ( NOT the typical moron walking around the block with their out of control pit bull type harness you buy at pTZmart).
I got the toughest dog around, why do all my neighbors hate me?
4. Object of steadily increasing weight that the dog can safely pull: 1) milk jug containing rocks; 2) tire; 3) drag sled; and 4) some type of wheeled cart (requires 2 people),
OK Fido I know this is your first day but we are gonna pull and pull hard
NOTE: Do not EVER use grandma in her wheelchair or your little brother on his skateboard as a weight without grandmas or your parents express written permission.
AHHHH OH NO HELP
A DOG THAT WON'T EVEN WALK ON A LEASH OR COME TO YOU WHEN CALL, OR ACT CIVIL IN PUBLIC NEEDS SOME BASIC OBEDIENCE WORK. THERE ARE SCORES OF BOOKS AND PLENTY OF REPUTABLE OBEDIENCE CLASSES IN YOUR AREA. CHECK THE YELLOW PAGES.
YOU pull...NO YOU pull....no YOU pull
The series of pictures above show a handler hooking her dog up to the cart. Positioning herself in front of the dog and calling the dog using her pull command "work, work, work". The judge seen in the background times the pull and ensures the handler and dog follow all the rules which are designed to make the competition fair and prevent injury to the dog.
WHERE DO I GET THE EQUIPMENT?
At the end of this page we have a list of links that will take you to those who have the equipment.
What are the rules of a weight pull?
THE RULES FOR THE WEIGHT PULLING ARE SIMPLE. THE DOGS MUST PULL THE CART OR SNOW SLED, 16 FEET IN 60 SECONDS OR LESS, NO FOULS. HANDLERS MUST STAND either behind the carts front wheel or in front of the dog without touching the dog. THE HANDLER CAN ENCOURAGE (yell, scream, chant, sing mantras, speak incantations, pray, dance, act insane etc) but cannot BAIT the dog. In other words nothing can be in the hands of the handler, not even a leash!!!!
BLUBIDOO PULLEE WOOO HEYDIDIDOO PULLEE WHOOHOO
You can try singing and dancing or acting crazy to get your dog to pull, but the best advice is to learn HERE how to train your dogs to pull weight on a command and let your dogs have fun learning to pull.
Holly says "although this is seldom seen, there is another method of pulling called "driving" this technique is where the owner stands behind the cart or slightly behind the dog and gives the command to "hike". (pull...or work). this method is used mainly by Northern breeds, but I have seen several APBTS trained to pull this way."
You as the teacher must be patient and reassuring to your pupil. The dog you are working with may be a natural. But...if you ask too much too soon, you may ruin your dog.
An actual list of the UKC weight pull rules and regulations can be found BY CLICKING THE UKC BANNER OR AT THIS URL:
ukcdogs.com/dogevents/rules/w-index.shtml
WEIGHT PULL TRAINING
YOU pull...NO YOU pull....no YOU pull
PUPPIES!!!!
Well first of all young pups should not be pulling weights!!! There are various opinions but we do not have our dogs pulling until they are 18 months old.. Even then we build them up slowly over 6 months. At 2 yrs old we will start pulling heavy weight. By this time growth plates are fully formed, tendons are strong, muscles are well developed and the dog should be mentally mature enough to give you their all. At this point the dog should also be well trained and socialized around people, other dogs, and strange places.
What we do with puppies. They get introduced to harnesses, they are taught recall (e.g. here boy come!!). They are given love so that when they do pull they will do anything for us ... and have fun doing it!!. They are socialized around people and other dogs as much as possible so that we can take them anywhere and be proud of our well-behaved companion and their strength.
Should you buy a pulling harness for a puppy? NO just buy a regular walking harness and get them used to putting it on and taking it off. When they are old enough to pull then you should buy a decent pulling harness. Because pulling harnesses are not adjustable, they are crafted to the exact size of each dog, if you buy your puppy a harness you will need to replace it every couple months as they grow and fill out. By 18 months the dog should have most of their size and width and buying a harness will be a lasting investment.
THE FIRST STEP: INTRODUCING DOG TO HARNESS
Dog meet harness.. Harness meet dog
Actually the first step is to STOP!!!!
Start by getting your dog to the vet for a check-up! Even a dog that acts healthy can have hidden bone, joint, heart or lung problems. Before you spend $100 on a competition weight pull harness, spend $100 to find out if your dog should be pulling. The primary and most important health checks that would be important for most working events are
1. Heart function
2. Hip, elbow, shoulder, patella x-rays looking for dysplasia (e.g. OFA, Penn-HIP)
MY DOG HAD A GREAT CHECK-UP... What's next?
You are going to gradually build your pup up over a many many months to pulling heavy weights. Don't start heavy! DON'T EVEN START WITH WEIGHTS AT ALL!!!!!!
no weights at first ... at all!
OK the very first thing seems relatively simple but it the most important. We as humans tend to rush things especially these days when everything we want is so easy to get. It is not that way with training muscles or dogs or the dog's muscles. The dog must develop a technique when they pull... This technique will be far superior if "this technique" is developed correctly. TO BUILD THE BEST YOU HAVE TO GO SLOW!!
Get yourself a weight pull harness: If your dog is a puppy and will be growing ... uh oh your gonna have to buy 2-3 different sizes as your dog grows. If your dog is older and has reached their full size you can purchase a professional harness. WHERE? See the links at the end of this article!
Thus, the very first step is to introduce your dog to the harness. E.g. The first day let the dog smell the harness let them see it as a play toy and something that when you get it out it means one thing.... FUN FUN FUN.. Show the dog the harness, praise them for smelling it, give them a treat and put the harness down. Pick it up and get them excited using praise and playful words. SHow them how excited you are about everything they do that is correct. If they smell the harness that is good praise them "good boy/girl".
THIS IS HOW TO INTRODUCE A DOG TO THINGS. LET THEM GO AT THEIR OWN PACE.
DO NOT GRAB YOUR HARNESS OUT OF THE MAIL AND FORCE IT ONTO YOUR DOGS NECK, TERRIFYING THEM WITH THIS CRAZY LOOKING, STRANGE SMELLING, THING.
COME HERE DOGGY DOGGY DOGGY! THIS WONT HURT A BIT!!
If you dog has never worn a harness, then the first day just let them smell it, then you carry it around while you play and show them how exciting the harness is. The next day pet them with it if they allow for it and then YOU carry it around while you play with your dog always showing them how good and exciting harness time is. The next day you may go ahead and TRY to put it on being very comforting and reassuring to your dog. When they get it on show them how excited you are that they have the harness on.
If your dog has worn a harness before ... great... go ahead and put it on. BUT DO NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE. just let them wear the harness and play with them and let them know that when they see the harness it is FUN FUN FUN time.
Get em used to the harness!!!
DO NOT USE WEIGHTS YET: SLOW THE F DOWN
Start out by putting the dog in the harness for short periods of time, say 15-30 minutes. Play with the dog while he is in the harness. Make him feel that pulling time is fun time. Walk him at your side, back and forth across your yard. At the end of certain distances, 20-30 feet, stop and praise your dog showing them how exciting it was for you that they walked in the harness (YOU GET MY MEANING?). Do this 10 times a day for about a week. THIS IS YOUR FIRST DOWN AND BACKS
THE SECOND STEP: TEACHING THE DOG THE PULL COMMAND
THE PULL COMMAND:
Take the dog on a 1 or 2 mile walk in a safe friendly location. Let him wander a little on a long lead, then call him back to you by patting your leg and introduce a word (eg "work", "pull", or "peanut butter"). It doesn't matter what word you use. This will be the word that you want the dog to respond to. Whatever word you use, stick with it. Don't change commands. It will only confuse the dog, and be less likely to imprint in the dogs head. You are going to use this word hundreds of times, until it becomes second nature to the dog. As your dog moves forward with you, pat your leg repeating the command. Then without stopping your walk, praise the dog. Do this several times, stopping and starting. If you are in an area where the leash must be on, that's fine. Just remember that each time you stop, you start up again with your command.
Remember, your dog is in a harness, but still no weight is being used. We are just getting him use to starting and stopping with the harness on.
REWARD WITH FOOD BUT DO NOT BAIT: You can use food to reward (only when the dog does something worth rewarding) DO NOT use food to entice the dog forward. IN other words do not hold the food out in front of the dog and give the command to pull. Give the command and if the dog responds with the appropriate behavior you pull out a treat and give it to the dog. This is reward NOT BAIT!!! Eventually after your training is well underway and your dog enjoys pulling you will wean them off of treats as reward and rely on their desire to please you and their desire to have fun pulling.
DOWN AND BACKS: With your dog in a harness stand with your dog by your side take a step forward giving the command "work", walk 20-30 feet stop, praise him (good work) then pull out and give him a piece of food (reward). Turn and go back in the direction you came 20-30 feet stop, praise, and reward.
THE THIRD STEP: ADDING A VARIETY OF LIGHT WEIGHTS
INTRODUCING A LIGHT WEIGHT
After your dog responds with joy and enthusiasm to your command during your walks and hopefully gets excited when its time to put on the harness. Then it's time to go back to the yard and put some weight on. A good time to do this is right before feeding time. Use food to help the pup understand he's done something good REWARD NOT BAIT. This also insures solid imprinting. Simply act like you have all week. Put the harness on and play for a little bit. Go out to your yard all the time being happy and positive. Everything should be done in small steps, with the end goal being a dog that enjoys pulling. The first thing you should use with any dog of any size is something that adds just a little bit of weight in relation to the size of the dog.
A 1-5 pound metal barbell weight tied to a nylon cable is a good first light resistance that doesn't make to much noise. Note: after you have gotten your dog to pull a plain metal weight use different (very light objects) to introduce your dog to various sounds arising from the things being dragged behind them. One good noisy drag weight is a milk jug partially filled with rocks. The milk jug makes quite a bit of noisy distraction, weighs about 5 lbs when filled partially with rocks and is a bright white color all of which add diversity and potential distraction to the learning experience.
There is a good chance that if your dog has had fun during your last week of work, he'll run to you like there is nothing on it. You do not want to scare him at this point. It is critical that you go very easy the next month or so. Attach the light weight to the harness, keeping your dog at your side. Give your command and move forward slowly. At the same time patting your leg. Just the way you did the week prior. It is normal for your pup to look behind him, or to speed up a little. When you reach the end of your down and back pull out a reward and immediately give it to the dog saying "GOOD WORK ....GOOD WORK".
dog getting used to pulling by dragging a milk jug with rocks
Reassure your dog at all times when training whether novice or pro and use your command consistently. Do not use your command like you are mad but more like it is a happy command and a reward is in store. As your dog matures so will your voice inflexions. You want your voice to convince the dog that "work" is a good thing to do and makes you very happy!
DOWN AND BACKS AGAIN: Walk 20-30 feet with your dog stop, praise him then pull out and give him a piece of food. Turn and go back in the direction you came 20-30 feet stop, praise, and reward. If the pup does not move with the light weight on he may not be ready and you might need to go back to command training for another week. You can attempt to use a leash on the collar and give him a light tug with a bright cheerful command. "work, good boy work." in a happy voice, don't get upset if the dog acts scared or tries to pull away. Just take it slow and reassure him that everything is ok. Take a step back and begin Down and Backs again without a weight.
Never get mad at the dog!
I MUST REEMPHASIZE, THIS IS A KEY TIME IN YOUR PULL DOG TRAINING. YOU MUST DO EVERYTHING IN A SYSTEMATIC, STEP BY STEP SLOW PROCESS. ALWAYS KEEPING PATIENT. IF YOU FORCE YOUR DOG NOW, YOU MIGHT END UP WITH A DOG THAT WILL PULL, BUT TOTALLY OUT OF FEAR. WHAT YOU WANT IS A DOG THAT IS EAGER AND HAPPY TO GET IN THAT HARNESS AND PULL.
WOOHOO AFTER 2 yrs of steady training now I TUG 2 TON
IF YOUR FIRST WEEK OF NO WEIGHT HARNESS WALKING HAS GONE WELL, YOUR DOG WILL PROBABLY PULL THE LIGHT DRAG WEIGHT EASILY.
RED FLAG: BIG NO NO: A TYPICAL BIG HUMAN MISTAKE WILL BE TO ADD MORE WEIGHT. I CAN HERE YOU NOW SAYING:
"COME ON!!! DUDE, HE DID THAT EASY....LET'S SEE WHAT HE REALLY CAN DO!!!"
UGH this is no fun I quit
Don't be dumb. Do not add weight especially with a young pup.
Puppies are still growing and maturing and heavy weight pulling can alter the way their bones and joints mature in a negative way.
This image shows a PRETTY PRETTY dog that also has bowed front legs, loose elbows, flat pasterns, and turned out feet. This could be the result of heavy weight pulling as a young pup or of being put on a chain as a pup. What ever the case we do not suggest using any weight that will make a puppy struggle (dig) to move it.... nor do we suggest using chain tie-outs for young dogs!
The whole idea here is that... if you slowly build your dog up in weight he will never learn to quit with a weight he can physically pull.
OK BACK TO HARNESS INTRODUCTION: Don't do any more than about 10 or so back and fourths across the yard. Remember, always use the SAME COMMAND word (e.g. "WORK"). When you come to the stop (20-30 ft.), give the dog excited praise and maybe a treat, REMEMBER: do not coax them with the treat by holding it in front of them while they pull. It is something that they get *and see* only after they are done.
Always use bright cheerful happy verbal praise. The early training treats encourage the behavior and imprint the command in the dog. Later, you must wean the pup or dog off treats as rewards. Again to reemphasize the point: DO NOT use the food as bait by holding it in front of the dog to get them to pull. USE FOOD ONLY as a reward after a job well done.
Again, do this PULLING SOMETHING LIGHT INTRODUCTORY PHASE for a week or so at feeding time. Never more than doubling the weight you started with. Go slow. Be patient. Make it fun play time. Do not use a weight that is at all heavy.
At the end of your training sessions wait 15 minutes and feed the dog his normal meal. Feeding too soon after a workout can cause problems. Waiting too long after a workout can result in muscles going into catabolic (eating themselves) states. You will be astounded how quick the progress is. After the first week of back and fourths, the light drag weights should not be that noticeable to your dog or your pup. But do not let this rush you too fast to continue onward ESPECIALLY WITH A PUPPY!!!!! Take time to build your dog up.
CONFORMATION PEOPLE
and general advice
NOTE: There is considerable controversy over the effects of weight pulling on the conformation of young puppies. If you are starting with a young pup (< 10 months) extremely light weights such that the dog is not at all struggling hard nose to the ground (digging) to pull should have no effect on conformational development. Our advice is that if you plan to show your dog in conformation NEVER "go heavy" with a puppy (< 12 months). Here is an example schedule for a puppy that will be shown in conformation and later as an adult (>16 months) will compete successfully in weight pulling
THE FORTH STEP: DRAG WEIGHTING
DRAG WEIGHTING
OK YOU IMPATIENT BULLY BREED OWNER: I bet you spent one day on the harness introduction and maybe 2 days on light weight introductions and down and backs. YOU FOOL! It takes time to convince your dog that this harness and dragging thing is FUN! It takes time to get the dog to associate the harness with FUN TIME!!! By skipping ahead in your systematic training ... your dog is now working instead of doing something they have learned to enjoy.
If your dog gets excited when you pull out that harness and even more excited when it is finally on then you are ready to start SLOWLY into step 4.. Drag weighting.
Drag weighting is a great way to get your dog into pulling competitive shape and keep them there. It has many benefits because, unlike cart pulling, you can do it with just you and your dog. You can use it as a building or conditioning exercise. For conditioning purposes drag weighting means you hook up a light weight (MORE LIGHT WEIGHTS???) and take your dog for a weight pull walk. Again and again let it be said:::: in the beginning:::: do everything step by step in small increments:::: especially the amount of weight for dragging. Start out in your yard and attach a weight (just like you did with the introduction to light weights). This time you stick with your drag sled or tire. Build your dog up to a moderate weight by doing down and backs in the back yard with your drag sled.
THE DRAGGING WEIGHT:
YOU CAN USE A TIRE WITH ROCKS IN IT, THE TOP OF A PLASTIC DOG CRATE, A PLASTIC SNOW SLED, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED DOG SLED, OR EVEN OLD TIME WINDOW WEIGHTS ATTACHED TO A TOW CHAIN.
Dog pulling a tire
Drag Sled sold by Winmor Kennels (see below for link)
After your dog is getting pretty good at dragging in the yard it is now time to begin the real drag conditioning and training. Now you will begin 0.5 to 1 mile walks with your dog drag pulling. This is the best conditioning a dog can get for weight pull training which increases strength but more importantly increases cardiovascular endurance. Aerobic conditioning means when the competition keeps going your dog will keep pulling and at the end of the day it is usually the best conditioned dog that still has enough wind left to pull that last poundage. A couple of warnings here. DO NOT OVER WORK YOUR DOG!! DO NOT OVER TRAIN!! DO NOT DRAG ON CEMENT OR PAVEMENT, FIND AN UNUSED FIELD OR LOT. DRAGGING TEARS UP GRASS AND OTHER SURFACES SO CHOOSE YOUR DRAG TRACKS CAREFULLY. IF you cannot find a place to drag weight where you are not destroying public or someone else's property then you should consider cart training with a training cart (see below). Note: the principles of cart training are the same but you MUST have 2 people at all times when cart training.
ON YOUR WALKS, YOU SHOULD BE USING A VERY LIGHT WEIGHT NOT EVEN HALF OF WHAT YOU USED ON YOUR DOWN AND BACKS. IF YOU HAVE DOUBLED YOUR WEIGHT ON YOUR BACK AND FOURTHS, GO BACK DOWN TO YOUR BEGINNING WEIGHT FOR YOU WALKS. YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR DOG KEEP UP WITH YOU. Puppies should make the 1/2 mile mark pretty easy and certainly without digging. DON'T GO MORE THAN 1/2 MILE YOUR FIRST FEW WALKS, AND MAKE SURE IT'S NOT TOO HOT OUT. ALWAYS PROVIDE GOOD BOTTLED WATER FOR YOUR DOG. YOU CAN ALSO DO YOUR BACK AND FOURTHS ON YOUR WALK, ALWAYS USING YOUR COMMAND. YOU CAN ALSO PLAY A GAME OF SIT AND STAY. BACK AWAY 20 FEET, GIVE THE COMMAND TO PULL TO YOU, AND GIVE HIM A TREAT WHEN HE COMES TO YOU.
Again as with all training of dogs, take it slow, keep it fun, don't be impatient or try too much too soon. The guy that takes his time and trains his dog the best WAY will be the one that GETS THE NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL. Dogs can drag every other day for inexperienced and when you graduate to carts and big weights (after slowly training and conditioning the dog) you can alternate drag distance with cart pulling.
Drag conditioning: The goal is to have a weight that your dog can pull continuously for 1/2 to 1 mile. Toward the end of this distance the advanced dog should be digging. However, dogs new to the walk should make it fairly easily, puppies should make it very easy. Watch for the point of fatigue and stop the dog before this point is reached. IF your dog stops during this period lower the weight and continue on for about 20-30 feet then stop. You should be using your command word consistently during the drag weight session and have water for your worker at the end of his workout. Supply water in a modest amount do not let your tired dog over indulge.
From drag conditioning you can progress to drag building or to cart pulling.
Drag Building: Here you do 20 feet down and backs with your drag weight. This building program is similar to the principle described below for cart pulling. You want to do set reps of set weight percentages off your dogs max drag weight (the maximum weight your dog can pull successfully e.g. start with 70% of the max for 4 reps etc. SEE BELOW). Unlike conditioning here you are going to continue adding weights. Again see below for the example weight pulling workout for carts and adapt it to your drag weights
THE FIFTH STEP: socialization
SOCIALIZATION
GOOD SOCIALIZATION MEANS TWO THINGS IN THIS CASE..
1) SOCIAL IZ ATION OK WE PUT THE CART BEFORE THE DOG HERE!!! THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND IS STEP #1 !!! THIS is actually something that starts even before weight pull training and is the single most important thing you can do for your dog and the entire breed. Your dog cannot be seen as a vicious monster that wants to kill other dogs or other humans. You dog should be seen as a happy, healthy, safe member of society (THIS IS HOW YOU CAN SAVE THE BREED). This goes back to obedience training, socializing your dog around other people and other dogs in many different environments all the time. Even a "gamebred dog" can be socialized. Many of the greatest "game dogs" in the history of our breed were perfectly acceptable, social, and safe members of society (e.g. CH Virgil ROM).
REMEMBER!!!
YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR BIG BULL DOG- FUTURE MEDAL HOLDING- GOD OF WEIGHT PULLING
LOOKING STUPID IN PUBLIC WHILE TRYING TO BITE THE HEADS OFF OF CHIHUAHUAS
Please note: there are Chihuahuas, Beagles, Poodles, and every other type and breed of dog out there competing in weight pull and WE MUST represent our breed as good honest, safe, hard working companion dogs not as the monsters that people hear about in the papers. If your dog is NOT under control at all times and NOT socialized and obedience trained, it IS a nail in the coffin of our breed and on top of THAT you will also be excused from the weight pull competition and forfeit your entry fees.
2) SOCIALIZATION as it relates to your pull dog training: The dog that has spent several months pulling in his yard or his own turf, with no distractions, looks great. But!!! Take him in front of a hundred people and a bunch of strange dogs and you may think all your hours of training have been a waste of time! Thus it is important to have your dog pulling in different environments.
The key here is again, small steps. Try going to your neighborhood park. Somewhere that has a natural surface (grass, dirt). Practice your back and fourths (do not do drag weights in a park and tear up the grass or turf). Make sure there is not too muck excitement at first. A park is good on a weekday, when there is not much going on. At this time you should be able to correct any major problems that your dog might be having. Again, take it slow and easy. Use a cart with lighter loads than you would in your yard. This will help build your dog's confidence in the new environment.
WARNING: Keep your leash on the dog in public especially if laws indicate you must!
WARNING!! Do not drag in areas where you are damaging public property, destroying landscaping, or making a nuisance.
WARNING!! Always represent yourself as a good citizen with a canine good citizen.
WARNING: IF people do not understand what you are doing with your dog then try explaining calmly and civilly what you are doing and why. Let them know this is your buddy and he is doing what he enjoys ... just like a body builder like Arnold Sshuartzhisname does.
"I'll be back!"
WORDS OF WISDOM: WATCH OUT FOR PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND
AGAIN>>>>PEOPLE ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC TEND TO BE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THINGS, ESPECIALLY ANIMALS. IF THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A DOG WEIGHT PULL, THEY MAY THINK YOU ARE "KILLING" YOUR POOR DOG OR TRAINING FOR FIGHTING OR SOMETHING WORSE. YES!!! THESE ARE PROBABLY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEIR DOGS CHAINED IN THE BACKYARD. EXCEPT TO FEED THEM AND KICK THEM OUT OF THE LAWNMOWER'S PATH, THEY DO NOTHING WITH THEM. DO NOT CHALLENGE THEM. PATIENCE AND COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY HERE. JUST EXPLAIN WHAT YOU AND YOUR DOG ARE TRAINING FOR. YOU WILL PROBABLY STILL GET SOME NEGATIVE REACTIONS. BUT, AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT DRAGGING YOUR DOG AROUND BY HIS NECK, AND YOU HAVE TRAINED YOUR DOG TO LIKE PULLING. THE PERSON WITH AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE WILL SEE THAT THE DOG IS 'DOING SOMETHING OF IT'S OWN FREE WILL, AND HAVING FUN!
in example
STORY BY THE OWNERS OF THE #2 SHOW DOG FOR 2002 AKC CH UKC NTL GRCH GRCH SHADYTOWN GEMINI NEO D SHARK TT CGC
Ok Today (sat) Eddie and I took Neo for his 1st walk pulling a milk jug with some rocks in it (photo above). We walked to the end of our street (about 6 houses) and to the school at the end of the street. We where there about 5 minutes just walking Neo and a cop pulls up. He asked what we are doing and we told him training for weight pulls.
He asks where do they do this?? I told him that UKC, UNITED KENNEL CLUB just started doing this and we are training for it. And ADBA has been doing weight pulls for yrs. We also told him we were trying go get the dog used to the noise of the weight cart which is why he had the milk jug attached.
He tells us that he got SOME calls saying we are being inhumane and making our dog pull stuff.
He didn't seem to think we had done anything wrong and let us go. Didn't say we can't do it anymore either.
I can image what will happen when we start to pull tires ... I think we will go to another location for that training.
THE SIXTH STEP: CART TRAINING
STEP SIX
CART TRAINING
THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IS A CART!
THE CART
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A CHILDS RED WAGON OR A PROFESSIONAL GARDEN CART MIGHT DO FOR TRAINING A YOUNG DOG OR FOR DOING CONDITIONING! Here is a cart that is a step above these:
This one has a 1000 lbs capacity at a cost of about $130. Note regular kids wagons may look like this one but their capacity is only about 250 lbs.
SEE OUR CART LINK BELOW TO HAVE THE WAGON ABOVE SHIPPED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR!
MATRIX: We condition our show dogs with this type of cart. AFTER TRAINING THE DOG TO PULL AND ENJOY IT!!! We go to the park (keeping the dog on a loose lead) Diana will get into the cart (for our big dogs) or we will put a couple 10 lb plates (for small dogs) and we will walk up and down hills of different gradients. If there are kids around we will offer to give them a ride (one kid at a time for smaller dogs, up to 5 kids for big boy there). We do require payment from the kids however, which is usually a picture of the kids with the dog pulling "PR" and pets for the dog after the ride "love". When training up and down hills The steeper the hill the harder to pull. The changing resistance of going up and down different angled hills is good for developing slow and fast twitch muscles for a balanced musculature. (We alternate this pulling with other conditioning e.g. chasing tennis balls, long walks without weight, flirt pole etc. for of a more aerobic exercise.) REMEMBER!!!!!! Diana when she is in the cart uses her feet as brakes to keep the cart from running into the dog from behind. If we have weights or kids in the car Diana walks behind with a tow rope (see above). REMEMBER: Hitting a dog with a cart is the fastest way to ruin a good working dog.
IF YOU ARE SERIOUS AND PLAN A FUTURE IN WEIGHT PULLING, YOU NEED TO INVEST IN A DECENT CART TRACK OR RAIL SYSTEM FOR YOUR YARD.
The above cart ships as is (without a deck, which will save on shipping costs), you add a deck and the RATED capacity is 4000 lbs.
SEE OUR CART LINK BELOW TO HAVE THIS CART SHIPPED RIGHT TO YOUR DOOR.
NOTE: PULL HOOKS ON BOTH ENDS AND CAN BE ADDED, SO IT CAN PULL IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE WHEELS CAN ALSO HAVE A GUIDE PIN ADDED THAT ALLOWS THEM TO LOCK INTO A STRAIGHT LINE. NYLON STRAPS OR YOUR ATTACHMENTS TO THE CART, YOUR TRAILERS, SHOULD BE 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 FEET LONG.
Competition carts require the above modifications!
CART WEIGHTS
ANYTHING FROM BRICKS, TO SAND BAGS, TO OLYMPIC WEIGHTS, TO TRACTOR WEIGHTS etc.
PULLING SURFACE
WE SUGGEST A VERY SHORT-SHAG SHAG CARPET about 10' feet wide x 30' feet long.
THE DISTANCE YOU NEED TO PULL IN COMPETITION IS 16 FEET, BUT IN TRAINING WE SUGGEST HAVING YOUR DOG PULL THE CART 20 FEET AT LEAST.
Just roll your carpet out over cement or other hard flat smooth surface, align your cart on one end with your reliable steward (see below) manning the tail rope and get busy training using the same slow, step by step, systematic training approach you have learned all about already.
REMEMBER: INTRODUCE SLOWLY EACH NEW THING, WORK SYSTEMATICALLY, BUILD UP VERY SLOWLY, AND HAVE TONS OF FUN.
STEP A: GETTING USED TO CARPET
Take as much as a week to introduce a puppy to carpet. Remember, take everything slowly, step by step, and systematically. Those who do will be those who dominate with their superiorly trained dog.
After several days of down and backs on the carpet with light drag weights it is time to hook up the cart.
HOW BOUT A FEW MORE WARNINGS BEFORE GETTING STARTED?
MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT CART TRAINING: You absolutely must have a second person assisting you with cart pulling. This person is the cart steward. This is the person that will be behind the cart and serve as the brakes. WHY??
BECAUSE THE LAST THING YOU NEED is for the cart to smash into the back of your dog freaking him out.. or worse yet.. seriously injuring him! Make sure you trust your steward with your dogs career and that this trustworthy person is paying attention during the pulls and is strong enough to halt the cart when the weight is increasing. Momentum is a dangerous thing!
CONVERSELY: Make sure your steward is also ready to help the dog get the cart moving with the weight if need be so that the dog never fails to pull a weight.
NEVER LET YOUR DOG FAIL A PULL: One of the main things to remember is never to let your dog fail to pull a weight (they can learn to pull or they can learn to fail). A dog can learn to fail in a systematic fashion just like they learn to pull. The also applies in competition. IF you are about to pull a MAX weight for your dog get ready to signal the cart stewards, if your dog cannot budge the poundage. Also never let the dog see you (the handler) "save them" when they are failing at a pull. Always signal to the steward and continue to command the dog to pull. The dog must always trust in his own ability to pull when you say "work good boy work".
STEP B: GETTING FAMILIAR WITH A CART WITH YOU BY HIS SIDE
OK so you are about to hook up the dog to the cart. After reading everything above you already know what to do here. There are a few new things added (such as the required steward) but just like always the first thing you will do is let your dog become familiar with the cart.
Put a leash on the dog and stand with him at your side while your steward hooks up the cart. The dog may turn to see what his other buddy is doing but tell him in a calm tone to "steady". Then with him by your side on leash.. walk forward giving him the command to pull (Do this only after your steward is in place behind the cart with the tow rope in hand). The dog may turn to see what he is pulling now .. but reassure him, control him gently with the leash, and give him lots of praise as he pulls this BIG new device down the NOW familiar carpet. After the successful pull, take a treat out of your pocket and reward him. If your training has been slow and systematic then the cart should not even have phased your weight pull dog. Even with success do not rush or load heavy weight. You want your dog to imprint that the cart is very easy to pull. Over several weeks of constant training you can slowly build up the resistance.
After a few days you can remove the leash but stay next to the dog for a while then gradually you can work on getting in front of your Champion weight puller.
THE CART PULLS DIFFERENTLY THAN THE DRAG WEIGHTS, SO IF YOUR DOG'S STYLE APPEARS TO REGRESS SOME, DON'T WORRY. BY KEEPING THE WEIGHT LIGHT, HE SHOULD PULL THE CART LIKE A CHAMP AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME. GO NO MORE THAN 10-15 PULLS THE FIRST FEW DAYS... ALWAYS KEEP IT FUN. A LOT OF PRAISE AND TREATS. MAKE SURE HE PULLS THE CART 20 FEET EACH TIME. IF HE CAN PULL THE CART IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, EVEN BETTER.
At about this time, it is time to start weaning the dog off of treats. Do this like everything else!! slowly. Start by rewarding "most" of the pulls, then the next week every other pull, then the next week every third pull. Then use treats sporadically once or twice per workout.
SLING SHOT STARTS: JUST SAY NO!
One important thing to remember whether drag weight, milk jug, tire, sled, or cart is that you should never use a sling shot start. You should always start the pull with the attachments and tow line tight. You want the dog to learn to lean in and use muscle and raw power to get the cart moving. You do not want them to rely on bouncing, sling shot starts.
QUESTIONS ABOUT WEIGHT PULLING
WHAT WEIGHT INCREASES AND WEIGHT INCREMENT SHOULD I USE?
AS FAR AS WEIGHT INCREMENTS GO, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW EASY YOUR DOG PULLS THE EMPTY CART. IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO GO EASY WITH THE WEIGHT.
HOW MANY REPS OR PULLS DURING A BEGINNERS WORKOUT?
THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF CART TRAINING YOU CAN PULL EVERY DAY, 10-15 PULLS. JUST LETTING YOUR DOG GET THE FEEL OF IT.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD THE BEGINNER DOG WORK OUT?
ONCE THE DOG IS PULLING THE CART, A SCHEDULE OF ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK ALTERNATING WITH LONGER DRAG PULLING AND AEROBIC ACTIVITY (CHASING BALL, LONG WALKS WITHOUT WEIGHT, FLIRT POLE ETC) IS ADVISABLE. INCREASE WEIGHT IN SMALL INCREMENTS. SAY YOUR DOG PULLS THE CART WITH GREAT EASE, ADD 140 LBS AND LET HIM PULL IT TWICE. READ YOUR DOG'S EFFORT. EASY, HARD? GO UP LIKE THIS 4 OR 5 TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR DOG'S PERSONAL BEST AND DON'T EXCEED IT EXCEPT BY A SMALL AMOUNT THEN WAIT FOR YOUR NEXT HEAVY DAY.
SHOULD WE STILL USE DRAG WEIGHTS SINCE WE HAVE A CART?
YOU SHOULD STILL BE WORKING YOUR DOG ON HIS DRAG WEIGHTS AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES A WEEK, ALTERNATING WITH CART PULLING. DRAG AT LEAST 1/2 TO 1 MILE. ADD A BIT OF WEIGHT BUT DO NOT TO EXCEED OVER 25% OF THE DOG'S BODY WEIGHT OR A WEIGHT WHERE THE DOG STRUGGLES MASSIVELY TOWARD THE END OF THE WALK.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD WORKOUT ON A CART FOR A MORE EXPERIENCED DOG?
50% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 30 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS
70% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 60 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS
80% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 2 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS
85-90% OF MAX 2 TIMES 2-3 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS
NEVER PULL A MAXIMUM LOAD MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH. A COOL DOWN OF 4-6 PULL, 50% OF MAX CAN BE USED. Once a month if you train according to the above schedule you can typically do a max out. A max out is a % over the previous max. Make sure your dog is pulling well that day before attempting a max out.
WHAT IS A GOOD WORKOUT SCHEDULE FOR AN EXPERIENCED DOG TRAINING FOR COMPETITION?
Holly says." I feel a little "iffy" about a set workout schedule as a rule of thumb to follow...since every dog develops and adjusts differently a given schedule the following examples may not be the exact schedules for all dogs to use... "
Here Holly indicates that you must get a good "feel" for how well your dog recovers. There are many different examples of workout schedules.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO RECOGNIZE IS that If a dog isn't given enough "recovery" or "off time" just like human athletes... they will be at great risk to fatigue...burn out...and even injury.
Holly indicates that :"I train using "more or less" schedule A below...and I am by no means saying my way is the best way.
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE A
Day 1 Moderate drag weight
Day 2 Cart Practice
Day 3 Rest
Day 4 endurance training (eg swimming, tread mill, chasing tennis ball in the park flirt pole etc.)
Day 5 Rest
Day 6 Heavy Weight day - A little drag weight then the cart or sled for a couple heavy reps
Day 7 rest then repeat
Depending on how hard the dog works...sometimes I switch up my training days and give a third day of rest.....
EXAMPLE SCHEDULE B IS MUCH MORE GRUELING
Week 1 Day 1 Drag weight 1/2 mile heavy weight
Day 2 Cart pull medium heavy up to 85% max
Day 3 Drag weight 1 mile light weight
Day 4 aerobic activity
Day 5 Drag weight 1/2 mile medium weight
Day 6 Cart pull Medium up to 80% max
Day 7 REST
Week 2 Day 1 Drag weight light 1 mile
Day 2 Cart pull heavy up to 90%
Day 3 Drag weight medium 1/2 mile
Day 4 Cart pull medium 80% max
Day 5 aerobic activity
Day 6 Cart pull medium light 75% max
Day 7 Rest
Week 3 Day 1 Drag weight heavy 1/2 mile
Day 2 Cart pull medium heavy 85%
Day 3 Drag weight medium 1/2 mile
Day 4 cart pull heavy 90%
Day 5 aerobic activity
Day 6 Cart pull light heavy 75%
Day 7 REST
Week 4 Day 1 Drag weight light 1 mile
Day 2 Cart pull medium 80%
Day 3 Drag weight heavy 1/2 mile
Day 4 Cart pull medium light 75%
Day 5 rest
Day 6 MAX OUT 100% + carefully chosen added poundage
Day 7 Rest and repeat
NOTE: THIS IS A 6 DAY ON 1 DAY OFF SCHEDULE.
ANOTHER POPULAR SCHEDULE IS 3 DAYS ON ONE OFF.
LIKE HOLLY SUGGESTS, YOU MUST JUDGE BY YOUR DOGS PROGRESS AND HOW EAGER THEY ARE TO WORK IF ONE SCHEDULE OR ANOTHER WORKS FOR YOUR PARTICULAR DOG. IF YOUR DOGS MUSCLES ARE BECOMING FLAT OR THEY ARE NOT EAGER TO GET TO WORK, IT IS USUALLY BECAUSE OF TOOOOO MUCH WORK. AT THAT POINT BEGIN INCORPORATING MORE REST
WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT PULL HARNESSES?
we HIGHLY recommend the following 3 harness makers!
www.harnessesbycarol.com
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
OR
www.itsmysite.com/cdpits
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
PPPPPPLEASE!!! Tell em apbtconformation.com sent ya!!
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WHERE CAN WE GET WEIGHT CARTS?
We here at apbtconformation are please to provide a source for training carts at very reasonable prices. From beginners and small dogs, to those massive weight pull TITANS we offer the following website. Click on the Northern Tool Logo and check out their site using keyword : wagon. You get their same everyday low price and we earn a 5% commission from them which helps pay for this website. Click below to go to the Northern Tool website.
to make a competition cart:
The rules state that the cart must be able to carry a load "in excess of 4,000lbs safely" Also the tires must hold air and be no smaller than 8 inches in diameter and no larger than 18 inches. The rules also state that you have to have either a "repair kit" or "spare tire" on hand.. Its much easier to just have the spare tire.
Keep in mind the narrower carts pull harder. And most of the carts out there are running 4 feet wide. This for one lets you use a full sheet of plywood, only needing to cut it down to length. As far as length goes, the more space on the deck you have to "spread out" the weight, the easier it is to pull. This way you get higher weights out of the cart. In building the cart also think about how you will transport it to and from the events . Most cart have the wheels on the "outside" of the cart. A few of them have them underneath them as well.
Northern Tools company offers a complete axel (minus the hubs and wheels) but this is more costly. IF you can get thick walled tube steel, you make your own axels for less using their "stub axels"
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TIRES: (you need 4 for the cart and 1 spare)
4 lug is #12112-b974 rated 590#s ...cost $21.99 each
5 lug is #12111-b974
OR
4 lug is #12110-b974 rated 745#s..cost $24.99 each
5 lug is #12111-b974
STUB AXELS ( these are sold in pairs, so you will need to order 2 pairs.they include the 2 spindles, 2 nuts, and 2 cotter pins)
#1246W is the 1 1/4 inch round end and rated for 1,000# each. Cost per pair is $14.99 (side note.... these have been used on many IWPA carts and have seen over 4,000#'s on many of them on these stub axels. and the tires above rated at 590#'s with no problems)
Or you can order the larger ones
#12414W which are 1 3/4 inch and are rated at 1750#..cost is $22.99 per pair.
HUBS (according to note in catalog these are also sold in pairs)
if you are using the stub axel 1246W (1,000# rating) you need to order this one:
#1241-b974 rated at 2,000#s for $37.99
And if you are using the stub axel 12414W (1750# rating) you need:
#12415-b974 rated at 3,500#s for $48.99
The steel for the frame you will have to come up with. 2 different types you may want to consider are angel iron and the other is tube type. Most carts are 4 foot wide and 5 to 8 foot in length. Make sure you have ample support. Most often you set the wheels (and axel) about 1 1/2 feet to 2 feet back from the ends of the cart deck on both ends. You will want to have a support bracket above the axels on the main frame and then have at least one more in the middle of the frame. (EXAMPLE: if your cart is 6 feet in length, and you set the axels 1.5 feet back from the ends, you will also want to have another support at the midway point, of 3 feet from the ends.
If possible leave just a little lip on the top of the cart deck to keep things from slipping. Most carts when finished are running around 250 to 300 #'s total weight. You will also need a lighter one (no heavier than 75#'s) for the smaller class dogs. The wheel requirements are the same. Most often little wheels (8 to 10 inches) will be used on these carts. These smaller carts can be made out of wood (frame and deck) and only need to hold up to the weight of the larger cart. You then switch to the larger cart when you reach that weight.
For weight you can use bags of dog food. (permitting donation is large enough) Cement blocks, bags of rock salt are also good.. Just keep in mind to keep some lighter weights around for the under 30# class dogs. So if you use 40# bags of salt, you could use 20# bags or 20# bricks to make a smaller increment for the lighter classes.
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Where can we get a REALLY GOOD DRAG SLED?
We recommend www.winmorkennel.com training sleds good for any surface.
PPPPPLEASE!!! TELL THEM APBTCONFORMATION.com SENT YA!!!
WHERE CAN WE FIND INFORMATION ON WEIGHT PULL EVENTS IN MY AREA?
WOW YOU ARE READY TO GET OUT THERE AND PULL?
CHECK OUT OUR MESSAGE BOARDS! WEIGHT PULLERS POST EVENTS THERE:
ITS ABOUT TIME! CANT WAIT TO SEE YA! COME JOIN THE PARTY AND THE DOG COMMUNITY!
APBTCONFORMATION SUGGESTS THE UKC BUT ALSO CHECK OUT THE IWPA AND ADBA FOR EVENTS.
WWW.UKCDOGS.COM
THE UNITED KENNEL CLUB IS AN ALL BREED AND MIXED BREED CLUB. SEE THEIR EVENTS LISTINGS
WWW.IWPA.NET
THE IWPA IS AN ALL BREED AND MIXED BREED WEIGHT PULL ORGANIZATION: SEE THEIR EVENT LISTINGS
MEMBERS.AOL.COM/BSTOFSHW/
THE ADBA IS A AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER SPECIFIC ASSOCIATION. SEE THEIR SHOW LISTINGS
what type of weight pulls are there?
There are several types of weight pulls.
There are rail pulls
Here you see a steel rail wheeled cart loaded with iron bars that runs on the metal rails on either side of the carpet here. In rail pulls the weights pulled by dogs tend to be much greater than on other tracks.
There are wheel pulls
Here the dogs pull a wheeled cart. The weights pulled here are typically not as great as those on a rail system.
There are snow pulls
Here the dogs pull a sled on a snow track. The sled has no wheels so it is a drag type pull event. The weights are typically not as great as that pulled on other tracks.
