TIA GIRL AND MY PUP TITAN

[staffman]

[staffman]

my bitch tia on left 2 and a half yars old.... my dog titan on right 8 months old!!

[Shakka-Staffs]

dogs looking good mate thanks for posting.

[Griffa]

Cracking dogs pal ur bitch looks great and Titan looks a big boy

[staffman]

thanks...yeah he is a big en for his age he 18in but strong as an ox honestly guna get him pullin the whieghts when he 12 month.

[Griffa]

Yes mate that's the way its never to early to introduce the harness thou if u start now on light weights ie a 5 or 10 lbs sash weight or somthing like that by the time he is older nuff he will be ready for the big weights

[Shakka-Staffs]

put the harness on but forget the weights the dogs 8 months old and still growing. Let it be a pup. Terrible advice Mickey IMO. If you need to add something use empty plastic bottles get the pup used to a noise behind them. But really forget about any weight even only 5 lbs.

[staffman]

good advice shakka exp with the bottles my bitch had sum problems with her front shoulder a while back and im sure it was my fault due to working her hard as a pup so i deffo learnt my lesson now my pups will get half hour walk a day tops and the odd min work every now and then copying the older one on the flirtpole ext. titan at 8 month has only had 2 tiny goes on flirtpole and one 2 min blast on springpole,he loved it just wont let him do more.

[oldetyme]

there is no problem using weights, it just how much weight you use that matters! you can get a very young pup dragging something very light, so long as you don't put excess strain on the bones of a young dog and only pull for a short distance and time period, 5 to 10lb weights are better to be left until mature, also i have found it is best not to load them up with weight for drag pulling! better to stick to smaller weights and increase distance, most of all, always keep it fun for the dog. imo, i would always advise not to put on too much weight or too much distance. slowly, slowly.

[Griffa]

Apr 16, 2011 9:32:20 GMT Shakka-Staffs said:

put the harness on but forget the weights the dogs 8 months old and still growing. Let it be a pup. Terrible advice Mickey IMO. If you need to add something use empty plastic bottles get the pup used to a noise behind them. But really forget about any weight even only 5 lbs.

Really you think dragging a 5 lbs weight for a few mins a week would hurt a dog of that size .... I would never load a pup up with heavy weight but gettin them used to dragging a small weight at 8 months is fine I think most dogs prob feel 5 lbs of tug wen walking on the lead its all about gettin them used to pulling 1st not makin them work or strain them selfs

[Shakka-Staffs]

maybe be clearer in your first post then the impression given was go on get the pup working. you never said a few minutes a week and yes REally 5 or 10 lbs i think is far too much try bottles like i said before if you need more weight put some water in them but i wouldnt go more than about 2 lb max. the pup is still growing slowy slowy as suggested by oldtyme. Getting them used to the harness and very very light weights is ok IMO. I had no intention of upsetting you Mickey this is just my opinion im no expert only been in the game 2 mins

[oldetyme]

one of the reason's i advised not putting to much weight on drag pulling (apart from the strain) is because most dogs do not like pulling a heavy dead weight. its different with a rolling weight which builds up momentum and becomes easier throughout the pull, thereby encouraging them to go on, with a dead weight it has the opposite effect! much better to use a tyre suited to the size of the dog and increase distance as the dog gets fitter but increase only a short distance every now and then. i find getting them to pull on a long country dirt track for about a mile or so when the are both fit and mature works best. it is so easy to spoil what could be a good pulling dog. IMO, some of the pitfalls to be avoided are pulling too heavier dead weights, taking a dog to its first event and getting it to max out and always getting your dog to max out every time! by making these mistakes you are conditioning your dog that its always going to get harder until it fails, thereby conditioning your dog to lose or be a loser, better to condition it to win and be a winner!!! and always keep it fun so they remain motivated, most athletic activities apart from tug o war don't require a live opponent so its harder to maintain strong motivation.

[oldetyme]

i think we all make mistakes, i know i have made mistakes in training my dogs, i think its the only way to learn unless you have someone with much experience with you.

[Shakka-Staffs]

yep i made my own mistakes with the sport when i first started, we live and learn. I have put these right with my new dogs.