There are so many activities dogs can be involved in these days. Many people know of “dog shows” (confirmation) for purebred dogs, and of course there is competitive obedience trials, but have you heard of these? (just to name a few)...
- Rally-O - Backpacking
- Endurance
- Lure Coursing
- Agility
- Tracking
- Fly Ball
- Sledding
- Earth dog
And many more.
Today we are going to cover and conquer some misconceptions surrounding the world of Weight Pull.
WEIGHT PULL
Weight pull is in brief, the sport of a dog (wearing an especially designed harness) pulling a trailer with weight over a short distance without any force from their handler/owner within a specific time frame.
Weight Pull became an official event earning dogs’ points and subsequent titles with the Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC) in January 2015, and whilst the dogs and owners that participate in this sport have a fantastic time, more recently there has been much criticism and controversy surrounding the activity. As always, lack of understanding leads to misconception so here are some truths to conquer your concerns.
Firstly, safety and health are always the priority of the club running a weight pull event. Dogs that are overweight, injured (including pre-existing injuries), or suffer from health conditions are directed not to enter. Dogs under 15 kilos are not permitted to enter and there are also age restrictions whereby dogs must be 18 months of age before competing, in order to allow bone and muscle development.
The harnesses that are used during weight pull are very different to the harnesses people use to walk their dogs, or even for other activities such as tracking. The harnesses are designed to evenly distribute the weight across the dog so that there is no specific pressure on any part of the dog and they are also padded as to not cause any skin sensitivity or pressure chafing.Weight pull is in brief, the sport of a dog (wearing an especially designed harness) pulling a trailer with weight over a short distance without any force from their handler/owner within a specific time frame.
Weight Pull became an official event earning dogs’ points and subsequent titles with the Australian National Kennel Club (ANKC) in January 2015, and whilst the dogs and owners that participate in this sport have a fantastic time, more recently there has been much criticism and controversy surrounding the activity. As always, lack of understanding leads to misconception so here are some truths to conquer your concerns.
Firstly, safety and health are always the priority of the club running a weight pull event. Dogs that are overweight, injured (including pre-existing injuries), or suffer from health conditions are directed not to enter. Dogs under 15 kilos are not permitted to enter and there are also age restrictions whereby dogs must be 18 months of age before competing, in order to allow bone and muscle development.
The beauty of this sport, which many “haters” don’t understand, is that you absolutely can not “force” your dog to participate. You (the handler) stand 5 meters back from the dog (behind the finish line) and are not permitted to hold any food, toys etc. You simply call your dog or use verbal command to entice your dog to come toward you... pulling the trailer/weight that is attached to the rear of the harness. If your dog doesn’t want to? It doesn’t. (Less pressure than I had in high school Phys ed.)
To earn a “title” in weight pull, the dog needs to pull 8 x times it’s body weight on 4 separate competition days. While that sounds scary if we compare it in human form, some dogs find it quite easy and actually thrive on the challenge the activity presents. If we recognize many dogs were originally bred for activities such as pulling carts and sledding, it is part of their genetic predisposition and natural urge. Some dogs’ natural composition make Weight Pull a fantastic option for exercise.
Like exercising for humans, weight pull for dogs is about technique and training. Warm up and warm down is as equally important, if not more so, than the activity itself. It would be considered irresponsible for a person to enter their dog without any prior training into the sport and expect them to enjoy and/or excel. Would you expect a 17-year-old human to walk into a gym for the first time, bench press 100kgs correctly on their first go correctly and love it?
Like any dog training, it takes practice, consistency and often, small gains. Starting your dog by pulling 2 litre bottle of water, then pulling a tyre... get them used the feel of the harness. Work on that recall so that your dog will want to come to you when called.
“But if I teach my dog weight pull, it’s going to always pull me when I take it for a walk, right?” Wrong. We wear different uniforms depending on what job we’re about to do, right? You might wear a suit to a job interview, pajamas for bed, high-vis for a worksite, a gown to a ball. Depending on what you wear, your behaviour and what your task is will change. Equipment on dogs works the same way. A weight pull harness feels different to the collar you walk it on, and as such, your dog is allowed to pull in the harness, but not pull when on their collar. If your dog pulls on their collar when you go for a walk, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be great at weight pull (it does mean, you need a trainer to help you with loose-lead walking!) similarly, because it seems lazy and likes to sleep it doesn’t mean it would hate weight pull!
To be a good dog owner is more than food and shelter. It’s about providing enrichment, exercise and stimulation to get the best out of your dog and your relationship together.
Come on down to the next weight-pull event. Ask questions. See for yourself. Note that any abuse toward an animal or another person will never be tolerated. Like other activities, it’s a sport for fun and the best thing is, even in competition it’s not about one dog competing against another – it’s purely about the dog competing against itself and reaching its own potential, on its own choice.
To be a good dog owner is more than food and shelter. It’s about providing enrichment, exercise and stimulation to get the best out of your dog and your relationship together.
Come on down to the next weight-pull event. Ask questions. See for yourself. Note that any abuse toward an animal or another person will never be tolerated. Like other activities, it’s a sport for fun and the best thing is, even in competition it’s not about one dog competing against another – it’s purely about the dog competing against itself and reaching its own potential, on its own choice.
https://www.astcv.com/weight-pull.html or
http://www.amcv.org.au/weightpull.html
Teaching people. Training dogs. Evolving together.
Ph: 0421 728 008
www.k9evolution.com.au
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