Weight Pull

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Weight Pull

Posted : 3/14/2010 6:49:28 PM

Does anyone do weight pull competitively? I'd like to get Nikon started soon since there are a fair amount of weight pull events here (usually at shows I'm attending anyway). I know he will need the special harness. I'm waiting until he is physically mature and fills out a tad more, so it's sized correctly. I'm mostly wondering about training. Other than acclimating the dog to the harness and training him to understand what to do, does this sport involve a lot of training or is it one of those "they do it or they don't/they're built for it or they aren't" things?

Spazzy

Posted : 3/14/2010 7:40:38 PM

Ok, well, I dont do weight pull competitively... but heres some links that might help you - CDpits has GREAT articles on training for weight pull, and makes GREAT harnesses. IMO the best out there, my second choice would be MissyV. http://itsmysite.com/cgi-bin/itsmy/go.exe?page=10&domain=1&webdir=cdpits

GREAT article on weight pull training. It covers everything from the moment you get the harness to competition- http://www.apbt.info/tiki-index.php?page=Beginning+Weight+Pull

IMO- Yes, weight pull does require a lot of training. Most of the training is mentally rather than physical. Even if you know the dog is extremly strong and could easily pull the weight, you start out slow and do small increases in weight because you are teaching him that he can pull the weight and to NEVER give up. If you put too much weight because you know the dog could pull it, but he gives up because he didnt THINK he could do it, then he has failed and it will make the training harder.