Dog weight-pulling is essentially the
canine version of the tractor pull. Others have compared it to
powerlifting or strongman competitions.
Competing dogs are tethered to a wheeled cart by a special harness, and they must use their body strength to pull increasingly heavy loads, usually consisting of concrete or bricks. For each timed round, the weight-pulling dogs must drag their loads a total of 16 feet down a track. The dog who manages to pull their load the required distance in the fastest time wins. Each competing dog’s owner or handler makes no physical contact with their pooch during the rounds; they must stand in front of the animal and coach it forward.
Owners who take their dogs to participate in weight-pulling claim the activity promotes a healthy owner-dog bond and is great exercise. Working breeds who were originally bred for this kind of activity find weight-pulling especially beneficial as it helps them expel their energy, sport supporters say. The American Pulling Dogs Association (APDA) explains that pulling activities are a great method of curbing problem behaviors in dogs.
“In the light of the changes over the last 40 years in our lifestyle, culture, personal activity levels and the lack of time available in working households, we see more and more dogs who have an exercise requirement that is difficult for some owners to fulfill, which can lead to various issues,” the explains. “Dog professionals in some areas have found a different type of exercise, specifically weight-pulling, to be not only easier for many clients to provide, without a high investment of time, money, and equipment, but have also shown significant improvements in various behavior problems as well.”
Behavioral problems that often land dogs in shelters — problems like aggression, pacing, shyness, hyperactivity, reactivity, or other repetitive, obsessive-compulsive behaviors — can be vastly improved when dogs are given an energy outlet like weight-pulling, APDA argues.
Competing dogs are tethered to a wheeled cart by a special harness, and they must use their body strength to pull increasingly heavy loads, usually consisting of concrete or bricks. For each timed round, the weight-pulling dogs must drag their loads a total of 16 feet down a track. The dog who manages to pull their load the required distance in the fastest time wins. Each competing dog’s owner or handler makes no physical contact with their pooch during the rounds; they must stand in front of the animal and coach it forward.
Owners who take their dogs to participate in weight-pulling claim the activity promotes a healthy owner-dog bond and is great exercise. Working breeds who were originally bred for this kind of activity find weight-pulling especially beneficial as it helps them expel their energy, sport supporters say. The American Pulling Dogs Association (APDA) explains that pulling activities are a great method of curbing problem behaviors in dogs.
“In the light of the changes over the last 40 years in our lifestyle, culture, personal activity levels and the lack of time available in working households, we see more and more dogs who have an exercise requirement that is difficult for some owners to fulfill, which can lead to various issues,” the explains. “Dog professionals in some areas have found a different type of exercise, specifically weight-pulling, to be not only easier for many clients to provide, without a high investment of time, money, and equipment, but have also shown significant improvements in various behavior problems as well.”
Behavioral problems that often land dogs in shelters — problems like aggression, pacing, shyness, hyperactivity, reactivity, or other repetitive, obsessive-compulsive behaviors — can be vastly improved when dogs are given an energy outlet like weight-pulling, APDA argues.
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