Weight Pulling?? Good or Bad?

[K-9Girl]

I was just wondering what everyone thinks of weight pulling? The other day I was watching a show on Animal Planet and it showed a Greater Swiss Mountain dog pulling weight in a competition. I looked pretty cool and the dog looked like it enjoyed doing it. Do Rotties compete in this? If so, are there any downsides to having your Rottie do this? Is it good for the dog? What does it take to train your Rottie to do weight pulling?

[MonsterFarm]

Yes, rotties do it.

It is very safe. The assoc. that governs it is proud of the fact that no dog has ever been injured at a weight pull. You are only allowed to use positive encouragement while pulling. No verbal or physical correction, no name calling etc. The dogs must want to do it.

Lets see...you spend time with your dog...you must keep your dog active and fit....you must build a trusting bond with your dog so he wants to pull for you...

I see only pluses on this activity.... BUT...you must get complete health clearance from vet before beginning this or any other strenuous avtivity with your dog.

I believe that if you search under weight pulling you will find their website. There should be info on how to get started.

:) :) GOOD LUCK:) :)

[luvarott]

Well if Sandi Overgaard and her husband do it with their Rotts I would have to think it is a GOOD thing, given proper conditioning and instruction. These are carting dogs after all and should be well capable of it.
I have seen Ron Overgaard on Animal Planet competing in weight pull with a Rottie bitch who did great!
Their kennel name is Pepperhaus Rottweilers and they do have a website if you run a search. They also bred the the #1Rott in AKC from last year, Pepperhaus Praetorian....

[RottnKid1]

I think it's fine provided that you have a very healthy, well conditioned DOG (not pup). The dog needs to be slowly and steadily worked into proper condition. You can teach your pup all the basics without putting actual weight behind him and, therefore, prepare him for future training and competition. AND, when doing this, I don't believe in allowing a dog to jump into the traces. I've seen plenty of injuries in horses who are taught to jump into the traces rather than ease into them. Granted, your animal(s) might not manage to pull the maximum amount of weight without that "jump start," but keeping the animals safe is much more important than any competition.

[Ramon]

If you have a healthy dog with good joints and hips, I think it's a great activity. I see it as the canine equivalent to lifting weights at the gym. You might even notice your dog getting more muscular like a bodybuilder, which I would think should help most show dogs. If you search for the IWPA website, you'll get a lot of info on the sport. The only downside is having to deal with ignorant people when you're out there in public, who think you're doing something cruel or doing it to train him for dog fighting.