Harness Pulling

[Ruskie489]

How do I get my pup started in Harness pulling, Like pulling my daughters at the park and letting him do light work? And what age do I start?

[Tazwick]

First off, I would wait til atleast 24 months (IMO) to even introduce them to weight pulling. You can start by purchasing a proper weight pulling harness, and get him used to walking only around on that. Then as he gets used to that, use empty pop bottles for him to drag around to get used to the noise of something be drug behind him. Praise him as walks beside you...use a leash and collar as well as the harness so you have some control.

Slowly add a bit of sand in one pop bottle at first, and then the other. Do not do this to fast. Let the dog pull this around for some time before adding anything to it...you can buy a childsled as the dog gets used to pulling the pop bottles. Start off using absolutely nothing in the sled. As the dog gets used to the sled, I would put the pop bottles in the sled....and very gradually add more weight.

If you do this too fast, you could injure your dog. Best thing to do is contact your breeder for advice...some breeders will advise to wait til 24 months before introducing them to weight pulling. Also pay a visit to your vet to make sure your dog is in good health.

Hope this helps.:)

[Ramon]

In my opinion, you can introduce a puppy to weight pulling. You just shouldn't make him pull anything that requires much effort. Pulling something like a 1-2 pound milk jug filled with sand could teach him the concept of weight pulling without hurting his joints any more than a walk in the park would hurt him. When he gets bigger, you can move up to a tire and then gradually add weights. Just don't make him pull anything that he can't easily pull for half a mile until his bones and joints are fully developed.
Here's some links that might be helpful:

http://www.iwpa.net/
http://www.am-bulldog.com/arf/Articl...ght%20pull.htm
http://www.members2.boardhost.com/2948wisecup/
http://www.american-bulldog.com/weig...l_training.htm
http://www.big-planet.org/Weight_pulling4.htm
http://home.pacifier.com/~bulldog/weight.html

[Tazwick]

I didn't know they made puppy harnesses, but I guess we learn something new everyday. :) I would recommend going by your breeders advice though. Some breeders want you to wait til 24 mos of age.

I have introduced my 17 mos old male to the harness, on my breeders advice, of course. She said that I could start lightly like how I described in my previous post. It helps build muscle mass and puts the dog in really good condition once you have reached the actual weight pulling. I think I will wait til 24 mos of age before I actually do any real weight pulling.