weighted collars

[bgdawgrr]

Hello all,
Just wondering if any of you have used weighted collars to excercise and build neck muscles of your working dogs? Where could I get a nice one made? I am not talking about hanging a weight on a collar like many dogmen, but something similar to ankle weights we would wear for walking. The only one I have ever seen was from a company in Sweden. They offer 1 and 2 kg collars. Would rather order in the US.
I am looking to build up the stamina and neck of my girl for Ring. She is moving into suit work from leg sleeves. I have done losts of harness work, but she chokes out on flat collars (pulls hard) and gets tired.
Thanks for the help.
Richard

[Judi W]

The neck muscling is directly related to the shoulder placement. A ewe neck is due to shoulder placement not exercise. Most Rottweilers have a fairly heavy neck regardless. I am quite skeptical that a weighted collar would have an effect on what you desire. Stamina is best built up by extending exercise. Road work is one of the best things for building stamina. Most field work calls for bursts of energy whereas road work gradually builds up stamina for longer expansions of energy.

[Barbara Surplus]

For what it's worth, one of the positive aspects of feeding a raw diet is that the vigourous chewing and ripping action actually strengthens neck muscles. I imagine for the type of work you do with your dog, it might not be the only exercise recommended but it does go a long way in promoting a strong neck in conjunction with, as Judi says, building their stamina through other work.
Barbara

[mark_sherry]

Richard,
If you're looking for the kind of neck that the pitmen are getting on their dogs, then you'll actually use a combination of everyone's comments so far. The ankle style weight that is used for running is what you'd strap around your dog's neck. You'll need to attach more velcro because the biggest size won't fit around a moderate sized neck. Then, you'll want to do some road work, like Judi says. A lot of the pitmen only use the weight when they're running their dogs on a treadmill. Finally, I have to agree with Barbara totally. A raw diet is a great way to build muscle, not only because it promotes some heavy-duty chewing and grinding but because it also ensures that there's a lot of protein in your dog's diet to support muscle growth.
Mark

[Rottlva]

Just a thought, wouldn't a weighted collar or any weight worn over a period of time alter the normal movement of the neck thus creating improperly shaped musculature?

[Judi W]

That is possible. More likely, if the dog were to be asked to do road work while wearing a weighted collar, it would affect reach and drive, probably shortening the stride which is already shortened in a dog with steep shoulders. Wearing a weighted collar while on a sleeve would have a different effect.

[mark_sherry]

It would produce altered musculature, but for those wanting to build the necks of their dogs, then that is what they're after. I personally wouldn't tamper with the neck of a Rottweiler, but many people do. I think that, over the course of working the dogs, the general exercise they get will naturally build the neck in proportion to the body. If the dog is working (let's say ScH or PP) then the neck will be built through the natural course of the training, and the neck will be built in proportion to the amount of stress induced through training. Again, in addition to that, I think eating a raw diet with a higher proportion of RMBs also helps build the neck when not in training. I'm also concerned about the stress a weight would put on the skelature of the vertebrae, but again, many people do it succesfully day in and day out. That risk is up to the handler, and I think caution and careful observance is in order for those using weight training. And speaking of weight training, another great way of building the entire dog is through weight pulling, something that I've recently started with Brita with a light load. Over the next few years, as she can build up weight, it should help her strengthen all of her muscles and give her more power to drive through a decoy.

Mark