how 2 pull part 2 by mark landers

WEIGHT PULL TRAINING

PART II

BY

MARK LANDERS

JUST TO RECAP WHERE WE LEFT OFF. IF YOU HAVE KEPT YOUR PATIENCE YOU SHOULD BE SEEING SOME GOOD RESULTS WITH YOUR "BACK AND FOURTHS" AND YOUR DRAG WEIGHT WALKS. AS I WRITE THIS ARTICLE, I MYSELF HAVE BEEN WORKING SEVERAL "NEW DOGS" WITH GOOD RESULTS.

BEFORE GOING INTO THE CARTING OF YOUR DOG, LET ME TALK A LITTLE ABOUT AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT - GOOD SOCIALIZATION, AS IT RELATES TO YOUR PULL DOG TRAINING. WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON YOUR PUPPY OR YOUNG DOG. YOU NEED TO BE GOING TO DIFFERENT PLACES TO PULL YOUR DOG. YOU SEE, THE DOG THAT HAS SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS PULLING IN HIS YARD OR TURF, WITH NO DISTRACTIONS, LOOKS GREAT. BUT, TAKE HIM IN FRONT OF A HUNDRED PEOPLE AND A BUNCH OF STRANGE DOGS AND YOU MAY THINK ALL YOUR HOURS OF TRAINING HAVE BEEN A WASTE OF TIME!


THE KEY HERE IS AGAIN, SMALL STEPS. TRY GOING TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARK OR SCHOOL. SOMEWHERE THAT HAS A NATURAL SURFACE (GRASS, DIRT). PRACTICE YOUR BACK AND FOURTHS. MAKE SURE THERE IS NOT TOO MUCK EXCITEMENT AT FIRST. A PARK IS GOOD ON A WEEKDAY, WHEN THERE IS NOT MUCH GOING ON. AT THIS TIME YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CORRECT ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT YOUR DOG MIGHT BE HAVING. AGAIN, TAKE IT SLOW AND EASY. USE LIGHTER LOADS THAN YOU WOULD IN YOUR YARD. THIS WILL HELP BUILD YOUR DOG'S CONFIDENCE IN THE NEW ENVIRONMENT. KEEP YOUR LEASH ON THE DOG, OR AT LEAST IN YOUR HAND!

ONE MORE THING THAT DOES NOT RELATE TO TRAINING, BUT MIGHT HELP YOU. PEOPLE IN PUBLIC TEND TO BE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THINGS, ESPECIALLY ANIMALS. IF THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A DOG WEIGHT PULL, THEY MAY THINK YOU ARE "KILLING" YOUR POOR DOG. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO KEEP THEIR DOGS CHAINED IN THE BACKYARD. EXCEPT TO FEED THEM AND KICK THEM OUT OF THE LAWNMOWER'S PATH, THEY DO NOTHING WITH THEM. PATIENCE AND COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY HERE. JUST EXPLAIN WHAT YOU AND YOUR DOG ARE TRAINING FOR. YOU WILL PROBABLY STILL GET SOME NEGATIVE REACTIONS. BUT, AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT DRAGGING YOUR DOG AROUND BY HIS NECK, THE PERSON WITH AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE WILL SEE THAT THE DOG IS 'DOING SOMETHING OF IT'S OWN FREE WILL, AND HAVING FUN!

ONE ADVANTAGE IS THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL NOVICE AND AMATEUR PULLS. YOU CAN MAKE THESE PULLS MORE OF A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAN A REAL COMPETITION. I ALSO HAVE FRIENDS WITH CART SYSTEMS SET UP. WE TAKE TURNS GOING BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHERS HOUSE TO PULL.


CART TRAINING THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IS A CART! SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A CHILD'S WAGON MIGHT DO. IF YOU ARE SERIOUS AND PLAN A FUTURE IN WEIGHT PULLING, YOU NEED TO INVEST IN A DECENT CART OR TRACK SYSTEM. THE CART I HAD MADE IS 3 FEET BY 6 FEET, WITH RUBBER BOAT TRAILER TIRES. EACH AXLE IS TESTED TO 2,000 LBS, GIVING ME AN 8,000 LB MAXIMUM LOAD, WHICH IS WAY MORE THAN ANY DOG WILL EVER PULL ON A RUBBER TIRED CART. I WENT WITH PAINTED STEEL SO IT CAN TAKE THE WEATHER, BUT GOOD TREATED WOOD SHOULD WORK FINE. THERE ARE PULL HOOKS ON BOTH ENDS, SO IT CAN PULL IN EITHER DIRECTION. I CHOSE A WHEELED CART OVER A RAIL SYSTEM. I DID THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE IWPA PULLS IN COLORADO THAN THERE ARE ADBA. (IWPA PULLS ON WHEELS; ADBA ON RAILS). ALSO, YOU DON'T NEED AS MUCH WEIGHT FOR A WHEELED CART AS YOU DO WITH A RAIL SYSTEM.



WEIGHTS FOR WEIGHT ON MY CART, I USE TRACTION SAND BAGS. THE KIND YOU PUT IN YOUR TRUNK IN THE WINTER TIME. THEY COME IN 50 LB AND 70 LB BAGS. THE BAGS THEMSELVES ARE MADE OF A THICK PLASTIC AND ARE PRETTY DURABLE. I WOULD STILL SUGGEST YOU COVER THEM OR STORE THEM OUT OF THE WEATHER. I'VE HAD MINE FOR 4 YEARS NOW AND ONLY LOSE ONE PERIODICALLY WHEN A SEAM BREAKS.

PULLING SURFACE - AS FAR AS SURFACES GO, I LIKE TO PULL ON CARPET. THE HOUSE I JUST SOLD HAD AN UNFINISHED BASEMENT, SO I LAID CARPET OVER THE CEMENT AND PULLED ON THAT. MY WIFE AND I HAVE RECENTLY BOUGHT A NEW PLACE WITH 3 ACRES AS TO EXPAND MY KENNELS. I NOW HAVE NO BASEMENT, SO I'VE LAID A STRIP OF CONCRETE IN FRONT OF MY GARAGE. I CAN PULL 20 FEET IN MY GARAGE AND ANOTHER 20 FEET OUT. THE DISTANCE YOU NEED TO PULL IN COMPETITION IS 16 FEET, BUT IN TRAINING I ALWAYS HAVE MY DOGS PULL THE CART 20-30 FEET. I HAVE A PIECE OF SHORT SHAG CARPET, 10 X 40 FEET. I JUST ROLL IT OUT OVER THE CEMENT. I LIKE THE SHAG TO BE AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE, EVEN SLIPPERY. THIS TEACHES THE DOG TO DIG. IF YOU GO FROM SHORT TO LONG SHAG AT COMPETITION TIME, NO BIG DEAL. THE BETTER FOR YOU. GOING FROM LONG TO SHORT SHAG COULD BE DISASTROUS!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRAIN ON CARPET, I RECOMMEND YOU LET YOUR DOG GET THE FEEL OF THE NEW SURFACE. LET HIM DO HIS BACK AND FOURTHS WITH DRAG WEIGHTS ON THE CARPET. I SOMETIMES TAKE AS MUCH AS A WEEK TO INTRODUCE A PUPPY TO CARPET. REMEMBER, TAKE EVERYTHING STEP BY STEP.

AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF BACK AND FOURTHS ON THE CARPET, IT IS TIME TO DROP THE DRAG WEIGHTS AND HOOK UP THE CART. YOU NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER PERSON HELP YOU BY HOLDING THE CART. THE LAST THING YOU NEED NOW IS TO HAVE THE CART SMASHING INTO YOUR SYSTEMATICALLY TRAINED DOG, AND SCARING THE BEJESUS OUT OF HIM! MAKE SURE THE CART HANDLER IS INFORMED ON WHAT TO DO. A DOG CAPABLE OF DRAGGING 50 LBS FOR A MILE CAN FLY WITH MOST UNLOADED CARTS.

WE ARE NOT TESTING HIS STRENGTH HERE, MERELY GETTING HIM FAMILIAR WITH THE CART. I RECOMMEND YOU PUT A LEASH ON YOUR DOG AND STAND WITH HIM AT YOUR SIDE. GIVE HIM HIS COMMAND AND WALK FORWARD. IF HE BOLTS OR TRIES TO TURN AROUND, JUST REASSURE HIM BY CONTROLLING HIM WITH THE LEASH, AND GIVING A LOT OF PRAISE. I ALSO TREAT HIM WITH A PIECE OF FOOD. IF EVERYTHING HAS BEEN LAID OUT PROPERLY IN YOUR TRAINING, THE CART SHOULD BE NO BIG PROBLEM. BUT DO GO SLOW! I WOULD NOT TRY TO HAVE HIM PULL THE CART WITH YOU TOO FAR AWAY. KEEP HIM AT YOUR SIDE FOR SEVERAL DAYS, OR AT LEAST UNTIL HE STOPS LOOKING BEHIND HIM TO SEE WHAT'S THERE.

WHEN THE DOG STARTS TO PULL JUST BY HIS COMMAND, TAKE THE LEASH OFF. STAY AT HIS SIDE AND GIVE HIM A LOT OF PRAISE. THE CART PULLS DIFFERENTLY THAN THE DRAG WEIGHTS, SO IF YOUR DOG'S STYLE APPEARS TO REGRESS SOME, DON'T WORRY. BY KEEPING THE WEIGHT LIGHT, HE SHOULD PULL THE CART LIKE A CHAMP AFTER A VERY SHORT TIME. GO NO MORE THAN 10-15 PULLS. THE FIRST FEW DAYS ALWAYS KEEP IT FUN. A LOT OF PRAISE AND TREATS. MAKE SURE HE PULLS THE CART 20-30 FEET EACH TIME. IF HE CAN PULL THE CART IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, EVEN BETTER.

YOUR ATTACHMENTS TO THE CART, YOUR TRAILERS, SHOULD BE 2 1/2 3 1/2 FEET LONG. I LIKE TO START MY DOG AT THE END OF THE LINE. NO SLACK. A GOOD WHEELED CART DOES NOT NEED A BOUNCE START. HE SHOULD LEAN INTO THE WEIGHT AND USE HIS STRENGTH TO START IT.

AS FAR AS WEIGHT INCREMENTS GO, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW EASY YOUR DOG PULLS THE EMPTY CART. IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO GO EASY WITH THE WEIGHT. THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF CART TRAINING YOU CAN PULL EVERY DAY, 10-15 PULLS. JUST LETTING YOUR DOG GET THE FEEL OF IT.

ONCE THE DOG IS PULLING THE CART, A SCHEDULE OF ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK IS ADVISABLE. INCREASE WEIGHT IN SMALL INCREMENTS. SAY YOUR DOG PULLS THE CART WITH GREAT EASE, ADD 140 LBS AND LET HIM PULL IT TWICE. READ YOUR DOG'S EFFORT. EASY, HARD? GO UP LIKE THIS 4 OR 5 TIMES. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR DOG'S PERSONAL BEST AND DON'T EXCEED IT BY A WIDE MARGIN.

LET ME STOP HERE AND SAY, YOU SHOULD STILL BE WORKING YOUR DOG ON HIS DRAG WEIGHTS AT LEAST 2-3 TIMES A WEEK. DRAG AT LEAST 1/2 TO 1 MILE. ADD WEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED OVER 25% OF THE DOG'S BODY WEIGHT.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A CART WORKOUT

50% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 30 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS

70% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 60 SECONDS BETWEEN PULLS

80% OF MAX 4 TIMES - 2 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS

85-90% OF MAX 2 TIMES 2-3 MINUTES BETWEEN PULLS

NEVER PULL A MAXIMUM LOAD MORE THAN EVERY 3-4 WEEKS. A COOL DOWN OF 4-6 PULL, 50% OF MAX CAN BE USED.

MAKE YOUR DOG'S PULL TIME FUN. USE YOUR TREATS AND PRAISE. YOU CAN NOW START WEANING HIM OFF TREATS BY GIVING ONE EVERY OTHER PULL, EVERY THIRD PULL, EVERY FOURTH AND SO ON. BE PATIENT AND TRY NOT TO GET MAD. YOUR BUDDY WILL SENSE IT! HAVE FUN.


THE FORMER AND THIS ARTICLE HAVE BEEN GENERAL. I’VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE WAY I TRAIN BY DOGS. IT HAS BEEN GENERAL TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT I HOPE INFORMATIVE.

YOU AND YOUR DOG PULLING HEAVY WEIGHTS AS A TEAM TAKES DEDICATION AND WORK. THE PUBLIC WILL LOOK AT YOU AND YOUR BULLDOG IN A POSITIVE WAY!

Very good information. Thank you Jeremy

This is from the Mighty Harness website... www.mightyharness.com

Some owners train puppies as early as six weeks. However, most owners start a puppy around 4 - 6 months old. The following steps are regarded as the fundamentals of training a puppy to pull.

♣ Each step requires approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour per day 3 - 4 days per week, patience and praise!

Step #1: Leash Train Puppy: (time: 5 - 10 days)

♣Walk in front of puppy instead of on the side.

♣Walk to the end of the leash and call the puppy toward you.

♣If puppy refuses to walk toward you, gently, but quickly tug leash until puppy responds correctly.

Step #2: Familiarize puppy with training area such as a track or other area: (5 - 10 days) For example, leash walk puppy down track or a 10 - 15 foot straight walking area. This procedure should be done 10 - 15 times per training session.

♣Always use the same starting position and ending position.

♣Many owners only enter track from the end and only exit the track from the end. This teaches the puppy that there is only one way to enter or exit the track.

♣At this stage many owners carry puppy back to starting position each time, however other owners require puppy to walk back to the starting position.

♣Many owners train their dogs in sets. For example, 15 leash walks down the track or other area would be done in 3 sets of 5 walks with 5-minute rest periods after each set.

♣If puppy does not perform the 5th walk appropriately (e.g. refusing to walk or jump off track) correct puppy immediately by quickly tugging down and pulling forward to end of area and then repeat the 5th. Walk until puppy performs satisfactorily. The object is to teach the dog that she/he must perform correctly in order to finish the pull.

♣Many owners use a minimum of commands in a soft, yet firm voice for a puppy, then reserve a louder voice for more advanced dogs. For instance, a one-word command such as "work" or "pull" is said while puppy is walking down track area.

Step #3: Familiarize puppy with pulling harness: (5 - 10 days) Do not attach any weight to harness. Repeat step 2 with harness, leash, and collar.

♣Do not start puppy with a harness that is too tight or too short. A tight harness will irritate the puppy and the stick of the short harness will hit the puppy's back legs.

♣Do not leave puppy unattended in harness, as they will chew their way out of it.

♣Many trainers simply play with the dog while she/he is wearing the harness.

Step #4: Add a noisy, lightweight object to harness: (5 - 10 days) Repeat step 2 with harness, leash, collar, and noisy object.

♣Noise should be constant and not intermittent. For example, an empty plastic pop bottle with a few rocks inside or a set of keys produce a constant noise, but a toy or other object that only produce noise when wound or otherwise is distracting. The object of noise is to habituate the puppy to the sounds.

♣Object should weigh 3 times less than puppy. For instance, a 20-pound puppy should only pull a 5-pound object.

♣Correction (i.e. quick downward tugs and forward pulls with leash) and praise may be needed more at this stage. Remember to apply immediately when appropriate.

Step #5: Allow puppy to pull object without leash attached to collar: (10 - 20 days) At starting position, detach leash, back up a few feet and call puppy toward you. Repeat this procedure until puppy starts and completes the full length of the pull independently. Remember that this step is the puppies' first independent pull. Therefore, the owner's relationship with the puppy and puppies' individual personalities are important elements at this stage.

♣Hold leash in hand and stay close enough to puppy in order to quickly re-attach leash and correct puppy if it does not pull.

♣Lay leash in front of puppy in order to remind them of the correction if pull is not completed (many owners drag leash in front of puppy or click the snap of leash as a reminder).

Step #6: Add weight to object: (3 - 4 days per week) If a plastic bottle with rocks has been used, you may simply add more rocks, but if other objects (i.e. keys) have been used, it may be necessary to change to another object entirely. The main objective is more weight. In addition to this change, another decision must be made at your judgment. It is the amount of weight to add using the puppy's weight, size, and attitude as criteria. For some puppies are very small or very large and/or may have grown twice their size in since training started, therefore a small amount or a larger amount of weight should be added appropriately. Equally important to weight is the attitude of the puppy. For example, a timid puppy may accept a little weight, whereas an aggressive puppy may accept a larger amount of weight.

♣Noise is not as important now but should not be entirely eliminated.

♣A smooth dragging object such as a window weight(s) or a small wheeled cart is successful for many trainers.

♣Some trainers use rules for puppy's drag weight such as the weights must weigh half the weight of the puppy or 75% of the weight of the puppy. Most trainers simply judge the amount according to the puppies ability.

Step #7: Start endurance training: (3 - 4 days per week) Endurance training is usually started around 6 - 8 months and involves one of two procedures. The first procedure is a continuation of track pulling with increments of weight changed from low to high and then back down to lower weight at end of session. A second procedure is drag weighting the puppy for a specific distance or time. Drag weighting is simply walking with the puppy while she/he pulls a smooth dragging object.

♣Choose a smooth and level area as rocks or gravel may injure a puppy's pads.

♣Most trainers drag weight a distance of a half mile with a puppy (depending on age).

♣Leash does not have to be attached to collar, but it should be taken in case correction is needed.

WOW, thanks for the INFO...