How soon is to soon ?

I have been a wondering about starting Lexi on the weight pull and agility and stuff like that. ( if im not saying them right, sorry, dont know much about any of this stuff) But i was a wondering how early did everyone start there dogs off with it ? What is the recommended age? Right now, she is around, 5 months old. Im assuming that is to young ? Any advice on any of it would be great. Thanks.

It all depends on who you ask, some people start super young like 6 weeks (very very light weight) and then I've heard "Don't do it until they are 2". I started my boy, Dookie at around 3 or 4 months with some light weight and my female started closer to nine months. I really feel like the earlier, the better, just so you can get them used to it and it isn't sometihng scary to them.

How would i need to get her to start ? Anything i need ? How much weight do i need to start off with ?

You need a harness check out: http://www.alaskandream.org/

and to start, just use an empty milk jug at first and gradually add rocks or sand. Later on you can get a sled and some weights.

I agree that the earlier the better...with that being said, the training needs to start with bonding and commands.
The Mighty Harness website has some really good tips...www.mightyharness.com

weightpullharness.com
i hear theses are the best you can get theses days, and they also have some good info on starting dogs/pups for pulling

here's some handy info:
http://www.pulldoggies.com/101.htm

and
http://www.american-bulldog.com/weight_pull_training.htm
(it applies to the AB dog, but the same basic principle applies)

Weight pulling, done well, is a fantastic outlet for the competitive spirit of bulldogs and their owners. In the winner's circle, the pit bull's will to win and desire to please has catapulted the breed over traditional Northern breeds bred for sledge pulling!

Several organizations hold weight pulls open to pit bulls. But only the International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) and the American Pull Alliance (APA) allow ALL pit bulls (meaning rescue dogs, mixed breeds and other animals without registration papers) to compete. The United Kennel Club, the Continental Kennel Club, National Kennel Club, AAPBA and the American Dog Breeder's Association all offer weight pulls, but dogs must be registered with their organization. In some they cannot even be spayed or neutered.

IWPA trials are well thought out with safety factors like no pulls during the summer heat, and a minimum age of 12 months for pulling dogs. In my opinion, all the other organizations leave much to be desired. Some offer very "easy" titles (some you can earn at just one pull), some allow handlers to continue to pull dogs, over and over, that want to quit. Most allow "baiting" which is unsafe, some even allow young puppies and adolescent dogs to pull, which is completely irresponsible and shows no regard for the safety and health of the animals.

At an IWPA pull, each dog is harnessed and hooked to a cart (or sled in the snow) upon which increasing increments of weight are added. Each dog has 60 seconds to pull the load 16 feet without the handler touching the dog or crossing a line which is in front of the dog. Dogs cannot be "baited". The dog that pulls the most weight across the line (in the fastest time in case of a tie) wins. Dogs can earn three titles, the Working Dog (WD) for pulling 12 times their body weight at four different pulls. The Working Dog Excellent (WDX) for pulling 18 times their body weight at four different pulls, and the Working Dog Superior (WDS) for pulling 23 times their body weight at three different pulls. Dogs can also compete for regional and national ranking.

Some organizations allow the dog to pull on a platform of carpet, while the cart rides on metal rails. This allows for much higher weights than when the cart and dog are on the same surface. Because each pull offers a different surface and conditions, pull weights cannot be compared from pull to pull.

A game pit bull loves to work, and will do so without any force.





(from Diane J.'s site)

Well i am also wanting to start training my dog for pulling as well i found this when reading around the site and it has great tips on everything you need to know. Credit goes to Mark Landers and than you Jermy from after shock kennels for posting it for us all:) Part 1 1http://www.pitbull-family.com/training-behavior-f33/how-2-weight-pull-by-mark-landers-t1024.htm Part 2 http://www.pitbull-family.com/training-behavior-f33/how-2-pull-part-2-by-mark-landers-t1025.htm. I hope this helps you it helped me learn alot and has great info.

mark landers wrote that not me

jeremy @ aftershockennels wrote:

mark landers wrote that not me

I fixed it thanks Jermy for posting the article for us all