Drag Pull Weights

What do you have your dogs pull when you're doing some training?

Chains?

Window weights?

Or a sled type thing with either Blocks or Metal Weights?

I have a sled I made the other day, no weight on it yet because we're only starting and also I don't have a proper pulling harness for Eddie (yet)

Ill put up a pic of my thing in the morning :)

Hank pulls the speed pull sled & me.

I use a sled for mine, I gradually build the weight up increments of about 5lbs every week, though it can be more depending on how much progress the dog is making.... I used 4 pint milk cartons filled with water, which pretty much amounts to 5lbs

I also use chains and empty drinks cans to get them used to the noise, in the initial stages, milk cartons filled with stones does the job just as well........

Hope this helps mate :)


~John~

ps. How old is Eddie now?

im using a tyre which weighs 15.5lbs and going to start using sandbags they weigh 33lbs each. think ill split them in three and gradually build it up over a period of time. also going to use the milk carton and stones as sometimes shelby gets abit freaked with the noise

i was wondering about distance.... is it short distances and keep doing it over ?

Well I always make sure my dogs pull a distance that is longer than any pull on rails or wheels, reason for this is, if the pull is say 15' or 30' you don't want the dog to be condioned to just that lenght because they may stop ½ way through lol, I do repetitions on a sled over about 80' also it pays to do some stop start training, because a good recovered pull is as important as a good normal pull...

^^ nice one

Good replies people

Eddie is bang on 11mos now.

Think his birthday is like June 22nd or something.

He's just about the right age to start :)

Looks a fine sled you have there, get him used to pulling that empty, once he is used to that you can start adding some weight, but not too much all at once though, weight is not important at the moment as his joints are still developing at this stage, training a dog for weight pull is more a psychological thing than it psychical strength....

I had a similar sled to that one for Bullseye when I started out with him and filled it with milk cartons filled with water, starting with 5lbs and added more every week, eventualy he will develop his pulling technique and start digging in to move the load :)

Look forward to seeing some progress pics mate :)

~John~

Thanks John.

I think I'll do a week or two of him dragging it around for a week or two to get used to it. Then hopefully I'll have bought a harness and will be able to get training for it properly over the summer.

Ok then Harry, good luck mate and remember patience is everything! :)


~John~

Harry,

I like to use a wide collar to begin with one of those thick rope leads connected to the collar then attach a short length of chain.

You can have different lengths and weights of chain. You will find the resistance of dragging the chain will add to the workout, therefore you will need less weight than something on wheels for example.

Lighter weight dragged for longer time will give good overall muscle definition. If you get into heavy weight then i'd go with a harness to spread the pulling force.

Hope your well mate

cs

would it be too early to start Tank with the bottle with stones to get him used to things he's 8 months now?

What I've been doing in the evenings was putting an old harness on him, attaching about 4' of chain, then 2L Milk Cartoon filled with water (1L of water = 1KG) and he's been pulling about 50 meters, then turn and back.

Repeated that about 5 times then play with his football, I'm trying to start off without baiting and see how we get on.

The weight isn't holding him back, it's just the mind is holding him back as you say John.

@Jay, I think it'd be good to start him with that now. Be no harm anyway.