# Is weight pulling harmful to a dog?



## Proud Marine Dad (Apr 1, 2009)

I have watched some of these APBT weight pull videos and I felt sorry for the dog. The poor thing looks like it is straining so hard it might hurt itself.
What does that do to their joints for later in life? 
Maybe it's just me.


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## megz (Jul 25, 2008)

i have always wanted to get into weight pulling with Boomer but i said i wouldn't even consider real "training" until he was at least two years old. personal preference because i don't know his breeding.
now that he has turned two my first step will be to have him checked over by our vet. the second will be to get the right equipment. and we will work from there.

people who do weight pulling, for the most part, (there are jackarses out there) know what they are doing, the dog is never put in harms way. the owners know thier dogs and they would never force a dog to pull more than what they can. 

i can't wait to see what some of the others who do weight pulling have to say


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## smith family kennels (Jan 10, 2009)

weight pull for dogs is kind of like weight lifting for people. It takes alot of training and conditioning you can't just throw a dog out there. These dogs pull because they want to pull. If they didnt want to or felt like they couldnt do it they would quit or not try. pit bulls were bred to be athelic and they love a challenge weight pull is a great challenge for them. As far as health wise its just like anything else. If you dont train and condition your body to do it you can get hurt. There are several things you can do in weight pull that can cause you to hurt your dog but if you properly train, condition, and follow the rules put in place to protect your dog then weight pull should not be harmful. Diet is another factor some people seem to leave out. Just like a person a athelic dog needs a good diet and some even go the extra step for joint protection with supplements. But its like any other dog sport. freestyle diskies(freesbie) and agility can also harm your dog and their joints if you dont train and condition them for that sport. These dogs are going to be atheltic and go for a challenge its what they were bred to do by giving them something safe to do with all that energy and stubborn im going for it mind span that they have we are actually keeping them out of trouble and safe from themselves


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## Proud Marine Dad (Apr 1, 2009)

Thanks for the responses. 
Is the world record still held by that Newfoundland that I remember seeing in the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid?


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## smith family kennels (Jan 10, 2009)

lol I have no clue I haven't looked


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## los44 (Jun 1, 2008)

i believe it takes its toll on a dog, like any profession. but i think an experienced trainer/handler/breeder would or should know when a dog is injured, possibly injured, when to push, back off ect ect or to retire a dog. jmo

imho wp is a great exercise for this breed, determination is what they are known for and 9 times out of 10 is the difference between 1st and last. the notion of it being harmful is like beauty....it resides within the eyes of the beholder. was the [] harmful? rhetorical question


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## bahamutt99 (May 14, 2008)

Weight pull done improperly can certainly be detrimental. Going heavy on a young dog, going heavy on an unconditioned dog, etc. I personally haven't seen any injuries in a trained, in-shape dog. When Loki hurt her leg, drag work was one of the things she could do. Conversely, if she ran too much or walked too much on concrete, she would limp. (I mainly "dabble" in weight pull as I do other sports, and I've had my dogs pull (I think) up to 1500 pounds on wheels. Not a whole lot, but enough where they have to work hard to get 'er done.) Now we did have one dog that got so amped up he would bounce and lunge around in the harness, and I suspected that _that_ might have eventually led to injury, but he wasn't pulled much so we'll never know.

ETA: I think one of the things we see in lines that are being bred to pull is that a dog can have horrid conformation and pull like a freight train. Some of the lines are being bred with weak pasterns, flat feet, straight rears, short muzzles, etc. Those features in and of themselves probably take their toll on the dog, especially as it ages. I can't say for certain since I don't own dogs bred like that. But overall, a dog with tight feet, good angulation, etc., has a sounder structure and should in theory be less prone to injury.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Any sport can end in injuries but conditioning and proper training will minimize this. some people I think train the wrong way for WP and I do feel sorry for their dogs. Some dogs are forced to pull or run the risk of getting their butt kicked but the handler. You can tell those dogs when you go to a pull and they will normally quit on the handler. Then you have people who's dogs love to pull and have had good training. Those dogs are the ones I love to watch. When Leonard pulls Monsoon (our first real WP dog) he is so excited to get hooked to the cart because he loves to pull and please my husband. He will pull 4x more for my husband as he will for me. Monsoon loves me but he will do anything for my husband. Those are the dogs that love the sport and have had good training.
Now physically speaking dogs do (like people) break down over time but that is expected in any sport. Personally in my kennel I do not have a WP related injury but I get them in agility and Schutzhund more often. Weight pull has no twisting or turning and is straight on a track for under a min. Agility and Schutzhund are twisting, turning, running, etc and the larger the risk to the dog. My dogs come home bloody after a Schutzhund work out 2x a week. Bit tongues, split lips from hitting the sleeve so hard, and ripped out dew claws to name a few. That would never deter me from doing sports and the dogs love it. so IMO I think there are more "dangerous" sports that WP.

I would like to hear about injuries from a kennel that does more WP then ours does.

What about Old Fort Kennels, you do allot of WP right?


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## Sadie's Dad (Jul 9, 2009)

Simple! You would have to start off slow and just work your dog like you would work yourself. You wouldn't put 515 lbs. on a bar bell and get into the squat rack unless you wanted to break the lower half of your body.


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## jbh38 (Apr 26, 2008)

Weight pull is fine for a dog, if they are conditioned and trained. I have seen injuries from weight pull like a torn ACL, but it is like with any athelete, you take them in cold without warming them up and something can happen.

I have never seen any older dog suffer any joint problems or health problems later in their life because of weight pull.


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## jeremy @ aftershockennels (May 17, 2009)

ive seen about 10-15 dogs get hurt chasing a ball and or jumping off things (stairs,couch,back of truck)but ive only seen one broken nail during weight pulling 

my dog tank hit his knee on some wood playing in the snow and that was the end to weight pulling after 2 years of pull training with no injuries 

balls+carpet=injury


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