Anyone do weight pulling with their dogs?

I've been thinking about teaching my dogs to do some weight pulling. They are little guys though (7-15 lbs.) My largest (15lb) can pull at least 60 lbs without the proper harness, but since she likes to pull I was thinking about getting her one if the harnesses so she can do it safely. My smallest at 7 lbs can pull 35lbs. I dont want them hurting themselves with their normal walking harnesses and I would like to train them to do it properly.



Does anyone do weight pulling with their dogs (both big and small?) Any advice on where to get small, quality harnesses?

curious. Why? Im not familiary with what this is or why you'd want to do it? Is this like sled dogs pulling sleds?

What breed of dogs?

Your dogs are on the smaller side. What breed are they (some small breeds are good for pulling and some are not)? They do need to be the proper age for pulling too. Just google "small pulling harness" I haven't seen a lot of sites that offer it though most are for dogs that are 50lbs and up. You should also try to find a club near you so you can train and maybe compete.

They appear to like to pull things and could use the exercise. I probably wouldnt be doing the super heavy weight pulls for the 16 feet. It would just be more like they pull a smaller amount of weight on walks and stuff. Its similar to sled pulling (sometimes on snow, dirt, grass, or whatever the case may be. With or without wheels on the carts depening on the ground.)

One is a chihuahua, one is some kind of chihuahua mix (maybe a tiny bit of pug? He doesnt have the really flat nose though,) and a small corgi/terrier type mix. They are all adults so no worries about age.

I don't have ny advise for you but my shelties are awesome pulling me along on skates, I've alays been tempted to get a little cart and harnesses!

My rotty can pull a 80lb log around by her choke chain !!!!!

backpacks are a good alternative too if you can't find pull harnesses in their size.

Olimpia said:

I don't have ny advise for you but my shelties are awesome pulling me along on skates, I've alays been tempted to get a little cart and harnesses!

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Yeah, I was thinking about having them pull me on skates but I would have to really train them to follow commands first! I dont know how well they would be at stopping when I want them to.


Also, what is a backpack?

I know, the stopping could use some work! But my oldest sheltie just loves it, once I get the momentum going she can run with me for miles at top speed, it's the only way to let her release all her energy! The pup isn't such a huge fan of just running for the fun of it but he still has fun.

I did do the backpacks for my oldest as well, it's just a doggie backpack that you can fill with something (like small bags of sand or water bottles or whatever) and it makes the dog work harder during walks/hikes. Especially with working dogs it makes them feel as though they're being useful too, especially if you fill it with important things like water and snacks for a hike. I like them, except that you get really weird looks from people if you're just walking down the street.

My dog loves her backpack! She gets excited and sits still so you can put it on. We got it for her because we have been climbing mountains (like the really big 14,000 footers) and she would practically run up the mountain and pull me all the way down. She has so much energy! So we got her a backpack and she carries the first aid kit, her water bottle and her snacks. But people tend to say things like, 'wow you make her carry your stuff?' totally oblivious that we have backpacks of our own. Moki likes feeling like she has a job, just like my friend's hound, and she gets more exercise. And it wears her out a little more on our hikes. And to think, she's the one with cancer and she needs to be worn out!

ferretinmyshoes said:

My dog loves her backpack! She gets excited and sits still so you can put it on. We got it for her because we have been climbing mountains (like the really big 14,000 footers) and she would practically run up the mountain and pull me all the way down. She has so much energy! So we got her a backpack and she carries the first aid kit, her water bottle and her snacks. But people tend to say things like, 'wow you make her carry your stuff?' totally oblivious that we have backpacks of our own. Moki likes feeling like she has a job, just like my friend's hound, and she gets more exercise. And it wears her out a little more on our hikes. And to think, she's the one with cancer and she needs to be worn out!

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So cute!! Carrying a first aid kit is a great idea! Do you put wax on her paws? Those rocks look sharp!

Thanks! I have dog booties for her and the pug, and lots of bandaging supplies, in case they cut their paws but so far no problems. By the time we get to rocky parts they've walked through so much mud and dust that their paws are pretty coated which offers some protection.