Weight pulling is designed to burn off excess energy, build body strength and conditioning, increase a dog’s confidence, develop a bond of trust between the dog and handler, and is also a competitive sport. The International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) promotes the working heritage of all dogs with a constructive outlet for canine competition. The handler has no contact with the dog during the pull, so it is up to the dog’s willingness to pull.  The pulls are done with a wheeled cart on the ground or a sled on snow. The dog has one minute to complete the pull.

The dogs compete in their weight class with the weights increasing at agreed upon increments until pull is completed. The competitive season runs from September to March. The dog’s five best pulls throughout the competitive season are used for their total points for the season.

 

You can read more about weight pulling on the International Weight Pull Association website. 

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