Upcoming Weight Pull Jan 23-24th!

The IWPA Weight pull will be on Jan 23-24th at SouthPaws Playschool, 2324 South Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX. 

You may also sign up online to reserve your spot here (Novice dogs only): http://austinweightpull.eventbrite.com/.  You will pay the entry fee on the day of the event.  Dogs competing for titles should not use the online sign up. 

If you are interested in the IWPA sanctioned weight pull competition (Sunday), weigh in will be at 9:00am. Pulling starts at 10:00.  Weigh in NOT required for novice rounds. You may enter any of the novice rounds up to the time it begins.  Please see www.iwpa.net for specific rules in the competitive rounds.  Novice teams should be treated like training rounds.

Weight pull general info:

Any dog can participate and earn a title through IWPA for weight pulling.

What's the fee? Free for spectators. $10 for novice rounds - enter when you get there. Consider novice rounds a training session and a chance to see if your dog enjoys it. I will have harnesses for you to use. Most dogs take to a harness quickly. $25 for competition rounds.

What can my dog get out of weight pulling? Physical activity, confidence building, socializing, and improving their relationship with you.

What do I need to train my dog to do before then for weight pull? The come or recall command. Your dog should have basic control.

What's the most weight a dog has ever pulled? The most I've seen is 50000 lbs.  Most dogs in healthy condition can pull 10x their body weight without any additional physical training.

When do I enter? On the day of the event. Novice can enter any time before the round begins. Professional/competition rounds must be entered and weighed in before the start of the pull.

Who can participate? Anyone and any breed. No registry or club membership required.

What should I bring? Your dog on leash and yourself. Camping chair and crate if desired. I will have harnesses available for dogs 20 lbs to 160 lbs.

My dog is small. Is there anything for us to do? Yes! Even the "little" ones can weight pull. There have been Jack Russells and Italian Greyhounds that pull with success!

Is there a judge out there named Steve? Distance from rear legs to cart.

I recently received a comment on the blog from Steve (also a draft judge) inquiring about distance from the rear legs of the dog to the cart.  He wrote that the guidelines online are vague about the distance so I wrote back to Steve.  Unfortunately, I wrote back to the wrong Steve.  Steve, if you're out there, this blog post is for you. 

My email to the incorrect Steve:

My trainer said that there should be enough space for the dog to extend their rear legs while in cart, but not hit the cart.  As a quick guideline, it should be an 18 inch ARC (not the direct points when standing) from the foot to the back of the cart.   I'd have to put Mouse in cart to measure the distance from point to point instead of the arc.  The length might also be different for each dog, given the height of the dog and the dog's hocks. 

There's nothing inherently unsafe about having the cart much further away from the rear of the dog as long as the traces are snug.  The problems you get when the shafts are too long and the cart is too far away is that it is difficult to maneuver, and the turning radius is much wider.  The shorter the shafts, the easier it is to turn.  However, if the shafts are too short or the dog was placed too far back (move the brakes forward to fix), then the dog's foot or hock would hit the bottom side of the cart. 

I would not fail a team for having really long shafts as it isn't unsafe.  It is a mechanical disadvantage that the team will have to work with that may cause them to fail.  That's the handler's responsibility and choice to have longer shafts.  However, if the shafts are long and the traces are not tight, I may fail the team depending on how dangerous I perceived the rig.  I judged one particular trial in which almost every single team had really loose traces, even after I warned them of how dangerous it was (it also changes the point of pull).  Anyways, one dog was almost pulled down a big hill when the shafts slid out of the shaft loops.  It nearly gave me a heart attack seeing that happen. 

I would also fail a team the dog's rear was too close to the cart, but I don't think I've ever seen that in practice or at trials.  Dogs are usually too far with loose traces.

Draft Training Oct. 24th Canceled

I'll be judging at the Austin Farmer's Market Downtown Doggone to summer doggie costume contest so drafting is canceled this weekend.  Keep checking in for our next class. 

Oct. 17th Drafting clinic

Hi Everyone,

The first drafting clinic of this season start tomorrow, Oct. 17th, 9:00 am.  Class size is limited so please contact me if you plan to show up.  I will email the location when you respond. jennie@romanreign.com

Dogs need to be in control, and teams should have a healthy working relationship.  Training collars and treats are permitted.  No equipment needed on our first day.

See ya there!

Shaft height and length fine tuning

Here's some photos showing correct shaft height and length.  Shaft height and balance of the cart are very important.  The height of the shaft should come the point of shoulder of the dog and should not extend more than a few inches past the shoulder.  Length of the shafts, while not a safety issue, can affect maneuvering.  The longer the shafts, the wider the turning radius.  Shorter shafts have a shorter turning radius.

If you do shorten the shafts, make sure you also tighten those traces and move your brakes to the appropriate location. The shafts and cart should be parallel to the ground. Click on photos below for bigger version.

 

The Forward Cinch Debate - Under/Under or Over/Over & lengthy shaft loops

This is a minor detail in harnessing, but an important one.  Because the difference in either strapping the forward cinch over the primary traces or under the primary traces is subtle, this detail has been thrown to the wayside.  I will be adding more photographs to this particular post to demonstrate the differences.

I have been taught that the forward cinch should be secured under both primary traces.  A number of judges do consider this to be a major issue, and will consider this a failure to harness and hitch properly.  The logic is that the primary traces should be the only straps that give the cart it's momentum.  In other words, all pull power comes from the traces, and no other straps should hinder or rub on the traces.  The points of pull are where the siwash is sewn together at the top and the bottom of the neck piece.  See photo below for a visual explanation.  Click photo for larger version. 

The over/over method of securing the cinch is disadvantageous for several reasons. Click on photo below for larger picture.

• The cinch loop pushes on the primary traces, thus hindering pulling power. 
• The cinch loop changes the point of pull (particularly at the upper) on the traces so that the harness is now inefficient.  
• The adjusting buckles on the upper primary traces can get caught on the cinch loop.  This can rub painfully on the dog's back and/or reducing the dog's pull power.  

I have never been given a logical explanation of why the forward cinch should be over/over the primary traces.  The correct position should be under/under.  Again, some judges won't check it, but others will.

The length of the shaft loops is also important.  Shafts should be held close to the dog's body with little up or down give.  A forward cinch that is too loose or too wiggle room between the cinch or shaft can cause bouncing of the shafts or side to side swaying when the dog is moving.  Additionally, going over hills or bumps can cause the shafts to go up over the dog's back.  Also make sure that the brakes cannot slip through the shaft loops.  This is a serious safety issue, particularly if the cart is loaded.  I'm a safety stickler.  Make sure all pieces are safety put together before harnessing and hitching your dog. Click on photo for large image.

Harness and Hitch checklist

As a judge, here's the list of items I check when performing the harness and hitch judging.  Note: other judges may or may not check the same things I check. 

* Check cart balance by lifting the shafts.  In a loaded or unloaded cart, there should be only 1 lb of pressure (may be a little heavier depending on the weight of the shafts). Any weight that is heavier than the weight of the shafts indicates that the cart is unbalanced or improperly hitched.

* Check trace tightness.  They should be tight and taut.  If the traces are not fairly taut, it will cause multiple problems.  This is very serious safety issue, and I would consider it to be an unsafe rig. 

• The shafts may sway from side to side or up and down. 
• The pull power is coming the shafts and not the traces.  The dog will NOT be using the correct body parts to pull the cart.  
• The cart may lurch when the dog starts to move.  
• The cart may push forward on the dog until the brakes stop it when the dog stops.
• The shafts might come out of the shaft loops and then the dog will not have a way to steer the cart. Example of one case I've seen: A standard poodle was pulling a loaded cart up the hill with loose traces. The cart rolled backwards due to the slack in the traces and the shafts came out of the shaft loops. Click on photo for larger version.
  

 * Check fit of the neck piece on a siwash.  I check out how snug it is, and I check that the prosternum is at the V.  If you put your fingers right at the inside of the V, you should feel the prosternum bone.  If you do not, the neck piece is either too big or too small.  Too big or too small can pinch a dog's neck.

*Check for tightness of the cinch (forward) and belly band. It should fit the dog perfectly. Not loose, nor too snug.

*Check that the shaft loops are tight and cannot go over the brakes.