Weight pulling is a dog sport involving a dog pulling a cart or sled loaded with weight a short distance across dirt/gravel, grass, carpet, or snow. It is a modern adaptation of freighting, in which dogs were used as freight animals to move cargo. Many breeds participate in this sport, with dogs being separated into classes by weight. [1] Sled dog and pit bull breeds excel within their respective weight classes, having been historically bred to pull sleds and plows, respectively.
The dog is hitched to the cart or sled with a specially constructed harness designed to spread the weight and minimize the chance of injury. [2]
Dog weight pulling competitions are sanctioned by various non-profit organizations. In North America the International Sled Dog Racing Association has sanctioned contests in association with their races. The International Weight Pulling Association was organized in 1984 to promote the heritage of the working dog. [3]
Common Weight Pulling Breeds: Alaskan Malamute, American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Bull Terrier, Cane Corso, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino (Argentinian Mastiff), Dogue de Bordeaux (French Mastiff), English Mastiff, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Neapolitan Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Patterdale Terrier, Perro de Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Breeds as small as the Italian Greyhound, Beagle, and Shetland Sheepdog, to name just a few, have also enjoyed great success in the sport. Basically, any purebred or mixed breed dog willing to pull can do well.
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