Urban Mushing: Getting Started.
Hello friends! This is the first of a series of posts on how to teach your dog to pull, as requested by so many of our friends. We will post on Instagram when each new segment is published. This first segment will discuss conditioning and gear you will need to get started. Depending on your dog and his or her training background, natural drive to pull, and body condition, this first step may take weeks to months. Many of you want to just get on a scooter and go (believe me, I know), but these first steps are imperative in setting your team up for success, preventing injury (both to you and your dogs), and creating trust between you and your dog(s).
1.) Conditioning. Lay one hand flat on a table, rub your fingers across your knuckles. You should be able to easily feel your knuckles, this is about how your dog’s ribs should feel. If you have to apply a lot of pressure and dig around to find your pup’s ribs, then he needs to loose some weight BEFORE you begin pull training. This is so important in preventing injury and strain on already strained joints. Ask your veterinarian for a goal weight for your pet and ways to get there (blog post on that later!). If your dog has a good body condition, then you can begin conditioning him. Start by increasing regular exercise. Run with your dog, take him to an off-leash park (if appropriate), or play a rigorous game (like fetch, etc.) for 30-40 minutes 3-4 days per week. If your dog already does this, then you can move to the next step. If your dog is used to being home all day and does not typically run, asking him to run AND pull weight will not lead him to success. The goal is to have fun with your dog and make pulling a positive experience, ensuring he is fit for the job is imperative. Once your dog is used to regular exercise and activity (or if this was already part of his daily life) you can begin teaching him to PULL!
What you will need:
1.) Custom fitted harness. There are many options for ordering. I recommend Alpine Outfitters or FidoGear (both online). My dogs have harnesses with extra padding and reflective strips- paying the extra money now is worth it down the line. My dogs wear X-back harnesses, but depending on your dog’s body-type there may be a more appropriate pulling harness. Both websites discuss benefits of the different models of harnesses and have measuring guides (I recommend having a friend help you and re-measure your dog to ensure measurements are correct before ordering).
*A note about harnesses: most distributors make these by hand, depending on the time of year you order (busy season vs. off-season) they can take 8+ weeks to be shipped to you. I recommend ordering a harness when you are in the beginning stages of conditioning your dog and learning about the sport so that it is available when you are ready to begin teaching your dog to pull.
2.) Pull line. When I started training my dogs to pull, I just used some rope, but ideally you will have something with a bungee. Ordering a pull line in this stage would be beneficial, also available on both Alpine Outiffers and FidoGear’s websites.
3.) Plastic children’s sled (about $10), order online or pick up from a local sport’s store. Mine is from Bi-Mart.
4.) Weight. I started with a small brick and slowly worked my girls up to a 30 lb bag of wood pellets.
Now your dog is conditioned, unfazed by long runs at the park. You have all of your gear, and you are ready to being his training. Start SLOW. You will want to keep the first initial training sessions no longer than 15 minutes and may want to make them shorter depending on your dog. End each session on a positive note. This goes with any dog training, but be sure that you are in a positive mood and energetic- your dog will pick up on these things. Have the very best treats around and play a game after every session.
Harness up your pup and attach to your pull line (you can use a D-ring or brass snaps). Your pull line will be attached to your plastic sled. In your sled should be nothing initially. Ask your dog to be in a “stand” “stay” or “sit” “stay,” depending on what is more comfortable to him. Take those yummy treats and call him while walking backwards, encouraging him to move toward you. I this stage, some dogs have no problem running at you with the empty sled dragging behind. Others will be concerned about something dragging behind them- it’s your job to encourage them verbally and give treats along the way in this case. Do this daily until your dog no longer fears the sled dragging and make it FUN. Don’t forget to play after EVERY session. If your dogs gets this right away, don’t add weight yet, continue to practice every day for 4-5 days until your dog hardly notices the sled is there.
Now, add weight. I used a brick initially, but depending on your dog’s size and condition you may need to use less weight. Repeat the steps above. Only add new weight increments every other week and give your dog rest days in-between pulling. This is when you will need to be monitoring your dog closely for signs of injury or lameness. If your dog is happily pulling weight and does not seem to be tired or sore the next day AND your dog has been pulling that increment of weight for 2 weeks, then you can increase the weight amount.
Directional commands are next! Stay tuned for the next post and please ask any questions through our Instagram: @wolfpackadventures. Thank you for reading!