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Purpose
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Weight training for dogs has long been used to increase stamina, endurance and strength. A sled dog who can pull a very heavy weight for short distances can pull a light weight for increasingly marked long distances. A hunting dog who can jump 3 feet off the ground before weight training may be able to power himself 5 feet off the ground after weight training.
Benefits
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Weight training builds powerful muscles. The most obvious benefits of weight training include increased strength and endurance. Depending on how it's done, weight training can built either long, lithe muscles or short, bulky ones. The short muscles come from pulling extremely heavy weights for short distances and the long, lithe muscles from pulling light or medium weights for long distances. Weight training helps with obedience training in high-energy and high-drive dogs. A dog who has been exercised extensively is far better able to focus on the mental exercises of obedience. Remember, a tired dog is a happy dog. Dogs who are weight trained have healthier hips and backs because their well-developed muscles are better able to support their body.
Warnings
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If your dog gets injured, he won't be able to work until he is completely healed. It is easy to push your dog too far too fast. Weight training must be done slowly and methodically in order to allow your dog to build the muscles and endurance he needs. Asking him to pull too much too quickly leads to an increased chance of injury.
Training
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Weight training is quite simple. All you need is a specially fitted weight-pull harness and some weight. It's best to start out extremely light, no matter how big or strong your dog is when starting. Pulling something is a different kind of feel for most dogs and they often balk at the beginning. Build his confidence by asking him to pull very light weights and gradually increasing the weight. Have him pull a 2 liter bottle full of rocks in the beginning and progress to sandbags on a child's plastic sled. A log chain also provides a good amount of starting drag and is perfect for long-distance, endurance-building pulls.
Nutrition
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Your dog must have access to all the water he wants. A weight pull dog is an athlete and requires extra calories and nutrition to maintain his body weight, muscles and health. Feed him a food with a high percentage of protein and fat. He needs at least 30 percent protein and 20 percent fat but the higher the percentages are, the better. The more weight training your dog does, the more he needs to eat. You can enhance his diet with a high-calorie supplement for working dogs. Always make sure he has fresh water.
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Weight Training for Dogs
While weight training for dogs isn't a recent addition to the canine arena, few people know about it or the benefits. Beginning as an aside to sled dog racing, mushers have long wanted to know who had the strongest dog. In order to determine this, they would hold draft-dog contests. In order to build up their dog's strength, they would provide weight training. While any dog can benefit from weight training, canine athletes can gain huge advantages.