Dog Sled Weight Training

While your sled dog is not a draft dog, providing him with weight training will make him faster on the trail. When he can work long distances with a heavy weight, ridding him of the weight will allow him to run that much further and faster as the muscles used to pull have been developed and heavily worked.

  1. Benefits

    • Providing your sled dog with weight training will make him a stronger, faster athlete better able to meet the demands of his work. It's also a way to train your dog and improve his skills off-season, when there's no snow.

    Equipment

    • You will need a weight pull harness made for your dog. A weight pull harness differs from a racing harness in that the load is carried low on the harness, giving the dog maximum pulling power. You will need a cart and some weights. Other options include log chains and small tires. Remember that tires laid flat provide a lot of drag. A flat car tire can provide enough friction to equate to 200 lbs. of weight. You will need something to hook the weight up to your dog's harness and leash to lead him by. Some treats and specially formulated supplements are optional.

    Preliminary Training

    • Fetch is an easy way to link a new object with fun for your dog.

      Your dog must be introduced to his harness in a positive manner. While he may be used to wearing an x-back racing harness, a weight pull harness feels entirely different. Place the harness on him and give him some treats or play a game with him, such as fetch. Equate the harness with positive stimuli. Your dog will also need to know his name and how to stay in one place.

    Training

    • As a sled dog, your dog doesn't have to be taught to pull, but he does have to be taught to pull heavy weight correctly. Hook him up to the weight and have him stay. Walk about 30 feet away and crouch down. Call him to you. Crouching down keeps his head and paws low, giving him proper pulling power for the heavier weight. Give him a treat and praise upon arrival. While weight pull dogs can be driven (directed from behind) like sled dogs, it's far more common to work them by calling them to you. This gives them extra motivation and willpower. Work short distances at first and gradually build up to taking two- to four-mile walks. The longer walks will give your sled dog endurance and extreme pulling power without bulking him up and slowing him down. Use a different command to tell your dog to pull a heavy weight than you use when starting him out on a running trail as a member of a team.

    Nutrition

    • An extremely high quality kibble may suffice if you provide supplements for your sled dog.

      When working heavy weights, your sled dog requires different nutrition than when he is running all day hauling light weights. Instead of the extremely high fat content he needs then, you need to provide him with a high protein diet (at least 35 to 40 percent) and high quality carbohydrates. He will still need a high fat percentage (20 to 25 percent) but it's much lower than when he is doing continued endurance work.

    Warnings

    • X-back harnesses cause hip problems if used for weight pull training. Use a properly fitted weight pull harness. Don't overwork your dog.

      Weight pulling is an extremely grueling exercise and it must be carefully controlled. Your dog must use proper form, with his head down and all paws on the ground, or he will risk injury. In the beginning stages of training, your dog needs time to recover between sessions. Train every other day for the first month in order to allow your sled dog to build up the necessary muscle and stamina.