Here I go again asking the dogs to do things we don’t train for. I bring them to the sidelines and say watch carefully because you are going to do this. Here is Gavin at the All-American Bulldog Club Weight Pull trial.
Thank you to Ann T for taking the picture and emailing it to me.
Gavin started his weight pull last December where he pulled for the first time in his life. One-year later this is his first opportunity to pull again. The UWP title is earned by the dog pulling eight times his body weight on three separate occasions under at least two different judges; they must pull the weight 16 feet and in less than 60 seconds. Unlike last year, I had Gavin continue to pull after he qualified for his Weight-Pull qualifying legs. He obviously can do much more than this, so the weight-pull experts tell me, because of his fast times. He averaged around 6 seconds a pull. Gavin pulled up to 16 X his body weight before we quit. When you hook him up to the pull strap the hook must be in a certain position before you begin, the time starts when you no longer have contact with your dog. As Gavin gets hooked up I can feel him bunch up his muscles and shift his weight, I am literally holding him in place. When I remove my hands I have shuffle backwards as fast as I can to stay out of his way. If you touch your dog, even accidentally, it is a foul and the pull does not count. If we had been going for his Weight Pull Championship Gavin would have earned 20 points toward his championship.
I am proud to announce Gavin now has his UWP title and because he enjoys it so much we are going to keep pulling and try for his Weight Pull Championship. I do not have a weight pull harness so before every pull I have to borrow a harness from someone. Earning his title I ordered him his own harness so that it will fit him perfectly. We ordered it from here, which the weight pull people tell me is the best place to get a harness:
If you open the link you will see that weight pull is done primarily by the bully breeds, but you will also see that Gavin’s pulling form is the same as the Bully dogs. There are dogs of all breeds that do the weight pull, from Toy Poodles to Great Danes. Several of the hounds I saw pull this weekend would pull by leaping forward, a very different style but they got the job done. The weight-pull people could not be more helpful and welcoming to anyone that wants to try it. Gavin loves it and I had lots of fun. We are looking forward to his new harness and pulling some more weight!
Wow! He is really digging in by the look of his back feet !!!
Weigh to go, Gavin!
When Gavin gets his own harness, you’ll have to send his photo to the harness company!
That is amazing – go Gavin! “Weigh” to go, Gavin – seriously, Carole … how funny :~)
Very very cool! Gotta check into this for Roman.
I think Roman would like it.
Don’t Gavin have horses for pulling? :D:D
Gavin has horses but they are in California!
Wow! Is there anything this dog CAN’T do?
Gavin is willing to give everything a try.
What an unabashed display of sheer brute strength! I’m going to print this picture for my son, a bright young doctor who is also a body builder, to show him his canine equal in brawn and brains!
Maybe he can get a sleigh and take Santa around next week.. He can put one of his puppies in my x-mas stocking 🙂