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Dog harness - for pulling!

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  • 12-11-2011 9:06pm
    #1
    Zulu
    Registered Users Posts: 10,965 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi folks,
    as some you you might already be aware, my lab is a little overweight. Down the beach this morning I came up with an idea. Usually I drag driftwood back for the fire myself, but perhaps, just perhaps...

    I got to thinking I could get Chloe to help me drag firewood home. If I had a harness, then I could tie smaller bits of wood on to it & she could drag them along on the way home. This would extra knacker-her-out & help her loose weight.

    Now she probably won't be interested in doing this, but...

    So, where would I get such a harness?? All the harnesses on amazon are "non-pull harnesses". And any searches return "non-pull harnesses". Clearly I'm failing this search. Can anyone advise as to what I should be searching for?

    Cheers.


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    #2
    scudzilla
    Registered Users Posts: 11,917 ✭✭✭✭scudzilla


    If she's overweight then i doubt pulling logs around will help her, could cause a nasty injury.

    Why don't ya get a doggy backpack, put some rocks/stones in it, then gradually increase the weight as she loses weight herself?


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    #3
    Zulu
    Registered Users Posts: 10,965 ✭✭✭✭Zulu


    scudzilla wrote: »
    If she's overweight then i doubt pulling logs around will help her, could cause a nasty injury.

    Why don't ya get a doggy backpack, put some rocks/stones in it, then gradually increase the weight as she loses weight herself?
    Yea I dunno. I don't like the idea of putting weight on her back. I reckon pulling is better for her. :confused:


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    #4
    andreac
    Registered Users Posts: 8,000 ✭✭✭andreac


    Zulu wrote: »
    Yea I dunno. I don't like the idea of putting weight on her back. I reckon pulling is better for her. :confused:

    Backpacks are great for dogs and it would be a lot better for her than pulling wood like you mentioned.


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    #5
    RubyGirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭RubyGirl


    Backpack would be better tbh, the weight would be evenly spread across his back. I use this one on my guy find it great.

    http://www.countryhounds.ie/Product.aspx?ProductID=60&CategoryID=16


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    #6
    Chris_Heilong
    Registered Users Posts: 4,973 ✭✭✭Chris_Heilong


    Beware, I think there are still arcane laws here in Ireland about dogs "working" as in they must not be use as beast of burden, thats why there are no Malamute weight pulling completions here in Ireland and it also effects dry land mushing I believe. Hopefully someone else can expand on this as its late and I have little time to.


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    #7
    ISDW
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,378 ✭✭✭ISDW


    Chris_Heilong wrote: »
    Beware, I think there are still arcane laws here in Ireland about dogs "working" as in they must not be use as beast of burden, thats why there are no Malamute weight pulling completions here in Ireland and it also effects dry land mushing I believe. Hopefully someone else can expand on this as its late and I have little time to.

    Sorry Chris, I don't know where you got that from, there are weight pulling competitions. There is actually one in Letterkenny on 26th November being run by the Players Club I think.

    There is a law against them being used for draft purposes, pulling a carriage on the public highway from 1911, brought in by a draft horse owner. Fine is £1 I think, or maybe its a penny?

    OP, I would have no objection to a dog pulling firewood etc, I actually rehomed a dog to a disabled lady who needed help with just that but the dog is attached to a cart on her land, not just pulling the logs. How would you attach the logs to the dog's harness? I would also be very careful about the weight that you would expect a single dog to pull. Dogs that do dryland mushing have the musher behind them to help by scooting, or getting off and running up hills. If you're going to do this, please build the dog up slowly, don't expect it to pull a heavy load straight away.

    I would suggest a weight pulling harness, www.countryhounds.ie have them, they have a spreader bar at the back of the harness to help distribute the weight more evenly.


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    #8
    Zulu
    Registered Users Posts: 10,965 ✭✭✭✭Zulu


    Ah I was only thinking of logs the size of a branch that wash up on the beach.
    In my mind, it was just a case of - on the way back tie a rope onto the branch/log & let her drag it back to the car.
    Nothing too heavy; nothing I wouldn't lift back myself.


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    #9
    kimmyt1987
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭kimmyt1987


    Get a backpack....
    A lot of dogs love having a job.. just make sure to start out light, even just carrying their own water supplies for their trek and building it up! Great advice from previous posters and country hounds are meant to be great, I will be ordering a scooter for mushing with mine as soon as I can afford it! :)


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    #10
    Cherry Blossom
    Registered Users Posts: 6,942 ✭✭✭Cherry Blossom


    The OPs dog is 11 months old, I wouldn't consider doing any of this for at least another 6 months - especially the pulling, a still growing pup could be seriously injured, bones and joints are not fully developed yet. Dogs are not allowed to compete in agility until they are at least 18 months old (for example) and there are very good reasons for this rule.


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