building shoulders and chest

I didn't want to BS you, if you thougt so, SORRY for that. But I only mean to say that I always learned that walking the stairs down isn't good for a dogs hips. But that's my point of view. The best to you and your dogs.

 

Although the thread is a month old, I hope some experienced individuals can answer this for me. I have noticed that on all the sites referenced herein the most weight for collars found was 6 pounds. I walk my dog on a 12 lb collar or a 20 lb harness (both self made). My dog weighs 60lbs and has a 22 inch neck (is between 22 to 25 but can't remember at the moment). I am doing something wrong? At the beginning, my dog had to adjust himself to the added weight but now, it would seem like he is not carrying anything at all. I walk him with the weights for about an hour every and 2 (some weeks 3) days a week. At the end of each workout, I give him a full body massage from head to tail. Again, am I doing something wrong?

 

Through my experience with my dogs the best exercise you can do for your dog is running and pulling, these will build strength and wind, i dont think your dog will get any bigger but it will tone up and become a harder muscled dog. Bull dogs are strong anyway and running will make them build wind and building wind through running will allow them to use their strength over a longer period of time and that builds endurance, with all that and being game you will have a dog that will be in fantastic condition, as for pulling , pulling will show him how to use his strength, i remember when i was a kid i had a little red nose female that pulled me around on my bike she would go all out and would pull me all day i i would have let hershe only weighed about 25 pounds but man she was a package of dynomite, just my opinion

 

I don't like weighted collars period.

 

lots of running & walking will do the trick and a lot time

 

I am trying to know if my method is more of a disfavor to my dog than a great workout. I assume you are an expert dogman and your methods and believes are proven. Please advice.

 

In my opinion....

The neck is the weakest point in the spine, any extra stress on it is likely to cause problems given time. I prefer to use a harness that spreads the weight more evenly over the dogs body. I have used ankle weights around the dogs neck like a collar but they only weigh 2.5 lbs each....so 5 lbs for 2. Nice velcro closures also.Massaging your dog after the workout is very important also.

 

well you figure a lot of gamedog owners keep their dogs on chains...chains that are strong enough to hold their dogs so no accidents happen. Everyone's chain size is different, but i do know that they weigh a good amount..it doesn't hurt the dogs, they jump up and down all day long and build muscles from just that. so it's sorta like a weighted collar..as for the weighted harness, police dogs and rescues dogs have special harnesses made to carry things needed for rescues and so forth, they have no problem w/these harnesses. i personally would not put a weighted collar or harness on a puppy becaues they're bones and muscles are still growing and i would hate for something to get hurt. but a fully grown american pitbull is capable of carrying weight, that's why a lot of breeders compete in weight pull...and in your case you say your just doing this a few times a week and then the proper cool down massage, it seems that should be okay. have you noticed a difference?

 

Have I noticed a difference? Heck yes. After doing this for a couple of months, he jumps much higher, shoulders and back are more defined, and tires less. I just wanted to make sure later issues are not developing today. I am glad you pointed the chains, I never thought of comparing them to weighted collars and harnesses. How much should I put on the dog?

I was aiming (eventually) to make him carry his own weight (60 lbs) for the same amount of time (1 hour every 2 to 3 days). This is my ultimate goal but first need to find a way that he can comfortably carry it and confirm with all dog experts this is not a danger. My current nag is that when he carries the 20 lb harness, I have to keep adjusting it (it goes on the top of his back) b/c it either goes to one side or the other.

Also, the hour of weighed walks includes walking up many hills. Does that create an issue when walking him with 20lb weighed harness? I also include walking up and down stairs in his workout (with weights). It is usually four floors up and down for about 10 to 15 minutes. Is this OK?

 

check out www.thebullyhouse.com

 

I've had my dog drag and pull weights since she was six months...

Here's what her chest and shoulders looks like

 

Wait Tex isn't there that oral injectable cream supplement powder that you rub on your dog to make them bulk up like up to 50%..and it also makes them super strong and gamer too boot... dont it???Oh no man thats just what I read in a magazine again..my bad I was dreaming again.

 

Damn she looks good. She kinda reminds me of a older version of my girl Jazmyne. She should be in the gallery or on my avatar. I need to take some updated pics though..In the pictures I have she's about 12 months old.

 

she looks fine the way she is, don't try and get her any bigger, cause IMO i think she'll strt to look retarded

 

yeah i do taht

 

The only weight your dog needs to pull is the chain you keep them on. Adding supplements are not needed if your feeding high quality food, also supplements add water to their muscles and muscle adds weight, think about it... the muscle you want is not obviously in her genetic code or it would be there already, by making her pull weights your adding unatural bulk nature didnt tend for her to have...this will not improve her physically, it will actually cause a hinderence on her skeletal structure, her heart and vascular system since everything has to work harder to keep things going, also since shes working harder to supply all the new extra muscle the O2 it needs she will have a lot of extra water in her muscles and system from the extra muscle you put on her and supplements she ingested, having extra water wont allow her to breath at her best O2 absorbtion rate...I dont like weight pulling period, a good run on a bike daily or swimming will build up the muscles she was intended to have naturally and thats all she needs... she will be her healthiest and happiest in her natural form instead of bulked up...JMHO

 

I have never trained for show but when I am going to be camping and hiking I start my girl with a doggy back pack and insert bottles of water and just go walking in hilly environments and increase the weight with diving or lead weights up to about 25 or 30 pounds. this will be her working load when treking in. I judge when to add weight by how she handles it and her energy level after 4 or 5 miles. This is done daily for around 2 months. I notice a large amount of growth of muscle and vascular devlopement. I will also recommend being sure to keep the majority of the weight close to the shoulders and to have a well padded and breathable material next to the dogs body. Just like a horse and saddle. Look at well riden horses compared to those, like mine who just eat. It is a very noticable difference in muscular devolopment. Good luck and be careful just trying to make them bigger.

 

I personally believe that some weight pulling can increase stamina and wind if done properly. Naturally, weight pulling for building stamina and wind should be done using low poundage. The benefit can be compared to the benefit runners gain by using ankle weights to improve speed and overall conditioning at the time of a race. I have used weights (not pulling) whenever running uphills. Again, using weights should not be the base exercise, rather, an exercise in your program.

 

How about a compairson of sprinters using small chutes(parachutes) for wind resistance, low impact high drag. This would be useful for building wind/endurance as well. Since my dog is used more for hiking/camping i add the weight to prepare her for the added impact of carrying her share of the load. This may also give some room to pick on me but I also will put doggy bootys when hiking sharp rocked areas.

 

That is a good idea but parachutes are very hard to get.