weighted collars and harnesses

I have been noticing a lot of talk concerning weighted collars and harnesses. What do you actually think you are going to achieve by adding extra weight through a collar or harness?
What purpose does it serve? It would be somewhat understandable if the dog is competing at a very high level and every small detail matters. However, for the vast majority of the dogs, it is absolutely unnecessary. It puts an unneeded strain on the dog.
Is it to make the dog bigger? There are much better ways to put on muscle and even then, you won't be able to make much of a difference pertaining to muscle size. I have seen dogs that look the exact same prior to being put through extensive weight pull training. So, in my opinion, it serves no purpose as far as looks.
Therefore, why the hell do people insist on doing this to their dogs. It is common knowledge that the added weight to a dog's neck can cause problems. Yet, some people will continue to do so.
Also, why is it that some people will criticize people for using chains as collars and harnesses but at the same time will tell them to use a weighted collar or harness instead?

In my opinion, weighted collars and harnesses, whether if it is a chain or not, can be very damaging to the dog and is unnecessary 99.999% of the time. Instead of slapping some weight to your dog, why won't you do some real work with it instead?? I seriously doubt that everyone I have been hearing talking about using weighted harnesses or collars are competing at a high enough level to even consider adding the extra weight.

By the way, for those of you that don't know, the chain for collars and harnesses not only can cause major damage to your dog but it further pushes the idea that our dogs are vicious. It looks extremely ignorant and it looks like it is painful for the dog. This is why the public thinks APBT owners are a bunch of sadistic assholes. Not to mention, when some kid sees your dog with the chain on their neck, they may turn around and do the same to their dog, causing unneeded suffering. I have seen puppies with big chains on their neck. Where do you think they got this stupid idea from?

 

i think the dogs that do the weight pulling sport are the ones that should use this only but if your just putting your dog in a show or any type of show you should just go the natural way hand walk with out weights,spring pole,swimming,sprint work,trade mill anything is actually good for them even a good old catch game with a ball works.

 

Tell me if I'm wrong but if you are doing weight pulling, wouldn't make more sense to have the dog drag weights instead of having weight put on its neck? If you are training for weight pulling, wouldn't you want to focus on working the dog in a manner that is consistent with the type of competition that it is competing in? For example, dragging weights for weight pull. Afterall, that is what the dog is going to do for competition.

 

It would be somewhat understandable if the dog is competing at a very high level and every small detail matters. Yup I agree with Tommy other then that you dont really need to use a weighted collar.

 

your right but that was my opinion on the only reson why even use a weighted collar or anything with wights in it and i dont know why people would even use a weighted coller for doing the flirt pole and then on top of that they give neggative comments cause people work the flirt pole with there dog on the chain i know tons of people that do it cause the dog alone knows how to move on the chain and if they dont they learn fast and you dont have to use heavy chains when working them on the chain and this is why people do it on the chain cause they dont want them to be yard accidents and oh yeah its also lazy when useing weights to work you dog out i guess to each his own.

 

Any dog that shows physical defectiveness from conditioning was predisposed to such injurys and a poor example of a working dog,i trained my dog in weight pull
by draging weights of up to 50 pounds,long 5 mile bike pulls/runs with weighted collar/flirt pole with weighted collar,rabbit coursing with or with out weighted collar and never once was there any signs of injury.When done responsably all weighted collars will do is add just a bit more weight to a work out,heres my old dog at 90 pounds with a 3 pound collar after a five mile run,all was well....

 

I dont see any problem at all with weighted collars or harnesses when used properly. Now the people that use big ass chains for collars, that's just retarted. It drives me crazy when I see someone doing that because most of the time it is done for the "bad ass" image. If you think about it, alot of the pit bull shirts, stickers, ect. out there are of them snarling and wearing a huge chain or spiked excessively spiked collar (not knocking spike collars). It just doesnt make sense when people say they hate how the APBT has a bad name but yet they promote the "bad ass" image.

 

very true.anyone walking there dog with a giant chain is a chump,it dosent work well and is a burden to both the human walking the dog and the dog itself..
Im not sure it will hurt a healthy dog,but it is inconvieniant and pointless.Weighted collars and harness have there place when used responsably...

 

No matter the shape the dog, if you put weights on its neck it can cause injury. Your reply would make sense if the dog failed under natural occurrences such as, running. However, the dog was not designed to have weights put on its neck. Therefore, if the dog failed because of weight on its neck, it is not because of the dogs "predisposition" to such injuries. It was because of your (not you in particular) ignorance for placing an unnatural weight to the dog. Don't blame the dog when you are the one that is putting the dog through something that its body wasn't designed for.

 

wrong,if the dog shows signs of physical distress from a minimal amount of stress any where on its body then its a poor example of a working dog.period....

 

You are telling me about a working dog when your dog is 90 lbs. LMFAO.

 

I have my boy Boudreaux chained up on a Sm/M size tow chain but thats because it is the only thing that will hold him. When I take a dog to town I also have them chained in the bed of my truck. I have a sm/m size chain running diag. in the bed of my truck and it is pad locked to the tie down hooks. I have another piece of chain that is in the center of that one and also locked to it. Then I put a choker around the dogs neck "not where it can choke em" and put a pad lock connecting both ends together as well as hooking to the collar. I do all of this when I'm going to be inside somewhere and cant keep an eye on him/her other wise I just use a clasp to connect their collar to the chain. Some might say that this is un-necesary and all for looks but it's not, I do it so I dont have to worry about some jackass stealing my dog just because it's a pit and they feel they can make a quick buck be it for fighting or breeding.

I see alot of the crack heads around here walking their pits with huge ass chains that are so big it seems that they can barely hold it their self.

 

that doesnt make any sense??? what does the dogs weight have to do with it being considered a working dog? pits are not the only "working" dogs...

 

That's what I was thinking. LOL. I have never seen a 90lb working APBT. Hell I've never seen a 90lb APBT at all.

 

my opinion is weighted harnesses can work when used correctly .. i do 20 min 2 days a week with my 45lbs pit... she has no problems from it and it has helped build some strengh over the last 2 monthes it is not backbone of my keep but it is effective... tommy you may not like it or had problems doing it but other people may be able to utilize for what they do.... why would you laugh at a gentleman with a 90 lb working dog ? you have rott/pit for your icon thats not a game dog either

 

That is a game-bred dog. Yes they do come in tri-color. How are you going to tell someone how their own dog is bred by looking at a pic. Their have been plenty of great game dogs that were that color.

 

thats because the dogs a bandogge.
Anyways heres how the collar works,alot of people want to think it sets tightly against the dogs neck,when in reality it sits back on the dogs shoulder a chest area,all it does is adds a bit of weight to a workout and muscle to the shoulder and chest,nothing to extreme,when used responsably it is fine,ill use it again for sure,but thats just me....

 

Ok, now I'm lost...Did he say that this dog is an APBT:confused: . I was under the impression that he was showing us a pic of his bull mas. or AB...

 

He was a ddb,apbt,corso bandogge,i never stated he was a game dog,but he sure as hell was a working dog...

 

To put weight on the neck of a dog is absolutely pointlessly. You think your dog gets more muscles from that? Thats nonsense. Have seen Bulldogs with steel-necks and this dogs have never ever seen a weight...its genetic. Swimming, springpole , a walk, or let the dog pull you. All the natural things make the muscles a little harder and give your dog the second-wind Perseverance.