Weight Pull
Although we don’t go to weight pulls that often, our dogs know how to pull from all the sledding work they do. Gus has been a particularly outstanding weight pull dog. He never faltered and he never stopped trying. He’s our main lead dog for the same reasons. We have retired him from weight pull because he has done more than we ever expected in that arena. He still runs on our team.
Here's Gus at the AMCA National Specialty weight pull in Sturbridge, Massachusetts in 2003. You can see the focus here that makes a great weight pull dog. He took the AMCA national specialty's highest percentage weight pulled that day. Gus also took the highest percentage at the 2000 and 2001 specialties. As far as we know, no other dog has ever taken highest percentage at three different national specialties.
This photo of Gus and Hiram is from the area specialty at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where they always have a terrific weight pull event, and where one of our dogs has won highest percentage almost every time we have competed there. We're proud of that because Harrisburg nearly always draws a very competitive group of weight pullers.
Whenever we pulled it was usually Gus who took highest percentage, but one year at Harrisburg it was (surprise!) Summer. Though Summer only pulled when she felt like it, when she did pull she was outstanding. She has a couple of WWPDX* legs, but she didn’t like it very much so we retired her from weight pulling. She looked good when she decided to cooperate, though!
Here is Monica at a national specialty one year. We only pull a couple of times a year, and the national specialty is one place where we always try to enter at least one or two dogs. Monica has her WWPDX* title. Note that she is trying to push off from the cement block. Clever girl!
Doc was also a very respectable weight pull dog. He did not have quite the same natural aptitude as Gus, but he worked hard for us and eventually earned his WWPDX* title.
*The coveted WWPDX titles are Working Weight Pull Dog Excellent titles awarded by the Alaskan Malamute Club of America for exceptional accomplishment in weight pulling. The club offers similar titles in sledding and packing. To learn more about working titles that your dog can earn, visit the Alaskan Malamute Club of America's web site.
Jimi has only attended a couple of weight pulls, but he has a lot of potential. This picture is from the 2005 AMCA national specialty, where Jimi earned a WWPDX leg. He won his class at the Sturbridge national in 2003. He is Gus and Monica's son, and may be our next great weight pull dog, if we ever get around to training him properly! If a dog doesn't use the correct pulling technique, he can hurt himself. We won't allow a dog to pull if he is leaping around and banging against the harness, a behavior that Jimi resorts to when he is frustrated. At least he is enthusiastic!
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