can my great dane puppy pull in competitions when she is older?

Question

hi i hav a great dane puppy shes about 5 months old 75 lbs and can already jump and put her paws on my shoulders ,but my question was i wanted to know if it is bad for her to pull with a harness in competitions when she is older? i hav read every thing there is to know about training to pull like not to let her pull over 50 lbs till she is over one year and have a properly fiting harness and every thing about pulling. but i could not find any records of a dane in a carting or sleding competition plees inlighten me i do not want to get her into this and have her get injured becouse her breed isnt fit for this kind of sport.

i want a good exercize that suits a danes massive power and i have read up on all the percoutins in training her this sport and i realy think she would love it but is this sport bad for them(will it injur her) or if i steadily build her muscle stronger and stronger will she be fit for this sport

Answer 1

Lots of breeds that weren't "bred for" carting or weight pull enjoy these sports (I know a papillon who absolutely loves both...he's actually got weight pull titles). You just have to take into account how the dog is built and not expect to hold them up to the same standards as the breeds more commonly involved in the sport. Even if you don't enter competitions with her when she is older, the training and partaking in these activities at home can be a fun bonding experience for both of you. As long as you do your research about how to properly train her and don't ask her to pull too much too soon, I see no reason why you couldn't do carting or weight pull with her.

The general "rule" among dog owners who do carting (and I'm assuming weight pull too) is no serious weight until the dog is at least TWO years old. She really shouldn't be pulling any weight at all (beyond 1-3 pounds) before she turns one. And since danes mature very slowly you should talk to your breeder or vet about how much weight she should pull and when and may have to consider waiting even longer for her joints to finish growing. Besides, at 75lbs she isn't even close to her adult weight so any harness you buy her right now (or in the next few months) she will quickly outgrow. There are fully adjustable harnesses out there that you can use to train a puppy to get used to the harness, but none of them are intended for use with a significant amount of weight.

If you are interested in training her for either of these sports, I suggest joining one of the email lists that specializes in them. They have experienced members and will be much more able to answer your questions. There is a Yahoo group called Carting-L for carting (many of the members include non-traditional breeds and mixes). I'm sure there is at least one group for weight pull too.

Answer 2

Danes can indeed go in carting competitions.(they are a working breed after all) You can start training lightly after she is 18 months but no actual competition until after 2 years old.

I use to persoanlly have a Dane that pulled a sled and very much enjoyed it.

One of the members of my obedience club does carting with his dogs (nondane) and he has brought back pictures of various dogs (including Danes)that compete as well as video. It is very interesting and looks like fun.



Good luck.

Answer 3

Danes don't do weight pull becasue they wouldn't be able to compete, not built the same way as a pit or other bully breed and don't have that same drive.

Answer 4

She might move the couch over to the window for a better view. Did youhave no experience before choosing a dane?

Answer 5

Great Danes are not working dogs so it would be inappropriate to make them pull such things. They are classified as hunting dogs, actually.

You already know that she is not fitted for this kind of activity but why are you still having doubts? I am very sure that your dog will not enjoy herself pulling a sled or a weight just for other people's amusement.