Weight pulling can be a fun activity you can enjoy in the comfort of your back yard or you can take it to the trials. It is simply about how far you would like to go with your dog. You don’t necessarily have to have a bully breed to practice pulling with you dog, it’s just an activity for you, your family, and your dog to do and it is a great way to burn off a little energy for the both of you.

For example carting is simply when a dog pulls a cart carrying a small load, for example gardening tools, firewood, or maybe a bail or two of hay. When you add more weight, it’s called “drafting.” At pulling trials you may see a dog carting or drafting with two wheels , four wheels, a travois (a platform dragged along the ground on two poles that support it), or a sled. Some drafting clubs are breed specific and others like the Rottweiler events are open to all breeds. I have learned that ARC offers three competitive levels: Carting Started, Carting Intermediate, and Carting Excellent.

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Via the contact form of Best Dog Food Guide I received the following question:

My dog is overweight by at least 15 pounds. I have cut down on his food intake and also do more walks with him. The problem is I cannot go for long walks. Two back surgeries have limited me in walking very much. He is five years and like me of course he lays down in bed a lot with me because I have to. Is there anything else I can do for him. I tried dog walkers but reliability was a big problem for me so I gave up on that idea. He is a golden lab and the best dog known. I know that if he stays this way his life expectancy will be affected. I tried weight reduction foods for him but that did not work either. Is there something else I can try?

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Last Friday a US dog lover asked my recommendations on the energy requirements of a rather obese dog. Below you find an excerpt of my response to them.

A six year old chihuahua/dachshund mix had been gaining weight from 7.5 to 10 pounds. Assuming the 7.5 pound is the ideal weight, this dog suffers from 33% overweight… which is just too much! A dog that is 10% above its ideal weight, is overweight.

She is on Hills I/D because of a sensitive stomach and for health reasons she now needs to loose weight. The owners have reduced the feeding amount from 1/3 can in the morning + 1/3 can in the evening + 1/8 can as a late snack to 1/4 can already. So from a 80% filled can, she is now on 25% of a can daily.

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