posted 11-13-2003 10:53 PM         

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wondering if you knew of any other ways to work out my dog?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swimming of any type is a great way to exercise, the water supports the dog's weight, so there's little chance of stress injuries, but the dog is working hard paddling, which exercises their heart, legs, chest, back, neck, etc. Just be careful where you take them if you decide to try it, check for rocks or other sharp things during a low tide, because when they swim, it tends to soften up their pads/skin, and makes it even easier for them to cut a foot up on something on the bottom. It's also important to make sure they're completely UTD on heartworm preventative if you're in a place with mosquitos, they flock to places like that, and the APBT's short coat/thin skin make them an easy target.
If your dog is over a year old, you can have them pulling weights, but I wouldn't start them any younger than that, as there's a potential for growth plate injuries. Light weights over long distances are better then heavy weights over short distances. A decent guideline is to keep the weight under 25% (or 1/4, whichever is easier for you to figure) of the dog's weight, and just increase distance or difficulty of terrain when they're ready for more. Hills and rough ground are more strenuous than smooth pavement, obviously. A lot would also depend on how the weight was supported. When I used to use drag weights with my dog, it was only about 5-10 lbs, and she weighed around 55-57 lbs at the time. At the same time though, she would pull my nephews in a kiddie wagon, they're 45 and 55 lbs (I'd usually have them trade back and forth, but occasionally she'd pull both, it depended on what we were doing, how long we'd been out, etc), through the yard and on the road, for the same amount of time, and the effect of that was similar to pulling the drag weight through the yard. Yet if she pulled them in the sled, through 3"+ of snow, she wore out much quicker. It's just a matter of common sense, you have to consider the terrain, traction (they'll be able to pull more easily on dry grass than on wet, on dirt than ice, etc) any slopes, weight they're pulling, plus the amount of resistance generated by the object (more surface area touching the ground=more resistance, wheels will decrease resistance, etc), and determine how much WORK they're actually putting in considering that to choose a good weight for them to work at. If you're going to use this type of exercise often, invest in a good harness, either a weight pull harness or a general working harness, that will help distribute the weight and has padding of some sort to cushion the dog.

You could also build them a springpole to play on, or (less conspicuous) a flirtpole. A springpole is a stationary tug, usually a pole or post, with an "arm" jutting off it, and the "hide" (I've heard of people using real hide, some use burlap, some use rope, whatever your dog likes) hanging down from that, with a spring, inner tube, or some other "bouncy" device between the hide and the arm so the tug has some give to it. Some dogs will play with them, some won't. One of our APBTs will play with one for a bit, then loses interest. The other APBT won't touch it unless I play too, which kinda defeats the purpose. Of course, our mini Dachshund LOVES to play tug, and will entertain herself for hours... go figure. Some people will just attach the hide to a tree branch, and let their dogs play on that, this can be a bad idea, as often, the branches aren't flimsy enough to allow for proper give, which can cause the dog to injure themselves. Some people hang the hide high enough that the dog has to jump up to get it, and hang from it.... others keep it low enough so all 4 feet stay on the ground. It's mostly just personal choice, though it IS safer to keep the tug lower, and the dog still gets a good workout from it. A flirtpole is like one of those cat toys, with the feathers on a string tied to a stick, except bigger, and for dogs. You fling the toy around them, teasing them and getting them to chase it, catch it, tug, etc. Goo's is 3/4" PVC with a piece of rope threaded through, about 6' hanging out one end, and a tug tied to the end of the rope. For the other two, I just use a scrap of leather, it's "flappy" enought to get their attention, and easy for them to hold, but small enough that it's hard to catch. I've also heard of people using bamboo for the pole, and people use all sorts of things for the "teaser".

Plain 'ol walking is another great form of exercise that is often overlooked because it's not as "fun" or "easy" as some other ways. Leash the dog up and take them for a 3-5 mile walk. Sure, it might take a while, but it's great exercise, not too rough on the joints, and relaxing for both of you. Then there's running, with you running, or on a bike (careful with this, you have to teach the dog to run beside you on lead, and not dodge behind, in front, through, etc, or lunge after things you pass), and you don't want to do it with a dog under a year, again, because of the stress it puts on the joints. You also have to watch their pads and nails for wear if they're running on pavement, APBTs are usually pretty stoic, and you may not even know until you get home and they bleed all over your floor from a ripped pad. If the dog isn't used to that kind of exercise, wear and tear can occur quickly, so check every 10 mins or so when you first start taking them.

EDIT:
I was also going to ask how you got your pup used to pulling you on a skateboard... my oldest nephew has been trying to convince me to let him try with Goo, but I'm worried he'll run over her feet and scare her. What are the chances? She's not afraid of much of anything as far as thing beside her, but I'd imagine she might not like it so much if he ran her over

posted 11-14-2003 01:24 AM         

What's a "general working harness"? Is it the one's i see in any general pet store that they have along-side w/ the collars? Or are they more specific types?
What's a good brand, or good place (of coarse for a "good" pirce) that i can find Weight Pulling type harnesses?
How much more are they from just regular/general ones?

You know, i hav'nt even tried what you've recommended to me about having my dog pull the light weights while we go on our hikes & runs up in our local mountains yet. I've been wanting too, but i've been wondering about if my dog will be afraid of the noisyness-(sp?) of it all. And, i hav'nt really got into looking for a good "low-cost" harness. Kinda low on end$ right now.
Well, i guess i'll never know if he will untill i try right?? Any additional tips/ideas as to how i can make it a little more quiter? I know people/other hikers & joggers are going to c o n s t a n t l y ask me why am i doing that to my dog (having him pull the weight & all). I've been kinda afraid of this happening too. I don't want to have to answer the same question over & over every time we're out doing are thing, you know? I know i'm gonna get bothered by all the unnecessary harassment. I wish i lived in a place that was totally dog-friendly/DOG-KNOWING... LOL!

... i FINALLY learned how to post pics ...
Here's my boy! He's actually only 5 or 6 months in this pic, but it's the latest "digiatl-pic" i have of him. My bro's the only person i know that has a digital-camera and i hav'nt seen him in a while, & i don't have access to a scanner. Wait maybe in school, hmmmmmm?! I have to find a way to get my own scanner or DC. Anyhow, here's my AB Sometime late Winter or early Spring '03....

posted 11-14-2003 07:36 AM         

i was on a website not too long ago, i couldn't find it just now, but this guy shows you how to make a spring pole. i think he uses intertubes for a wheelbarrow tire, and it showed one of his dogs that tore a ligiment or injured it's leg somehow and they actually had to amputate the entire leg, it just made me think about what could happen if i did run into the back of my dog with the skateboard i'm sure i could really hurt her. also i've looked for a padded harness at some pet stores down here including petsmart and no one seems to carry them. know of any websites?

posted 11-14-2003 01:35 PM         

I would think too that having a dog pull you on a skateboard would be very similar to skijouring, so you may even want to check out the recreation style harness some sledding/pulling sites have, like this: http://nordkyn.com/models.htm#recreation
I don't know how that would be for pulling weights on the ground, dues to the weight being so much lower then the loop on the harness, but it would probably be very good for pulling you.

quote:

---

Any additional tips/ideas as to how i can make it a little more quiter?

---

quote:

---

i would recomend getting a longer lead just for that reason. also if you ride bikes with your dogs you could be up ahead and your dog would probably pull your nephew trying to catch up with you.

---