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Dog Prowler Pull
My lab competes in dock jumping and does extremely well. So far we have relied on conditioning and his genetics alone. I have been mulling over working in some heavy pulling with the prowler. My gut tells me that heavy pulling might be less stressful on his joins than excessive running (similar to people.) But dogs are built differently than people, so maybe these are apples and oranges. What are your thoughts about the safety and effectiveness of this?
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Pulling against a harness is probably the safest and most effective way to condition a dog. It's common in bird-dog training and is usually known as "roading." Get a sled-dog harness (I like the ones from Kondos Outdoors), put it on the dog, attach a leash to the back, and go out for a walk. There is no pressure on the windpipe, like there would be with a collar, so the dog can really lean into it. It's good exercises for both of you.
Some people who live out in the country and have multiple dogs will harness them all to a quad and let the dogs tow it.
You can road your dog hard every day that he doesn't do field work. They seem to recover faster than humans. However, a young dog full of piss and vinegar can compromise your recovery if you are also running Starting Strength. Ask me how I know!
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I hunt my dog too. I am familiar with that. I was thinking more high intensity/low rep. I might experiment with it.
With any success you will see my book.
Dog Starting Strength
Basic Dog Prowler Training
1st addition
by Jake Leuty
I may reword things depending on what my lawyer says lol!
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