Weight Pulling Information for your 

American Pit Bull Terrier

IDWP CH Tuff of Cutdowns R.I.P. (Champ of Dagger & Cleo of Cutdowns)
Owned & Trained  By Greg 
Tuff was a really great Weight Pull Dog. He currently holds the Irondog Record. 
We always try to raise the bar over here. Champ proved to us he can produce
the ultimate working dog just like his father and grand father.  
Tuff will live on through his offspring & his littermate sister

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE DAGGER PITBULL "BLADE OF DAGGER" - CHANTICO & CHAMPS DAD

FIRE OF DAGGER (CHICA OF DAGGER FULL SISTER)

The next Generation Cutdowns Scarlett 2X Blade of Dagger
(Champ of Dagger & Chantico of Dagger)

Cutdowns Razor Blade 2x Blade of Dagger
(Champ of Dagger & Chantico of Dagger)

Weight pulling is great for the competitive spirit of American Pit Bull dogs. Several Weight Pull organizations hold weight pulls open to pit bulls. International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) & the American Pull Alliance (APA) allow ALL pit bulls ( rescue dogs, mixed breeds and other animals without registration papers) to compete. The IDWP, UKC, the CKC, NCC, AAPA and the ADBA - American Dog Breeders Association all offer weight pulls, but dogs must be registered with their organization. In some they cannot even be spayed/neutered. ABKC is starting up their Weight Pull events at bully shows.

IRON DOG WEIGHT PULL (IDWP)Weight Pull 16ft.- Maybe done with a sled, cart or a rail system. Each dog is given 5 turns in a row with the cart or sled. There is 60 second time limit for each of the 5 pulls. One foul or tangle is allowedper pull. Baiting is allowed with nonliving food or protection equipment. Handler may stand anywhere on the pull track but may not touch the dog. Leashes are not allowed. In the event of a tie,the fastest pull wins. There is a minimum permissible increment of 25 pounds for a sled and 250 pounds for a cart.The judge may increase the minimum increment within reason, but he may not decrease it. Handlers will tell the judge and his assistants how much weight to put on the sled or cart for each pull, but must abide by the minimum increment standard. The weight added to the sled or cart must go from lighter to heavier. Each turn the dog takes with the sled or cart must be heavier than the previous turn. Increases in weight must either be in 25 pound increments or multiples of 25 for a sled. For a cart the increments must be 250 pound or multiples of 250.   

IWPA weight pulls: 

C. PROCEDURE OF THE WEIGHT PULL EVENT

1. Each dog shall be required to pull a loaded sled/ cart a measured sixteen (16) feet within 60 seconds. If the sled/cart is in continuous forward motion the dog shall be allowed to complete the pull and the actual time required to make the pull shall be recorded.

2. Handlers shall position the dog and proceed directly across the finish line if calling or behind the front of the cart if driving without stopping or hesitating; there shall not be any communication or contact with the dog or equipment. Once the handler has crossed the 16-foot line, they may not make contact with the dog, pulling surface or equipment between the start and finish line. The handler cannot touch the dog until the pull is complete.

3. Once the dog is in position in front of the sled/ cart no physical handling of the dog will be allowed. The judge will direct the handler to physically reposition the dog if there is a tangle or equipment failure. The dog is considered to be in position when the handler moves more than arms length away from the dog.

4. Only one handler is allowed to communicate with the dog, either with hand signals and/or voice commands from the course area.

5. The handler shall be allowed to position his/her dog anywhere between the wheels/runners in front of the sled/cart at the end of the extended tug line. The dog shall be positioned with enough slack in the tug line to prevent  the dog from inadvertently moving the sled or cart. There shall not be so much slack as to allow a sling shot start. A defined stop in the forward motion of the dog must be achieved.

6. The handler may pass one or two turns but must pull on the third turn. Once the dog is hooked up to the sled/cart the handler may not pass in that round except as stated in Section 5 #13. (Dogs are no longer required to pull the starting weight.)

7. Chief Judge shall recommend the starting weight not to exceed the following:

Class Max, Wt. Class Max Wt.

20 lb. 200 lbs 100 lb 700 lbs.

40 lb. 400 lbs 125 lb. 800 lbs.

60 lb. 500 lbs. 150 lb 800 lbs.

80 lb. 600 lbs. UNL 800 lbs.

These weights are maximum starting weights. Each dog may enter any round at or blow the max weight in that class. If poor pulling conditions exist, the Chief Judge may adjust the starting weights lower to match the conditions.

8. Load increments shall be determined by the Chief Judge and a simple majority of the handlers and shall be set prior to the beginning of the class. (A load increment usually considered appropriate for the lower classes is 40 to 50 lbs. For the larger classes it may be as much as 100 to 200 lbs. or more.) The Chief Judge shall recommend the load increments to the handlers, considering the pulling conditions and the welfare of the dogs. The selected increment for each class shall remain consistent throughout the class.

9. The handler has the option of having the cart placed anywhere on the starting line as long as the wheels are perpendicular to the start line. The handler has the option to reposition the cart one time. No test rolling of the cart shall be allowed.

10. The time will start once the handler is in the proper position and instructs the dog to pull or the dog attempts or starts to pull.

11. When on snow the sled shall be broken in the following manner: There shall be a break line 2 feet BEHIND the designated start line. The front of the sled shall be positioned at the break line. The Chief Judge shall then direct the following sequence: (1) The sled to be positioned at the start line with the sled runners perpendicular to the start line. (2) The pulling pad to be cleared of all sled marshals (unless the handler requests assistance in hooking up the dog). (3) The handler to leave the on deck circle, hook up the dog and the pull to commence.

12.Tangles are called at the Chief Judge's discretion. A tangle shall be called by the judge only if the dog or any of the equipment in use becomes entangled. Deliberate tangles will be an immediate disqualification.

A. In the event of a tangle, at the judges discretion the timer will stop the clock and the handler must realign the dog and harness before the pull is resumed. Two tangles on the same round will constitute the dogs removal from the competition.

B. If the sled/cart becomes stuck on a barrier of the pulling pad it shall be considered a tangle. The clock would be stopped and the sled/cart would then be freed of the barrier at the point of which it was stuck. The dog would be allowed to continue the pull with the remaining time left on the clock. Two tangles on the barrier on the same round shall constitute the dog's removal from the competition.

13. If any part of the harness or other equipment breaks, the handler shall have 60 seconds to repeat the pull after repairs. He/She may choose to accept this interrupted pull as a pass.

14. Whips, noisemakers, muzzles, pinch collars, or related aids shall not be permitted at any time during an IWPA event. Throwing of items while the dog is in pulling shut is considered baiting. No food, treats or bait/baiting shall be used from the time the dogs class begins until the dog is eliminated from competition and removed from the pull area. Handlers shall not have food or bait on their person during the competition.

15. No dogs, including those not entered in competition shall be allowed in the area ahead of the starting line, except the dog that is pulling.

16. There shall be a marked "on deck" area behind, but near the starting end of the pull chute. This marked area shall house only the next dog to pull.

17. The dog pulling the most weight in its class is declared the winner. Each successive dog pulling a lower weight is placed second, third, etc. If two or more dogs pull the same weight the required distance and can pull no more weight the full distance, the winner is determined by the fastest time in the previous pull.

18. The maximum number of dogs handled in a given weight class by one handler shall be limited to no more than three (3) dogs per weight class.

American Pit Bull Terrier's APBT'S love to work !!! DAGGER BLOODLINE #1