Every good training program has gotta start with training goals.

• AMCA Backpacking WPD (spring & fall)
  • Alyosha & Bayou, Sailor & Mensa
• IWPA Weightpull WD (fall & winter)
  • Cheers, Mensa, Bayou, Gypsy, Yuki & Alyosha

Backpacking (WPD) Spring & Fall

Working Pack Dog, offered through the AMCA, constitutes 30 miles, 1 overnight, in at least 10-mile increments (or 4ea 10-mile hikes.) Dog carries 30% of his weight. Generally I don’t ask dogs to carry weight on their shoulders until they are 2 years old since dog shoulders don’t have skeletal support down to the ground the way the dog hips do. And I’m not sure if the seniors can handle the weight. TD has a stainless steel pin in his front leg, so he’s out. That leaves Cheers, Mensa, & Poppet for full weight, but we could bring others for company with lesser weights. (EDIT: changed this up to also train Emmer & Yodel, Bayou & Yuki). And since I can’t stand the heat of summer, we’d have to get done before the weather changes or get done very early in the day. There’s no event structure, we just need an independent person to sign off at the trailhead.

Weightpull (IWPA-WD) Winter

The International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) season is September 1 through March 31. The dog must be over 12 months old. An IWPA-WD (Working Dog) Degree can be earned by pulling 12x the dog’s weight on wheels 4 times. Working Dog Excellent (wheels) 18x. Working Dog Superior (wheels) 23x. So a 65# dog needs to pull 780# 4x (wheels), 75#/900#, 85#/1020#, 95#/1140#.

Thankfully, there’s a local 1-day pull in Baxter, TN, every month. Hopefully that will continue next year.

Cheers, Mensa, Poppet, Bayou, Gypsy, Yuki & Yosha will start training this spring, take off for the hottest weather, and start back again in the fall.

Training Logs

• Training Logs 12/16/2019
• Training Logs 11/29/2019
• Training Logs 11/25/2019
• Training Logs 11/11/2019
• Training Logs 11/04/2019
• Training Logs 10/28/2019
• Training Logs 10/24/2019
• Training Logs 10/23/2019
• Training Logs 10/22/2019
• Training Logs 10/21/2019
• Training Logs Backpacks (mine)
• Training Logs 10/20/2019
• Training Logs 10/18/2019
• Training Logs 10/13-14-15 Hammock3-4-5
• Training Logs 10/12/2019 Hammock2
• Training Logs 10/11/2019 Hammock
• Training Logs 10/9/2019 Alyosha’s backpack
• Roddy, TN, 2019
• Training Logs 10/8/2019 Bayou’s backpack
• Training Logs 10/6/2019 Team Ups: Mensa & Sailor
• Training Logs 10/5/2019 Tok
• Training Logs 10/4/2019 Team Ups Alyosha & Bayou
• Training Logs 10/3/2019 Mensa
• Training Logs 10/2/2019 Sailor
• Training Logs 10/1/2019 Bayou
• Training Logs 9/30/19 Alyosha
• Training Logs 9/29/19 Dresden
• Training Logs 9/26/19 Walk like an Alaskan
• Training Logs 7/19/19 Dresden
• Training Logs 7/27/19 Puppy Tai Chi
• Big D. meets the Rockstar
• Training Logs 4/4/19 Hiking
• Training Logs 3/31/19 Wpull-2
• Training Logs 3/30/19 Wpull
• Training Logs 3/27/19 Yuki
• Training Logs 3/27/19 The Plan
• Training Logs 3/26/19 Alyosha
• Training Logs 3/26/19 Bayou
• Training Logs 3/24/19 Emmer & Yodel
• Training Logs 3/22/19 On Backpacks
• Training Logs 3/20/19 First Day of Spring
• Training Logs 3/19/19 Tok meets her backpack
• Training Logs 3/17/19 Mensa meets her backpack
• Training Logs 3/16/19 3mph
• Training Logs 3/14/19 Loose leash walking in tandem
• Training Logs 3/12/19 Routes
• Training Logs 3/8/19 Tryouts