Canine Quarterly - ADBA Summer 2017 | Page 4

LifE in a Working Weight Pull Yard

As I sit out on the deck overlooking a yard full of kennels and thinking about how just today , I just spent half a grand and put in twelve manhours just because I saw a flea on one of the dogs . I ask myself ; is it worth all the time , money , and moreover the heartache that come when you lose one you ’ ve grown more attached to than you probably should have ? Regardless of how I answer myself , I just keep moving forward as if driven by some unknown force . Maybe it ’ s a sense of pride or purpose that drives me . Or maybe , just maybe , it ’ s their drive and purpose I ’ m feeding off of , something I need to assure my sanity . With my wife Angela , son Carl and my brother Robert , we are all working as a single unit . It ’ s a source of family bonding to which there ’ s no equal ; bringing together the best in them and in us .
There have been many noteworthy accomplishments ; so many it would seem boastful to name them all in one setting . I could spend all day singling out just one of these dogs and talking
Burton ’ s “ ACE ” TUG OR NOT * 4x Nationals Champion
number jumps to 38 placements .
We got into the sport of weight pull as a way to test our dogs , to see just what they ’ re made of . Bringing a dog to it ’ s limit and comparing them to the other top dogs out there has a way of letting one know about your dogs character you would never have known otherwise . I believe in the more information you can collect about your dogs , the better your decisions will be when it comes to making choices in your own program .
To anyone who ’ s thinking about getting into the sport of canine weight pulling at a high competitive level ; my advice would be this :
• The want to train first and foremost .
Most successful pullers out there will say they enjoy training more than competing . I feel the same ; without a doubt .
Burton ’ s ISIS P . O . E .
about what it has done on and off the track .
What I can say in a short summary , concerning the ADBA , is we have one dog titled ADBA Producer of Excellence ( P . O . E .) and 8 other standing dogs that have earned at least the ADBA title of ACE , and placing 11 times at numerous ADBA Nationals . If you add the other placements in all in other weight pulling organizations the
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Burton ’ s “ ACE ” NIGHTSHADE * 2x Nationals Champion