ADBA Top Dog Competition and Weight Pull in Canada: 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club (Bully Max Sports Ep. 5)
An ADBA Top Dog competition is, in one club president’s words, “basically a triathlon for dogs”: a two-minute treadmill sprint, a vertical wall climb and a 200 ft lure course, scored within height groups so small dogs compete against their peers. In Episode 5 of Bully Max Sports, we traveled to Vancouver for the 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club’s annual weekend of ADBA Top Dog and weight pull, and came back with the clearest explanation of Top Dog scoring and titles we have heard.
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The episode’s Bully Max segment highlights formulas with up to 600 calories per cup. That is PRO Series 31/25, built for working and sport dogs.
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Episode 5 at a glance
- Event: the 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club’s annual ADBA Top Dog and weight pull weekend in early May.
- Where: Vancouver, Canada, hosted by Steelhead Bulldog Sports Facility and sanctioned by the American Dog Breeders Association.
- Program: three weight pulls and three Top Dogs every May.
- Host: Stacy Mangut, club president.
- Open to all breeds: ADBA Top Dog and weight pull have been all-breed for over a decade.
- Big takeaway: a Top Dog title takes 100 points plus a podium finish at a major.
How ADBA Top Dog Works
Stacy Mangut has been in the sport since 2014, when she entered her dog in a Top Dog event in Oregon: “She did all three sports and I fell in love with the sport.” She and her husband built the first wall in Canada. Here is how she explains the three events.
1. Treadmill sprint
“On the treadmill the dogs are scored based on the distance that they travel in a two-minute sprint... The dogs run as fast or slow as they like.”
— Stacy Mangut, president, 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club
She calls it “an incredible test of speed and power.”
Learn more in our guides to slat mill racing and dog treadmill training.
2. Wall climb
“This is my favorite personally. I love the wall. It's a really finicky sport. Your dog needs to have focus. Your dog needs to have power. Your dog needs to have drive and want for that tug.”
— Stacy Mangut
Technique matters too. See how dogs climbed 11 ft and beyond in Episode 1: the Bully Max Wall Climb Challenge, and our guide to training for wall climb.
3. Lure course
The third event is usually the lure course in ADBA Top Dog: “a 200 ft timed sprint,” a pure test of the dog’s speed. Some clubs run a drag sled instead, as Stephanie Lamp explains in Episode 2.
How Top Dog Is Scored
This is the part most newcomers never get explained. Stacy walks through it step by step:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Height groups | Dogs are split into groups by height, so small dogs are not competing against large dogs. |
| 2. Group placings | Within each group, dogs are placed first through last in each event, and points are allotted. |
| 3. Top nine | Scores are tallied, and the dogs with the nine highest scores across the whole roster move on. |
| 4. Rescore | The top nine are rescored according to their performance. |
As explained by Stacy Mangut in Bully Max Sports Ep. 5.
Why height groups? The club has seen everything from “corgis up to Dutch shepherds,” and as Stacy says, “a dog that’s 12 in at the shoulders isn’t going to climb what a dog that’s 24 in at the shoulders will.”
How a dog earns an ADBA Top Dog title
- 100 points earned in competition.
- A podium finish: first, second or third at a major, which is a competition of 10 dogs or more.
- Higher titles: every further 100 points earns Top Dog I, Top Dog II, Top Dog III and so on. Stacy believes Top Dog III is currently the highest standing with the ADBA.
The Triple Crown
One handler came to the 49th Parallel for the last two points their dog Vinnie needed for his ACE title, making him their third dog to earn what’s known as the Triple Crown:
“He is a champion in the show ring. He's a top dog, too. Um, and now he's an ace.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 5
“It’s an unofficial title, but it is a pretty cool goal,” the handler says. “It shows how versatile the American Pitbull Terrier really can be.” Our American Pit Bull Terrier breed guide covers the ADBA standard used in the show ring.
ADBA Weight Pull at the 49th Parallel
The club runs weight pull on a cart on rails, though other clubs use wheeled carts on dirt or even snow. The dogs pull the weight 16 ft within 60 seconds. For a full event, see Episode 4: the UPF Bully Max Weight Pull, and for the basics, how to train your dog to weight pull.
“There is this perception of weight pull that it's something really rough and maybe that you know people the handlers are hard on their dogs and they're forcing them to do it and that's just absolutely not the case. The dogs are out there because they want to do it.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 5
Transcript Highlights
- 0:27 The 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club in Vancouver, hosted by Steelhead Bulldog Sports Facility.
- 1:00 Stacy Mangut: three weight pulls and three Top Dogs every May.
- 2:24 All-breed inclusivity in ADBA sports.
- 2:57 Top Dog as “a triathlon for dogs”: treadmill, wall and lure course.
- 3:54 Height groups, points and the top nine.
- 4:50 What it takes to earn a Top Dog title.
- 5:35 Vinnie completes the Triple Crown.
- 6:12 Weight pull on rails: 16 ft in 60 seconds.
- 7:56 A handler on six months of feeding Bully Max.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
Build the bond first
“I think the most important things are to work on your bond with your dog.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 5
The same handler sees the difference on the track from time spent on tricks, training and hand walking. Drive-building tools like a flirt pole and a spring pole are easy ways to add that time together.
Be patient, find a mentor
“Be patient. Take your time. Don't necessarily push them. Give them everything you every chance you can. good food, lots of love and attention, and uh they'll give you their all.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 5
One handler started their first weight pull dog in 2019 and “knew nothing.” Their advice: “A successful weight puller is going to have a very good mentor because it’s it’s not as easy as it looks.”
Good food is part of the plan
One handler in the episode shared their experience with Bully Max:
“I've been feeding BullyMax for about 6 months now and my dogs are looking and doing amazing.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 5
They also pointed to Bully Max’s support for the club, from donating products for raffles to sponsoring trophies. A Top Dog weekend asks for speed, power and stamina across three events, so sport dogs need a meat-based food with real protein and calories to match the work. Bully Max has made high-performance dog food since 2009. We are family-owned, made in the USA, every batch is triple tested, and we have zero recalls.
How our sport formulas compare:
| Bully Max formula | Protein | Fat | kcal/cup | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRO Series 31/25 High Calorie | 31% | 25% | 600 | Hard keepers, working and sport dogs |
| 30/20 High Protein Chicken | 30% | 20% | 535 | Active adults that need muscle and energy |
| 30/20 High Protein Beef | 30% | 20% | 530 | Active dogs that need a chicken-free food; all life stages |
Protein and fat are guaranteed-analysis minimums; calories per 8 oz cup. Figures from each product's label data on shop.bullymax.com.
In our customers' words
“The ability to provide a protein rich diet to my pup, who is naturally muscular and athletic”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
“My dog has been eating this since he was 6 weeks old. He is now 4 years old and is solid, muscle definition in his legs.”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
Behind the Scenes
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A Community, Not Just a Competition
Everyone in this episode comes back to the same thing: the people. “We want to win, but we want them to win, too,” one handler says. The 49th Parallel runs practices “for anyone to come and play,” and one member calls it “basically like an extended family.” To get started, the club points newcomers to the ADBA website, which lists clubs by area, and to the club’s Instagram and Facebook pages. The closing advice: “Reach out to your local ADBA club and get involved with your dog. You will not regret it.” For more events, see our dog sports coverage.
FAQ
What is a Top Dog competition?
An ADBA multi-event competition described in the episode as “basically a triathlon for dogs”: a two-minute treadmill sprint for distance, a wall climb and a 200 ft timed lure course, scored within height groups.
How many points does a dog need for an ADBA Top Dog title?
100 points, plus a first, second or third place at a major (10 dogs or more). Each further 100 points earns Top Dog I, II, III and so on.
Can any breed compete in ADBA Top Dog and weight pull?
Yes. Stacy Mangut explains that the ADBA made Top Dog and weight pull all-breed over a decade ago. A purebred that can be registered with the ADBA can compete, and a purebred altered dog can get an LPP to compete.
How long do dogs have in ADBA weight pull?
At the 49th Parallel, dogs pull the weight 16 ft and have 60 seconds to do it.
Fuel your Top Dog like a champion
PRO Series 31/25 delivers 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for sport dogs in hard training.
TRY BULLY MAX PRO SERIES 31/25
High-calorie performance nutrition with 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for working and sport dogs.
Save 10% with autoship and get each bag delivered on a schedule.
Family-owned since 2009 · Made in USA · Every batch triple tested · Zero recalls · 50,000+ 5-star reviews · Dog Food Advisor 5/5
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Every episode, written up: the event, the rules and what the handlers said.
