ADBA Top Dog, Weight Pull and Conformation: Salt Lake Terrier Association (Bully Max Sports Ep. 6)
The American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) is the Utah-based registry behind the American Pit Bull Terrier’s conformation shows, weight pulls and the three-part Top Dog athletic event. In Episode 6 of Bully Max Sports, we spend a Labor Day weekend just outside Salt Lake City with the Salt Lake Terrier Association, an ADBA club that hosted all three in one indoor facility. Here is how each event works, how dogs are judged, and what the people who run it say about the sport.
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Watch Bully Max Sports Ep. 6: Salt Lake Terrier Association
Bully Max sponsored handler Stephanie Lamp and her dog Vinny appear in this episode. For active adult dogs, our 30/20 formula gives 30% protein and 535 calories per cup.
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Key Takeaways
ADBA Salt Lake show at a glance
- Three events, one weekend: conformation, weight pull and the Top Dog athletic event.
- Top Dog is a three-part event (wall climb, treadmill race and a 200 ft lure course). Dogs must compete in all three to receive overall points.
- Conformation judges the dog against the written ADBA breed standard: structure, balance, temperament and movement.
- Turnout: 60 or 70 dogs in weight pull over two days, a hundred and some in conformation and 20 to 30 in Top Dog, per club president Aaron Wise.
- Getting in: find a club near you through the ADBA or the UPF, or ask Bully Max to point you to one.
What Is the ADBA?
The episode starts in Utah, home of the American Dog Breeders Association headquarters. To explain the organization, we went to someone who has helped run it for decades:
“So my name’s Heather DeVito. I'm one of the ADBA Board of Directors, I'm Show Manager, and I'm also the Director of the Top Dog Athletic Event judges. I've been with the ADBA almost 33 years”
— Heather DeVito, ADBA Board of Directors
The ADBA is a worldwide organization that promotes the positive image of the American Pit Bull Terrier and other purebred breeds. In 2006 it opened its registry to other purebred dogs. Over the decades it has worked to promote the athleticism of the APBT and counter negative stereotypes about the breed, and many working dog clubs run sanctioned events under it. One of them is the Salt Lake Terrier Association.
For the breed itself, read our American Pit Bull Terrier breed guide and ADBA standard.
Meet the Salt Lake Terrier Association
“Hey, I'm Aaron Wise. I'm president of the Salt Lake Terrier club.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
Aaron first competed in an ADBA weight pull in 2012 and moved into Top Dog in 2018. He also builds the equipment. His business, Power Stroke Kennels, makes wall climbs, spring poles, weigh-in stands, weight pull tracks and kennels. “There’s not much I don’t build if I can weld it together,” he says.
This year’s show ran over Labor Day weekend at a new indoor facility. Club members put up the lure course, the wall, the weight pull track and the conformation ring together. As Aaron puts it:
“Because it takes, it takes a village to put one of these shows on.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
“60 or 70 dogs in weight pull through the two days. Hundred and some dogs in conformation. And we had 20 to 30 dogs in Top Dog.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
The Top Dog Athletic Event: Wall Climb, Treadmill and Lure Course
Top Dog is the ADBA’s all-round athletic test. Aaron lays out the three parts:
“So Top Dog consists of the wall climb, which you might see behind me here, a treadmill race, and then a lure course race, which is a 200ft where it chases, a lure that's in front of it.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
| Top Dog event | What the dog does | Learn more |
|---|---|---|
| Wall climb | Runs at a vertical wall and climbs to reach a target. | Wall climb training |
| Treadmill race | Races on a dog-powered mill. | Slat mill racing explained |
| Lure course | Chases a lure over a 200 ft course. | Dog sports for bully breeds |
Per the episode: the Top Dog event has been around for about 11 or 12 years, and all three events must be competed to receive overall points.
How ADBA Conformation Is Judged
Conformation is the show ring. Judges use the written ADBA breed standard as the blueprint. It describes the ideal American Pit Bull Terrier in physical structure, balance, temperament and movement. In the ring, judges look at:
- Balance between front and rear
- Good alignment of the topline
- Proper angles
- Even musculature
The judge’s main job, as the episode explains, is the unbiased selection of quality breeding stock that best conforms to the standard, not personal preference. That is why the same dogs that climb walls and pull carts also show: good structure is what lets them do the work.
Comparing registries? See our guide to UKC vs. ABKC standards and what to know before getting in the ring.
Standout Dogs and Handlers
After many events on the road, the crew started to see familiar faces:
- Drai, “an incredible weight pull dog, always doing big numbers on the track.”
- Stacey and Don of the 49th Parallel Sporting Dog Club, from the previous episode.
- Oogie Boogie, Dominique Crespo’s French Bulldog, “making everyone a believer in the power of determination.”
- Koo, who travels the country in his big rig to compete.
- Stephanie Lamp and Vinny. Stephanie is a Bully Max sponsored handler, “always pushing what is possible with her dog Vinny.”
How to Get Into Dog Sports and Conformation
We asked Aaron how someone gets started. His answer is the same one we hear at almost every event:
“I would say find a group of people that are doing this. You can look at the Unified Pulling Federation, you could look up the ADBA organization. Find a club in the state somewhere where you're near or whatever, and get a hold of those people.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
“You could probably reach out to Bully Max. They'll probably point you in a direction of a club in your area.”
— Aaron Wise, Salt Lake Terrier Association
These clubs are tight-knit. Competitors push each other, welcome newcomers, and put safety first, making sure never to push a dog past its limits. One competitor compares an event to “a big family reunion.” For a head start, see finding dog sport events near you and how to train your dog to weight pull.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
A Top Dog competitor has to sprint, climb and chase in one weekend, then often pull or show too. That takes a dog in lean, muscled condition with the energy to recover between events. Handlers in the series condition with the same tools Aaron builds: wall climbs, spring poles, mills and the weight pull track, added gradually so the dog builds confidence and strength together.
Feeding is the other half. At the Lone Star event in Episode 9, one handler put it in four words:
“Workouts with diet. It goes a long way.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 9
For an all-round athlete like a Top Dog competitor, a meat-based, high-protein food is the base. Bully Max 30/20 gives 30% protein and 535 calories per cup. Dogs that struggle to hold weight under heavy training may need the 600 calories per cup in PRO Series 31/25. Our guides to the best dog food for working and sport dogs and dog muscle-building workouts cover the details.
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
“I tried out a month supply to see how my dog would take to it and he loves the food definitely more active and healthy”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
Behind the Scenes at an ADBA Top Dog Event
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Aaron says the Salt Lake club “isn’t going anywhere,” with a surprise planned for the spring. Next in the series: Episode 7 at the UPF Nationals in Kansas. Bully Max, family-owned since 2009, is proud to keep showing these dogs in the positive light they deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ADBA?
The American Dog Breeders Association is a worldwide registry headquartered in Utah. It promotes the American Pit Bull Terrier and other purebred breeds through sanctioned conformation shows, weight pulls and the Top Dog athletic event.
What is ADBA Top Dog?
A three-part athletic event: wall climb, treadmill race and a 200 ft lure course. Dogs must compete in all three events to receive overall points.
How is ADBA conformation judged?
Against the written ADBA breed standard, which describes the ideal APBT in structure, balance, temperament and movement. Judges look at front-to-rear balance, topline, angles and even musculature.
How do I find an ADBA club near me?
Look up the ADBA or the Unified Pulling Federation, contact a club in your state, or ask Bully Max to point you to one in your area.
Build a Top Dog athlete
Pro Series Power Chews add amino acids and training and performance support to a sport dog’s routine, alongside a meat-based food.
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