Dog Weight Pull Competition: Inside the UPF Bully Max Weight Pull II (Bully Max Sports Ep. 8)
A dog weight pulling competition is, in one handler’s words, “kind of like a strong man competition for dogs”: each dog has 60 seconds to pull a loaded cart 16 feet, and the weight keeps going up until only the strongest are left. Episode 8 of Bully Max Sports covers the second UPF weight pull at the Bully Max Training Facility, from the first light pulls on a 1,200-pound cart to a world record of 16,917 pounds. Here is how the competition works, the rules that keep dogs safe, and the pulls that stood out.
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Watch Bully Max Sports Ep. 8: UPF Bully Max Weight Pull II
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Key Takeaways
UPF Weight Pull II at a glance
- The format: 60 seconds on the clock, 16 feet to pull. The cart starts empty, then bricks are added round by round.
- The rules: touching your dog is a foul, and a dog is allowed only one foul before it is done for the day.
- Who can enter: the UPF allows all breeds and mixed breeds. This event had pit bulls, American Bullies, a Bull Terrier, a Belgian Malinois, a German Shepherd and a Presa Canario.
- The top pulls: Apex finished at 13,684 lb, Flex reached 14,740 lb, and Sun Wukong of ColdRiver Boerboels set a world record of 16,917 lb.
- The handlers’ view on care: “you got to have good food, good supplements,” and stay consistent with the work.
What Is Dog Weight Pulling?
Weight pulling traces back to the 19th century in northern North America, Alaska and Canada, and parts of Europe. Sled dogs carried supplies across snow, farm dogs pulled carts of milk, meat and equipment, and during the gold rushes dogs helped miners move materials through hard terrain. The sport grew out of that partnership.
“Well, I think, the easiest way to explain it is kind of like a strong man competition for dogs.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
Today, organizations like the Unified Pulling Federation run sanctioned pulls with weight classes and strict rules. If you are new, start with our guide to the sport of dog weight pulling and how to train for it.
The Venue: a Real Railroad Cart at the Bully Max Training Facility
The Bully Max Training Facility is a wall-to-wall working dog complex. The star of the show is the weight pull cart itself: an actual train cart on real railroad tracks, repurposed from a working railroad and set up for a completely level pull. Cart handlers make sure it stops safely, and the pit crew loading bricks are Bully Max employees who run the onsite warehouse during the week.
“This is exactly what the sport needs. The place is just amazing. The equipment is top notch.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
How a UPF Weight Pull Competition Works
| Rule or stage | What happens (per Ep. 8) |
|---|---|
| Time and distance | 60 seconds on the clock, 16 feet to pull. |
| Starting weight | Dogs start with just the cart, which already weighs 1,200 pounds. |
| Adding weight | Bricks go on in rounds: 1,751 lb, then 2,272 lb, and on up. When the bricks run out, a forklift adds more. |
| Fouls | Touching your dog is a foul. One foul is allowed; a second ends the dog’s day. |
| Divisions | Dogs compete in weight divisions, from lightweight to light heavyweight and up. |
| Awards | Most weight pulled, plus most weight per pound of body weight in a division. |
| Strategy | Experienced handlers often hold a strong dog out until enough weight is on the cart. |
Judging is learned, not handed out. Erica Noseworthy explains:
“So what it takes is you do have to apprentice under other judges to make sure that you are aware of the rules and regulations and all that.”
— Erica Noseworthy, Bully Max sponsored handler
Technique matters too. Some dogs jump at the start, which can get the cart moving but can also break traction, so most handlers train their dogs not to jump.
Standout Pulls of the Day
| Dog | Handler or kennel | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| What | Kaytlin Murphy | Won the lightweight division and most weight per pound. |
| Lumi | Blue Antics Kennels (Erica Noseworthy) | Pulled 3,284 lb. |
| Pistol | Dani Cyr | A 10-year-old competitor, removed from the competition once done for the day. |
| Smith | Dani Cyr | Final pull of 5,368 lb. |
| Venom (American Bully) | Makayla McKinney | Ended his run at 5,552 lb. |
| Kill Shot | — | Final weight of 6,839 lb. The crew last saw him as a puppy. |
| Cat (Belgian Malinois) | Ashlee Valenti | Finished at 6,839 lb. |
| Apex | Erica Noseworthy | Final pull of 13,684 lb. |
| Flex | John Martin | Top weight of 14,740 lb. |
| Wendy (Presa Canario) | PresaMania Kennels | Her final weight pull ever, and the most she ever pulled in her career. |
| Sun Wukong | ColdRiver Boerboels | World record: 16,917 lb. |
Weights as stated in the episode. Only five dogs remained at the end: Wendy, Machine Gun Kelly, Flex, Apex and Sun Wukong.
Machine Gun Kelly, from Funnyman Kennels, was top ranked Ace of Ace in 2025. Wendy’s handlers, Travis and Kassidy Torrez, drove all the way from Texas; read the PresaMania story. For the full record story, see Sun Wukong’s 16,917 lb world record.
Is Weight Pulling Safe for Dogs?
The episode addresses this directly. Done correctly, weight pull is a structured, well-regulated sport designed with the dog’s safety in mind:
- The UPF and the ADBA enforce strict rules so dogs are never forced beyond their ability.
- Properly fitted harnesses, like those from Maxx Performance, spread the load across the dog’s body.
- Pulls are short, controlled efforts, “more like a sprint than prolonged strain.”
- Handlers are expected to stop immediately if a dog shows stress or unwillingness.
“If you don't love your dog and your dog don't love you, he's not going to do this.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
A good handler knows when a dog has had enough. We saw it on the day: Pistol was removed when done for the day, and Venom, out of energy, did not attempt 6,318 lb and finished at 5,552 lb.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
This episode has the clearest feeding advice in the series, and it comes from a competitor, not from us:
“They realize that, oh, this is actually a wonderful sport, but also that you got to have good food, good supplements. That’s where Bully Max comes in handy right there, y'all.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
“They're actually putting in the work. They're feeding great food to them. They're spending the time with them. So yeah, put in the time. Stay consistent with your work.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
Another handler explains why the sport rewards a well-built, well-conditioned dog:
“It shows good physical with the dog, the conditioning. And it keeps the breeders program very functional too, because you can't have sloppy falling apart dogs and do this sport at all.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
In practice, that means a lean, muscled dog on a complete, meat-based food with enough calories for the training load, plus consistent work. Our 30-day dog muscle-building guide and calorie needs for dogs in competitive training cover the routine. To build muscle through food, see how to build muscle on a dog with food.
In our customers' words
“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
“I've bought bullymax before when my stud needed to fill out and gain weight”
— Bully Max customer, post-purchase survey
Watch a 22,039-Pound World-Record Pull
ColdRiver Boerboels also hold a place in our World Records playlist. Here Mr. Wednesday and Sun WuKong pull 22,039 pounds.
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How to Get Started in Weight Pull
“The advice I can give. Find a mentor. Take your time and be patient.”
— Emmanuel, Funnyman Kennels
“A great way to learn about the sport, Is to first go and watch the sport. Be an active spectator. Don't just be on the sidelines. Ask questions.”
— Weight pull competitor, Bully Max Sports Ep. 8
Our UPF-style guide to getting started walks through the first steps, and our Episode 7 recap of the UPF Nationals explains how classes are scored.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a dog weight pull competition work?
At this UPF event, each dog had 60 seconds to pull a cart 16 feet. Weight was added in rounds, and dogs competed in weight divisions until the heaviest successful pulls decided the winners.
What is a foul in weight pull?
Touching your dog during the pull is a foul. At this event a dog was allowed one foul; a second ended its competition for the day.
Can any breed do weight pull?
The UPF allows all breeds and mixed breeds. This event included pit bulls, American Bullies, a Bull Terrier, a Belgian Malinois, a German Shepherd, a Presa Canario and Boerboels.
Is weight pulling bad for dogs?
Done correctly it is a regulated sport: fitted harnesses spread the load, pulls are short, and handlers must stop if a dog shows stress or unwillingness. Check with your vet before starting any new sport.
What is the dog weight pull world record?
In Episode 8, Sun Wukong of ColdRiver Boerboels pulled 16,917 pounds. A separate record video in our World Records playlist shows Mr. Wednesday and Sun WuKong pulling 22,039 pounds.
Feed like the handlers in Ep. 8
Good food is the base. Bully Max 30/20 is meat-based, with 30% protein and 535 calories per cup, made in the USA by a family-owned company with zero recalls.
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