Dog Wall Climb Competition: Inside the Bully Max $2,500 Wall Climb Challenge (Sports Series Ep. 1)
A dog wall climb competition is simple to explain and hard to win: a tug toy hangs at the top of a vertical wall, each dog gets three attempts to grab it, and the dog that pulls the toy down from the greatest height wins. In Episode 1 of Bully Max Sports, five handlers brought their American Pit Bull Terriers to the Bully Max training facility in Western Pennsylvania for the $2,500 Wall Climb Challenge, the first-ever Bully Max Sports event.
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Wall climb is an explosive sport. Dogs that train and compete hard burn a lot of fuel, which is why many sport handlers feed a calorie-dense, meat-based food.
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Episode 1 at a glance
- Event: the $2,500 Wall Climb Challenge, the first-ever Bully Max Sports competition.
- Where: the Bully Max training facility in Western Pennsylvania.
- Handlers: Holly and Scott Wolanski (New York), Erica Noseworthy (Laurel, Maryland) and Dani Cyr, who drove over 11 hours to compete.
- Format: smallest dogs first, handler picks the toy height, three attempts per height, highest successful climb wins.
- New gear: the first time these competitors used an auto belay system on the wall.
- Winner: Daisy, handled by Holly and Scott Wolanski, the first Bully Max Sports Wall Climb Champion.
What Is a Dog Wall Climb Competition?
In a wall climb, a dog sprints at a tall, ramp-free wall and scrambles up it to grab a tug toy hung near the top. The toy is the whole point. As one handler puts it in the episode:
“So with wall climb, it all starts with toy drive. Um, if they love their toy, then it makes it a lot easier.”
— Handler, Bully Max Sports Ep. 1
Our guide to training your dog for the sport of wall climb covers the step-by-step training. This post is the event itself.
The rules at the Bully Max Wall Climb Challenge
- Order: competition starts with the smallest dogs first.
- Height: the trainer chooses the height of the tug for each run.
- Attempts: each dog gets three attempts to make a successful jump.
- Scoring: as the narrator says, “the highest jump wins.” Ties are broken with extra attempts at a higher toy.
- Safety line: an auto belay system acts, in one handler’s words, “as an extra hand to help belay your dog for you.”
The Handlers and Their Dogs
Holly and Scott Wolanski drove in from New York. “I’m Scott Wolanski, and we are here today at The Bully Max Facility for the first-ever Bully Max Sports wall climb competition event.”
Erica Noseworthy, a dog groomer from Laurel, Maryland, breeds UKC-conformation American Pit Bull Terriers and competes in a long list of sports:
“I started with dogs when I was 8 years old, and now I actually have nine American Pit Bull Terriers of my own.”
— Erica Noseworthy
Dani Cyr has three American Pit Bull Terriers and has been training dogs since the early 2000s, starting with rescue dogs that needed serious behavior work:
“Since then, we've been actively competing in weight pull, wall climb, mill race—we do some dock diving, and we've trained in flyball, disc dogging, obedience, and rally.”
— Dani Cyr
Run by Run: Episode Highlights
Pistol: the veteran
Up first was Pistol, a 9-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier weighing 41 lbs and one of the oldest dogs of the day. Pistol cleared the 7 ft starting height easily, giving the Bully Max climbing wall its first use. The new auto belay took some getting used to, and her handler noted, “My older girl gets a little weirded out when things are touching her, which may have affected her mentality. For beginner dogs, I think if they learn to use the belay system, they’ll adapt to it very nicely.”
Fury: the young gun
Erica’s Fury is a 2-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier at 58 lbs. He started at 6 ft, moved up to 7 ft, then came up “just a hair short” at 8 ft and finished with a score of 7 ft.
Diesel: learning a new wall
The new wall and auto belay confused Diesel at first, but he settled in and finished at 8 ft.
Smith: stride and technique
Dani’s 5-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier Smith showed why technique matters. He climbed 8 ft, 9 ft and 10 ft, then cleared 10' 6" on his third and final attempt at that height. Dani explained the stride that makes it work:
“First you teach them to climb the wall, then you teach them to stride towards the wall. And you want each dog to have a launch point at where they're going up the wall instead of into the wall. That takes practice and strategy.”
— Dani Cyr
Really and Linus: littermates on the wall
Really got her name the hard way. Her breeder explained: “Really was not my keeper puppy from that litter... They had her for a week, but they returned a 9-week-old puppy. People would say, ‘I thought you only kept one puppy,’ and I’d reply, ‘I did. This one got returned.’ And they’d go, ‘Really?’” Really finished at 9 ft. Her brother Linus climbed 9 ft, 10 ft and then 11 ft on his final attempt to tie for the lead.
Kevlar: the dog to beat
Dani’s Kevlar started at 8 ft and kept going: 9 ft, 10 ft, then 11 ft on his second attempt, the new high score of the day.
Daisy: the champion
The final dog was Daisy, who “can be heard from miles away.” Over the summer she had earned her Top Dog title, which means 100 points. With Kevlar and Linus tied, the toy went to 11' 1" to break the tie, and Daisy pulled it down. Daisy became Bully Max Sports’ first Wall Climb Champion.
Final Standings
| Place | Dog | Handler | How it was decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Daisy | Holly and Scott Wolanski | Pulled the toy at 11' 1" to break the tie |
| 2nd | Kevlar | Dani Cyr | 11' 4" in the tiebreak with Linus |
| 3rd | Linus | Erica Noseworthy | Top height of 11 ft in the tiebreak |
Heights and placings as announced in Bully Max Sports Ep. 1.
The winners summed up the day: “Our first Wall Climb event here at Bully Max exceeded our expectations by far... And the facility itself? It’s amazing here.”
Transcript Highlights
- 0:00 Welcome to the $2,500 Wall Climb Challenge at the Bully Max training facility in Western Pennsylvania.
- 2:01 The rules: smallest dogs first, trainer picks the height, three attempts, highest jump wins.
- 5:32 “It all starts with toy drive.”
- 6:47 Dani on stride: teach the climb first, then the approach.
- 7:41 Smith clears 10 ft and the toy goes up to 10' 6".
- 10:45 Kevlar sets the new high score at 11 ft.
- 13:26 Daisy is crowned the first Bully Max Sports Wall Climb Champion.
How Champion Handlers Feed and Condition
Erica says, “My dogs have obedience titles, I have treadmills at my house, and weight pull is really one of my main sports.” Dani’s dogs compete in weight pull, wall climb and mill racing. That schedule takes conditioning and a diet that keeps up.
Conditioning lessons from the wall
- Build toy drive first. A dog that loves the tug will work to reach it. Tug and flirt pole play builds that drive, and a spring pole builds grip and rear-end power.
- Teach the climb, then the stride. Dani’s order: get the dog up the wall first, then work on a consistent approach and launch point.
- Condition between events. Treadmill work, covered in our dog treadmill training guide, builds the base fitness many wall dogs also use on the slat mill.
Feeding a wall climb dog
Wall dogs need to stay lean and powerful: enough calories to fuel training, enough protein to support muscle, and no extra weight to haul up the wall. Bully Max has made high-performance, meat-based dog food since 2009. We are a family-owned U.S. company, our food is made in the USA, every batch is triple tested for safety, and we have zero recalls.
Three Bully Max formulas sport handlers reach for most:
| 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.
Measure meals and adjust to keep your dog lean. Our guide to the best dog food for working and sport dogs goes deeper.
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
A quick look behind the scenes at a Bully Max Sports event:
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How to Get Into Wall Climb
Find a local club that runs Top Dog or wall climb practices, watch an event and ask experienced handlers for help. Our dog sports coverage and the American Pit Bull Terrier breed guide explain the ADBA events many wall climbers compete in. If your dog also loves to pull, read how to train your dog to weight pull.
FAQ
How does a dog wall climb competition work?
A tug toy hangs on a vertical wall. Each dog gets three attempts at each height, and the dog that pulls the toy down from the greatest height wins. At the Bully Max Wall Climb Challenge, the smallest dogs went first and handlers chose the toy height.
Who won the Bully Max Wall Climb Challenge?
Daisy, handled by Holly and Scott Wolanski, won by pulling the toy at 11' 1". Dani Cyr’s Kevlar took second and Erica Noseworthy’s Linus took third.
What makes a good wall climb dog?
The handlers agree: toy drive first, then athleticism and technique. As Dani explains, the dog needs a consistent stride and a launch point so it goes up the wall instead of into it.
Fuel your wall climber like a champion
PRO Series 31/25 delivers 31% protein, 25% fat and 600 calories per cup for 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.
