Whitpooling

The first mention of wavepulling can be found in Jack London ’s book “ Call of the Ancestors ” and other stories of the time telling about dogs towing loads of gold prospectors. (In particular, in the stories of disputes, whose dog will be able to pull out loaded sledges, whose runners were frozen in ice) ^[2] .

Waitingpool was originally a constant addition to dog sledding and developed in parallel with them. After the races, the mushers exhibited the best dogs for the competition in wave pulling to see which one was not only the fastest, but also the strongest ^[2] .

By 1978, the International Sled Dog Racing Association (ISDRA) had developed the first version of the guidelines and rules for a separate sporting event. Waitingpool gradually began to stand out as an independent sport. The restrictions on breeds were canceled, and any dogs not younger than 1 year old and not older than 12 years old, divided only into weight categories, were allowed to participate in competitions. Due to the particular surge in the popularity of wave pulling in the USA between 1982-1983, the International Weight Pull Association (IWPA) was founded in November 1984. Currently, IWPA has about 250,300 members ^[3] . Despite its international status, the organization operates only in North America.

In Europe, two large organizations are seriously involved in the development of wavepulling:

• European Weight Pull League (EWPL - European Weight Pull League), which unites today associations and clubs of Sweden , Norway , Finland and Denmark . In 2008, Sweden hosted the first European championship in wave pulling. Now the European Championship is held annually in August-September ^[4] .
• The United Pulling Federation (UPF - United Pulling Federation), consisting of representatives of the UK , Belgium , France , Germany and Switzerland ^[5] . UPF also hosts the annual European Championship ^[6] .

In Russia, wave pulling was officially recognized by the RKF as a sport in 2005 ^[7] . Since then, you can get CAST work certificates, titles on working qualities and the title Champion of Russia in wave-pulling ^[8] .

When practicing wave-pulling, strength, endurance develops, the cardiovascular system and ligaments strengthen. The best results in this sport show dogs with good socialization , stable psyche and good health.

The rules by which competitions are held differ in different associations. So, the principles of dividing into weight categories, lengths of distances, scoring systems may vary. The Russian cynological organization officially refers ^[9] to the rules developed by the ABRS (Working Dog Owners Association - Ukraine ) in 2000 based on IWPA rules ^[10] . According to them, the weight of participants is distributed into 7 classes ^[11] , in contrast to IWPA ^[12] and EWPL ^[13] , where the distribution occurs in 9 weight categories. But since 2008, the RKF has been applying its own rules for the conduct of wave-pulling competitions, slightly different from the rules of the ABRS, and regulates 6 weight categories ^[14] .

Competitions in the RKF system are held in accordance with the requirements of the International Association for Waitingpooling, but with minor changes. Dogs from 1 year to 11 years old (in IWPA up to 12 years old) who are in good physical shape are allowed to compete. The breed and pedigree of the dog does not matter, but each dog participating in the competition must have a stamp or microchip for identification.
Each participating dog must move the platform with the load 5 m (IWPA 4.8 m) within 1 minute. The dog is given the opportunity to cover the entire distance, while the elapsed time is recorded. While dragging the cargo, the handler must be in the working area, but has no right to touch the dog and equipment and use baits, goodies, whistles, muzzles, strict collars. The dog is allowed to be on a leash, while the leash must be in a sagging state all the time the distance has passed. Everything is forbidden that even remotely may seem a threat to the dog. You can encourage her to move only by voice, but it is forbidden to use rude expressions. The main idea of ​​the competition is that the only motivating motive for the dog is the owner’s team and their own desire to pull the load. Thanks to this approach, competition does not damage the health of dogs ^[15] .

Starting weight must not exceed:

• in categories up to 10 kg - 100 kg
• in the category up to 20 kg - 200 kg
• in the category up to 30 kg - 250 kg
• in the category up to 40 kg - 300 kg
• in the category up to 50 kg - 350 kg
• in the category over 50 kg - 400 kg.

In each next round, the weight usually increases by 20 - 30 kg for light classes (up to 30 kg) and by 40 - 100 kg for heavy ones. Such rounds during the competition may be from 5 to 12.

The dog that has the largest weight in its weight category is declared the "Winner of the weight category", provided that at least two dogs acted in its weight category. If two or more dogs have dragged the same load and cannot move the larger load along the distance, the dog that showed the least time is declared the winner.

The dog, towing the maximum weight during the competition, is awarded the title of "Absolute Champion". A dog that has moved the maximum weight in relation to its own weight is declared the “Record holder”. Dogs that have achieved the highest record results in absolute and relative terms in CAST level competitions receive this title. The dog that scored three SAST, receives the title of Champion of Russia in working qualities.

The history of the competition shows that usually dogs of lower weight can move a load greater than their own weight ^[16] . The maximum starting effort for a jerk is provided by a large muscle mass, which, in turn, is increased by working with heavy loads. The results shown in different competitions are not compared, since the conditions of the carrying out, the quality of the cargo, the condition of the platform and the coating have a decisive influence on the final result. So, for example, the same dog on the rail system (such a system is not used in IWPA competitions) can move the load 2-3 times harder than it can move on the ground, and the results shown in the snow will already be 3- 4 times less than on the ground ^[17] . The statistics of the highest IWPA championship results for 1997-2015 are very different: ^[18]

Dogs that pass the standards in accordance with the requirements of the International Association of Waitingpool are awarded the following international titles:

• WD - Working dog - awarded to a dog who has passed a distance of four times in four competitions with a load 12 times its own weight .;
• WDX - Excellent Working Dog - Awarded to a dog that has completed a four-race distance with a load 18 times its own weight .;
• WDS - Upscale Working Dog - Awarded to a dog that has competed in three events with a load of 21 times its own weight.

The most important thing in the equipment for wave pulling is the harness . The harness must be specially adapted for the sport. Using harness for sledding leads to injury to the sacrum and hip joints . The harness design is a very elongated version of the classic harness. A soft lining under the chest and abdomen evenly distributes the pressure force over the entire area of ​​the slings, and the main load falls on the chest straps. The crosspiece lying on the back does not carry a load. The size and cross-sectional shape of the crossbar is not important ^[19] . With a buckle system, it is possible to adjust:

1. The length of the harness on the body.
2. The length of the cross, depending on the height of the dog at the withers.
3. The distance from the hind limbs to the crossbar.

First of all, the harness must be tailored (sewn) just for a particular dog. At the same time, she should get used to this harness, since even small changes in the load vectors will take some time to adapt to these loads from a new angle. Strength training in a cargo harness promotes the development of the front of the body (high malleability) and the formation of relief muscles.

The platform for the cargo must comply with the conditions of the competition. If the competitions are held in the snow, then sledges are used, if the competitions are held indoors or in summer on the ground, a platform on wheels is used (the platform on wheels can move on rails, but in this case the results of the competitions do not count towards obtaining WD, WDX titles, WDS). The track should be at least 10 meters long and at least 2.5 meters wide ^[20] .