11/15/2024
If you're coming to our pull this weekend, we wanted to share a few of the differences between IWPA and W3PO:
IWPA requires a membership to compete. You can compete without becoming a member and thus be labeled a "provisional member", but nothing your dog accomplishes (legs towards titles, points, qualifying for state medals or invites to Nationals) counts if you are not a member of IWPA. Membership is $40 for an individual person. The fee for the family membership is $45 and a junior membership is $15 (and requires a sponsor who is a member of IWPA in good standing).
IWPA requires that handlers crate within the holding area. No dog who is competing is allowed to be crated in the car. The holding area will be designated and needs to be able to accommodate all dogs who are competing.
Handlers must set their dogs and once released, walk away from their dog with purpose/intent to cross the finish line before they can call their dog. The finish line is considered "hot" and the handler may not cross back over it or touch the line once they pass it after releasing their dog. Doing so will consistute a foul and result in your dog being done for that competition.
You are out on your first foul. Some examples of a foul are a walking start, a slingshot start, calling your dog prior to crossing the finish line after release, touching your dog once released, etc.
If a tangle is called, calmly put hands on your dog and get them untangled. In IWPA, the cart is *not* reset when a tangle is called. Instead, time is stopped and once the dog is reset, time starts again for the dog to attempt to finish the pull. If the dog succeeds, they continue on to the next round. If the dog tangles a second time on the same pull or does not finish the pull in the remaining time, then they are assessed a foul and are eliminated from the competition.
In IWPA, handlers may not reward their dog with toys or food between pulls. You may only do so after your dog has been eliminated from pulling.
There is a maximum weight cap for starting a dog. Dogs must begin pulling before or at the maximum weight listed for the class in which they weighed in. These maximums may be found in the rules on IWPA's website, which we have linked here:
http://www.iwpa.net/Rules.html
We highly recommend reading through the rules for IWPA and asking any questions you may have either here or during the handler meeting prior to each pull.
Novice dogs are welcomed and encouraged. They will pull with their weight class, but may pull on leash and are exempt from the distance requirements. Novice dogs do not earn points or count towards points for those competing in Open.
B. WHEELED The dimensions and the description of the weight pull chute shall be the same for wheeled pulls as for snow pulls. The chute shall be as level and firm as conditions permit. . If there is any perceptible slope to the chute, the direction of the pull shall be toward the higher end. Accepta...
