Keweenaw Report Your Source for Local News and Sports
Copper Dog’s Weekend of Fun will start at 5 o’clock today. Even though the snow has not stuck around long enough to build the sled trail base, organizers have plenty of fun planned. This year the CopperDog will host the Upper Peninsula’s first known official weight-pulling competition with the introduction of the CopperPull. In this event, some of the strongest dogs will pull increasing weight over 16 feet.
“For this, I believe we’ll be starting at about 27 and a half pounds and going up in 27-and-a-half-pound increments. Each time we go through the round, the sled gets heavier and we keep going until we have one dog left and we see how much it pulls. A popular question is how much do they pull? We don’t answer that question because it varies so much on what dogs show up, and what the conditions are at the time, and dogs are a lot like people. Some days they don’t feel like working.” – Chris Kivi, Co-Owner, CD Kennels
CD Kennel’s co-owner Chris Kivi says that training his dogs for weight-pulling competition is much different than for team races; Likening the CopperPull’s weight pull event to single-athlete sports, with an emphasis on strength during conditioning.
“Whereas mushers will run for miles and miles and miles with their teams before an event. A weight pull dog spends just time walking around the yard just dragging dead weight behind it, on an old tire or that. But you’ll just go for a few hundred feet, let them drag the tire around.” – Chris Kivi, Co-Owner, CD Kennels
Another event that will act as a main event in 2024 is the CopperDash. In that event kids and their furry friends can find out which pair is the fastest in the Copper Country.
“It’s a great, fun event, a great way to get the kids started in mushing. It’s always a blast. After the kid’s dash, we’ll be going to the second match of the weight pull.” – Chris Kivi, Co-Owner, CD Kennels
CopperDog will kick off tonight with Hug a Husky, and a street party starting at 5 pm. The Copper Drag Race starts at 6 pm, kids ride on the Bus at 7 pm and the fireworks at 9 pm. Saturday’s weight pull will start at 9 am. Then the Kid’s Copperdash at 2 pm. There are also film screenings for Iron Will, and Musher during the weekend. Those interested in checking out the alternative fun CopperDog has planned for Calumet can find more details here. Check out a full schedule below.
