Cart Training
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| there is a Dog Powered Sports Yahoo list with some nice files on how to start your dog for carting or mushing. Also some of the Newf sites have basic info. |
| I am just getting ready to post my carting pictures from yesterday - in the pictures section.
I also have a TON of carting (and weight pulling) pictures in my album here - if you click on the camera icon at the bottom of my posting. basically, I did both weight pull and cart training at the same time. They use a slightly different harness, but are similar enough to get the basics of getting used to a harness down as a 1st step. Put the harness on. When dog is OK with this, move the dog in the harness. Weight pull training starts by pulling a light weight, as does carting. If you don't have a cart, lots start with pulling stuff from home. An easy one is a milk jug filled with water, keeping it 6-8 feet behind the dog. Get them used to the feel of the weight and the sound of something behind them. We then pulled a spare car tire, loaded with weight. (there are pictures of this in my album.) It's easiest to learn with another experienced dog. When Chewie was learning, his Samoyed friend Gabby was just as much a newbie and it took us forever to get moving. Both dogs wanted to go back to "mom". It was a long, painful (not physical - mental) process. Thankfully, Chewie enjoys lead and has a great work ethic. When we went yesterday, it was with his sister Martha on her 1st ever run, and a friend's dog on her 3rd run. If Chewie wasn't a strong lead, it would have been a mess. When you see those pics, note on the return up the driveway shot that Chewie is pulling the cart, as well as both the other dogs up the driveway..... 
Building endurance is a gradual thing and you gauge your dog's response for increasing distance, resistance (hills) and weight. I have found it quite addicting.  
We even have our own cart, and a sled now for when snow flies. We had to borrow a sled before, so we were at the mercy of our friend's schedule. Not anymore! Oh, I also wrote a weight pull info article a while back for Kristine's (Mad Dog) performance OES website - check it out! www.performanceoes.com good luck and have fun  |
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