Carting With Your Rottweiler
Respectively offered by Wayne Budwick, von Hawkwind Rotteilers
What I will attempt to do is give you a general feeling of what it
takes to do carting and how much fun it is to train your dog to pull.
Whether he pulls a cart, wagon, sled, travois, a truck load of dog
food, or you on skis, there is nothing that is more fun!
Let's go over a few things first. When I refer to a dog, I mean
either male or female of any breed. (My preferred breed is the
Rottweiler so you will occasionally find them referred to here!) The
dog must be of adequate size and have a disposition that will allow
you to train him easily to the task of carting. A dog that can
compete at the Companion Dog (CD) level has a good start on the right
training to be effective at draft work. The amount of fun you and
your dog will have depends on his temperament and your ability to
train him properly for draft work. Common sense must be the byword
for this very special endeavor. There is no such thing as too much
obedience training. Don't
assume that your dog will leap at the chance to do draft work. The
chances are that he will more than likely "leap"
desperately in the opposite direction to start.
Because a dog's structure is not like a horse or an ox, you must
consider the type of rig/cart/wagon that you will use. A wagon is a
four wheeled vehicle. A cart has two or three wheels instead of the
wagon's four. A sled or sledge is a vehicle on runners used on snow
or grass.
The type of harness (freight, cart, siwash, nylon web, or leather),
must be the best you can afford. There are a multitude of harness
types on the market today. Freight and Siwash style harnesses are
easily adapted to carts or wagons with a little ingenuity. Make sure
the harness fits well and is padded. I have seen dogs chafed and cut
to the bone because of improperly fitted harnesses.
WHY TRAIN YOUR DOGS FOR DRAFT WORK?
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Besides the obvious benefits to heart and lungs for both you and your dogs, draft work can be both fun and useful. Your child can use the dog and cart to help on his newspaper route. You can have him pull the groceries home. In the country, he can haul fire wood back to the house. What better publicity for your breed of dog than seeing a well trained team in a parade or at special events? Sled dog teams can be registered with local police departments to help transport people and supplies. What better reasons could you have for training your dog for draft work? Most dogs will show an interest in pulling right from the start. A few will want nothing to do with the whole idea until they learn how to do it. Don't be disappointed if your dog is not perfect the first time out. Dogs that work willingly on the first attempt are rare. As with all training, your confidence and a firm hand will go a long way in achieving that perfect draft dog. |
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BEFORE YOU BEGIN TRAINING
You must use common sense when training your draft dog. Most problems
occur because of a lack of understanding between the dog and driver.
When you become angry, confused, or impatient, put the dog away. You
can only do more harm than good if this happens. One person must do
all the training. Everyone has a different way of saying a command.
Commands from several different people during training will only
confuse the dog.
Your dog must be in top physical condition. Toe nails must be short.
A good quality food should be provided. The stresses placed on the
dog mentally as well as physically may require a higher intake than
normal. This doesn't mean over feed your dog. Obesity is the worst
enemy of the draft dog. Never let your dogs get fat.
All your training instincts must be in use while working with your
dog. Be alert to his posture. When you have him in harness, and he is
trying hard but unable to accomplish what you have asked him to do,
STOP. Is the load too heavy? Is the weather too warm? Is the harness
chafing or cutting into him? You must solve the problem in such a way
that he still has confidence in his own abilities. Remember, if
you want to be part of a good draft team, MAKE IT FUN!
I have just touched on a few of the basic items involved with
starting draft work. There are many more areas that I could cover. If
you like what you see and want me to publish more information, write
to me at the address listed below.
TERMS USED IN DRAFT WORK/SLEDDING
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GEE |
Turn Right. |
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HAW |
Turn Left. |
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WHOA, STOP, HOLD |
All mean stop. |
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HIKE, MUSH OKAY, ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO |
All are forward commands, varying according to the |
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GEE COME! HAW COME! |
are commands to come back and reverse direction on the trail. |
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ON BY! |
used when you want your dog to continue past some |
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TIGHTEN UP |
is called to the leader when he is to stretch the gang line tight and hold it, or be ready for a start. |
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LEAD DOG |
is the first dog in line, sometimes two dogs |
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POINT DOGS |
are fast eager dogs making up the first pair behind the leader, and are often leaders in training. |
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SWING DOGS |
are all the other pairs except those closest to the rig. |
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WHEEL DOGS |
are the closest to the rig, almost always, dogs with stamina. They control the behavior of the rig. |
Equipment
Travois
A Travois is a primitive vehicle used by the plains Indians consisting of two trailing poles serving as shafts and bearing a platform or net for the load. A travois can be made from PVC (plastic) pipe. It is a very simple training device. You can use 1/2 or 3/4 inch PVC. You will need 2, 90 degree elbows, 2 T's, 2 lengths of pipe and a can of PVC glue.
Two Wheel Carts
Carts are two wheeled vehicles pulled by a horse, pony, or a dog.
Sizes vary depending on the
animal used to pull it.
Four Wheel Wagons
Wagons are low four-wheeled vehicles with an open rectangular body
and a tongue or shafts used to
pull with. Four wheeled wagons with their widely spaced wheels
are less prone to tipping over. They can also support the larger
weights loaded into them without putting to much stress on a dog's
back. Wagons can be as simple as a flat bed or frame mounted on the
wheels, or include seats, cargo areas etc. But remember, your dog has
to pull the additional weight that this adds to the wagon. One of the
disadvantages is that a wagon usually requires a larger turning
radius than a two-wheel cart. It is also much harder to back a wagon
in a straight line if you get stuck in a narrow area.
Sleds
A sled is a vehicle on runners used for transportation. It may also have a solid bottom such as a toboggan. It is usually used on snow or ice.
Harness
A harness is used as a way to attach the dog to the rig. It can be made of any material. A harness is used as a way to attach the dog to the rig. It can be made of leather, nylon web or any other suitable material. There are several different types of harness, freight, cart, siwash, and x-back. Freight and Siwash style harnesses are easily adapted to carts or wagons with a little ingenuity. Even a tracking harness can be adapted to draft work. Make sure the harness fits well and is padded.
