Intro to Dog Driving

Training:
As with any sport, you and your dog will need training, especially if you plan on driving (riding in the cart). Every dog needs one-on-one
training before being placed in a team. For driving, the dogs need to be trained to respond to verbal commands and/or reins hooked to
a driving collar or halti. Most people train their dogs themselves, but use internet carting email groups and local clubs to gain tips and
techniques. The basic groundwork, however, is started with just a regular buckle collar and leash, so you can be well on your way
before the cart and harness arrives! Training for dog driving differs from other types of dog training, and most people need a few tips
when getting started. The book "Travel at the Speed of Dog - A Guide to Dog Driving" is available on this site.

Getting started:
When starting training, you need progress slowly just as you would any sport for yourself. If your dog is overweight, then you'll need
to work on gradually getting him into shape before asking him to really pull his potential. This should include both diet and exercise.
While training, the distances and loads are slowly increased while he‘s learning the basic driving commands. Usually several weeks of
ground training is necessary . When you are both ready, however, a good driving dog is happy, in great physical condition, and can
hardly wait to get into harness and a brisk cart ride on a cool morning or evening is an awesome experience for everyone. And
gathering other carting friends for a group ride just gets everyone in a great mood for a brisk run!

Competitions / Trials:
The dog carting community, in general, does not subscribe to racing, but instead, there are carting competitions as a part of draft work
clinics where the training and handling are the tests of skill. Driving trials test the dogs ability to follow commands while the trainer
rides in the cart. The driver and dog “team” is tested on their ability to maneuver the cart through obstacles, gates, and general
command responsiveness.

It’s all up to you if you want to pursue competition or just get out and have fun on pleasure drives through the parks and walkways of
your area.

History:
Mention dogs and pulling, and the Iditerod would probably come to mind
today but throughout history dogs have been used to pull carts and wagons.
Dogs were referred to as the "poor man's horse" and were used to teach
children the arts of horsemanship. Today there are several dog powered
sports to choose from - carting, driving, skiijoring, scootering, bike-jouring.
It almost seems that as soon as someone sticks wheels on something, the next
guy puts a dog in front of it !!!

What dogs can pull?
Any structurally sound dog can pull. You don’t need a large dog. as the the
ideal sled dog is a long legged, big chested energetic 40-50# dog. The
amount of weight and distance you can ride is dependant on the physical
condition of the dog and his weight. A sound dog in good shape can pull 3
times his own weight on flat ground but a ratio of 2:1 is even better! Speed
and distance , depends on individual strength and stamina. Dog driving is
generally done on flat ground.

Is it FUN for the dog ?
You can’t "force" a dog to pull. A horse will run at the touch of a whip, but any
mistreatment of a dog results in cowering and lying down. Dog carting only works
in a totally positive environment. Training for dog driving involves finding the right
motivation so the dogs enjoy it as much as you do! This often means “going
somewhere” to the places your dog likes to visit already – the park, the dog park,
visiting dog buddies or even a spin up to Starbucks for some treats!! Typical runs
can be 2-5 miles.

What's in it for the dog?
Few of us have the time or stamina to really give our dogs a good workout
every day so many dogs are over weight ! Driving can take those extra pounds
off. Many sports activities provide dogs with exercise, but take preparation
time. An evening run run can be as quick as 45 minutes covering 3 miles. Many
carts can be set up to take multiple dogs and since dogs love to run in a pack,
they often enjoy group carting more than running alone. Even if you have an
older dog, he doesn’t have to pull, he can just be tethered to the cart and run
along! Carting is also a great way to keep your dog in great shape during the
week, for the weekend sports like agility and flyball. Mushers use carts in the
summer to keep their dogs in shape for the winter races and this sport has
now turned into regular competitions called Dryland Racing.

Cart Types:
Carts can be made of any materials as long as they are light weight and strong and suited for the
intended purpose of the cart. Carts can be purchased, or home made. Commercially built 2,3, and 4
wheeled carts are used for fun and for carting competitions.
2 wheeled carts, called sulkies are used for driving where the owner rides in the cart. Sulkies can have
either 1 or 2 shafts. The 2 shafted cart is “traditional” but now there is the dorsal hitch style sulky that
allows the dog greater flexibility of movement and turning as they are not restricted by shafts on each
side.