Just as there are many ways to train dogs for obedience, so there is more than one way to train a dog to pull a cart and perhaps go on to dog cart driving. Here is a rough outline of my method. Before you start, make sure your dog:

1. is relatively sound, not hurting anywhere.

2. is comfortable around strange people, dogs, other animals, etc. and is well socialized.

3. knows what "stay"or "wait" means.

4. leads easily with a collar in strange surroundings.

5. can be controlled by the handler if the chase or prey instinct is triggered.

1. put harness on dog, walk about, treat/praise.

2. when dog no longer pays attention to harness, tie harness to a small light-weight object and let dog pull object. Some will jump around a little, others will not be affected at all. Keep dog on leash and close to you to minimize dog's jumping around. As soon as dog takes three to four steps without trying to avoid the object he is attached to, praise/treat, and quit for the day. Repeat until dog ignores object and pulls readily. Items to consider for a weighted object: piece of firewood, small cement block, empty milk crate. Many dogs will initially dislike the object moving behind him and making strange noise. Even those that "blow up" and get very upset, will settle down within time and accept this in a positive way. My best driving dogs were the ones that objected most to this "dragging" lesson. They all eventually settle down. Be free with treats and lots of praise and petting.



3. when dog accepts step #2, walk the dog in heel position (at your left side) and hold a broomstick handle along the dog's left side. Walk the dog while you hold the broomstick next to his side. As in #2, keep lessons short, lots of praise and food. When dog accepts this go to #4.


4. tie broomstick handle to surcingle on left side about five inches from the top of the back. As above, don't go on to next lesson until dog is comfortable.




5. remove broomstick handle from left side and hold in place on dog's right side. Walk on.

6. tie broom stick on dog's right side. Walk on.

7. with broomstick tied on right side of dog, hold broomstick on dog's left side, walk on.

8. tie left broomstick on to surcingle, walk on with both broomstick handles tied to surcingle.

When dog accepts both broomstick handles tied in place, remove both. Keep dog in heel position and with your left hand, pull cart behind you as you lead the dog. Keep the dog's leash in your right hand. Gradually hold the shafts of the cart over the dog. I then hold one shaft of the cart in place next to the dog so he can feel the cart behind him and feel the constraints of the shafts. Do not hook him until he is comfortable with this. When he is not showing any avoidance at this stage, I hook him up, and lead him off. If you have spent enough time accustoming the dog to shafts and cart movement, there will be little if any resistance when you hook-up. If there is resistance, go back and repeat earlier lessons.

Remember: avoid tight turns until dog is comfortable while hooked to cart when going straight. Always give verbal commands for stops, starts, turns, etc. I use the following words:

        "okay" or "lets go".........move out

	"whoa"......................stop

	"gee".......................right turn

	"haw".......................left turn

	"easy"......................slow it up

	"go,go,go"..................speed up

	"back"......................back up

	"pull"......................lean into it

	"good dog"..................you did it right!

Keep lessons very short until dog exhibits an easy, unconcerned acceptance at the very beginning and throughout the short lesson (five to ten minutes.) If the dog is up and positive, extend the cart exposure to include a walk that will bring a variety in the environment. Keep up with praise,treats, and petting. Always have dog moving to voice commands. You must be in charge of speed, direction, starts, and stops. I do not sit in the cart during the following training sessions.

When dog is positive and enjoying this activity, introduce turns, keeping them large to begin with (I take the whole width of my street to make beginning turns.) The dog will need to learn how to turn, while keeping his body straight. There will be a lot of awkwardness at first. I frequently use treats to encourage the dog to "push" against the shaft to make the turn. Sometimes I'll use two to three treats to make one turn initially. They learn in a hurry and you can reduce the amount of treats quickly. Do not reduce your verbal praise and petting.

After turns, introduce the dog to bumps that will cause the cart to bounce and make sudden moves and noise. Make sure these things are introduced in such a way that the dog cannot bolt or jump around. Keep him on a leash in close heel position. Have someone steady the cart or wagon over the bump so movement and noise are reduced, gradually exposing the dog to full noise and movement. Remember praise/treats/petting.

For backing I start that activity in the house during play period, without being hooked to anything. They don't get the ball until they "back" away from me. I say "back", push on their chest for one step back, then throw the ball into their mouth. Pretty soon, if the hear "back", they back themselves and wait for the ball. I say "good dog" and throw the ball into their mouth. I gradually extend this to two steps back, then three steps, and so on. I break for treats after five to ten repetitions. When hooked to the cart, I say "back," and there is usually a little confusion at first. So I take my hand, push on the chest, dog takes one step back, I say "good dog" then treat.

Hope this helps lay the groundwork for cart breaking. I call it cart breaking because we are actually "breaking" the dog into a trained set of responses. We are not "breaking" his spirit as some people would sometimes associate with breaking horses. The dog needs to acquire a certain degree of desensitation to noise, cart movement and shaft pressure on his body. Once that is done, we can start to build enthusiasm and response to commands. If you want to go on to driving, do not spend any more time than necessary beside the dog. Go to Training to Drive if you are interested in riding in the cart.