CARTING WITH YOUR DOG: POSITIVE DRAFT TRAINING FOR FUN AND COMPETITION

By Laura Waldbaum

Don’t put the dog before the cart…until he is trained! Many people love the idea of being able to hitch their dogs to a cart and have them pull the kids around the yard or in a parade. Or they have a breed of dog that has been bred to work as a draft dog and are interested in participating in competitions held by clubs around the country that test both dog and handler’s skill pulling a cart. While this may seem simple, training a dog to willingly and safely do the work to pull a cart actually involves a lot of learning and effort on the part of both the dog and the handler. In this new book, author Laura Waldbaum will teach you what you and your dog need to know to help develop a “happy draft dog.”

You will learn
• The skills your dog needs to learn before he is introduced to the cart including attention, how to stop/go/go faster and how to back up.
• All about the equipment you will need including a variety of harnesses and carts—and how to acclimate your dog to the equipment.
• The training required based on what your interest in carting—from pulling a wagon around the backyard to participating in parades to formal competitions.
• What you need to know about draft dog competitions including what to expect, the skills you need to master and how to troubleshoot problem areas.

What dog trainers are saying about Carting with Your Dog
Carting with Your Dog is an excellent beginning tool to use in the carting arena. Laura has done a very good job of spelling out the basics and offering helpful and informative ideas on how to make drafting a success for you and your dog from the beginning all the way through to entering a draft test. The book shows you what basic skills are needed and how to expand those skills to enjoy a successful carting experience.
Valerie Horney, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America President and Draft Judge

A wonderful, clear, and useful resource! I love the focus on increasing the dog’s desire and enthusiasm for this work through carefully planned steps based on positive reinforcement. This book is full of great training ideas and advice!
Deborah Jones, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, author Clicker Fun book and DVD series and co-author In Focus books and DVD series

What reviewers are saying...

The Alpenhorn
“...Carting with Your Dogis a well-written and valuable instructional guide. With her book Laura has done for the sport of drafting what Morgan Spector did for the sport of obedience with his Clicker Training for Obedience. She shows how one can become proficient at drafting by almost exclusively using positive shaping reinforcement methods. While Laura prefers the use of a dicker, early in the book she affirms that a Positive Voice Marker (“Yes” or “Good”) can also work for those of us who can’t or won’t utilize the Clicker. She also encourages using a “No Reward Marker" like “Oops” or "Try Again” at times. The soft-bound 146-page book (available as a paperback hardcopy at $14.95 or e-book for $9.49 from www.dogwise.com) is presented along the lines of a well- organized extended draft seminar...” Steve Likevich, BMDCA & GSMDCA Draft Judge, former editor of GSMDCA's Breed Magazine, SENNtinel

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dogwise Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781617810329

Laura Waldbaum

Laura Waldbaum has been competing with dogs all her life, first as a Jr. Handler in the conformation ring with her English Setters, and later in obedience. Laura currently competes with Bernese Mountain Dogs who have AKC titles in Rally, Agility, Conformation, and Tracking. She and her dog Sadie were the 7th team to earn the highest title in BMDCA Draft work, Master Draft Dog.

Book preview

Carting with Your Dog

Positive Draft Dog Training for Fun and Competition

Laura Waldbaum

Dogwise Publishing

A Division of Direct Book Service, Inc.

403 South Mission Street, Wenatchee, Washington 98801

1-509-663-9115, 1-800-776-2665

www.dogwisepublishing.com / [e-mail]

© 2011 Laura Waldbaum

Photos: Shari Curran, Gina Ellis, Diana Gerba, Nancy Guisti, Fred Helmbold,

Nick Hengeveld, Judy Hengeveld, Lacey McNally, Christine Mann,

Debra Quick, Jeff Sellers, Kyla Smay, Cindy Still, Kathe Vasquez, Laura

Waldbaum, and Ray Waldbaum.

Graphic Design: Lindsay Peternell

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, digital or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system

without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limits of Liability and Disclaimer of Warranty:

The author and publisher shall not be liable in the event of incidental or

consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing,

performance, or use of the instructions and suggestions contained in

this book.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Waldbaum, Laura, 1959-

Carting with your dog : positive draft dog training for fun and competition / Laura Waldbaum.

    p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61781-024-4

1. Dogs--Training, 2. Working dogs. 3. Carriages and carts. 4. Wagons. I. Title.

SF431.W28 2011

636.73--dc22

2011002640

ISBN: 978-1-61781-024-4

Printed in the U.S.A.

More praise for Carting with Your Dog

Information about draft work is hard to come by, and what a delight it was to find that Waldbaum is not only an experienced competitor in the sport, but knows the science behind the successful application of positive reinforcement training. She breaks the information down for both the trainer and the dog ensuring her goal of making training easy, fun, and safe. Her explanations about using clicker training to capture, shape, or target behaviors make this book a must read for both neophytes to the sport or to clicker training. Shaping dogs to get into position in between the shafts of a cart was a great example of splitting behaviors into fun, doable pieces for the dog. Terry Long, CPDT-KA, an award-winning writer, is the founder of DogPACT, a training and behavior consultation service in Long Beach, CA. She is a former managing editor of the APDT Chronicle of the Dog and is editor of its On Behavior column.

Carting with Your Dog is one of the best examples of using positive reinforcement training methods for behaviors outside of the obedience realm. Laura Waldbaum has the background and knowledge to use positive methods to ensure not only the safety of the dog/ human teams, but to solidify the fun that working dogs should experience when doing their jobs. Good training in any dog sport should include the credo, Make it fun or make it stop, (a phrase coined by Madeline Gabriel, CPDT-KA) and Laura has taken this into consideration with every step in this unique and informative book. This is a must read, for anyone that wants to do carting and keep their dogs safe and happy in the process. Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT-KA, KPACTP/Faculty, author of Chill Out Fido!

There has long been a need for someone to compile collective wisdom about how to teach a dog to cart—Laura Waldbaum has done this with Carting with Your Dog. Using her own excellent skills as a trainer and a solid understanding of the value of positive training methods, Laura provides readers with a step-by-step guide to successfully—and safely—cart with any dog. The author’s straight forward writing style makes this book well-organized and easy to read, and her ability to explain the incremental tasks associated with cart training is invaluable. This is a book that will become a primer for anyone with an interest in carting with a dog, and is a valuable resource both for novice and experienced handlers. In addition, this book would be an excellent gift for those we would like to encourage in the sport—I will be sending copies to some of my puppy owners! Mary-Ann Sontag Bowman, Ph.D., LCSW, is one of the most successful and versatile trainers of Bernese Mountain Dogs in the breed. She has earned multiple High in Trials and several BMDCA Top Dog awards.

This book provides a great foundation for people who are interested in training their canine companions to pull a cart. Pulling a cart—or draft work—is one of the traditional ways that dogs have provided assistance to humans. Draft work can be useful, or just a fun activity—an activity that any dog of any size can learn. Ms. Waldbaum’s book gives the reader all the tips and tools necessary to get started. For the dog owner who is new to training, Ms. Waldbaum describes a positive approach to teaching a dog any skill. For the more experienced trainer who is new to draft work, this book is the right place to get the information necessary to have any dog happily and successfully pulling a cart.

There is also a competitive venue for drafting, and Ms. Waldbaum explains how to prepare for and participate successfully in a draft test. Different types of equipment and different venues for competition are all highlighted in this book. Whether you want to have your dog pull a cart in parades, give cart rides to your kids, haul a load of wood, or successfully pass a draft test—this book covers all the bases in a training progression that is easy to understand and follow. Carting with Your Dog is a worthy addition to the training library of any positive training enthusiast. Ruth Nielsen has been actively involved in training and competing with her dogs in a variety of canine sports since the mid-90’s. She is also a draft judge, and has been judging draft competitions for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of American (BMDCA) since 2003.

To Isaac, who started this journey

by my side and will always be

with me in my heart .

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. Basic Training

2. Draft Equipment

3. Acclimating the Dog to the Draft Rig

4. Pulling the Rig

5. Turning and Backing

6. Taking it on the Road

7. Weight Training

8. Parades and Holiday Fun

9. Draft Tests

10. Problem Solving

Appendix 1—Charging the Clicker

Appendix 2—Name Game

Appendix 3—Counter-conditioning

Appendix 4—Test Preparation Chart

Appendix 5—Converting a Child’s Wagon into a Draft Rig

Resources

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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At the age of fourteen I trained our family dog, Ziggy, an English Setter, and earned my first AKC title, a CD. I trained her the way dogs were trained in those days using corrections (a choke chain pop) and praise. Ziggy performed the obedience exercises to the best of her ability because she was worried about the consequences of not doing so. That year Ziggy and I won an award from The English Setter Association of America. Although thrilled by the recognition and minor celebrity status, the whole training experience left me feeling sad. My best friend was now afraid of me and I soured on the sport of competitive dog training.

Dog training has changed a lot in the thirty-seven years since then. Pioneers in positive training techniques like Karen Pryor and Ian Dunbar questioned the old ways and led a revolution in the way we think about training and the trainer–dog relationship. This revolution swept me up and I am happy to be a part of it. My dogs and I have earned many more titles and awards since that first one— each accomplished willingly and with no regrets—the culmination of another fun training game we played together.

It is said that a good dog trainer combines elements of both art and science in her work, and I believe that this is so. Evidence based training concepts appeal to my scientific background. I eagerly embrace research based learning theory and teaching techniques founded on positive reinforcement, conditioning and counterconditioning. The research has been fascinating and I look forward to its continuing advancements. I also have within me a creative spirit. That spirit lives in my imagination in a world of the possible, always asking the question Why not? Each new dog and training experience has challenged me and nurtured that creative spirit. I have been lucky, the years I have spent working with dogs have given me a precious gift.

All scientific discoveries and techniques are built on the past, and so it is with dog training. Every new thing we learn is possible because someone else has built the foundation upon which we stand. It is not possible to thank every trainer and author whose work gave me a part of the body of knowledge which formed this book. Nor can I recognize the contributions of each dog. The work of positive dog trainers has changed my life, forever enriching the relationships I have with dogs and I thank them for it. I hope that this book will help you enrich yours.

I would like to thank my husband Ray who has supported me without question. He has endured the many inconveniences of a life filled with dogs in good humor and with quiet dignity.

I would also like to acknowledge my friend and training partner Kyla Smay for pushing me to get this book written, and for helping me compile the photographs and information.

INTRODUCTION

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Historically, many large breed dogs worked as draft animals, pulling carts and wagons, hauling anything and everything. My favorite breed, the Bernese Mountain Dog, was developed as an all purpose farm dog, but worked primarily pulling carts laden with dairy products from farm to market in its native Switzerland.

In modern society we no longer rely on dogs for delivery of farm goods, but many dogs still pull carts around the house and ranch. They transport firewood, carry groceries from the farmers market or delight children by giving them rides. Many breed clubs offer tests and titles for draft dogs, and any size dog can have fun pulling a festively decorated cart in a parade.

In 1997 I attended my first draft test. I had only recently heard about the sport and wanted to see firsthand what it was like. I was still waiting for my first Bernese Mountain Dog puppy when I traveled to Arizona to see the test. I saw a team that day that inspired me to write a story for my local paper. The dog was Alpenblick’s Tish v Autmhof or Tish as she was called. She and her owner, David Denis, had come down from Canada to add an American Draft Dog title to their already numerous Canadian titles. I didn’t know any of that at the time though. All I knew was what I saw that day—a Bernese bitch, small in stature, but with a heart and a will and a strength beyond her size. She obviously loved to work and she loved David. I wrote that she reminded me of the little engine that could. I could almost imagine her chanting I know I can, I know I can as she chugged up the steep hills. David had created a draft dog who loved to work, and seeing them that day inspired me to do the same.

Maybe, like me, you are interested in competition. This book will provide the framework needed to take you and your canine partner through the foundation work, the conditioning and finally test preparation. If you are an experienced trainer, you know by now that dogs learn differently and that they have different strengths and weaknesses. I have provided several ideas or techniques for each training challenge, and I encourage you to think about what will suit your dog’s learning style best. Chapter 10 contains some ideas to help you work through the rough spots.

Most of the draft/carting enthusiasts I know, however, are not interested in the structured world of competition. They just want to get out there with their canine buddy and have some fun. Maybe you are new to training, or just new to teaching the mechanics of draft work. This book is for you folks as well, since it can be almost impossible to find information on how to get started or what to do if things don’t go smoothly.

The basic control training explained in Chapter 1 is a critical part of developing a safe and reliable draft dog. Chapter 2 will help you to determine what equipment you will need and the Resource section in the back of the book provides you with purchase and building options. Chapters 3-7 give you step by step instructions to teach you and your dog to get comfortable with the equipment, the mechanics of pulling and control of the draft rig—and will help you develop a team that is safe and reliable in public. Chapter 8 provides the information you will need to take your dog out in public and participate in events like parades. Chapters 9 and 10 are for those of you who want to participate in competitive draft tests. If you are new to positive training, I encourage you to read the foundation training techniques summarized in Appendices 1-3, and to refer to the books listed in the reference section for more details on these great training tools.

No matter what you see as your goal, the same basic principles of training apply. Your training should be directed toward developing a motivated and consistently hard working partner. Pulling is hard work. If draft

Reviews for CARTING WITH YOUR DOG

[Dominique · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well written book, I really enjoyed how the author explained all of the concepts. Great book for training dogs on drafting, and you could probably use some of this information for sledding even though there are differences between the two activities.