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Carting with your Newf. can be one of the most exciting and bonding experience's that a Newf. owner can do. Although you see and hear of mostly working group dogs carting, almost any breed of dog is quite capable of learning to pull a cart. There are many Shelties, Boxers, Shepards and other various breeds that have been trained to pull a draft cart or wagon. (Scaled to size) Dog carting is one of the fastest growing sports in the dog world. There are draft competitions held throughout the U.S and Canada nearly every weekend. Achieving a draft title requires alot of hard work and dedication from both you and your Newf. So with that in mind, it is important to start off on the right track in the beginning.
Putting first things first, here are some basic requirements before you begin training.
Your Newf. should be at least 1 year old before any actual pulling of a cart. Taking great caution of the dogs bone development. (Remembering that most Newfs. don't reach full maturity until the age of 3) Next is obedience. I recommend that you and your Newf. attend and pass at least basic obedience 1 . CanineGood Citizen (CGC) would be a plus. 3rd and probably one of the most important requirements, is positive mental attitude on the dog owners part. Being in the correct frame of mind when training your Newf. is crucial. If for any reason, you are not in the training mood on any given day DO NOT attempt cart training at that time. One bad training session can set you back 10 sessions. (speaking from past experience) Next requirement, the ability to train using positive reinforcement. Remember, Praise, Praise, Praise. Try and avoid rewarding your Newf. with to many treats. If you approach your training session properly, treats shouldn't be necessary. Number 5 on this list is the draft harness. I personally recommend a modified siwash harness. They are easier to put on and remove from your Newf. as well as being comfortable for the dog. Which is the most important thing! Proper measurement of your Newf. for the harness is vital. There are 3 measurements taken for fitting your Newf to a harness. 1st. is length measurement, taken from the breast bone to the end of the rib cage. 2nd. is the collar measurement, starting at your Newfs. withers (the center between shoulder blades) and measuring to the breast bone. 3rd. is the girth measurement, just behind your Newfs. front legs measure completely around the dog. With these measurements, a well fitting harness can be ordered from several different harness makers. For suggestions on which harness maker to use you can e-mail me and I will recommend a reputable harness maker.
With all these requirements taken care of, you are ready to begin teaching you and your Newf. how to cart.
Day 1. Putting the harness on your Newf. This can be a chore in itself if your dog has never had any thing other than a collar on him/her. However, with a little praise and alot of patience you will succeed. Note: alot of Newfs. have no problem with this first step. Once the harness is on your Newf. and properly secured, spend a few minutes walking with him/herin your yard or down your driveway and back. It is important to do some form of work when ever your Newf. is harnessed, so that he/she relates the harness with work. When you have finished your walk, remove the harness and praise your Newf. You can do this several times in the first day.
Day 2. Harness your Newf, follow instructions for day 1. Try tying a couple of 4 foot lengths of clothes line rope to the trace rings or attach your tracers (those long peices of nylon straps with the boat clasps attached to each end) that came with your harness. Walk your Newf. with these attached to the harness in wide figure eights in your yard or driveway, making certain that he/she can see them as the two of you walk. Keep the session short, 15 to 20 minutes. Remember to praise your Newf. while working with him/her.
Day 3. The 3rd day can be the same as day 2, depending on how well your Newf. progressed on day 2. If he/she progressed well you may be ready for simulated shafts. I use a couple of long branches that are relatively straight for this task. However, 2 broom handles or broken shovel handles (as long as they are at least 4 feet long) will work just fine. With the Harness on your Newf. follow day 1. instructions, then day 2 instructions. Now add the shaft lengths to the harness by inserting them through the shaft loops and securing them with a little bit of duct tape. With tracers and shafts attached walk your Newf. in a straight line. (no turns yet) Remember Praise, Praise, Praise while attempting this task. If your Newf did this without much effort you can make wide sweeping turns with him/her in this session. If he/she had some trouble with it, don't fret. Repeat the process a couple of more times and then call it a day.
Day 4. Same process as day 1, 2, and 3 . You can begin increasing the training session time to as much as 30 minutes.
Day 5. Repeat process of day 1, 2, 3, and 4
Day 6. Hopefully ready for introduction to the Draft Cart or Wagon. Start by letting your dog get to know the apparatus. (sniffing it licking it, even marking it) For the next step, I advise help from another person. With your Newf. on leash, and a helper pulling the apparatus,walk with him/her beside the cart shafts. Watching your Newfs. response while doing this task will tell you whether or not he/she will be ready to be attached to the apparatus on day 6. If this task doesn't seem to bother the Newf. You are probably ready to attach him/her to the apparatus. Take extreme caution when attaching your Newf. to the apparatus. With your human helper leading the shafts through the shaft loops talk calmly to your Newf. reassuring him/her what a wonderful thing he/she is about to do. With the shafts ai the shaft loops, slowly walk in a straght line for a few feet then stop. If your Newf. was okay with that, walk a few more feet then stop. Detach the cart from the Newf. turn the cart around then reattach the cart. Repeat the last process. Note, that you did not attach the tracers to either the dog or the apparatus. This is not necessary on the first day of pulling the cart. The reason for not attaching the traces is for ease of disconnecting your Newf. from the apparatus in case he/she bocks on you. Also, you are only moving a few feet at a time on this day. Keep this session short, 15 minutes tops. After this session is complete, praise your Newf. like you have never praised him/her before. Remove his/her harness and rest with your Newf. This often times will help the bond between you and your new working Newf.
Day 7, 8, 9, and 10 should be pretty much the same as day 6 accept you should be attaching the traces form the harness to the single tree on the apparatus. Also by day 10 you should be attempting some wide turns.
Congradulations!!! You now are carting with your Newf.
For more information on carting you can contact me a whnewfs@ne.rr.com
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