Does anyone draft with their dogs?

[Rosalind]

My Pyrenees is getting his official competition cart tomorrow, instead of dragging around the garden cart. At the end of January, he will be officially old enough to compete and get his Novice title. I just got him a really really good harness (as opposed to a cheapie nylon one) with sheepskin pads on so he can do heavy pulling.

His job will be to haul firewood to the wood shed, haul chicken litter from the coop to the garden, and haul compost around the yard to the garden beds. DH has a bad back and can't do that sort of thing anymore, and I can't do it all myself.

We also have a 5-month-old Newfie, who won't be ready to draft until 2010, but she is learning commands in the meantime.

Does anyone else draft? What sort of work do your dogs do? What kind of dogs are they?

 

[sunnychooks]

Mine don't draft, but I race sled dogs. I know people who have Bernese Mountain Dogs who are involved in competitive drafting. Looks like fun!

 

[mirecipes]

My friends and family think I'm nuts..I occasionally let my spotted dog pull my brush cart..
I also went ahead and got myself a dog pulled scooter from a guy in Oregon..
I wish I had someone down here to help me teach my dogs the commands..My very understanding roomate bought me a book called "Mush"
When my cream colored dog came into my life..I started getting these crazy ideas of dogs pulling carts..lol!
They are both mutts..
The cream colored one is the momma to the spotted one

 

[Iceblink]

My dog doesn't pull anything, but she does wear a backpack and carry stuff for me. She is my 'helper dog' at Farmers Markets, u-pick farms, when we get the mail, ect.

However, I do have a cart that I pull HER in (it attaches to my bike) so we can go on long rides. =-)

ETA; I would love to have a newfie someday and do water rescue stuff, I've read about it and it sounds really fun.

Another dog sport that I am really into is Freestyle. Does anyone here do it with their dogs?

 

[Rosalind]

Quote:
Yes! This is what we are going to try with our Newfie, next spring when it warms up. She loves to fetch sticks and is exceptionally well-mannered around people. We have a swimming pool and a state park with a big reservoir near us, so she has lots of places to learn to swim. We figured we would teach her at first with DH's small kayak in the swimming pool. We'll see how it goes though. She isn't a quick learner, but once she understands what you're asking she does it instantly.

Sunnychooks, what kind of sled dogs do you have?

Mirecipes, those are some handsome mutts!

 

[sunnychooks]

Quote:
I don't do it, but there was a demonstration at our National Specialty (Siberian Husky) and it was amazing! I just found out that the training center where I bring my dogs for obedience and show handling classes now offers Freestyle. I was thinking of trying it out because it looks like so much fun!

 

[sunnychooks]

Quote:
I have Siberian Huskies.

 

[Florida chick]

I have a Percheron so no need for the Pyrenees to work here.

 

[Beekissed]

I hitched up the dog to the sled and made him pull the kids in the snow before! I find it very interesting, the whole draft dog thing. I think dogs are much more content when they are working and helping. I would like to train my lab/BC mix to do a little herding, so he can help me with the lambs I'm getting in the spring. I've read the books and they all seem so complicated!

Please send pics of your GP and his cart??? Would love to see them!

 

[erthymom2]

" His job will be to haul firewood to the wood shed, haul chicken litter from the coop to the garden, and haul compost around the yard to the garden beds."

I have trained my St. Bernard to haul with a cart. We walk to/from the library, go to the store and around town with light loads. He also helps haul when I do yard work.

I started him young with just wearing the harness, then added weight, then added the cart and pulling later. He's 3yrs old and at 180 lbs. is very good at what he does.