Canine Carting Workshop - NY

[Rene Allegrini]

CANINE CARTING WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE HELDERBERG BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG CLUB of NY

Sunday, September 24, 2006, 10am–2pm at Crellin Park on
Rte. 66 in Chatham, NY.

Limited registration. Open to all Breeds (1st Preference Given to Club Members, then Bernese Mtn. Dogs) Workshop will be geared toward Beginner Drafters.
Workshop Fees - $25.00/dog for Club Members, $30.00 for Non-Club Members.
Lunch will be available for $8.00 per person.

Pre-registration required.
Registration deadline:
September 17, 2006.

For more information and registration form,
contact Karen Thoubboron, maibockbmd@aol.com, 413-244-3390.

[AngelBunny]

Thanks for posting this--and the other events. I read all of them.

I emailed for info. I've long wanted to try carting and Chatham is only 2 hours away from us.

[Rene Allegrini]

Great! If you are able to attend, let us know how you make out. And, thanks for the positive feedback.

[Barbara Ryan]

I was interested in this workshop but its too far for me. Debra Brown president of the Bernese Mt.Dog Club will be at Wine Country.I'm looking forward to meeting her and hopefully she will find someone closer for me to train with

[AngelBunny]

Mox and I got into this workshop. It's been moved to E. Nassau, NY, about 17 miles from Chatham.

There're still a few spots open

[AngelBunny]

I have a new activity to pursue with Mox--drafting. What a fun day!

I learned alot--not hard, tho, because I knew nothing about drafting going into the workshop!

First thing I learned--the activity is drafting, not carting.

A cart has two wheels, a wagon has four. Wagons are more stable than carts because of their 4 wheels.

Mox was the only non-Berner in our class of 9 dogs.

The instructors recommend a Siwash carting harness. They like the freedom of shoulder movement it provides and feel it distrbutes weight of the object being pulled more evenly than other types of harnesses.

We were paired with another student and an instructor and each pair worked one dog at a time. We were showen how to put on the harness. Each dog started off dragging a piece of 2x4 across a closely mown field, then a gravel driveway, then the street to get the dog used to something clattering behind him or her. Next a laundry detergent container filled with pebbles was hooked to the piece of wood and we all did the route again.

The wood and the container were removed and we were given a shaft from the cart. We walked our dog with the shaft between us. Then our partner and instructor put the shafts into the loop on the harness and we walked our dog around the field with our partner and instructor holding onto his or her shaft. Then we attached a cart.

The weather wasn't the best--it spat rain, the clouds blew away, the sun came out, the clouds blew in, it spat rain, the clouds blew away over and over.

Then in the afternoon after lunch when we were ready to attach a cart, it poured. I took my camera but it never left the car--Mox and I carted in POURING rain. I took plenty of towels so Mox had a dry ride home.

I've wanted to try drafting for a long time and was very pleased to get the opportunity to do so today.

I plan to do more.

[Barbara Ryan]

Sounds like you enjoyed yourself I'm looking forward to learning more about this neat sport.
Of course the way you went about it sounds like the right way.When I did it the first time I just hooked my dog up to the cart and walked around with him The second time I put my granddaughter in the cart! Guess I have alot to learn
Happy carting to you

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by Barbara Ryan

The second time I put my granddaughter in the cart!

This isn't something the instructors recommend. They feel there's too much risk of something going wrong--if the cart tips, dog could freak, people could get hurt. Also, when people move around, it causes their weight to shift which can unbalance the dog, possibly straining the dog.

[Barbara Ryan]

You bet! Thats why I said I had a lot to learn
My husband and I both where on each side of the cart and My dog didn't mind it at all