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SDK-LadyHawke Kennels Home---Dog Events--- Carting
IN HARNESS EXERCISES

At this point, your dog should be in a properly fitted harness. If not, back up a page or two and review.

What we need to do now is to make your dog comfortable wearing the harness. To do that we will simply have him move through some standard obedience exercises while in harness. Do not add the traces or any sort of additional weight. Before proceeding to the next set of exercises make sure your dog is very comfortable performing the following exercises while in harness:

  • Heel
  • Sit
  • Stay
  • Down (charge or lay down)
  • Back
Most of these exercises your dog should know quite well at this point in his life. The one most dogs are not familiar with is the last on our list...back. Back is usually never taught in obedience classes and for good reason. A dog typically does not need to walk backward. In carting however, back is very necessary. Let me explain why.

Imagine if you will that you and your canine carting companion are hauling a few cannister of milk from your farm to a nearby creamery. On the way down a narrow path you come upon something blocking your way. Your dog cannot turn around as the path is too narrow so you must back up. It is sort of like driving a car that can only go forward...sooner or later you will find yourself in a situation where you must reverse, and since it is inevitable, let's learn how to do it.

For this exercise you will need at least four chairs (or something similar...read through the exercise and improvise as necessary) and one dog in harness.

  1. Arrange the chairs (or similar obstacle) in two lines so that they form a path that is approximately four feet wide (wide enough for you and your dog to walk through at heel).
  2. Starting some distance from the narrow pathway, walk at heel with your dog
  3. Continue through the narrow path normally. If your dog shows any hesitation or reluctance about traveling through this path try the following: 1) enouragement and praise, 2) confident leadership, 3) widen the path temporarily and try again.
  4. Repeat this with both a left and right approach

The next phase of the exercise builds upon what we have already accomplished and adds a challenge. Backing up!

  1. As you and your dog travel through the narrow path at heel, halt your dog just as you reach the end of the narrows.
  2. Have your dog "stand stay" (remember we talked about this during harnessing...it is used alot when carting).
  3. Step in front of your dog
  4. Make a hand gesture like a traffic cop uses when stopping traffic but hold your hand close to your body to begin.
    5. While giving this hand signal, say
  5. Move your hand outward and over your dog's head while giving the voice command "back".
Of course, your dog will not have any idea what you want him to do so do not be surprised when he does nothing or perhaps sits. To teach him what we want, from the stand-stay --and while giving the hand signal and voice command "back"-- step toward your dog.

Most dogs will evacuate their space and give it to you when you invade it. This is the reaction we will build upon. As your dog gives up its space where will it go? If the narrows are fairly wide, he may go to the side, but as they become increasingly narrower, he will have no alternative but to go back. This is what we really wanted all along and so lavish on the praise for doing such a good "back".

Continue working on "back" until your dog is reliably backing up down a truly narrow path (about two feet). At this point, he is ready to try some work with the traces.