Once your dog has mastered working in harness with the traces in drag then he/she will be ready for teh next step, which is introducing a load.

If everything up to this point has been done correctly and you have taken your time, then no big surprises are anticipated. If not, your dog may become stressed when it is followed everyone it goes by some frightening and strange creature (i.e., the load we will attach today). You must decide if your dog is ready because it is always easier to teach a dog positively than to teach un-teach a negative experience.

First, get yourself an empty Morton's salt bag. That's right, an empty salt bag. Just like Delmar Smith and Bill Tarrant --some of the finest dog trainers ever-- we do not need a bunch of fancy gear to make a draft dog and in my experience nothing beats these simple salt bags.

Now, take your empty salt bag and put a few stones in it. Not too much --in fact for breeds like the Great Pyrenees start with only three to five pounds. This is dead weight folks and its only use is to introduce the feeling of a load.

1. Harness your dog.
2. Attach the traces to the dog's harness.
3. Attach the free end of the traces to the handle on the salt bag.
4. With your dog standing at heel, move him forward and be prepared to encourage and reassure him when that bright yellow monster follows him
5. Begin working on a smooth surface (concrete is ideal) and do not intruduce turns too early.
6. Eventually add some very broad and smooth turns
7. Once your dog has mastered this exercise, repeat it over a nice grassy lawn. This will provide a new and different sensation for your dog as the bag will bounce and jostle a bit. Again, be prepared to encourage and reassure him that all is well.
8. Continue these exercises over the next few days until he is quite comfortable pulling a load.