Carting
has been a dog-related activity for thousands of years. As breeds were
developed, some were selected because of their size and muscular builds to
perform draft work, much like draft horses. In general, dogs like Bernese
Mountain Dogs, Rottweilers, Mastiffs and even Native American Indian dogs were
put to use hauling goods, people, and even homes. Training for dogs involved in
carting begins generally with teaching a puppy or young dog to pull a
lightweight object behind him calmly. As the dog grows and gets more confident
about the presence of an object "following" him, the weight of the item is
increased. Commands commonly used are "gee" for turning left, "haw" for turning
right, and "whoa" for stopping.
Before beginning carting training, your dog
should be able to stand and stay, should allow you to put a harness on him, and
should come when called.
This is a link to a website called the Dog Infomat. The
first link on this page has resources for "Draft work" which includes carting,
sledding, and weight pull.