Which breeds are suitable?
Traditionally the Bernese mountain dog, Newfoundland, rottweiler and leonberger - large breeds with solid bone. It is not practised with small breeds or dogs with long backs and short legs.
Strength and pulling
Carting
The dog pulls a cart along a course with stops, turns and narrow manoeuvres. It is not about how heavy the load is but how controlled the movement - a precision test, not a strength one.
About the discipline
What Carting is
Carting revives the work many large breeds were created for: transporting goods. The dog is harnessed to a two- or four-wheeled cart and pulls it along a course.
The trials do not chase maximum weight but control: a smooth start, stops on command, turns, backing up, passing through a narrow gap without touching the markers.
It is a quiet discipline, suited to large, calm breeds - Bernese, Newfoundlands, rottweilers - and often used at parades and public events.
How it works in practice
What a trial contains
- correct harnessing and equipment check
- starting and stopping on command
- walking in a straight line at a steady pace
- turns to the left and right
- backing up with the cart
- passing through a narrow gap
- standing still with a loaded cart
Which dogs it suits
- large breeds with a strong structure and calm temperament
- adult dogs with healthy joints
- teams looking for a slow, controlled activity
What you need
- a pulling harness with shafts or traces
- a cart sized to the dog
- light weights at first, increased gradually
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Carting
How heavy can the cart be?
In carting trials the weight stays modest, because the emphasis is on control. Maximum traction is the domain of weight pull.
From what age?
Only at full maturity, after the growth plates have closed. In large breeds that often means over 18 to 24 months.
How do I introduce the cart?
In very small steps, because the noise and the sensation of weight behind them frighten many dogs. First the harness alone, then the harness with empty shafts, then the cart pulled a few metres with no load. Only once the dog moves relaxed do you add weight, a little at a time.
From the same category
Related sports
Draft Dog
Controlled transport of a load.
Wall Climb
Climbing a vertical wall, seen at some competitions.
Tug of War
Controlled pulling contests at certain sporting events.
Weight Pull
Pulling a loaded sled over a short distance.
We do not run Carting
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.