How does it differ from carting?
They are very close. Draft dog emphasises transporting a real load and practical usefulness, and the trials are often tied to breed clubs' working titles.
Strength and pulling
Draft Dog
Carting's more practical relative: the dog transports a real load along a course with everyday obstacles, and breed clubs award certificates for it.
About the discipline
What Draft Dog is
Draft dog is the name breed clubs use for hauling trials with a load. The dog must show it can do useful work, not merely pull an empty cart.
The course includes practical situations: loading and unloading, crossing uneven ground, climbing a gentle slope, manoeuvring in tight spaces and standing with the load.
Many clubs award a working title on passing, which makes the discipline a selection tool for the pulling breeds as well.
How it works in practice
What the trial contains
- checking and adjusting the harness
- loading the cart with the dog harnessed
- a course with uneven ground and a gentle slope
- manoeuvres in tight spaces
- standing on command, with the load
- unloading and unharnessing
- basic obedience throughout
Which dogs it suits
- pulling breeds, physically mature
- calm dogs untroubled by the noise of the cart
- teams involved in a breed club
What you need
- a draft harness matched to the dog's size
- a transport cart or sled
- a load meeting the rulebook
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Draft Dog
My dog is a crossbreed. Can it take part?
At club trials, usually not, because they are tied to breed titles. It can, however, do recreational carting without restrictions.
How heavy is the load?
It depends on the rulebook and the dog's size, but it stays reasonable. This is not a maximum-strength test but controlled transport.
How do I get the dog used to the cart?
In very small steps. Start with the harness alone, add the empty shafts, then a few metres with no load, and only then weight. The noise behind them is what worries most dogs, so let them hear it while walking freely first.
From the same category
Related sports
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.
Carting
Pulling a cart.
We do not run Draft Dog
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.