I looked this up but did not seem to find what I was looking for... Has anyone here trained the gee and haw for pulling? I tried doing a heal and marking on the turn but there seems to be no connection for her in any way. I also have the suspicion that this is not how it is trained. I have a kids cart but don't want to put her on it till she can do gee and haw... Also she is a bit young to be pulling anything yet.

trust me...you don't want her pulling it until she learns speed control.....


I introduced pulling FIRST, then worked on the directional commands. That way I already had a dog in front of me comfortable with pulling and rattling behind him.

I used a drag (which is fine for a yearling as long as it's light) and taught the distinction between behaving with a collar on for a walk and a harness on (for pulling).

Once I had a steady forward command I taught my dog to yield to directional pressure on his collar. Using a homemade driving collar (one ring on each side fit snug) I taught him to drive with reins, then added the commands as I turned. When I transitioned to bikejoring the commands stayed with him.

We now have gee and haw, then "hard" versions of each for tight turns. We're working on closer speed control though I taught the distinction between gaits (the problem is my dog has a trot a mile long even when he's trying to slow it up) on the ground for speed control. Most importantly I taught him to stop and stand, and wait

I got a good laugh at the first sentence...so true..Had that problem with the last dog...I am glad to say that I did hook her up a few times (15-20 times) and she did great. That was a few months back... Lately I haven't cause we were traveling. It weights almost nothing, made out of a few bars and is supposed to have cloth seat for a small child but I still haven't made that due to not being necessary yet.

How do you get the dog comfortable with walking in front? I had another dog for a while that I taught to pull this cart but her problem was being afraid of it... I never was able to excel with her on anything but she LOVED to pull and would put up a HUGE fuss it I left her and was pulling it myself. I mostly just guided her everywhere with presser on the collar. But as every dog is different, Zuki was not hardly startled even the first time I put it on her. She knows wait really well and stand to some degree. Do you use the word stop or whoa? Would you not use a leash to the collar than? Just hold on to the end on the drag? Let them go anyplace at first?
Thanks

I train my dog for skijor racing. Which is different than pulling a cart, as we travel at 20 or more mph during races (for long distances about 15-17 mph- still way faster than I could run myself).

A good command to teach any pulling dog, particularly one in front of a cart is 'line-out'. There's a good description of how to teach that here: http://www.skidogs.ca/index.html?n=SkijorInfo.StayingOutFront

There's also another great section on the same website on teaching a dog to pull, pass, and work hard on hills: http://www.skidogs.ca/index.html?n=GeneralInfo.GettingStartedSkijoring

I followed the general outline of this training and it has worked great. In fact, looking back at it gives me some new ideas for hill training this fall.

As far as gee, haw training, I never officially taught this using marker training because the problem with marker training is that, at least at first, you need to stop and treat the dog when he's done what you've wanted. Stopping and treating isn't a good option in the middle of a race, or even when just skijoring for training. Instead, from the time he was a little pup I would say 'gee' or 'haw' or 'straight on' (no turns) everytime we went that way at an intersection while out walking or free running. He picked it up very quickly. I was able to test his understanding once in the halls of our middle school (at night when no-one was around). I had him turning into classroom left and right. 100% accurate, and fun too. You could also test this if you have tight city streets. Rather than a 'yes', I use 'good', for a correct turn. Or nothing at all.

'on-by' is also critical, to go by a distraction without moving toward it or stopping.

I use 'whoa' for stop and 'easy' for a slower pace. 'hup hup' to pick it up, and 'hit it' for the start of a race.

Enjoy. Do you have a real harness for her? I would strongly recommend NOT attaching a tow-line to her collar. First, it's bad for the dog physically, second, it confuses the dog if you ask her to heel, or not pull generally when walking her with the collar, and third, it's just less efficient than a full body harness.

It's a good idea to use the harness only when you are asking her to pull, and the collar at other times. The dog learns quickly to understand the difference.

This is great physical and mental exercise for the dog, and gives her a job to do. Plus, really fun.

I hope things go well.

Do you have a real harness for her? I would strongly recommend NOT attaching a tow-line to her collar. First, it's bad for the dog physically, second, it confuses the dog if you ask her to heel, or not pull generally when walking her with the collar, and third, it's just less efficient than a full body harness.



I have a harness that I made for this cart. It is not like those on the site, and that kind would not work for this... I should take a picture..
http://symphoniesofhope.org/38updatemay-july09.html
There is a picture near the bottom of the page of a different dog
I had pulling the cart but she was a bit on the small side for it. This is the dog I spoke of above... The harness was made for a different dog so it is not used in the picture. That dog was to small for it but it does fit Zuki. I will try to get a picture of her with the cart and harness so you can see it. Thanks so much for the tips, it really helps. I guess the first thing I need to train than is the pulling cause she knows it is a no no with the collar and leash.

Oh, forgot to mention to those that look at the pic... The head harness was because I never heard of marker training before and was not very experienced with training. I never was able to get her to stop pulling except with a head harness and I was worried because she would turn blue pulling...

This harness arrived for Ryuk today

http://leerburg.com/1293.htm


I took him out for a test drive with his wagon. I haven't worked him on the wagon for a good few months now and OMG he loved it. The harness was affordable, but it fits perfectly (it's adjustable), doesn't press anything it shouldn't, total freedom of movement, based on the grueling tests I put it though today I'd say it's certainly worth a look!

Ryuk is now 60-65lbs and wore a medium when adjusted at it's tightest (he's got a 28 inch girth)

I've heard modded head halters are great to drive in for dog sulkies (so they had reins on each side). I tried one a lady let me borrow to try Ryuk out on her dog sulky (soooo much fun btw, the dorsal hitch ones)....The problem I had with Ryuk was he was soooooo sensitive that I ended up with to much rein let out to give him his head and it got all caught up. I could see it's use for a harder necked dog though. The driving collar (note: the driving collar is not for pulling on in place of a harness....I'm afraid I may have implied that by mistake). It's a collar with two rings that is fit snug and the reins attach to each ring. I made my one a little more complicated so that it tightened slightly (like a slip collar) on each side when pulled (and released when given rein) that way it took a lighter touch to navigate though narrow winding areas. Depending how you hooked the reins on the rings you could adjust the level of sensitive on the neck. At first Ryuk needed the more sensitive version but now, if I even bother with a collar (I don't have access to a sulky anymore...I'll have to make one ) he usually can just use it as a normal driving collar.

 Quote: Jamie Craig

(I don't have access to a sulky anymore...I'll have to make one ).

Do that, thats what I did. Well almost. I had a friend build it and the harness goes with it, it looks close to the one on leerburg but it has brakes so that if the dog stops all the sudden or is going down a hill the cart does not run into them from behind.

 Quote: elizabeth anderson

 Quote: jamie craig

(I don't have access to a sulky anymore...I'll have to make one ).

Do that, thats what I did. Well almost. I had a friend build it and the harness goes with it, it looks close to the one on leerburg but it has brakes so that if the dog stops all the sudden or is going down a hill the cart does not run into them from behind.

There was quite an in depth discussion concerning brakes on two wheel vehicles on a horse forum I visit.
When the brakes are applied and the wheels slow their rotation that force is transferred to the shafts, creating downward pressure to whatever is supporting them. On a horse it really wouldn't be nice to slam on the brakes to "help" the horse going down a hill. I would think the same sort of downward pressure on a dog's back would be very hard on it. Gentle pressure on the brakes *might* be all right for a dog.

With carriage driving the horse harness has a strap going across the butt of the horse and attached to the shafts on either side. When the horse slows the strap stops the vehicle from running into the horse. With a dog you would get the same effect with a tight girth strap attached to the shafts.

Jamie, we must have pictures of your wagon!

I took a look at all the harnesses that leerburg has and that is the only one they really have for pulling it seems. It is actually just like the one I made but a fancier style of coarse. How do you know what size? Zuki is 27 inch around the middle but she is only a year old hardly. Don't dogs get a little bigger around and more muscular as they mature?