It is important to find a flat, level grassy area preferably quiet with few distractions, hard ground should be avoided at first as the noise made by the wheels of the cart can be really disturbing to a beginner dog whom you are trying to give confidence to. Obviously our breed of Bernese are solidly made and partly bred for carting and generally have no problems but an unsound dog will not be made any better by draught work. In our breed of Bernese the philosophy of carting is to reflect the origins of our breed taking milk from Alpine farm to village dairy or cheese, basketware and other produce to market. Also at these events the weather has to be considered, not only rain but the potential effects of any breeze and also the total weight of the cart may have to be taken into account. Gently lower the shafts over the dog with the handler still reassuring the dog. Whilst our direct experience is all of one breed most of the following advice can be applied to most breeds when starting out in carting but you should contact individual breed specialists if you are not sure or wish to seek specific breed advice. These are best made from a strong springy hardwood such as Ash which again can be quite expensive to buy. The key points, as in most dog training, are plenty of encouragement and reward at all times, never try to intimidate the dog into accepting the cart behind him as this is asking for trouble at a later stage. Fairy Stories or The Movies and you can let your imagination run free. Whilst not absolutely essential, previous basic obedience based training is a big help, if only to have taught the dog to behave at certain times, a dog which is generally unruly and ill-trained is not likely to improve just because he has been attached to a cart. When you add in the noise made by small cow bells, the impact of colourful Swiss costumes for the handlers, the beautiful friendly dogs themselves it is easy to appreciate the popularity of Bernese carting. If you make a week-end of the event and enjoy all the other Bernese activities as well you can have several tries at carting in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere over several days. Some Bernese carting groups have their own insurance and may be able to suggest insurance companies who may be able to help you if you contact them. Let us say at the first that these notes are not intended to be all encompassing guide to carting with your dog, as much of the best advice would be given in a practical format, but merely as a summary of the experience gained by us with our Bernese Mountain Dogs since the mid 1980s. The grass should be as short as possible and the ground not too soft in order to minimise the drag of the cart which should not be loaded in any way. School visits with your dog and cart can be fun but the help of an assistant is preferable to keep an eye on children around the dog. In our experience small antique shops are definitely not the best place to buy this sort of cart which we have found can much better be found at any of the large antique fairs at the outdoor showgrounds (e.g. A few Bernese carts have been genuine Swiss antique dog carts imported specially by or for (wealthy) owners, these are usually two wheeled and very rare. If you are on your own however there are several types of opportunity you could explore. The question of giving rides to children at events is one that different carters will have different opinions on. Our own breeds history involves, as mentioned earlier, Swiss farm work taking milk and cheese to the dairy and thus milk churns and large cheeses, (usually plastic), are often featured as well as many coloured flowers which the carts were decorated with when taking part in village processions and festivals. If giving rides to small children is to be a main activity then one of the large/giant breeds, (Newfoundland upwards), is essential as this task is just too demanding in anything but very short spells for the smaller carting breeds. Jeanette and Stephen Green We were the originators of the current Working Cart course of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Great Britain which from its early days has gone on to be established as a major source of enjoyment for Bernese owners and continues to evolve today. This is obviously a strange sensation to a beginner dog and should be handled carefully especially when the first movement is attempted. Additionally these breeds will often have their own events at which carting will occur and possibly offer training and advice. It would perhaps be more accurate to say match up your dog and cart to make a balanced outfit, carts can be found in sizes to suit most breeds and there is no real need to overload your dog with an excessively large cart. Once in position the front straps should be fastened and then the rear tresses attached. Also if attending a childrens party Christmas is an easy theme to illustrate and find decoration for. It is also important for the area to be as large as possible and certainly enough to allow the dog plenty of room to turn the cart around with a large generous turning circle to avoid causing the dog to push unduly against the shaft sides. Obviously if you wish to perform this function then it is even more important to be sure of your dogs worthiness to cope with the workload. Other breeds carting activity sometimes reflects different origins, e.g. There is always a cart available to borrow so why not come to the Garden Party and give your dog a try out in the company of experienced Bernese Carters. Newark or Ardingly) several times a year. Steel reinforcing plates can be hidden on the bottom surface across the joints for additional strength although be wary of making these too thick which will add needless extra weight. This experience has included attending and carting at numerous types of events and activities where dogs in carts can be found this includes, large country fetes and the like where the Bernese carting has been part of a much larger event, dog based large events, down to much smaller type events such as school fetes, school visits or works Christmas parties for children. There is also the Working Cart course organised by the UK Working Cart Group at both events who also offer beginners carting experience and training for people who want to try out their Bernese fulfilling his working heritage. You can find places to ask for further guidance and events where the carters will be parading where they will be pleased to meet you and show you their dogs and carts and give you direct good advice on how you could start carting. Remember, the harness sides will lift up when under stress as the straps pull tight. Over the years carts have been seen illustrating or disguised as hot dogs, brewery wagons, fire engines, boats, fairy story houses and scenes, the list is endless and possibilities unlimited. Gradually as the dog gets used to the cart being there the assistant can reduce his pulling and let the dog take over until the dog is doing all the work. Everyone has to start somewhere so why not at a club event with experienced friendly carters to help and guide you. It is also a good idea to make them wide enough to accommodate a good size dog even if your current dog is not the largest. The timber is usually stripped down to clean wood by arduous and fiddly rubbing down with sandpaper or wire wool before re-varnishing and the steelwork usually requires similar before being restored in black or sometimes replaced with brass or copper for effect. If the carting bug bites you may be looking for a larger male in the future! Carts come in many forms and sizes. At these events there are classes for Swiss decorated and theme decorated carts as well as the carting turnout for the best condition cart, harness and handler set up. In public places or at specific events a dog in a cart is a magnet for children and adults who will sometimes have other dogs with them and can quickly draw an intimidating crowd and it is important that this will not cause any problem for your dog. You can find out more by searching on Facebook for The UK Working Cart Group or by contacting Diane Crawshaw or Chris Handley (via the group). At one works party we attended for a second year we were surprised to see almost as many parents as children but were told that theyd come to see the dogs that theyd heard all about the previous year!!. The handler should be in charge of the dog in the presence of an experienced and sensible carter if at all possible and some people are very good at starting off new dogs. Most importantly of all your dogs will enjoy it too. Pulling carts on long grass and soft earth can be very hard going and your dog should be reasonably fit and sound to begin with. In addition to this Jeanette, for around 8 years, was the main carting instructor engaged in starting off total beginner dogs at the largest annual Bernese event, this was usually a back breaking day involving initiating around 30-40 dogs and their owners into the pleasures of carting. Slow gentle movement should be the order of the day as much as possible and jerky movements kept to a minimum. Once the dog is happy with the harness, and this may occur straight away, the cart should be brought up behind the dog by an assistant with the shafts raised, NEVER reverse a novice dog into the shafts. On the subject of decoration for your cart the biggest influence on this is the history of your breed and any relevance to the carting dog. Obviously if giving rides is a main intention then the bigger and heavier breeds are more desirable and a well balanced specialist cart with a firm seat and usually (2) large wheels will be of help to the dog. Short shifts are the order of the day to give plenty of recovery time and most people are quite strict on the size of child carried. Most significant events nowadays do have good insurance but you should ask in advance, it may be too late afterwards. Whatever method is used it should be secure and strong to enable the dog to pull evenly balancing the load between the front and back fastenings. The connection to the cart itself should allow up & down movement over uneven terrain and should be at a reasonable height for the dog pulling, the ideal being a slight upward tilt of the shafts to the dog. After finding your cart and shafts you will need to connect it to your dog, the usual means being by a leather harness which attaches to the shafts. Basket weavers also used Bernese to transport their wares to market and wicker work makes an excellent medium to support additional decoration being light and easy to attach things to. One of the most enjoyable events we have done is the works childrens Christmas party when the dogs are kept out the way until the arrival of Santa who brings in the dogs and carts loaded up with presents.