Reptile & Amphibian Forums

we have a lab/pointer mix named loki(norse god of mischeif) who cannot be walked at the park, he goes after other dogs throats and my dad needs to pin him to the ground to control him. he is not the dominat thing in the house. but can drafting be a form of exersise? he also has a past history of running away but we always manage to catch him. he also is agressive twords other people. he is neutered so that is not the problem. so could drafting help solve any of his problems. he is really nice to us but he goes after other dogs and people and my dad has talked about taking him back to the shelter or putting him down. i also worry he may get out and get hit by a car or never return. we also have a smaller(but more intelligent)dog, possibly beagle/jack russel mix, named sheba who sometimes gets loki started. could we get her to draft aswell? sheba also ran away alot(25-30 times in first year. also how do you post pictures?

Mentally and physically working a dog out can help almost any behavioral issues you are having as long as everyone involved is enjoying it. Drafting (commonly called carting in my area) is fun for many dogs and can be a solo experience so the dog/dog interactions and stress involved iwth that can be reduced.

I'd start slow with the process of training and maybe first try a well fitted backpack on the dog before getting him fit for a harness. Most harnesses have to be custom made in order to work properly. It's not an expensive investment, just better for the dog to have everything fit right before putting weight on a dog.

You may also want to get this dog checked by a vet before starting this type of exercise. A dog that is that touchy may have some medical issues that need addressing. Many people are surprised at how grouchy an arthritic dog can be this time of year.

As for your smaller mix- that one too can do carting, but again getting a harness that fits is key and typically terriers and their mixes find the activity boring and restrictive if they aren't allowed to goof off a bit in harness.

It's great you want to start a new activity with your dogs. I wish you the best of luck and hope you have success with it.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

thank you for the info. the problem is not medical, he just was not propperly socialized as a puppy. we tried to socialize him but it didn't work. where do get specialized harnesses and back packs? and what info can you offer to help us train loki and sheba, if it helps sheba is the more dominant dog from what i can tell. are there any books on dog drafting?

Harnesses can be purchased on these site:
Black Ice Dog Sledding
Ravens Watch
Prairie Dog Supply
Nordkyn
Expedition Outfitters
Harnesses By Carol

Online Training Articles
Weight Pull Training (pdf format)
Beginning Training
Weight Pull Training Video for Sale
All About Dog Weight Pulling

www.mnmixedbreedclub.org/weightpull.htm

This above site will give you harness info and weight pulling info.

dogplay.com/Activities/harness.html

The above site will give you soem places to start as well.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles