Getting started in carting is simple.

First, make sure your dog is healthy and structurally mature enough to begin pulling. It is recommended that the dog be 24 months old before beginning to pull weight, although he can become acclimated to harnessing and lead up activities until then.

Your dog should be solid in basic obedience commands, including forward, halt, stay, backup, down, stand, and sit.

Get (or borrow) a carting harness. Fit it to your dog and let him wear it for brief periods over the course of several days.

Next, it is necessary to get him get accustomed to the fact that something will be following him everywhere he goes when he’s in the harness. It will be noisy, perhaps scary, and provide resistance. The easiest way to introduce this concept is to attach a short length of 4×4 to both traces. Work in grass so he gets the feeling of resistance without causing damage.

Use your customary lead attached to his collar and encourage him to walk with you.

Treats! Lots of treats will distract him from the strange noises behind him and convince him to keep going. He will learn that the 4×4 will not attack.

When he is comfortable with working in the harness, introduce the shafts which can be simply lengths of pvc pipe or 1″ dowel rods.  The shafts should be long enough so that they extend about 1 foot past your dogs legs as they extend during a trot.  The shafts may drag on the ground or if possible, enlist the aid of an assistant who will walk silently behind you holding the shafts. Your dog may panic at being “caught” between the shafts. Work slowly and allow him time to become accustomed to this new environment before he needs to start moving.

Again, when he is ready, begin to entice him forward with his very favorite treats. Move in a straight line only for short distances and praise, praise, praise! What’s not to like??

When he is accustomed to working between the shafts and pulling the weight of the 4×4, he is ready for the cart. With each step in the progression, take it slow and gradual. Do straight-line work only in the beginning. Keep your sessions brief initially, praise/treat like crazy, and you will be carting in no time.

Get all the help you can. Join a group like https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcarting/ OR https://www.facebook.com/groups/DogCartingBeginners/.  There are many articles about carting with your dog. Attend a carting workshop and practice, practice, practice. It’s a excellent way to bond with your dog and you both get a great workout.