Drafting dog explained

A drafting dog, pulling dog, or draft dog (also spelt draught dog) is a dog bred and traditionally used for pulling a dogcart, or in winter also for sled pulling.^[1] Dogs bred for this work have strong builds. Many draft dogs are either mastiffs or of livestock guardian descent, both of which are dogs that are solidly-built.^[2]

Working animals

These dogs are working animals, traditionally used for pulling small carts called dogcarts.^[3] The size of the cart matched the size of the dog. In modern times, dog carting has become a leisure and competition activity.^[4] In the 20th century, headcollars were introduced to make control simpler, and they have become standard equipment in a variety of designs.^[5]

Several popular breeds were once bred specifically to pull carts, including Collies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, St. Bernards, Bouvier des Flandres, Newfoundlands and Rottweilers, though they often found other uses such as guard dogs and sheepdogs.^{[6] [7]}

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog was a large working dog used by butchers, cattle dealers, manual workers and farmers, who used them as guard dogs, droving and draught dogs.^{[8] [9]}

The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large working dog with a calm temperament ideal for pulling a cart, as they used to do in Switzerland. More recently they have been used to pull carts to give children rides, or to appear in parades.^[10]

In culture

The Dutch-Belgian artist Henriëtte Ronner-Knip (1821–1909) painted many pictures in the Romantic style of drafting dogs pulling dogcarts.^[11] Sled dogs were used to pull equipment and men efficiently over the snow and ice on Roald Amundsen's 1911 expedition to the South Pole.^[12]

External links

• St. Bernard video
• Rottweiler video

Notes and References

1. Web site: Muscle plasticity of Inuit sled dogs in Greenland . Nadine Gerth . Steffen Sum . Sue Jackson . J. Matthias Starck . 2019-05-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160810123245/http://jeb.biologists.org/content/212/8/1131.abstract . 2016-08-10 . live .
2. Web site: Breeds Who Enjoy Drafting Just for the Haul of it . Mansourian . Erika . www.akc.org . 2016-07-12.
3. Web site: Dogcarts . Dogcarts and Lioncarts . 11 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190313035239/http://messybeast.com/history/dogcarts.htm . 13 March 2019 . live . dmy-all . Website contains many paintings of drafting dogs pulling dogcarts.
4. Book: Waldbaum, Laura . Carting with Your Dog . 2011 . Dogwise Publishing . 978-1-61781-032-9.
5. Book: Jensen, Per . The Behavioural Biology of Dogs . 2007 . CABI . 978-1-84593-188-9 . 238.
6. Book: Mehus-Roe, Kristin . Canine Sports & Games: Great Ways to Get Your Dog Fit and Have Fun Together!. 7 September 2013. 21 January 2009. Storey Publishing, LLC. 978-1-60342-645-9. 232–237 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140627193908/http://books.google.com/books?id=uLTsxZ0SKD0C&pg=PA237 . 27 June 2014. live. dmy-all.
7. Book: Coren, Stanley . Hodgson, Sarah . Understanding Your Dog For Dummies . 7 September 2013 . 15 February 2011 . John Wiley & Sons. 978-1-118-05276-1 . 100 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140627193735/http://books.google.com/books?id=xvWVdVQSP1kC&pg=PT100 . 27 June 2014 . live . dmy-all.
8. http://www.nmbe.ch/deutsch/531_5_2.html Great Swiss Mountain Dog
9. Book: Moustaki, Nikk i. Greater Swiss Mountain Dog . 2012 . CompanionHouse Books . 978-1-59378-722-6 . 5.
10. Web site: Young-Knox . Sara . Conway celebrates with jolly holiday parade . The Union Leader . 10 December 2012. 2 December 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131226103516/http://www.unionleader.com/article/20121203/NEWHAMPSHIRE02/121209823/1015/news13 . 2013-12-26 . dead.
11. Web site: Henriette Ronner-Knip - Artworks . The Athenaeum . 11 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171124110232/http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/list.php?m=a&s=tu&aid=1871 . 24 November 2017 . live . dmy-all .
12. Book: Huntford, Roland . 1985 . The Last Place on Earth . Pan Books . London and Sydney . 0-330-28816-4 . 90, 248.