Well.....your dog is trained to accept the cart and is comfortable with turns and stops. You've exposed him to cart noise and movement over bumps, curbs, and uneven ground. Training to cart and dog cart driving may sound similar, but are quite different. If you want to sit and drive (dog cart driving), I suggest you accustom your dog to a Halti before you sit in the cart. I always drive with a modified Halti (head collar) and reins. The dog must be comfortable with a Halti before you start to drive. The Halti has very good instructions in the box,,,,read them. For those who didn't read their instructions or have lost them:

1. attach leash to collar, put halti on. Lead dog in heel position (on your left side.) Do not let the dog attempt to paw the Halti off. If he does try to get his paws on the Halti, check the dog with a quick pull on the leash, keep his head up, and keep walking. As soon as the dog walks several steps without trying to remove the Halti, praise, treat, and quit. Remove the Halti immediately. Keep lessons very short. Repeat once or twice daily until the dog walks for three to five minutes without trying to paw at the Halti. Go to #2.

2. keep the leash attached to the collar, attach a second leash to the Halti. As you walk around, intermittently use the leash attached to the Halti to lead the dog. When the dog objects, check the dog with the leash attached to the collar. Praise and treat when the dog responds to the Halti and leash without showing resistance. Keep lessons short.

3. gradually use the Halti and leash more than the collar and leash. Viola!!! The dog is being led with the halti only. Now you can remove the leash from the collar.

When the dog accepts being led by the Halti, it is time to start driving from behind the dog and cart. You will need reins attached to the Halti that are long enough to let you walk behind the cart with reins in hand. Here are guidelines to help you change your walking position from beside the dog to behind the cart.

1. the dog should be up and positive. Stand at heel position (on dog's right side). Put both reins on the dog and roll up the extra length so it is out of your way. Put one rein in each hand, keep them very loose, but not loose enough that the dog steps on them. Also keep a collar on the dog with a long leash held in one of your hands. Give the command to walk on, start out as if taking the dog for a routine walk. Let the dog become interested in sights and sounds. As the dog keeps walking and looks away from you to take in the sights, drop behind slightly, keeping the leash loose.


Here I am just starting to drop behind and just beginning to use reins to guide with. In this photo, I have removed the leash as "Etta" is already responding well to rein directions.




Driving from behind.



If the dog looks around and notices you are slightly behind him and starts to slow, encourage the dog to walk on in a happy tone. If the dog does not walk on, you walk up to heel position and move off with the dog. Gradually drop behind again. When you can walk even with the cart, begin to use the halti reins. Now, if the dog begins to slow and turns his head to see you, pull the left rein, tell the dog to walk on happily, push the cart to nudge the dog into forward movement. The dog will take a step or two forward, not certain of what to do. After one or two steps forward, praise enthusiastically, go to the dog's head, praise/treat/pet. Ask again for a few steps forward, using the halti reins to straighten the dog's head to go forward. After a few more steps, praise, treat, pet, and quit. This is a giant step in training for the dog, go slowly. Many dogs show uncertainty and confusion at this stage. Make lessons as short and easy for the dog as is possible.

2. after the dog is able to take a few steps forward with you in back near the cart, using reins to guide the head, ask for more steps, maybe go a block from home. If the dog is not willing to walk away from home, lead him away from home, turn and encourage him to go towards home. As soon as you get cooperation from him with driving from behind for short distances, do not use treats unless you are done with the driving lesson. Continue to lavish praise during the lesson when the dog is doing things right.

3. slowly introduce turns, stops, starts, etc. in the same manner.

I could spend many pages of narrative explaining how to signal the dog with reins and voice. Actually, it is very difficult for me to explain via the written word how to communicate with rein signals. For those that have ridden horses before,,,,,this is the same, with the exception that the dog cannot be forced to move forward. They have to want to move forward. Dog drivers should maintain a light touch on the reins when correct speed and direction is obtained. In other words, stay off those reins unless you need to cue the dog.

After driving from behind, have a helper stand in heel position holding a leash attached to the dog's collar. It's time for you to sit in the cart. Have the helper lead the dog forward after you give the command. If the dog is not willing to move out, have the helper reach down to help get the cart moving forward. As soon as the dog moves forward for a short distance, the helper will praise and treat. Keep lessons short. Gradually have the helper drop behind the dog and the driver should begin directing the dog with voice and reins.

At this stage, the helper is no longer needed and the driver can begin introducing starts, stops, and turns while seated. Follow the same format above when you were walking behind the cart. You now have a beginning driving dog.