Late introduction & question about pulling/carting with dogs. - Page 1

Howdy All!!!

I've posted on here a couple times but have never formally introduced myself.  My name is Krystin, my handle is Karly (obviously ;-), I am a breeder in future possibilites only and I am in NE Cali.  Would love to meet anybody else up here that is working with GSD's. 

I work on a very big ranching outfit, but at the moment I am out on disability after wrecking one of our trucks, the only reason I even have time to be on here, lol.  I got my first GSD, Karly, from the local pound and she was one of the best dogs I have ever owned or known.  I have literally owned dogs my entire life and I don't know what I would do without them.  Nothing like a pack of happy dogs who love you no matter what the latest ex-boy-o thinks! LOL!!!  I got my first dog of my own when we were both six months old and he died in 2000 when we were both eighteen years old. 

I currently own two GSD's, Miss Sarahtwo von Ivy who is 3/4 American show lines and 1/4 Danish working lines.  I got her because I had lost Karly a few years before and just really wanted another GSD.  Sarah is a wonderful dog and I considered breeding her until I got to know the American vs German lines and am now having her spayed.  She is also seven this last August and has mammary tumors so has to be spayed anyway.  My other is a puppy that I just got.  I know, I picked her in almost the worst fashion possible, but I think I got a good pup anyway.  When I picked her up I only knew that her sire is from Nadelhaus Kennel and her dam is of primarily Hognadottir's breeding.  I am familiar with both kennels since I have been researching the German lines so exstensively, so I wasn't to worried.  Both parents have good hips (she came with a one year hip guarantee) and great temperments and she is a beautiful, healthy pup that is just a joy to be with.  I bought her for a pet and possibly for breeding in the future and like I read in a post on here, all you get with an eight week old pup is potential and puppy breath and thats all I wanted.  If I ever breed her it won't be until she is two, has at least OFA good hips and elbows and after I have had several professional opinions that she is worth breeding.  I am going to go with working lines if I do breed her and will make sure that I have serious buyers for at least four or five pups which will be sold with a joint and health guarantee and a  no questions asked return policy at anytime during the puppy's lives.  My puppies are still my puppies no matter who has them or where they are at!

And also, I am looking for any info on training dogs to pull and any good equipment outfitters for harnesses and carts or wagons.  I would love to get my dogs pulling and that would also be helpful with my job as I have severe carpal tunnel in both wrists and don't like to carry anything for very long.  I also have a blue heeler who just loves to work and is NOT a cowdog.  To many possibilities of him being hurt if he was, LOL!  Our home spread is over about a 1/4 mile and it's not worth firing up a rig just to haul dog food or a little hay between places.

Thank you all and I really enjoy this list!  If anybody has any questions for me concerning anything, feel free to ask.  I am also open to any advice or coments.  Would prefer nice ones, but if you feel that you need to cut my throat, go ahead and do so!

Thanks again, Krystin. 

You can order equipment and how-to books from Nordkyn.com

My new puppy is named Sturkey's Beate vom Aspen Canyon if anyone cares to look her or Miss Sarahtwo von Ivy up on here.  I would be very interested in talking with anyone who had dogs related to Beate and also, Sarah had two litters previous to my owning her, so if anyone has one of her pups I would love to see him/her.  Though I would not be interested in breeding from Sarah's progeny, I would be glad to take them if they needed a home for any reason.  Even if they were born before I got Sarah, I would still be happy to be responsible for them. 

And of further note: I practice what I preach.  Two of my four dogs are rescues; my blue heeler was destined for the pound as a three month old pup that was wild as a march hare and he is now a happy, somewhat sociable dog.  He is getting better every time we try, though!  My little Rocky is a dog for sure, but other than that, it's anyone's guess!  She came out of an accidental litter that should have never happened, but I'm glad I have Rocky.  Her mom was tied to a post in an unfenced front yard and you know the rest.  And like I said, I bought Sarah and Beate for pets first and MAYBE breeding females later.  That will never happen with Sarah, but we have many years with Beate to find out.  In fact, another fellow was going to buy Sarah, but her owner let me have her as he felt I would give her a better home.  The other fellow seemed as though he just wanted a "money maker" and he didn't want that for Sarah.  She is the most wonderful dog you could ask for, though.  Not at all a product of the bad side of American breeders.  She is typically very angulated as you can see from her unstacked photo, but she is totally sound physically, aside from having cancer, and mentally.  Maybe she gets her temperament and solid character from the Danish side?  Her maternal grand-dam's full brother was a working police dog, also.

Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

There is an excellent h-style faux sheepskin padded nylon harness available very reasonably priced at www.fortunepet.com. i have the same style that i used for many years, but bought at more than twice the price in a local feed store. www.dogworks.com has a wide assortment of styles and sizes for wagons and 2 wheel carts. i personally trained my lab/gsd/husky (deceased two years this month) bandit, to pull by running her with a bike starting at 4 months. when i was homeless she was almost a year old, and out of necessity i bought a small radio flyer and hooked her leash to the handle. she had already learned commands with the bike and took to wagon-pulling immediately. years later, i had her pull my daughter in a wagon i bought at local Northern Tool and Equipment. it had nice pneumatic tires and wooden sides. all 3 of those wagons from there eventually rusted thru from sitting outside. i paid $75 each. they were good while they lasted. the shafts that attatched to the harness, my boyfriend made out of metal things he bought at the local Menards home improvement store. Spunky (Zippy vom Haus Miller) my 11 month pup, has been in training to pull since i bought her, by having her wear a harness and letting her pull on walks. this city is built on a hill and i appreciate the extra help! she pulls enthusiastically. the vet recommended waiting until she is a year old to have her wagon pull and bike pull,so one more month! i tried her a few blocks with my daughter in her snow sled already this winter. the first half block she tried turning and looking as she was walking, then just pulled away....piece of cake! during the summer she also did help pull my daughter uphill a few blocks on her big-wheel. i have spunky backpacking groceries a mile-and-a-half once or twice a week as well. if i don't physically work her often for extended periods of time, she becomes very restless and whines alot. i am very proud of my good working (showline) dog. good luck with your dog!

I can't stress enough the importance of buying your equipment from an outfitter owned by experienced people like Nordkyn. They have been in business for many, many years and the current owners, like the original, work their dogs in harness and know what it takes to get a dog ready and how to fit them for harnesses, etc..  I have know them for almost 40 years, one of my first dogs was 1/2 Nordkyn.

It's not just a simple matter of hooking up a GSD and letting it pull since this breed has never been intended as a freighting dog. If you compare a GSD to a freighting breed like a Malamute, it's easy to see there are some profound differences in structure, the most obvious being that the GSD has a LOT more angulation on both ends. The Malamute has less angulation, shorter hocks, shorter and straighter pasterns,  bigger and tighter feet, a shorter back and walks with a short-gaited stride called a power walk. A GSD is never going to have the pulling power of a Mal or any dog that has moderate angulation. Don't expect a GSD to do much more than pull a child on a cart  or small sled or a light load a short distance; this breed is not a freighting breed.

By all means have fun with your GSD's, but understand their limitations and don't force them into trying to do more than they are built to do or you may very well may end up with an injured dog.