Dogcart (dog-drawn)
Encyclopedia
Cart
A cart is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
pulled by one or more dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s. The traditional varieties are rare:
- Dog carts pulled by a single dog were sometimes used by peddlerPeddlerA peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
s. - Dog carts pulled by two or more dogs were historically used in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and The NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
for delivering milk, bread delivery and other trades. Dog-drawn carts were prohibited in Britain in the early 1900s on animal welfareAnimal welfareAnimal welfare is the physical and psychological well-being of animals.The term animal welfare can also mean human concern for animal welfare or a position in a debate on animal ethics and animal rights...
grounds, but some still exist (mainly for reasons of novelty) in France and Belgium for delivering churns of milk from small farms to the dairy. - Dogs were used as draught animals during the First World War to pull small field guns.
The modern-day sport of carting
Carting
Carting is a dog sport or activity in which a dog pulls a Dogcart filled with supplies, such as farm goods or firewood, but sometimes pulling people. Carting as a sport is also known as dryland mushing and is practiced all around the world, often to keep winter sled dogs in competition form during...
is an entertainment involving large dogs pulling dog carts. Compare dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
(pulled by a team).