Knowing full well that dogs enjoy a bit of work, and that work should reflect the breeds nominal purpose im thinking of ways to give Everest a "job" in the future. Obviously this involves pulling things around. My ideas are: At various local Ale and music festivals having Everest employed to pull carts with tents, camping kit etc from car to pitch for a nominal fee or a beer token (generally about 50m max). Similarly having Everest pull a cart with mini kegs in for delivering from the sellers to tent pitches (mini kegs are about 5-6 kg a piece) in the evenings. Giving small children (up to perhaps age 9-10) a wee hurl on a trailer around a track or perimeter of the venue - about 400m or so. Obviously there will be a long period of training and building up to any pulling of weight, i wont be doing it on hot days (though in Scotland this is not problematic) or until she is fully mature and able. Questions are how many "circuits" of 400m could Everest realistically do in say an hour......obviously when fully conditioned, sufficient rest and nutrition accounted for. Im not planning on working her to earn a living, more of a novelty/purpose for her doing something im sure she would enjoy. Any thoughts? constructive criticism, training ideas, alternatives always welcome. Ludicrous rants after poorly read original posts, not so much. Allan & Everest
The local festivals are strictly family friendly, craft brewery run events. i take my 2 and 4 year old to them with my wife. Generally speaking they are also very dog friendly and have stricter security than most hotels. Drunk people are sincerely not an issue.
Your children are young and small. 9-10 year-olds are not small and can be a lot heavier than you might think. So if you did go by that route I would put a strict maximum age and weight on any child you would expect Everest to pull. Whatever the age or weight I would think you would need to take out insurance in case of accidents.
A lot will depend on the efficiency of your cart, the size of the wheels, and how freely they run. My friend's previous Bouvier used to haul our bags and two strong Bouvier sized crates between the car park and some of the Champ. show venues, such as the NEC. He seemed to find it easier to do this at speed - my elderly self had to jog to keep up with him, BUT, we are speaking of a smooth tarmac surface, and a purpose built metal buggy. We sometimes had to help him out on steep uphill stretches. However, it was much slower going on typical grass surfaces. If you ever watch any old episodes of the Antiques Roadshow, you may catch him and his buggy featuring in an edition from Tatton Park, where he delivers a Jacobean oak chest for a valuation, and attracts the interest of Fiona Bruce. Dog do like to work, but there are lots of other jobs besides pulling. Eddie the Beagle considers it his job to pick up any fairly lightweight object that falls on the floor in the house or garage. He carries messages and will 'tell' my OH that he is needed. He also takes out sealed kitchen waste bags, picks up their emptied food dishes, and helps to unload the washing machine - he does struggle with things like jeans though, lol.
Another point. You mention Everest being employed to pull carts with tents, camping kit etc from car to pitch for a nominal fee or a beer token. However nominal the fee or beer token, that could be classed as a business, which might also require insurance as well as the childrens' rides. You have to think of the "what ifs". Imagine that Everest is pulling something for someone, is suddenly startled, and the cart either tip over and damage whatever is in it - somebody else's property, or cause Everest to panic and run into someone and hurt them. And if the cart did tip over while carrying a few small kegs of beer, even a 5 kilo one can cause injuries. Your OP sounds like a good idea but I think that there are too many "what its" to be thought out first.
