Dog adjusting to cart.

[Doc_Moore_J]

Hey all,
Quick question for ya. Did your dog take awhile to respond and enjoy thier carts? I got mine finished and Koro hates it. he usually tries to lay down while in it which seems to put uneccesary stress on his back so I just take him out of it. He never really tries to go more than a few feet in it without giving up and collapsing. Even with yum yums trying to convince him. I'm just wondering if this is common. Thanks for any advice and hope all your little critters are doing well and staying healthy.

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

but I would imagine getting any of mine in such a contraption would be this side of impossible.

I would suggest a slow introduction. Let the cart be a fun object that has good times associated. Hide a treat in it, carry it around on your back while sing songing. Make it silly time. Slowly put on and take off right away and HIGH JOY AND SILLINESS. I would do that for a week or at least a couple of days, many times a day.

Make playing with the cart the HIGH point of the day!

It would be tough with my crew! GOOD LUCK!

Visited Koro's page! Laughed out loud. I have a Possum who bears an uncanny resemblance.

[critters]

Somebody posted just recently about their initial problems with getting a pupper to use a cart, then how Eddie's Wheels gave them lots of tips. I can't remember who it was, but maybe they'll come by. The info was basically as GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily says: make it fun! Go fun places--PetSmart, dog park, walks, etc. Food is good, too. Chances are Koro will figure it out pretty quick!

[Jdog]

We used a leash on his harness and walked slowly with him. We also used a red laser light in the evening because he likes to chase the dot. Be careful with that tho, our pup flipped his kart for the first time chasing the dot. Scared us bad but it made him braver so in the long run it was good.

It took almost 3 weeks, of close to daily time in the kart, before he was ready to play in it on his own with us watching.

[jrmende63]

Hey all,
Quick question for ya. Did your dog take awhile to respond and enjoy thier carts? I got mine finished and Koro hates it. he usually tries to lay down while in it which seems to put uneccesary stress on his back so I just take him out of it. He never really tries to go more than a few feet in it without giving up and collapsing. Even with yum yums trying to convince him. I'm just wondering if this is common. Thanks for any advice and hope all your little critters are doing well and staying healthy.

My dog, Champ, has had his cart for almost 6 weeks now. He is JUST starting to like it. I did all the tricks that Eddie's Wheels said and it worked but slowly. Champ is happy to walk around now, but it did take lots of time for him to get used to it. He only stayed in it about 5 min at a time for the first 2-3 weeks, now he stays in for 30 min at a time. He is happily walking around seeing the sights. We only put him in it outside, He is 100+ pounds and paralyzed in his hind legs. He runs into everything in the house. So it is an outside treat. That is how he looks at it now...as a treat. Hang in there!

[SandyNY]

You could try some adjustments. Is the cart homemade? Porkchop's cart was from Doggone wheels and when I got him in it, he just stood still (and he had used it before) I emailed wheelchair co and they had me email pictures. they said by looking at the pictures, the chair needed some fine tuning to make it more comfortable for him. the length had to be shortened a hair and adjustments here and there and he must have then been more comfortable in it because he did move then. Look to see if/ where there may be pressure - like is there an pressure on his back from a strap? Apparantly some take to the carts like fish to water and some react like a cat being thrown in the lake. If you can, leave the cart out where it is in a common area ( if use outside only, leave it on the porch or inside near the door ; and if you are going to use it inside, then in the living room) so it is not viewed as some foreign contraption dragged from the closet. Then take small steps. If there is any type harness that attaches to him, try that first - with HAPPY, UPBEAT vocals about how handsome he looks. When you get to hooking him up, don't try to move him - get him all hooked in GOOD BOY and off it goes until tomorrow. I know it is a pain to go thru this drawn out ritual but it will be worth it if he is able to adjust.

[CarolC]

I think there's even a breed chart somewhere showing which breeds take to carts more easily.

When my dog first got her cart, I thought she would take off to explore the four corners of the house, but she just stood still looking at me as if to say, "OK, I'll stand here in this cart but I don't know why you want me to". She did much better outside, because that was worth exploring. Give her nose something to do and the rest followed.