Sam's Christmas Carting

Last Update: 8 April 1997

Pictures from the 1996 Santa Claus Parade in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Sam and Colette Colette and Sam, with our daughters riding, walked down one side of the street.

For Christmas 1996, we took part in the Cambridge, Ontario Santa Claus Parade. We rounded up some friends and entered as the "Christmas Canines". The neat part was that the parade is held at night, and they really like illuminated entries. We bought a bunch of battery-powered Christmas lights, and decorated the cart with bows and garland and lights. Sam wore his Santa cap, and everybody had a blast.


Something caught Sam's attention... Since Sam is deaf, he's very "visual". He keeps his head on a swivel, and very little escapes his attention. The route was lined with people, with a lot of small kids sitting on the curb. Many people had brought their dogs as well, and Sam didn't miss seeing a dog in the crowd.

You can see a reasonable profile of Sam's harness and cart in this picture. The cart was built by Al McFadden, and is one of the most common types around this area. The harness is made in Newfoundland, but we got it from a local St. Bernard breeder, Jim Wright of Swissview Kennels, who brings these harnesses in for himself and others who want to buy them. This style of harness is somewhat expensive, but Sam seemed to prefer working in it at the carting workshop. Since comfort is apparently a large part of dogs wanting to work in harness, we deferred to his tastes and bought the more expensive model.

Sam in profile

Sam and Clowns It's interesting to note the reactions of the dogs to the various strange sites at a parade. Some of the dogs weren't too keen on walking near the pipe band. Lots of oddly dressed people would also wander by - these clowns got Sam's attention for a short while. However, most of the dogs we had out were conformation dogs, obedience dogs, some were both, and a couple were service dogs in training. These dogs tend to be more stable around these unknown situations. Nearly all the dogs come out to Pet Therapy visits that our Kennel Club organizes.

Chase, another Great Pyrenees, was walked by his owner, Nick Cipp. Chase and Sam took their first carting course together. It looked terrific, with the two Pyrs pulling the carts, flanking the rest of the group. You can see how Nick and his wife, Maria, had decorated their cart (another Al McFadden model). People really enjoy seeing the dogs out at these events, particularly when the dogs are dressed up. The carts, though, are an extra hit! Some people are amazed when they see a dog with a cart, particularly when we're pulling our daughters. Sam and Chase

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