Why were DOGS used to pull carts?

It’s been illegal in Britain to use a dog and cart on public roads since the 19th century!
So, this isn’t something you see very often in auction or anywhere else…it’s a 19th century dog cart. Designed as the name suggests to be pulled by a dog. This wasn’t as unusual as you might think in times gone by. Dog carts were used by traders like bakers to deliver bread and milk merchants to delivery milk. Especially in towns and cities. However in London in the early part of the 19th century dog carts were causing all sorts of problems on the streets on London, knocking pedestrians down and generally causing havoc! They were such a nuisance that in 1840, a law was passed, prohibiting the use of dog carts in London
They were still used though for recreation purposes and it wouldn’t have been an unusual site in the 19th century to see a child sat in a dog cart with their pet dog pulling them happily through a park! Something I doubt you’d see today!
This one was sold through AFS Auctions in Taunton, Somerset - watch the video to the end to see how much it sold for!

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[VintageCarHistory]

It's interesting that the term, 'Dog Cart' made it's way into car body styles in the late 19th century in both Britain and the US. A dog cart car body is one where there are two bench seats that face away from each other in a dos-a-dos fashion. One of, if not the, most popular makes of dog cart cars was Arrol-Johnston: located in Glasgow, they were the first automobile manufacturer in the British Empire; having begun full production by early 1895.

[stephanieknuppel]

I would pur flowers pots in it and here we go into the garden ...

[OriginalNethead]

Dog carts for little kids were a Thing, and considered fun for both child and dog. If they had a husky, bred to pull, the dog would have had a blast.

[robynconway]

I saw an old B&W photograph of a child in a decorated cart such as this, dressed like Santa being pulled by a small goat. He mustn't of had a dog. Very cute it was.

[justcurious]

I love, i collect images or this with dog and carts! i wish i could use one now .. were i live it was very normal. And dogs love to work

[sam-ib]

Never knew brilliant that 😂. Incan imagine my dog doing that 😂 50+ kilo of pure mastiff 👍