Off-road running with your dog can be social, it is cheap (once you have bought the equipment) and you don't have to be an experienced runner to enjoy time together.
Suitable for people and dogs of most ages & abilities, your dog must be fully mature (12months+).
All you need is a harness for your dog, a belt for you and a line between you both.
Taster Sessions
45min sessions to try the kit & explore the sport
Group ............................. £20
1:1 ............................. £various
Courses
6 week course building your fitness with your dog.
Couch to 5km ........................… £60
5km plus ..............................… £90
How fit do I have to be?
For the couch to 5km you will need to be able to jog/walk for 20mins. We can tailor taster sessions to your fitness.
My dog is nervous around other dogs?
You know your dog, and your dog's health & happiness comes first. For anxious dogs it is important to keep your dog under the stress threshold & we want this to be an enjoyable experience for you both. However, we have found that working on the harness in a group seems help some nervous dogs build confidence. Our code of practice is in place to keep dogs attached on the line and separate from other dogs at all times to make the run enjoyable for all.
Does my dog need to be a canicross specific breed?
Some breeds are better designed for pulling (clear airway, medium sized to pull but not overheat...), but we have seen poodles, rotties, kelpies, hounds, pointers, labs, spaniels and many other breeds enjoy canicross. As long as you are both healthy, can breath, & build your fitness slowly, you can enjoy time running together. Harness fitting is a little trickier with some shapes, but we can try out a few to see what works best for your dog.
What are the commands?
Let's Go
Left/Right
On By (run past something)
Forward/Hike on (keep moving at junction or obstacle)
With me/Heel (run along side me)
Easy/Steady (slow down)
Whoa/Stop/stand/line-out
I also like: "Back" (get behind me), "ok" (cross the road), "on" and "off" (verges, pavements and banks).