Did anyone see the programme about the bond between dogs and owners tonight with Chris Peckham? One of the activities was canicross where you run with your dog out front on a harness attach3d to a bungee lead on a belt round your waist. Looks good but kit is quite expensive. I wondered if anyone ran using a waist belt and bungee type lead.
I wish...running, for one, and secondly, that I would feel safe with my pooch attached to my waist. However, my previous dog was a Border collie and I had a special bungee type attachment thingy that I had on my bike and I did go bike riding with him. It worked great (except when he had to stop suddenly for a poo) but I don't think I could do it with Simba. He's big enough to pull me over. Canicross does sound fun though.
A friend of mine in Germany does this and he and the dogs love it. Both he and his dogs have crazy amounts of energy so it's a good fit. The gear does seem rather strangely expensive, but if you were a doing it at a more normal speed (like most of us), I don't know why a normal harness and a 8 way lead (or bungee lead run through a sturdy belt) wouldn't do the trick, at least to try it out to see if you like it. I used to jog with Brogan just with a normal leash attached to my waist pack and that worked great, but I'm the world's slowest jogger and Brogan always stuck to my side like glue, so we didn't need anything really sturdy - or extendable like a bungee.
On the very few times I've ran and taken Stanley I just let him off the lead and he can run with me if he wants or have a sniff around and catch up. (I never get very far ahead because I'm REALLY slow )
I love the look of it but my running ability is almost zero lol. Tatze wouldn't pull me over as I sometimes clip her normal lead to me and she just seems to know. I don't see why a decent, lightweight, harness and bungee lead wouldn't do. I love to watch canicross, the dogs so clearly love the 'working with my person' aspect to it. I think that's what puts it above running with your dog unattached. I like the look of it so much I'm tempted to do 'couch to 5K' lol
Are you lot bonkers?? No, no and no!...walking with dogs should be a relaxing bimble across beautiful countryside with mans best friend alongside me, gently sniffing the daisies....watching the swallows...chasing balls.. Not puffing and blowing scrabbling across rocks and falling on my bum whilst being attached to my overexcited dog with a giant elastic band...nope...
There are loads of clubs they may do taster days and let you try the equipment. Its very popular in my area
I'm with Kate on this one - I love stopping to look for the first snowdrops, spotting the chattering squirrels high up in the trees, finding the first frogspawn. The fact I can't run for toffee is beside the point
Started jogging last night with a running leash (regular leash that goes around the waist) and harness. I used a lot of core/back strength not to be pulled over ...will take us ages to be a jogging team I think! She runs full steam ahead once I start running!! At least we have moved beyond running = jump and nip (+ level 1000 excitement) from previous attempts! Moral of the story...it's not equipment that I'm concerned about!
I couldn't agree more! Sabas' trainer does Canicross and Bikejor with her German Short-Haired Pointers. I'm convinced she is totally bonkers, but that said, she's damned good with dogs!
I'm right with you there Now my more athetic days are some where behind me in the distant past I think I'll give Canicross a miss (big sigh of relief from Cassie, I swear I heard it) That said, I can see the appeal and I bet my younger self would have given it a go. Good luck @suze12
I'm tempted to give it a go with Shadow. I think he'd love it. The problem is that the only running I do is in the summer on narrow mountainbike trails which go up and down quite dramatically and with trees close on either side. I'm not sure they're ideal for canicross! I suppose the canicross part might actually make running on the (dirt track, very very quiet) roads a bit more interesting.
Maybe not for canicross, but can you just the two older ones run one in front and one in back of your off leash? Your trails sound perfect for that. I used to love that when I had two pups. Or would your two go off exploring too much? I'm omitting Luna as I know she has to "cook" a bit longer for an activity like that.
W&S run with me off lead, yes, and it works well. They stop to have a sniff now and then, which is fine by me; they catch up within a minute or so. It means they can go at their own pace - sometimes ahead, sometimes behind. I never wear headphones because I want to be very aware of exactly where they are all the time. To be honest, to them it probably doesn't seem much faster than when I walk the same trails. I'm not at you'd call "a runner"
I used to roller blade with our first Lab (Ginger). Because it was on a running/bike trail she had to be on a lead, but I used one of the wide tape retractable leads, and I could turn loose of it, and toss it with no problem if she went on the wrong side of tree or other runner. I would not have used a lead at all, except that the park rules were very strict.
