So me and puzzle are soon starting canicross. I used to do it with barley before we had all the problems with his hips, he really enjoyed it and built up muscles in doing it, but he can't do it now as he struggles to walk afterwards if we do longer distances, we still have a little go once a week just a short run to keep his strength up and by short i mean 500 meters thats all and he really loves it. Now that puzzle is coming up for a year old i want to try her with it, i will have no problem with the pulling, she does enough of that as it is. She knows her left and rights, just need to get the command slow down sorted and we will be ready to go. It will be around 4 or so weeks until we start running as i need to build my fitness up first. I also need to get a new running belt for me and harness for her so she has a separate 'only pull with this on' harness. Still hunting for the right harness and belt as fuss pot has not found one she likes yet, but i will find them eventually.
Re: canicross There's a site called something like ruff stuff that has canicross (spelling) belts etc. Also try Runnersworld online for reviews. That's something I am thinking of too. Let us know what your research turns up please Annabel.
Re: canicross Sounds fun! I don't know anything about it either but would like to know what it involves
Re: canicross If it involves runnin, I'm out! seriously though.....would like to find out more. I didn't realise you would need to teach things like slow down.
Re: canicross Annabelle can tell you more, but it's running with you dog attached to a belt around your waist, often the dog runs out front, like a sled dog. Unfortunately not for me, either, running and I don't mix well... :
Re: canicross [quote author=Lisa link=topic=6181.msg82688#msg82688 date=1401237997] Annabelle can tell you more, but it's running with you dog attached to a belt around your waist, often the dog runs out front, like a sled dog. Unfortunately not for me, either, running and I don't mix well... : [/quote] Yes, thats how it works. The dog pulls you while you are running
Re: canicross Oh, we do that. It's called go for a walk. Put lead on Shadow. Open gate. She runs. She is stronger than me so I end up running, she's pulling. I hate running! We're working on it. :-[
Re: canicross Annabelle, I'm looking forward to hearing all about it. We have little snippet about CaniX on the running page of the main site.
Re: canicross [quote author=Clair link=topic=6181.msg83007#msg83007 date=1401350265] Oh, we do that. It's called go for a walk. Put lead on Shadow. Open gate. She runs. She is stronger than me so I end up running, she's pulling. I hate running! We're working on it. :-[ [/quote]
Re: canicross [quote author=Clair link=topic=6181.msg83007#msg83007 date=1401350265] Oh, we do that. It's called go for a walk. Put lead on Shadow. Open gate. She runs. She is stronger than me so I end up running, she's pulling. I hate running! We're working on it. :-[ [/quote] Thank you sooo much for that. Needed a laugh
Re: canicross My eldest son did a bit of CaniX training with my two girls for a while. They all enjoyed it. I was a bit unsure, as they have to learn to pull you a little whilst wearing a harness and I wasn't up for them learning to pull for any reason at all as I'm DEFINITELY not going running with them. You can race with one or two dogs, and he used to take both of them out together on a bungee lead attached to a waist belt for him and a hound coupler onto a harness for them. The bungee action was great, made it much easier for them to get the pace right and that was the thing they all found difficult at first - both dogs and Callum running at the same pace. He did it for quite a few months and the dogs learned quite quickly not to stop and sniff whilst running, and both dogs sussed in the early days that emptying bowels and bladders in the garden before going running was a good thing. He used to do 5-10k with them a couple of times a week. Had a very nasty experience one winter afternoon when it was getting dark and a deer ran along the old railway line he was running on. I think that was his fastest ever 5k.....
Re: canicross In theory it shouldn't do if cues for the different behaviours are clear. Working trials competitor have to track with their dogs, this too involves pulling, and if properly trained to respond to the different cues (different harness etc) the dog can distinguish the different requirements. I could see however, that there is potential for confusion.
Re: canicross [quote author=charlie link=topic=6181.msg83466#msg83466 date=1401462020] I wondered if it would encourage pulling on a lead ??? Sounds far too active for me ;D [/quote] Puzzle pulls on the lead as it is, so it will be no change for her. She will have a command that tells her to pull (hike) with a set routine to prep her before her run. We have been working on this at the moment, getting the command hike in with her harness on. When she is old enough and able to run a decent distance dad is going to start biking with her as he does not do running, still gives them both a good work out and builds her stamina up just less effort on the human part
