Four Legged Motivation

It’s my last mile of training and it’s not been a high energy run for me. If alone, I’m not sure I would have had the self motivation to put in all the miles. But, I never have to worry about self motivating on these days because I can hear my pacing coach panting happily beside me and patting along with a steady beat that brings a new spring into my strides.

I don’t have the kind of dogs which will free run beside me and stay loyally with me, nor do I run through an area where off leash dogs are a good idea. There’s traffic and strays and people with strollers and those cats. But, I found holding a leash, or sometimes two, was cumbersome and had me running off balance. I came up with a way to wrap it around my waist so I wouldn’t have to hold it, but then it was always too tight and rubbing, or slack and falling down.

So, I came up with a padded fleece lined belt of sorts, with d-rings which I attached a special line from to their collars. This was nice. And, since I was in the business of manufacturing sled dog supplies, I had the time and supplies to reinvent this several times and get it to the point where it made sense for more than just me. I added a water bottle holder and a pocket (for baggies ~ but also used it for keys and cellphone). Once it felt right, I put it up on our website.

A few days later, I got a call from England from a company asking if I would supply them with these belts. But, he didn’t call it a jogging belt ~ which is what I’d deemed it to be. He called it a “Canicross” belt. I went on to research his company and also to see about this “Canicross” stuff. I was astounded to find the mass appeal this sport had in the UK and Europe.

Canicross takes jogging with your dogs up a level and turns it into a competitive dog powered sport. Basically, it entails the belt which I described, a bungee lead line and a short harness for your dog. In classic canicross style, the dog runs in front of you, holding the line taught while you run behind.

There seems to be several organized events planned each weekend throughout the UK and Europe and it’s beginning to grow in popularity in North America. There’s plenty of video of Canicross events and people sharing their training methods on Utube. We even found a few predictable wipeouts!

Canicross gear can be used in a classic style, with the dog in front of you in a harness and pulling you slightly as you follow. Or, you can personalize the gear by adjusting the lengths of leads and clipping to the collar to keep the dog in a healing position beside you.

However you decide to include your dog into your training, you have to remember to keep it FUN for him. Don’t take your old couch potato dog and suddenly decide he’s going to run 10K with you. Although dogs generally pull into shape a lot quicker than humans, you still don’t want to over do it with them.

For the dogs who’ve been running all along, here’s your chance to spice it up for them! Let them lead, and learn the commands of gee (turn right) and haw (turn left) and “on by!” (don’t kill that cat!). Canicross equipment also frees up your hands and you’ll find your running technique will no longer be compromised by having to hold a leash.

The main risk to dogs when running in the heat is dehydration. It's a really good idea to bait some water before the run to make sure he's well hydrated throughout the workout. Some baiting ideas might be something yummy like beef fat or canned fish or just grind up his usual dog food into a powder and add it to water to make a broth. Don’t give him too much though, this shouldn't act as dinner and his bladder can only hold so much. About 1/2 cup of water 20 minutes before the run will make a big difference in his efforts to cool down during the exertion. Heat exhaustion will stem from your dog not being hydrated, so make sure you take water along. It’s why I also designed a collapsible waterdish to clip to my belt.

Also, keep him off the hot pavement, he’s running on bare pads and that’s just not nice! Ultimately it might be best to run in the cool mornings or evenings with your dogs, or at least on a shaded trail. Perfection would be a large body of water for him to wade into at the end of the run. But, we can’t all have perfection, so just make sure to take some precautions to keep your furry buddies safe in the summer heat.

As we approach the last few blocks of our run, I pick up the pace because I know my friend in tow loves this part the best. The race to the finish! I’ve forgotten my lack of energy and I’m smiling as wide as my running mate while we work into a short sprint. As we celebrate the end of our run with hugs and plenty of licking kisses, I can’t wait for our next run together.