Canicross: Playing Sports With Your Dog

Spending free time with your dog, strengthening the emotional relationship with your favorite animal and significantly improving the physical condition of both are just some of the goals that can be achieved thanks to canicross,  a sport that consists of running with the dog at your side. .

Canicross has been defined as a sport mode between mountain running, agility and dog sled sports. This activity arrived in Italy thanks to some mushing lovers, even if it has now separated from this sport and nowadays it has its own championship.

What is canicross?

Canicross is a sporting activity that consists in running together with a dog, which is joined to the runner by means of a leash. It is normally practiced on grass, although, with the use of appropriate snowshoes, it can also be practiced on snow.

Canicross competitions have some rules: first, all dogs must be in excellent physical condition, they must be over a year old and must have passed a veterinary check before competing. And second, if the judges notice that a dog behaves in a way that in their judgment may be dangerous, the dog will not be able to participate in the competition, although in some cases participation is permitted through the use of a muzzle. Furthermore, the runner can never run in front of his dog, since he is considered a “finished” couple only when the dog crosses the final line, not the owner.

Canicross is considered a winter sport, as dogs suffer quite a lot from running at temperatures above 15 ° C, especially if the exercise is very intense. The judges can suspend the competitions if the ambient temperature exceeds 20 ° C, however snow and rain are not a cause of interruption of the competitions.

What are the advantages of canicross?

Practicing sporting activities always has some advantages and in the case of canicross it benefits both the health of the dog and yours. It is also a good way to include your pets in your passions, thus spending more time with them without having to give up on what you like best.

With physical exercise a very special bond is created between dog and owner, since the collaboration between the two is very important. Apart from the passion for sport and the desire to run, to practice canicross with your dog you must have taught him the most basic orders, such as right, left, slow down, faster, etc. Therefore the dogs must be well trained and trained. Furthermore, this type of training must be carried out through the reinforcement of positive behaviors, since it is well forbidden to scold or beat the animal during the competition, as well as in everyday life.

Which breeds can practice canicross?

This sport can be practiced by any breed, even if the dogs that most commonly participate are those of medium size. According to experts, the most qualified specimens for this type of competition are large dogs, since they have both speed and stamina, in order to resist even over long distances. Some examples of these breeds are the German Shepherd, the Husky or the German Hound.

It is essential that by the time you participate in the competition the animal has completed the year of life, even if training for this type of competition can start as early as four months of life. In order to participate in these competitions it is also mandatory that the dog has a microchip, has been vaccinated, dewormed and has passed a veterinary check right before each competition, in order to avoid possible injuries, problems and deceptions.

How do you know if a dog is a future canicross champion?

In order for a dog to be able to practice canicross with his owner, it is important to check that he is in compliance with all the conditions mentioned above, necessary for practicing this sport, starting first of all with understanding whether or not he likes to run alongside you. To verify this, the best thing to do is to start running on soft roads and get your dog used to wearing a collar and leash (which cannot measure more than two meters). It is important that the dog associates the leash with something positive, so you can propose it to him as a game, or give him a reward when he puts it on without too much protest.