Canicross for beginners: running with your dog without hurting it

Running as a pair, joined by a line

As much as 2 to 4 km/h faster. That is the boost a dog can give its runner in canicross, according to the Fédération française des sports et loisirs canins (FFSLC), France’s federation for dog sports: a form of running in which runner and dog are joined by a line with a shock absorber, and in which speed depends above all on the bond between the two [1].

Under the French federation’s rules, the sport is open to everyone and to every breed of dog, except dogs classed in category 1 under French law [8]. Spiked shoes are strictly banned, so as not to injure the dogs, and races are 5 to 9 km long depending on the temperature [1]. If you race outside France, check the rules of the event you enter.

The kit: harness, belt and bungee line

The French federation makes the point: specialised equipment is essential, namely a harness, a belt with leg loops, a waist belt and a towline [1]. Each piece has its job.

The harness is the piece that matters most: it is a long harness, designed so that the dog can pull in comfort, and it must fit the dog’s build [2]. Clubs often lend kit, so you can try several harnesses before you buy [2].

How old does a dog need to be for canicross?

For racing in France, the federation’s rule is clear: a dog must be 18 months old to start competing [1]. For leisure training, age is not everything: a young dog, even at 18 months, starts with very short distances [2]. A check-up at the vet before you begin will show whether its heart, joints and paw pads are ready for the effort.

The first runs, step by step

1. Run without the canicross kit at first, so that your dog finds its pace beside you, and teach it the basic command: stop [2].
2. Then put the kit on and jog gently: the dog will usually move out in front. Before a turn, say ‘left’ or ‘right’ while steering the line that way [2].
3. Build up very gradually: for an 18-month-old dog, 500 m of pulling, then 700 m, then 1 km [2].
4. Start and finish each outing with a short stroll off the lead, where that is allowed, so your dog can warm up, unwind and relieve itself [2].

The ground matters as much as the distance. Stick to paths and forest tracks, which are soft on paws, and avoid tarmac and concrete: that is asking for an injury. Stop every quarter of an hour to give your dog a drink, with a water bottle and its bowl in your rucksack, and keep an eye on its breathing: if it seems very out of breath, slow down or stop [2].

Overheating: the number one danger, even in winter

In the UK, researchers reviewed the records of more than 900,000 dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016 and identified 1,259 cases of heat-related illness, or heatstroke. Where the trigger was recorded, exercise accounted for 74.2% of them, against 5.2% for confinement in a hot vehicle: exertional heatstroke affected around ten times as many dogs as hot cars did, and caused eight times as many deaths. Nor is it only sporty dogs: where the type of exercise was recorded, two cases in three followed a simple walk. Young males were more at risk of it, and brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs, such as bulldogs, were more at risk from all three main triggers [3].

Running in winter is no protection. In another study, researchers took the temperature of 108 dogs at the finish of ten British canicross races, run in feels-like temperatures of -5 to 11 °C. At every race, some dogs went above 40.6 °C, the point beyond which a prolonged high temperature is likely to cause heatstroke: 30 of the 281 readings did. Male dogs, dark-coated dogs and the fastest runners were the most at risk [4].

The danger does not stop at the finish line. In a third study, also at British races, the dog’s temperature kept rising during the five minutes after exercise in nearly one case in four (24.4%). Dogs put straight into a vehicle cooled down less well, whereas immersion in water at 0 to 15 °C cooled them effectively, with no adverse effects. The researchers’ advice fits on one line: ‘cool first, transport second’ [5].

The most common injuries, for your dog and for you

The first survey devoted to canicross injuries, published in 2018 from the responses of 160 participants, gives an idea of the risks: 21.9% of the dogs had been injured at least once. Lacerations, abrasions and punctures came top, most often on the pads of the front paws, and most dogs had recovered [6].

Runners are not spared either: 69 of the 147 handlers surveyed had been injured while racing, most often at the ankle. Among the dogs, three profiles were injured more often: those running with another dog, those also competing in agility, and purebred Labradors [6]. So it is wiser to start with a single dog, on paths without sharp stones, and to check its pads after every outing.

Races, children and clubs

Canicross is a family sport too. In France, the federation scales distances to children’s ages and requires an adult to be present for the youngest; an adult can also run attached to the dog, a little behind the child, if the dog is too powerful for the child’s size [7].

The easiest way to start is to join a club: according to the sports retailer Decathlon, there are more than 250 in France, and they give good advice as well as lending kit [2]. If you already run on your own, our training plan for a first trail race sets out the principles of a gradual build-up: they apply to your dog too.

The day your dog waits at the door, wagging its tail, as soon as you put on your belt, you will know you have gained far more than 2 km/h.

Worth watching

Basic canine anatomy and how to fit a pulling harness for canicross, on the principle that there is no perfect harness, only a perfect fit for your dog.

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Nolwenn Bastide

Trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations

Nolwenn covers trail running, snow, water, nature and destinations for Outfarer. Curious about everything, from meteor showers to night-train timetables, she has a knack for unearthing the one detail that changes everything, and putting it in a single sentence.

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