Running with dogs has become a popular sport for dog owners worldwide. The sport, known as canicross (short for canine cross country), began as out-of-season training for the sled dog community (mushing) but quickly evolved into national and international events overseen by the International Canicross Federation (ICF).
I started canicrossing because I had one dog with reactivity issues and another that was cognitively challenged and could not go off the leash. I got addicted to it, and from 2013 to 2019, my fiancé and I organized a popular canicross event in the UK. We regularly had a hundred or more competitors and several hundred dogs who loved the twisty, single-track woodland setting. I’m now a dog behaviorist and have built a strong bond with my dog through running. Here, I share how and what you need to know.
