Running or hiking can be beneficial for more than just your dog's physical health. It can also be a good form of mental stimulation.
Physical activity can also help prevent weight gain, can strengthen muscles for other canine sports, or can simply improve a dog's overall health. In some cases, it can also help dogs with a mild form of mild hip dysplasia by strengthening the muscles around the hips.
Sport is a good and safe way to start training and preparing young dogs because there are no super high speeds involved and the movements are controlled. The movement is quite linear, unlike Discdog or Agility, for example.
Unless your dog has some serious known health issues, it is a fairly safe sport. All types of dogs of all sizes and ages can run or hike as long as you respect your dog's boundaries.
When can I start training my dog to run?
Being active prepares the body for what is to come next, but if you start specific training too early, it can cause serious health problems down the road. You can teach your dog to pull very short distances to teach him the routines of doing things together, but physical training should not be too hard for a young dog.
There are many other things you can do to prepare your dog, teaching him how to stay calm at the start, departures or even counting down. You can also teach him commands that could be useful later on. Left, right and straight ahead are the most common commands. You can start training commands at a very young age by simply walking with your dog and giving him the commands.
When your dog is at least eight months old, you can start training him in sprints. Do this by letting your dog run 100 to 400 meters once or three times a week. At the end, he receives a treat or a toy.
Can I go trail running with an older dog?
Older dogs can also run, but you cannot expect them to run as fast as a young dog. It is always important to respect their limits and needs, and with an older dog even more so. In some official competitions, such as in Spain, dogs older than 10 years old cannot run.
Common injuries?
Paw cuts from gravel, ice, rocks or other sharp objects are probably the most common injury in canicross. This can be avoided by wearing socks and taking proper care of the paws.
We recommend regular use of Musher's Secret Paw Cream to prevent dry and cracked paws. This natural ointment has a healing and preventative effect. File the hard skin regularly to keep the paws soft and strong. Dead skin often causes cracks. A nail file can be used.
Sometimes a dog breaks its toenails when running. Always keep the nails short and trim them frequently.
Shoulder injuries or back problems can be caused by an ill-fitting harness or overtraining.
To avoid injury and prepare your dog for running, always remember to warm up before running and go for a walk to cool down afterwards.
Also remember that your dog's digestion is slow. There is a risk of stomach torsion if you feed your dog before running.
Take precautions when training in hot weather. Your dog may overheat!
Running on gravel or asphalt
Be careful if you are running on very hard surfaces. In the summer, asphalt gets hot and can burn your dog's pads. Gravel paths could also damage paws.
For training, or even for walking on hot summer days, you can use socks to protect your paws from hot surfaces or when training on gravel paths.
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