Go cani-scooting with your dog
Go cani-scooting with your dog, but what is this sport of W'ouf? It's riding a scooter towed by your dog. Yes, yes, I assure you! Much to my regret, Musher is not a fan of canine hauling sports so I did not have the opportunity to test this sport with my dog. I preferred to interview an expert in the field: Emilie and her dream team of 20 dogs! Hang on to follow our cani-toddlers! Emilie explains to you in detail what the cani-scooter is, how to get started, where to do it, what equipment you need for dogs... You will know everything about how to ride a scooter with your dog .
Émilie, I'll let you speak: it's up to you 🙂
Emilie and her 20 dogs
My name is Émilie, I'm 29 and I'm from Abbaretz near Nantes. I am the mother of 20 dogs: 18 huskies, 1 Old Inuit Dog and 1 Mechelen/Leonberger cross. Yes it is possible ! 4 years ago I quit my life as a customer service representative in a banking establishment in Versailles to come back and live in Nantes. On August 17, 2015, on the occasion of my 25th birthday, I received the most beautiful birthday present of my life: Eleven, my first husky and above all the love of my life. It radically changed my life, I took a radical 180 degree turn! Today I rodeEhawee's Dream”, a company offering activities and entertainment around the sled dog.
The growth of my pack has really exponential since between February 2017 (date of my return from La Grande Odyssée on which I worked in animation for Kimic Event with Eleven) and October 2019: 18 dogs arrived in my life including 5 adoptions.
For more info on our history, take a look at our portrait Wow Good. I present to you my pack in detail. You will be able to discover the youngest there: my lovely little Lilith.
Go cani-scooting with your dog
I have been riding cani-scooters for 2 years. The principle of this activity? Ride a scooter towed by one or more dogs. One day, a supplier made me try the cani-scooter during a day of canine animation organized with my canine pension. After testing, I decided to invest and I didn't let go. I was first equipped with a Kostka mushing that I quickly changed to a Fatbike version: the monster from Kostka.
Trails, countryside, forest, dirt road, beach, mountain... as soon as a terrain seems fun or passable, we take dogs and equipment on board and we go have fun!
Musher and Sophie : “A small complement is essential on this activity. Even if your dog can help you by towing more or less lightly your scooter, you have to accompany him by skating at the start, in the hills or when you feel that he needs your help. It's not about climbing on the machine and letting the dog carry you. This is a real active sport for the master. Master as dog must be in good shape to practice the cani-scooter.”
The necessary equipment for you
For my equipment, I use a Kostka Monster Fatbike version with hydraulic brakes. In terms of helmet, we use a snow helmet with a goggle or a motocross full face. And a pair of mountain bike gloves. For the customers that we accompany on cani-scooter outings, we impose a dorsal or a dorsal riding vest in addition to the rest as well as elbow and knee pads for children.
Musher and Sophie : “The name of Emilie's scooter is almost scary… The Monster! lol Except it wasn't given to him by chance. It is a very specific scooter dedicated to this sport with powerful brakes and robust materials. I prefer to insist on this point: harnessing your dog to the scooter with which you will work in the morning or your son/daughter's scooter is a VERY bad idea!!! This is guaranteed disaster for you AND your dog. Equip yourself with a real scooter dedicated to this canine sport. “
The essential equipment for your dog
On scooters and moreover for any canine traction sport called “high tail line”, and on the advice of 3 animal osteopaths and 1 orthopedic veto, I use short distance type harnesses from Musher Shop or harnesses second skin of the Howling Dog Alaska brand. But I prefer my Musher Shop harnesses. With us, the xback-type harness is only used on quads, karts, sleds. I also use a double cushioned line.
Musher and Sophie : “For the practice of canine traction sports, a suitable harness is essential for the comfort and safety of your dog. the walking harness on a daily basis is not suitable. A pulling harness is designed to allow the dog to tow. There are several types of harness: sled dog type which encompasses the whole dog or shorter type omnijore canicross harness which stops in the middle of the dog's back. For sports such as skijoring, caniskate, cani-scooter, as you have to move away from the dog a little because of the equipment, it is better to choose a damper line longer and therefore a sled dog harness, longer.
It is important, for each outing, to provide a bag with water, a retractable bowl, a first aid kit et boots in case of injuries.
During the hunting season, we think of showy colors, or even of small bells to be visible and noisy. At nightfall or on early morning departures, think about headlamps and making your dogs visible: reflective harnesses, spotting lamp, yellow vests, luminous necklace, etc ….
There are also small bags that can be stored like duvets allowing you to bring an injured dog back on its back. I think that on a scooter it can also make a difference if a dog is injured.
The cani-scooter: a sport for all dogs?
I assume that all dogs can surpass themselves. But for me it's not a sport for all dogs. And this for 2 reasons: the towed weight and speed management. When you start picking up speed, the dog must be able to keep up. And he must be able to tow the machine + the driver…. I think you have to know the limits of each race and not put them in danger unnecessarily! Personally, I don't see very small dogs practicing this kind of sport. A dog can tow one to twice its weight, but even if you push the scooter, you must not put your dog in difficulty and respect his abilities and his physical condition.
Musher and Sophie : “Exactly Emily. Above all, even if this sport looks great to do with your dog, you have to respect your dog's abilities and desires. If he is not in good shape, if he is not used to towing and this intense physical effort, if he is afraid of equipment that he does not know…. : you have to take this into account before you start your first cani-scooter session. And then for a furry session, you also have to make sure that your dog knows a few basic commands to avoid disasters such as left, right, stop, don't touch, forward...
Want to test the cani-scooter with your dog?
I hope this article has made you want to test the cani-scooter with your dog. Before you start, Emilie shared with us 5 tips for cani-scooting with your dog. Continue your discovery of this canine sport Too W'ouf by discovering Emilie's tips in the following article: the "will to go", how to ride a cani-scooter in complete safety, checking your equipment and that of your your dog, joining a cani-scooter group, etc….
Thanks again to Émilie and her dream team for this article full of information 🙂
In the meantime, for more info, holiday advice and dog-friendly tips, follow EmmèneTonChien.com on our facebook page et our instagram account : )