Joining a canicross club with your dog: it's fun!
I am delighted to have you back for new adventures Wouafement Bien! Do you like running with your dog? Canicross is one of your favorite activities? How about joining a canicross club?
Musher, my labrador, and I practice canicross and even canitrail but to be honest my dog didn't understand this sport right away. So I decided to join a canicross club near Montpellier: the canicross club of Canicross30. We are around thirty and we really like the group atmosphere. During our sessions, we run, we learn from the other duos who are there and we chat while our dogs have fun on break times...
Are you wondering why do canicross in a club, how does a canicross club work, where to find canicross clubs in France and if it is possible to create one yourself? To answer your questions, I interviewed a Trop W'ouf duo. It's Pierre, the president of my club, and his Australian shepherd, Manta. These two are nature and sport lovers! Today, they present their sport to us and also their club “the Salag'dogs”. Let's goooo follow our athletes! And if you don't follow the rhythm, I can assure you that Manta will call you to order. Beneath her cute little face and fluffy coat, there is character.
Pierre and Manta, it's up to you 🙂
Canicross with your dog
So I'm Peter! I am delighted to talk to you about canicross today and to be able to present to you the favorite activity of my beautiful Manta and me.
How I discovered canicross? In July 2016, I participated in the famous Kilian Classic, a trail race in the Pyrenees. My dog was of course on the trip, with the aim of socializing her with the crowd, at events. But strangely there were a lot of dogs at Font-Romeu that day… And for good reason, a canitrail was organized the next day! A cani-what?! I knew absolutely nothing about this discipline. So we stayed to find out. When my dog and I saw these pairs struggling, both sticking their tongues out but so happy, I said to myself: "But that's exactly what I want to do!"
On top of that, I like running in nature, and that's one of the bases for practicing canicross I think. I really find the bond that is established between the dog and the master when they are in the effort. It's really a moment of sharing with his dog. And it is also a very good means of education. To run, it is necessary to teach him the directions (right/left), speed up, slow down, overtake, make a crenel… Which further clearly strengthens the links. You must be attentive to his feelings to better manage the effort. You must therefore listen to your dog and learn to decipher his language to form a duo that matches.
In addition, a canicross outing is perfect for letting off steam, hello long naps on the way home, and socialization level it allows our dogs to meet lots of other dogs.
If you want to know more about our history, do not hesitate to read our Portrait Wow Good.
Why do canicross in a club?
Running with your dog is good, but running with lots of friends and lots of dogs is even better! I was a little alone in my corner, and the nearest canicross club was too far away to allow me to participate in training during the week. At the same time, I joined a running club. I spoke to the president of the club about my desire to set up a canicross section within the club. He was immediately OK and the section was created! Today, water has flowed under the bridges, and the section has become a club in its own right: the Canicross30 ! This name is symbolic, it bears the name of the first race (which was a huge success) that we carried out on our red land, on the edge of the Salagou lake.
At the beginning there were 2 of us training at the brand new canicross club, then 3, then 5, and one thing leading to another, we found ourselves 2 years later at nearly 25 members. We love getting together with cani-potos!
We wanted to give this club participatory values and sharing values. That is to say that everyone's voice has the same value, everyone is free to suggest things, to ask or to bring their stone to the building. In itself, the objectives of the club are to allow all people who wish to practice a sport with their dog in the best possible conditions, in safety, both for themselves and for their dog, and to share very good times with the band of cani-potos.
Musher and Sophie : “Musher adooooooore finding these cani-potos, especially his great friend Marley. As soon as they meet, it's a real party! Once on the starting line, they compete: who will manage to run the fastest. Finally Musher follows him the first 20 meters and lets go of the matter directly. When I see all the dogs in our club, I secretly envy their masters. You can tell, these dogs have the famous “wil to go”; they have the guts and have a real passion for canicross. Musher, on the other hand, loves meeting up with her friends, but when it comes to towing, there is no one left. We are not ready to overshadow Marley!”
How to create a canicross club?
Creating a canicross club is very simple. Everything can be done online at association website of the government. It is enough to be two motivated people, to create a sports association and to be clear in its statutes on the future object of the association. Once the association has been created, it must be affiliated with a sports federation. For my part, I find that the Canine Sports and Leisure Federation is a very dynamic federation with super nice people. There is also a training component quite present with this federation, which is interesting for supervising training. So I naturally opted for this federation for our club.
Cani-cross club training
During our training with the canicross club, the basic instructions are simple: everyone is responsible for their dog and must follow a few basic instructions. For example, there are times when you have to be a little more attentive, such as at the start of training when the dogs are a little more excited than normal.
We let our dogs run free on certain secure portions of our training: again these are special times with some safety instructions to follow. A pack of 15 or more dogs running loose could be dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians or cars. It is therefore necessary that the leader of the group knows his route well, and it is he alone who will give the authorization to the group to detach the big cats (aha)!
And between dogs how does it go? New dogs are always a little intimidated but we realize that like humans, dogs get to know each other and when they know each other well they are really friends with each other and there is rarely one bark louder than another!
During training, we also take quite a few breaks so that the dogs can drink and even bathe. We run to the edge of the lake, it would be a shame to deprive ourselves of a good bath. You should know that the dog is comfortable running with a moderate temperature. Swimming allows it to cool down. With a good splash, they leave more motivated than ever.
To supervise training, having a diploma or a patent is not a real obligation. But in my team of Salag'dogs I would like all people to be able to pass the first level Federal Animator Certificate. This first training gives the basic advice to calmly manage a group during training. Today we are 3 to have it. As I told you, this club is intended to be participatory and everyone can suggest an outing on the paths they are used to treading! I am seeing with our new Regional Technical Director, alias Gladys, to schedule training in our sector.
Our tips for running with your dog
Canicross is a fashionable discipline, everyone wants to be able to run with their dog. Before starting, it seems important to me to have all the keys in hand in order to avoid certain errors.
I can only advise people who are starting to get closer to a club. Trained people can then advise them on the appropriate equipment to use and on good practices. The dog will be able to become familiar with other dogs and the activity. Especially since they really learn faster by mimicry! Then it's great to join friends who share the same passion!
The hardware is simple:
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Equip your dog with a good pulling harness
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A elastic lanyard cushioning blows between dog and human
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Un harness for the master
If you are a student, this silver necklace is absolutely your first choice. The silver color will show your vitality and your youth. run at night with your dog consider taking:
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A frontal for you
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A light system for your dog: sports dog lamp, fluorescent vest, luminous necklace, reflective stripes...
If you are a student, this silver necklace is absolutely your first choice. The silver color will show your vitality and your youth. run on the snow with your dog, boots ou socks may be useful.
Where to find the list of canicross clubs in France?
The FSLC is the Federation of Canine Sports and Leisure. It is a federation active in the world of single dog towed sports. On its website you can find list of all clubs present in France. There are many races that are governed by the regulations of this federation (distances, equipment, categories, etc.). It also has a training role for race judges and supervisors. I also have a heartfelt thought for Ségolène, whom many know in the world of canicross, who accompanied us in our beginnings and who has always been available to help us!
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So friends, would you like to join a canicross club? See you at Salag'dogs? In any case, I hope this article has helped you better understand what a canicross club is and especially made you want to join one with your dog. Musher and I look forward to 18:30 every Wednesday.
Thanks again to Pierre and his dog for sharing their Too W'ouf experience with us. Do you want to switch to competition mode and go behind the scenes of a canicross competition? Check out the article “Organize a canicross competition”. Pierre and Manta tell us about the race they organized with the whole team.
Pssssst: do you want to know more about canicross and canine traction sports? Take a look at these articles: “The top 10 traction sports to share with your dog"; "Start canicross with your dog"And"Canicross or canitrail – running with your dog” . Psssssst: other articles are coming very soon on the Mag' of EmmèneTonChien.com ! Stay connected and listen and listen! !
In the meantime, for more info, holiday advice and dog-friendly tips, follow EmmèneTonChien.com on our facebook page et our instagram account : )