Hi following on from the other thread about children walking dogs. I have always allowed my daughter from 8 (shes 10 now) to walk my dogs under supervision with no problems, the problem now is, as she enjoys cross country running and exercising the dogs she wants to take up canicross. Due to ill health at the moment i'm unable to join in and don't know anyone that runs, we are going to the park and doing some 'training' within my eyesight but she is really getting bored of this. Are there any training clubs etc where she could train?.
PS any tips on best place to buy equipment appreciated

Hi   My niece is 13 and has been taking part in canicross for 3 years now, on race days there are marshalls round the course.  When she trains we usually go round our local park where I can see her at a distance.  Ashleigh really enjoys the running.   You dont need to spend lots of money on equipment just a harness and if possible bungee type lead.  Ashleigh has now got her friends involved so they go training together under supervision. 

Tracy

Thanks Tracy, she is really enjoying it (dogs are too) Koda especially :-) I've had a look on ebay for bungee leads but no luck? we have harnesses for all the dogs but will invest in a fleece type I think at Crufts. Getting friends involved is a great idea.
Thanks
Angela :-)

Wow! I really like the sound of canicross.  Not sure there is anything up this far yet though - Aberdeen - even though we have fantastic woods and dunes etc.

I do canix (although im pregnant at the mo so taking a break from it) the boys love it and im really missing going out training.  There are always marshalls and other runners on the course so as long as your daughter can control your dog im sure she would have great fun competeing. 

I started off with fleece harnesses, a cheap belt and bungee leads, with the two boys pulling on me though I found the belt really uncomfortable and bit by bit moved onto the canix own stuff (skijor).  We have all the gear now and it is so much better that I wish I had bought that in the first place. You meet some really nice people doing canix,  I completed a half marathon last year with the dogs - it was great fun.

Ashleigh now has the complete canicross set but she started off with bungee leads from Ezydog, these are really good to start off with also have the harnesses.

Tracy

Angela I do it.  If she's interested any events that I do I would be more than happy for her to come along, gets boring going on my own!!  I've got to book in for Crufts, hopefully we'll be accepted, though not been able to do the two northern events this last year as we had a breed club event on the first one and then I had a severe chest infection for last months so didn't enter.

im so gutted I cant do crufts this year, and I would have been able to run both dogs as it doesnt clash with our show day - oh well hopefully next year if my belt is fitting me !

Thanks everyone champdogs come thru for us again:-), thanks Diane for your kind offer at the mo not ready for competing (needs confidence building) but I'm sure by later in the year she'll be ready, hope you get to Crufts to compete. She has been running with Ozzie (5 yrs) and Koda (4 years) separately at the moment. Koda tends to run out front and is fitter & Ozzie tends to run to the side his fitness levels are not as great but he and Amy are well suited. Both are well behaved but I think if Koda was to see another dog ahead he would go flat out to beat it, so Ozzie's the best bet as far as competing goes. They are at the moment doing 1/2-1 mile a day what are the competing distances? a half marathon seems a little out of reach at the mo :-) but who knows, maybe 2012 lol.  Thanks everyone Angela & Amy

Canix distances are 2.5k for under 15s. 

Tracy

http://www.snowpawstore.co.uk/store/comersus_listCategoriesAndProducts.asp?idCategory=63

look here for cheaper canix stuff, they have bungee leads and x-back harnesses they also have belts but I think the skijor ones are better.

Thanks Claire that snowpawz and the ezydog one look great, see some more spending at Crufts :-)
Angela