Canicross
Canicross is an off-road run (cross-country) in which the athlete is connected to a dog by a flexible leash . This flexibility is ensured by a shock absorber that is either incorporated into the leash or attached at the end between the leash and the running belt or runner pants. This dog sport is popular in Europe and arose from skijoring and bikejoring with dogs, with several dogs being allowed to pull the athlete in these sports. The first world championship was held in Ravenna , Italy in 2002 . In Germany, in addition to the canicross competitions, there is also the cross-country run as part of the tournament dog sport (THS). The set of rules (see web links) is comparable and often the entry into canicross, as there are a larger number of clubs and competition dates at THS. Two clubs are currently registered in Germany that deal with Canicross, especially the Form Run .
The equipment essentially consists of a hip belt and a flexible leash of a maximum length of two meters (in tournaments a standard size of 1.90 meters usually applies). The dog is given a special harness that is comparable to a sled dog harness . The pressure point is worked so that the dog's lungs are not stressed and the performance is only marginally restricted. In order to minimize the risk of injury, all approved belts have a panic hook that can be used to loosen the connection between dog and runner. This facility, also called panic snap, is a prerequisite for participating in recognized races. Since this sport is preferably practiced in wooded areas, running shoes with a correspondingly coarse profile are usually used.
Since dogs react strongly to high temperatures, runs should no longer be carried out at a temperature of over 18 degrees Celsius. The maximum speeds achieved in the run can be over 30 km / h.
